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Chapter 10 - part 2 · History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution

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  Section thirty eight of History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American
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  Revolution, Volume one. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are
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  in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox
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  dot org. History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution,
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  Volume one by Mercy Otis Warren, Chapter ten, Part two. The
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  error was truly critical. Congress again found it necessary a second time to desert
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  the city and now repair to Yorktown for safety. Dissensions ran high among the
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  inhabitants of Philadelphia. Some of the most opulent families were disaffected and renounced all
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  adherents to the Union, and several persons of different descriptions, emboldened by the
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  absence of Congress and the success of the British arms, took this opportunity to
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  declare in favor of the royal cause one of principal consideration. Among them,
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  went out and conducted the King's troops into the city. Others declared themselves seallessly
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  attached to the measures of administration and equally disgusted with the opposition of the colonies.
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  Among these was Joseph Galloway, a member of Congress and Speaker of the
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  House of Representatives in Pennsylvania is soon after repaired to England. They in defecatively
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  exerted his abilities and his influence against his native country. On all occasions.
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  Besides those individual lack of states, the Quaker interest had long embarrassed every public
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  measure in that colony. They were a large and powerful body in the state
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  of Pennsylvania, and notwithstanding their Pacific principles, though not actually in arms,
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  they at this time took a decided part against the American cause. Their previous
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  conduct had drawn upon themselves many severities. Several of the principal ladies had been
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  imprisoned, and others sent out of the city of Philadelphia on the approach of
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  the British army. Yet still they refused the smallest submission to the present government
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  and appealed to the laws by which they claimed personal safety. But whether from
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  a consideration of the necessity of a temporary suspension of law in times of public
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  and imminent danger, or whether from the sanguine resolutions which operate on all parties
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  when the favorite system tautters on the brink of rowan little regard was paid even
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  to the legal claims of this body of citizens. Several persons of the first
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  distinction and character among them, notwithstanding their just and sensible remonstrances, were sent
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  up to Virginia to prevent the influence they might have through a state then the
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  principal seat of war from them these political dissensions, the partial defeats the laws
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  of Philadelphia, the slowness of recruits for permanent service, the difficulty of obtaining
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  supplies for the army, from various causes, and particularly from the monopolizing and
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  avaricious spirit that was fast gaining ground in America, and from delay, the
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  betrayer of all confederations. A lowering aspect was cast over the Oberigins of America
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  on every side. On the contrary, the British government, the army,
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  and their adherents had much reason to flatter themselves with an idea of the speedy
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  completion of their designs against the United States. They were now in possession of
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  the first city in the Union. General Clinton was in force at New York,
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  General Vaughan on the North River, the troops sufficient to sweep away the
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  inhabitants on both sides, and to keep the adjacent country in awe a large
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  detachment of the British armies still hold the possession of Newport. Colonel Lawsborn with
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  the Hessian Brigade, in conjunction with them, was poradically plundering the neighboring coasts
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  and burning the scattered villages of the state of Rhode Island. It is proper
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  here to observe that soon after the British troops had taken possession of Rhode Island,
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  some animosities had arisen between General Howe and Lord Percy, who commanded there.
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  This was occasioned by a requisition from Sir William Howe to his lordship to
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  send him on fifteen hundred men for the better defense of New York and to
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  aid his operations in that quarter. Lord Percy declined to compliance with this order,
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  alleging as a reason for this refusal that the Americans were rapidly collecting and
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  strengthening themselves in the town of Providence, that the number of troops already there
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  gave them reason to be apprehensive for the safety of god Newport. General Howe
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  resented the refusal, threatened Earl Percy with a trial for disobedience of orders,
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  and recommanded him in language which the Earl thought derogatory to an officer of his
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  rank character and consequence. On this usage, which Lord Percy considered very affrontive,
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  he immediately wrote to his father, the Duke of Northumberland, requesting him
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  without delay to obtain his recall from the American service. Soon after this e
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  empirred for England, having resigned his command to General Prescott. His advance to
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  the chief command of the troops on Rhode Island was not long enjoyed by General
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  Prescott before the circumstance took place, which was sufficiently mortifying to himself. In
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  the British in the beginning of July one thousand, seven hundred seventy seven,
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  Colonel Barton, a provincial officer, and several others, accompanied by only thirty
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  eight men, embarked in several boats for Warwicked Neck. Eluding the vigilance of
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  the British ships and guard boats, he and his party passed them in the
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  dark and landed Arbert Island about twelve o'clock at night. Colonel Barton had received
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  some intelligence of the insecure situation of which the British commander frequently lodged on the
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  island. On this information he formed the bowl design a, surprising and seizing
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  him. This he effected with the facility beyond his own most sanguine expectations.
