by a French fleet, under D'Estaing (des-tang'), on the eve of sailing for the Delaware, to co-operate with Washington's forces, was ordered to leave Philadelphia. That city was accordingly abandoned; but the retreating army, commanded by Clinton, Howe's successor, while crossing New Jersey, was overtaken by Washington, at Monmouth.

67. General Lee, who led the advance, was directed to make an attack upon the enemy's line; but, instead of doing so, he commenced a retreat. Washington coming up,

Battle of severely reprimanded him on the spot, and again Monmouth. ordered him to rally his men and advance. This was done, and the battle continued until nightfall, but without a decisive result (June, 1778). The Americans slept on their arms, intending to renew the contest early the following morning." Washington lay on his cloak at the foot of a tree, with Lafayette beside him, talking over the strange conduct of Lee, whose disorderly retreat had come so near being fatal to the army. What opinions he gave on the subject, in the course of his conversation, the marquis does not tell us : after it was ended he wrapped himself in his cloak, and slept among his soldiers. At daybreak the drums beat. The troops roused themselves from their heavy sleep and prepared for action; but, to their surprise, the enemy had disappeared. There was a deserted camp, in which were found four officers and about forty privates, too severely wounded to be conveyed away by the retreating army." Washington did not continue the pursuit. "The distance to which the enemy must

1 After the evacuation of Philadelphia, General Joseph Reed, a member of Congress, was approached by a lady acting under the direction of a British agent named Johnstone, and offered £10,000 and any colonial office in his Majesty's gift, if he would exert his influence to restore a union of the two countries. Filled with indignation, Reed replied, 1 am not worth purchasing, but, such as I am, the king of Great Britain is not rich enough to do it."

2 Lee's pride having been wounded by the rebuke which he had received on the field of battle, he sent two disrespectful letters to Washington. He was therefore tried by court-martial, and suspended from his command for a year. He never rejoined the army; but, just before the close of the war, died at Philadelphia.

1778

Massacre of Wyoming.

163

by this time have attained, the extreme heat of the weather, and the fatigued condition of his troops," deterred him.'

66

Massacre

of

68. Among the saddest events of the year 1778 was the massacre at Wy-o'-ming, Pennsylvania. In July a band of tories and Indians entered that beautiful valley, which was almost defenseless, as most of the able-bodied men had joined the patriot army, and with fire and sword ravaged and desolated every settlement. Wyoming. The closing scene of that memorable drama was in terrible keeping with the bloody acts which had preceded. The fair fields of Wyoming presented a melancholy spectacle on the morning of the 4th. The sun arose upon the carcasses of the dead-not only dead but horribly mangled-strewn over the plain. A few stragglers had at first taken refuge in Fort Forty (near Wilkes'-bar-re), and, by the morning light, all who had not been slain, or who had not betaken themselves to the mountains, had collected within the fort, before which Colonel John Butler, with his motley forces, appeared at an early hour, and demanded a surrender.

*

*

69. The little fort, being surrounded by a cloud of Indians and tories and having no means of defense, Colonel Dennison, now in command, yielded to the force of circumstances, and the importunities of the women and children, and entered into articles of capitulation. By these it was mutually

'The hopes of the Americans in regard to the French fleet were disappointed. D'Estaing, was unfortunate in the length of his voyage. Had he arrived in ordinary time, he might have entrapped Lord Howe's squadron in the river, and, by co-operating with Washington, compelled the British army to surrender." A plan had also been formed to drive the British from Newport, R. I. General Sulivan, who was to act with D'Estaing, gained a position on the island where the city is located, but the French fleet, after an encounter with the enemy's fleet, sailed to Boston. Sullivan being thus deserted, and also threatened by a greatly superior force, was obliged to withdraw to the mainland (Aug. and Sept., 1778).

A battle took place, July 3d, between a large force of tories and Indians, commanded by Colonel John Butler, and a hastily organized force of patriotic Americans, commanded by Colonel Zebulon Butler. The Americans were defeated with horrible slaughter, and many of those who were made prisoners were put to death by fiendish torture.

agreed that the inhabitants of the settlements should lay down their arms, the fort be demolished, and the stores be delivered to the conquerors. The inhabitants of the settlements were to be permitted to occupy their farms peaceably. But the last-mentioned stipulation was entirely unheeded by the Indians, who were not, and perhaps could not be, restrained from the work of rapine and plunder. The surrender had no sooner taken place than the savages and some tory fiends spread through the valley. Every house not belonging to a loyalist was plundered and then laid in ashesThe greater part of the inhabitants not engaged in the battle, men, women, and children, had fled to the mountains; and as the work of destruction was re-commenced, many others followed the example. The village of Wilkesbarre, consisting of twenty-three houses, was burnt, and women and children perished in the dismal swamp to which they had sought refuge." 1

70. Toward the close of the year Clinton sent a force to invade Georgia. Savannah was attacked, and being defended by only a small force, was captured (Dec. 29).

