XI. CHAPTER he requested that his case might be referred to a courtmartial. He was accordingly put in arrest, under three 1778. charges; first, disobedience of orders in not attacking the enemy, agreeably to repeated instructions; secondly, misbehavior before the enemy, in making an unnecessary, disorderly, and shameful retreat; thirdly, disrespect to the Commander-in-chief in two letters written after the action. A court-martial was summoned, which sat from time to time for three weeks while the army was on its march; and finally declared their opinion, that General Lee was guilty of all the charges, and sentenced him to be suspended from all command in the army of the United States for the term of twelve months. In the written opinion of the court, the second charge was modified by omitting the word "shameful"; but in all other respects the charges were allowed to be sustained by the testimony. Congress approved the sentence. General Lee left the army, and never joined it again. He died four years afterwards in Philadelphia. * Before the army crossed the Hudson, General Washing * Soon after General Lee rejoined the army at Valley Forge, a curious incident occurred. By an order of Congress, General Washington was required to administer the oath of allegiance to the general officers. The major-generals stood around Washington, and took hold of a Bible together according to the usual custom; but, just as he began to administer the oath, Lee deliberately withdrew his hand twice. This movement was so singular, and was performed in so odd a manner, that the officers smiled, and Washington inquired the meaning of his hesitancy. Lee replied, "As to King George, I am ready enough to absolve myself from all allegiance to him, but I have some scruples about the Prince of Wales." The strangeness of this reply was such, that the officers burst into a broad laugh, and even Washington could not refrain from a smile. The ceremony was of course interrupted. It was renewed as soon as a composure was restored proper for the solemnity of the occasion, and Lee took the oath with the other officers. Connected with the subsequent conduct of General Lee, this incident was thought by some, who were acquainted with it, to have a deeper meaning than at first appeared, and to indicate a less ardent and fixed patriotism towards the United States, than was consistent with the rank and professions of the second officer in the command of the American forces. XI. 1778. Arrival of taing. Count d'Es July 14. ton heard of the arrival of Count d'Estaing on the coast CHAPTER with a French fleet, consisting of twelve ships of the line and four frigates. The admiral touched at the Capes of the Delaware, where he was informed of the evacuation of Philadelphia, and, after despatching up the river one of his frigates, on board of which was M. Gérard, the first minister from France to the United States, he sailed for Sandy Hook. No time was lost by General Washington in sending him a letter of congratulation, and proposing to cooperate with him in carrying any plans into execution, which might be concerted for attacking the enemy. Colonel Laurens, one of his aids-de-camp, was the bearer of this letter, to whom the Count was referred for such information as he might wish to obtain. When it was known that the fleet had arrived at the Hook, Colonel Hamilton, another confidential aid, was sent on board accompanied by four skilful pilots, and instructed to explain the General's views fully to Count d'Estaing. If it should be found practicable for the French vessels to pass the bar, and engage the British fleet then at anchor within the Hook, it was supposed a simultaneous attack on the land side might be made to advantage; and indeed not without a prospect of very fortunate results, if the French should be able by a naval victory to enter the harbor and ascend to the city. These hopes were soon dissipated by the unanimous opinion of the pilots, that there was not sufficient depth of water to admit Count d'Estaing's heavy ships over the bar, and by their refusal to take the responsibility of attempting to conduct them through the channel. French fleet cannot pas the bar at Sandy Hook. against the Rhode Isl The only enterprise, that now remained, was an attack Expedition on the enemy at Rhode Island, where six thousand British enemy at troops were stationed, chiefly in garrison at Newport, and and. protected by a few small vessels, batteries, and strong intrenchments. The French squadron departed for that place, without being molested by Lord Howe, whose force was not such as to encourage him to go out and give battle. Anticipating the French admiral's determination, XI. 1778. CHAPTER Washington prepared to lend all the aid in his power to make it effectual. General Sullivan was already in Providence, at the head of a considerable body of Continental troops; and he was ordered to apply to the States of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, for militia enough to augment his force to at least five thousand men. A detachment of two brigades marched from the main army under Lafayette, who was followed by General Greene. The events of this expedition do not fall within the limits of the present narrative. Various causes contributed to its failure, by defeating the combined action of the land and naval forces. Count d'Estaing's fleet, after leaving Newport, was so much crippled by a tremendous storm, and a partial engagement at sea, that he put in to the harbor