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  Having first secured the center at the door, he surprised General Proscott in his
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  bed. One of his aides leaped from a window and hopes of escape,
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  but was prevented. Their designed accomplished. The little party hastened to their boats
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  with all possible expedition. Signals were made for an alarm on shore, but
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  it was too late. Barton and his party were out of when they reached
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  the spot from whence they had set out on this adventure. A chariot was
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  prepared for the reception of General Prescott, and which he was excluded safely from
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  warwid to providence. Colonel Barton received great applause from his countrymen, but spirited
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  in well executed enterprise. It was not indeed an object of much magnitude,
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  but the previous circumstances of General Prescott's conduct had been such as to render his
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  kept a subject of much exultation to the Americans. He had, while in
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  command the port, insulted and abused the inhabitants, ridiculed the American officers,
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  and set a price upon some of their heads, particularly on that of General
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  Arnold, which Arnold retaliated with the advertisement of a small price, but the
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  head of General Prescott. The similarity of circumstances that attended the capture of the
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  general's Prescott and Lee, and their rank in the armies to which they respectively
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  belonged, rendered it highly proper that an exchange should have taken place immediately.
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  It was, however, for a time delayed, but finally General Lee obtained
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  his liberty in consequence of this business. The discouraging circumstances above related with regard
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  to the arrangements, military posts and operations of the British from Newport to New
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  York, and from New York to Philadelphia, gave very promising prospects of success
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  to the British in that part of America. At the same time, General
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  Burgoyne, with the flower of the British army, the Canadian provincials and hoyds
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  of savages that poured down from beyond the Lakes, was making advances, and,
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  in the language of bombast and self confidence, threatened destruction and vengeance to
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  any who should have hardihood enough to endeavor to stop his progress or to oppose
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  the authority under which he acted. But notwithstanding the general wayward appearance of the
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  affairs of the United States, the legislatures, as we shall see, lost
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  not their magnanimity, the people their ardor nor at the army their valor.
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  Not disheartened by the circumstances of the last action at the Brandywine or the loss
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  of Philadelphia, General Washington, with his brave troops in numbers comparatively and considerable,
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  kept the British Army in play until the setting inn of winter. Within
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  a few days after the surrender of Philadelphia, the Americans attacked the royal camp
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  at Germantown, situated about six miles from the city where the main body of
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  the British Army had taken their stand. This was a very unexpected manouva.