Events in

2

Other disasters followed, until Georgia was entirely in the possession of the British. Some months later, General Lincoln, who was in command of the patriot forces at the South, was defeated near

the South.

1

1In November of the same year, a party of tories and Indians fell upon the settlement of Cherry Valley, New York, and killed or carried into captivity many of the settlers. To punish the Indians, General Sullivan, during the following summer, entered the region near the headwaters of the Susquehanna and Genesee rivers. At Newtown, now Elmira, he routed a body of the enemy in a fierce conflict known as the 'Battle of Chemung" (Aug. 29th, 1779); and then destroyed forty Indian villages. The murderous incursions of the savages were afterward less frequent.

66

2 Colonel Clark, in the service of Virginia, conducted an expedition, which, says Bancroft, for the valor of the actors, their fidelity to one another, the seeming feebleness of their means, and the great result of their hardihood remains forever memorable in the history of the world.' Commanding a small body of men, on rafts he floated down the Ohio as far as the present State of Indiana, then captured Kaskaskia, whence, in the dead of winter, his little party of one hundred and thirty men marched a distance of 280 miles, much of the time up to their breasts in

1779

Paul Jones's Victory.

165

Charleston; he, however, in co-operation with the French fleet under D'Estaing, endeavored to recover Savannah. After a siege of about three weeks, an assault was made; but the assailants were repulsed with heavy loss. Among those who fell was the gallant Count Pulaski (Oct. 9, 1779).

Storming

71. Stony Point projects into the Hudson about forty miles from the city of New York. It had been taken possession of by the British, who strongly fortified it; but Washington desiring to recover the post, planned an attack to be conducted by General Anthony Wayne, "the of Mad Anthony," so called from his daring valor. Stony Point. At midnight, July 15th, the Americans, in two columns, forced their way into the fort from opposite sides, and, meeting in the centre of the works, the garrison surrendered. This "stands out in high relief, as one of the most brilliant achievements of the war. The Americans had effected it without firing a musket."

72. A wonderful cruise, crowned by a brilliant victory, was made by Paul Jones, "a tough, valiant, indomitable, audacious hero, with foppish ways

PAUL JONES.

and costume, and ro- Paul Jones's mantic, fantastic victory. courtesy and enthusiasm. Like all the greatest fighters, he performed his immortal exploits while he was young: he was but thirty when he did his great. est day's work." He was a Scot by birth, in the service of the United States. With a small squadron, for which he was mainly indebted to the efforts of

Dr. Franklin, he sailed from France; and, after cruising

water, and captured Vincennes (1778-9). Except for George Rogers Clark and his victories, the North-west would have been to-day a British Canadian colony."

along the eastern coast of Scotland and England, effecting the destruction of several ships and alarming every settlement, he encountered two British frigates that were convoying a merchant fleet. One of the most desperate naval engagements recorded in the annals of naval warfare ensued. The Bon Homme (hom) Richard, Jones's flag-ship, coming in contact with one of the frigates, Jones lashed the two vessels together; and there were moments when both were on fire. The contest lasted from seven in the evening till ten at night, when the frigates struck their flags. Finding that his own ship was sinking, Jones transferred himself and crew to one of the prizes (Sept. 1779).

73. The principal military operations of 1780 were carried on in the Carolinas. Clinton appeared before Charleston, and laid siege to the city. After holding out forty days, its brave defender, General Lincoln, was obliged to surrender the place; and he and his army became prisoners of war (May 12).1 Three expeditions, sent by Clinton into the interior of South Carolina, were completely successful; and the British general at last felt convinced that the province was thoroughly subdued.

The loss of Charleston.

74. Clinton was, however, greatly mistaken. The brave partisan leaders, Marion, "The Swamp Fox ;" Sumter, "The South Carolina Game Cock ;" and Pickens, "the Puritan in religion, the patriot in thought and deed," gathered around them the scattered patriots, and by their daring ex

1 When, in 1781, the fortunes of the British at the South began to decline, their commander, Rawdon, called upon all persons who had given in their adhesion to the royal cause to repair at once to his standard. Among the persons so called was Colonel Isaac Hayne, a distinguished patriot of South Carolina, who had been assured, when he took the oath of adherence at the fall of Charleston (May 12th, 1780), that he would never be required to take up arms against his countrymen. Believing this call to be in violation of the agreement, and being thus compelled to assume the sword either for or against the patriots, he did not hesitate to choose the former. At the head of a troop of horse he gained some advantages, but, being surprised and captured, he was taken to Charleston, briefly examined, and sentenced to be hung; and, though the citizens petitioned for his pardon, the sentence was duly ex-. ecuted (1781).