of Boston to refit, where he remained till November. Washington laments the differences between the American and French officers. Sept. 1. The disagreements, which unhappily existed between the American and French officers at Rhode Island, gave the deepest concern to Washington. In a letter to Lafayette, who had communicated the particulars, he lamented it as a misfortune, which might end in a serious injury to the public interest; and he endeavored to assuage the rising animosity of the parties by counsels equally creditable to his feelings as a man and to his patriotism. "I feel every thing," said he, "that hurts the sensibility of a gentleman, and consequently upon the present occasion I feel for you and for our good and great allies the French. I feel myself hurt, also, at every illiberal and unthinking reflection, which may have been cast upon the Count d'Estaing, or the conduct of the fleet under his command; and lastly, I feel for my country. Let me entreat you, therefore, my dear Marquis, to take no exception at unmeaning expressions, uttered perhaps without consideration, and in the first transport of disappointed hope. Everybody, Sir, who reasons, will acknowledge the advantages which we have derived from the French fleet, and the zeal of the commander of it; but, in a XI. 1778. free and republican government, you cannot restrain the CHAPTER voice of the multitude. Every man will speak as he thinks, or, more properly, without thinking, and consequently will judge of effects without attending to the causes. The censures, which have been levelled at the officers of the French fleet, would more than probably have fallen in a much higher degree upon a fleet of our own, if we had one in the same situation. It is the nature of man to be displeased with every thing that disappoints a favorite hope or flattering project; and it is the folly of too many of them to condemn without investigating circumstances. "Let me beseech you therefore, my good Sir, to afford a healing hand to the wound, that unintentionally has been made. America esteems your virtues and your services, and admires the principles upon which you act. Your countrymen in our army look up to you as their patron. The Count and his officers consider you as a man high in rank, and high in estimation here and also in France; and I, your friend, have no doubt but you will use your utmost endeavors to restore harmony, that the honor, glory, and mutual interest of the two nations may be promoted and cemented in the firmest manner." To Count d'Estaing he wrote in language not less delicate and conciliatory, nor less fitted to remove unfavorable impressions. the British In compliance with the order from the ministry given Designs of early in the season, Sir Henry Clinton detached five thou- general. sand men to the West Indies and three thousand to Florida; but there was much delay in fitting out these expeditions, and the troops did not actually sail till near the end of October. Lord Howe's fleet in the mean time had been reinforced by a squadron from Europe. As neither the orders nor the plans of the British general were known, it was conjectured that he might have in view a stroke upon Count d'Estaing's fleet in Boston harbor, and perhaps an attack upon that town. It is probable, also, that General Clinton gave a currency to CHAPTER rumors of this sort, for the purpose of diverting the atXI. tention of the Americans from his real objects. A report 1778. gained credit, believed to have come from good authority, Washington prepares to guard the eastern States. Events in Mistaken policy of the enemy. that New York was to be evacuated. Washington suspected the true origin of this rumor, and could not persuade himself that an eastern expedition was intended; yet the public impression and the conviction of some of his officers were so strong, as to its reality, that he took measures to guard against it. He established his head-quarters at Fredericksburg, thirty miles from West Point, near the borders of Connecticut, and sent forward a division under General Gates to Danbury. The roads were repaired as far as Hartford, to facilitate the march of the troops, and three brigades were despatched to that place. General Gates went to Boston, and took command of the eastern department, as successor to General Heath. These operations kept the army employed on the east side of the Hudson more than four months, till it was finally ascertained that the enemy had no designs in that direction. Sir Henry Clinton took care to profit by this diversion of the American army. Foraging parties passed over to New Jersey, and ravaged the country. One of these parties attacked Baylor's dragoons in the night, at a short distance from Tappan, rushing upon them with the bayonet and committing indiscriminate slaughter. A similar assault was made upon Pulaski's legion at Egg Harbor. Both these adventures were attended with such acts of cruelty on the part of the enemy, as are seldom practised in civilized warfare. And they were not less impolitic than cruel, being regarded with universal indignation and horror by the people, and exciting a spirit of hatred and revenge, which would necessarily react in one form or another upon their foes. In fact this point of policy was strangely misunderstood by the British, or more strangely perverted, at every stage of the contest. They had many friends in the country, whom it was their interest to retain, and they professed a desire to conciliate others; yet |