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  The attempt was bold and the defense brave. The Americans for a time seemed
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  to have greatly the advantage, but the enterprise finally failed. They were obliged
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  to retreating great confusion after the heavy loss of many officers and men. The
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  disappointment of the Americans was in consequence of the address and ability of Colonel Mosgrove,
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  who judiciously stood on the defensive and checked the progress of the Continental troops
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  until General Gray and Brigadier General Agnew, with a large detachment, came to
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  his relief. A warm but short action ensued when the Americans were totally routed
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  and driven out of the field of action. Generally, who had not the
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  highest opinion of General Washington's military abilities, observed on this occasion that by a
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  single stroke of the Bathos, the partial victory German town was corrupted into a
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  defeat footnote General Lee's letters and the footnote. This was, however, too
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  severe a censure. A number of circumstances cooperated to blast the hopes of the
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  Americans after the early promise of success. The Britons themselves have given testimony to
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  the bravery and good conduct of Washington and his army on this occasion. One
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  of their writers has attested in this action, the Americans acted upon the offensive,
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  and though reponents with laws, showed themselves a formidable adversary capable of charging
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  with resolution and retreating with order. The hope therefore entertained from the effect of
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  any fair action with them, as decisive and likely to put a speed determination
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  to the war was exceedingly abated. The highest expectation had been formed on the
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  reduction of Philadelphia, both by the foreign and internal foes of America, though
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  both armies were fired with equal ardor and on all occasions were equally ready for
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  action. Yet the repeated sne skirmishes for several weeks in the neighborhood of the
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  city were not productive of any very important consequences except the loss of many brave
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  men and several officers of great merit. None of these were more distinguished and
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  lamented than General Nash on the American side, and Brigade General Agnoll and Colonel
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  Bird of the British line, who lost their lives in the Battle of Germantown.
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  It was very important to the British commander, after the above transactions to
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  open a free passage to Philadelphia by the Delaware in order to obtain supplies of
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  provisions by water for their army. This was impeded by the American shipping and
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  by several strong posts held by the Americans on the river, the principle of
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  which was read bank. Here they had an opportunity of retrieving the recent disgrace
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  of their arms at Germantown. The Hessians under the command of Colonel Donnop had
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  the principal hand in this business. He crossed the Delaware with fifteen hundred men
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  at Coper's very opposite Philadelphia, and marched to attack the redoubts at Red Bank.
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  A cannonon was opened. The camp was attacked with spirit and defended with
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  equal gallantry the Colonel Greene of Rhode Island, who replied to the summons of
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  Count Donop to surrender, that he should defend the place to the last extremity.
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  On this the Hessians attempted to storm the redoubts, but the assailants were
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  obliged to retreat in their turn. One Hessian brigade was nearly cut to pieces
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  in the action, and Count Donop mortally wounded and taken prisoner, as were
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  several other officers of consideration. The remainder retreated with great precipitation through the night,
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  leaving one half of their party dead, wounded, or prisoners to the
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  Americans. Crossed the river the next morning, and in this mortified situation the
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  remnant who escaped entered Philadelphia. This important pass was a key to the other
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  posts on the river, and for its brave defense, the officers and soldiers
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  were justly applauded, and Colonel Green complimented by Congress with a present of an
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  elegant sword. After the action at Red Bank, the vigilance and caution of
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  General Washington could not be overcome by the valor and advantages of his foes so
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  far as to induce him to hazard any action of consequence. Footnote. For
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  this, General Washington was very severely censured by some, and even the legislature
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  of the State of Pennsylvania remonstrated to Congress and expressed their uneasiness that the American
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  commanders should leave the capital in possession of the enemy and retire to winter quarters.
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  But his little army destitute of every necessary without the possibility of a supply
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  at that season, was a sufficient apology and a footnote. The design of
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  opening the Delaware was now the principal object. With the British commander. This
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  was effected without much difficulty. After the reduction of Mudd Island from the strong
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  post, the Americans were obliged to retreat. After a very manly resistance,
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  They did not evacuate their works until reduced to despair by some British ships advantageously
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  playing upon them. On the very superior advantages of their enemies. In many
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  respects, they were induced to set fire too everything within reach, and after
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  great slaughter, they abandoned the place which had already cost them too much in
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  its defense. Footnote. The writer of this work does not aim at a
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  particular description or detail of all the engagements, battles and rencom between the two
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  contending armies. A general sketch of the most material military movements completes her design,
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  the primary object of which is not a dry narrative of military havoc.
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  And a footnote. In the struggle to open the Delaware, the Augusta and
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  the Merlin, on the part of Britain were lost, but the losses of
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  the Americans were far beyond those of the British. The Delaware, Frigate and
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  some others were captured, and several ships burnt by themselves to prevent their falling
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  into the hands of their enemies. And of Section thirty eight