for La Fayette, though with great regret, to re- CHAP. linquish the enterprise and return to the middle LVIII. provinces. It is due to him to observe that, 1778. through the whole of this transaction, he had acted with perfect honour and cordial regard to Washington. The latter pithily observes, in one of his private letters of the period: "I shall say "no more of the Canada expedition than that it is "at an end. I never was made acquainted with "a single circumstance relating to it."* It was not until mid-April that a better hope for harmony arose, a majority of Congress deciding that General Gates should relinquish the Board of War and resume his command in the Northern district. Such was the prospect of affairs in the camp at Valley Forge, when Washington received the first draft of Lord North's Conciliatory Bills. While forwarding them to the President of Congress, he did not conceal his apprehensions that they might have what he terms "a malignant influence" on the public in America. + But joy and thankfulness became predominant in his mind when, early in May, landed Mr. Simeon Deane, brother of the plenipotentiary at Paris, and bearer of the treaty of alliance between France and the United States. "It has pleased the Almighty Ruler of the Universe," says Washington, in his General Orders, "to raise 66 *To Major-General Armstrong, March 27. 1778. СНАР. "us up a powerful friend among the Princes of "the earth. It becomes us then to set apart a LVIII. 1778. day for gratefully acknowledging the Divine goodness and celebrating the important event." The day thus set apart was commenced with public prayer; there was afterwards a general muster of the troops, and a general discharge of the small arms; a volley from the cannon of thirteen rounds in honour of the Thirteen States; and a huzza from the whole army, "Long live "the King of France!" Earlier in the year Washington, among his other military cares, had attentively considered the best measures to be taken for the defence of Hudson's River. Hitherto that object had been attained by Forts Montgomery and Clinton. But these having been demolished by the British, the question arose as to the most eligible place for the construction of new works. On full reflection and inquiry West Point was selected. There, accordingly, strong batteries were soon in rapid progress, which, supported as they were by CHEVAUX-deFRISE, and by the old boom of Fort Montgomery, seemed fully sufficient to secure the passage up the stream. The first step taken by Washington to commence the campaign was in the middle of May, by sending the Marquis de La Fayette with 2400 men to take post on Barren Hill. Against this force a much larger was despatched from Philadelphia in two divisions, which La Fayette only LVIII. 1778. escaped by a precipitate retreat. Such, together CHAP. with a few foraging excursions, is the only feat to be recorded of the British troops during many months. Through the whole of the spring and winter they had remained almost wholly inactive; the young officers engaged in diversions—as high play and loose amours that gave no small offence to the sober Philadelphians. Sir William Howe was much beloved for his warm heart and winning manners; and the news of his recall was heard with great concern. Before he sailed for England twenty-two of the field officers combined to entertain him at a splendid festival, to which they gave the Italian name of MISCHIANZA, or Medley. It was the imitation of a Tournament; the first, perhaps, ever displayed in the New World. Knights in rich array, each attended by a Squire, each bearing some motto or device, each appearing in honour of some peerless damsel, whose name was publicly proclaimed, entered the lists and tilted against each other, whilst ladies looked on in Turkish attire, ready to bestow the prize of valour on the victors.* No doubt it was honourable to the General on his retirement to receive that parting token of regard, but perhaps * See a full account of the Mischianza (May 18. 1778) in the Annual Register for that year, p. 264. The device which the officers put forth for General Howe, was gracefully chosen ; a setting sun with the motto: "Luceo discedens, aucto splendore resurgam." CHAP. more honourable still had he left his army a little less of leisure for it! LVIII. 1778. The successor of Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, was in character as upright and amiable; in skill and enterprise much superior. Had the earlier stages of the war been under his direction, his ability might not have been without influence upon them. But it was his misfortune to be appointed only at a time when other foes had leagued against us, when the path was beset with thorns and briars, when scarce any laurels rose in view. In consequence of the impending war with France, and in conformity with the advice of Lord Amherst to the King, instructions had been addressed to Sir Henry, on the 23d of March, to retire from the hard-won city of Philadelphia, and concentrate his forces at New York. This order reached him at Philadelphia in the month of May: only a few days after he had assumed the chief command; only a few days before there came on shore the British Commissioners for peace. These Commissioners might well complain with some warmth, in a secret letter to Lord George Germaine, that an order so important, so directly bearing on the success of their mission, should have been studiously concealed from them until they landed in America and beheld it in progress of execution. Thus to a private friend wrote Lord Carlisle :"We arrived at this place, after a voyage of six "weeks, on Saturday last, and found every thing "here in great confusion, the army upon the point of leaving the town, and about three CHAP. "thousand of the miserable inhabitants embarked LVIII. "on board of our ships to convey them from a 1778. place where they think they would receive no mercy from those who will take possession after Thus, from the first, the Commissioners had against them the news of a retreat from Philadelphia and the news of a treaty at Paris. Further still they had against them, as the Opposition in England had along foreseen and foretold, the fact of their connexion with Lord North. Even at the outset, before their offers could be known, one of the leaders in America, General Joseph Reed, answered a private note from one of them as follows:-"I shall only say that, after the un 66 paralleled injuries and insults this country has "received from the men who now direct the "affairs of Britain, a negotiation under their auspices has much to struggle with."+ How different might have been his feelings had they brought their commission from Lord Chatham! *To G. Selwyn, June 10. 1778; printed in the Selwyn Correspondence. In a later letter from New York, Lord Carlisle thus sums up his general impressions: "The country "is beautiful beyond description; the climate the worst I ever experienced." It is interesting to compare his remarks with those of his grandson, the present Earl. (Lecture at Leeds, 1850.) 66 † To Governor Johnstone, June 14. 1778. Life of Reed, vol. i. p. 378. |