The Connecticut courant — Hartford, Conn., 1778-02-17 00:00:00, page 1

v From the NewJefsev Gazette
From the original Letters of Monsieur De
Lisle translated into English.
Reading, State of Pennsylvania, No
vember 28, 1777.
My^dear Count,
GE NERAL Howe has at last gained
poueffion of the city of Philadelphia
but not without being obliged to fight two
battles for it. The forts on the Delaware
were gallantly defended. Count de Doitop
so well known for his exploits in the late
war, fell in an unfuccelsful attack upon
Fort Mercer a small unfinifhed work, on
the east fidt of the Delaware. Fort Mifflin,
on Mud-Island, stood a furious attack from
bombs and artillery, for upwards of a month
After every gun on it was dismounted, and
the works torn and burnt in such a manner
that no covering was to be had for the men.
it was evacuated with a degree of conduff
thatequ lled the bravery with which it had
been defended. General Huwe. it is true,
forced his way into the city ofPhiladelphia,
but the city owns his brother Lord Howe,
as its conqueror ; for it could not have been
taken without the alliftance of rhe navy of
Britain. Had his Lordship failed of open
ing the navigation upto the city the Gene
ral must have decamped or fallen into the
hands of General Washington.
I have taken some pains to make myfelf
acquainted with the character' of General
Howe, and to know upon- what Springs
his'good fortune has turned in the course of
the lad campaign. lam told that he is a
brave Soldier, and an exa& officer ; but that
be pofTeffes none of the talents of a great
General, ii^ education was lender and
his understanding is a moderate one;
but he has had prudence enough to supply
bis.deficiencies in both by calling nt© the
cabinet Sir William Erfcne a Brigadier
General and Quarter-Matter of his array.
This gentleman has paifed through the re
gular stages of a military education, and
Served with great reputation in the last war
in Germany, under Prince Ferdinand. He
is indefatigable in bufineis—quick in ex
pedients -- bold in his enterprizes—deci
live in council —and intrepid in action.
He is not only a favorite of General Howe's
but is equally 0 :ar to all the officers in his
army. They fay ofhim that he is ' an
•• angel in the cabinet and a lion in the
" field?
The troops in General Howe's army be
ing oompofed of English Scotch Irish,
and German corps full of a Spirit of emula
tion, and this may be given as another rea
son their successes over the Amerieans.
The Americans, it is true are of diffe
rent States but common danger has unit
ed them so closely, that the principle of e
mulation a&s as yet but feeble upon them.
Perhaps the custom of blending troops from
differeufStates into one ,command which I
©bferved in some instances in the American
army has contributed to prevent the growth
a©d ope-ration of this principle anong them.
The Superior discipline of Howe's army
has had a large share in crowning it with
fuecefs. By discipline! do not mean a su
perior knowledge in the use of arms, but a
Superior sense of order and subordination a
inong both officers and soldiers. Their
whole army I have been told, is a com
p^a piece of machinery put in motion on
ly by the breath of the commander in chief
lam at a loss to account for the want of an
equal degree of order and subordination n
the American army—lt has been ascribed
to an excels of that spirit of liberty, which
animates both offiga, and feidiers; but J
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am far from entertaining an opinion so de
grading to the faired cause of America. I
think I have difeo vered a degree of docili
.ty and tra&ablenefs in the Americans,
which I never fiw in any other people. If
the cause which has been assigned, was a
juftone, it would be more uniform in its
eff'eAs; but history tells us of freemen
who deposed tyrants, and vanquished whole
armies of veteran mercenaries, by nothing
elle bur the perfection of their difeipline.
But the principal advantage of General
Howes army over General Washington, in
the two battles fought by them, must be
ascribed to their being more trained to the
use of the bayonet. The American army
know their superior dexterity in firing well,
and rely entirely upon it : The British ar
my know it likew:fe and dread it. Hence
in all engagements, the British soldiers rulh
on with the bayonet after one fire and Sel
dom fail of throwing the Americans into
confufion. Habit which forms men to
any thing I am per fuaded would loon ren
der these brave people'll firm at the ap
proaches of a bayonet, as the whistling of a
musket ball. General Lee, I have been
told took great pains to eradicate the nni
yerfal prejudice he found among the Ame
ricans in favored terminating the wer wiih
fire arms aione: ' We must learn to face
our enemies " (aid he " man to man in the
open field, or we never Shall beat them.'
Ihe late General Montgomery who Served
his apprenticefllip to the art of war in the
British army, kiw w so well that nothing but
the bayonet would ever rout troops that had
been trained to the use of it, that he once
prupomdin the Convention of New-York,
cfwbich he was a member, that directions
Should be given, both in Europe and in
this country to make all mrifkets intended
for the American soldiers two inches longer
than the muskets now in use in the British
army, in order that they might have an ad
vantage of their enemy, in charge witli
bayonets; for Said he, " Britain will ne
ver yield but to the push of the bayonet."
It gav e we great pleasure to hear an old fay
ing among the French officers, that ' En
glishmen have no bomach for the bayonet "
confirmed by a Colonel of a regiment in the
American army. He told me'that in the
battle of Germantown he charged a large
body of the enemy with a Single regiment
and drove them above a mile without firing
a single gun. He would have driven them
into P Philadelphia. or cut them in pieces had
he not been unfortunately ordered to retreat,
after the fate of the day turned'in favour of
General Howe's army.
The fame predele&ion of the use of fire
arms which I have mentioned among the
American Soldiers has given General Howe
Several advantages overthem with artillery.
The Americans it is true have an excellent
train in their army and Some able artillery
officers --but unfortunately it is feebly sup
ported by the musketry that in one oftheir
battles eleven pieces fell into the hands of
theenemy. Ihe English you know were
no match for the French troops till our na
tion taught themthe arts of managing ar
tillery, The king of Prussia I have been
told relies chiefly upon field-pieces and has
prophesied that in the next century all wars
will be terminated by them.
I have converted with some individuals
who ascribe Howe's good fortune to the
greater spirit of his soldiers and to the Su
perior talents of his officers. But this is
far from being true. On the contrary I
believe there are not finer materials for an
irrcfiftable army in the whole world th^
the troops now under the command of Ge'
neral Wafhmgton. Howe's soldiers are ac
tuated by nothing but rage --and a lust for
plunder. Washington's are actuated only
by courage and a Superlative love of their
country. They have been defeated it is
true Alt they have never been conquered.
I have been often astonished not only at
then patience but at their chearfulnefs un
°"r ',igue---and all the common hard
'ips of afoldier s life. Had Howe's army
Offered only half as much as these brave
fellows have done l am s ure , from the
common character ofEuropean armies, their
fpirtts would have been broken long ago,
and Howe would have been left before this
'time with scarcely a regiment to cover hi,
flight from this country. Nor do I think
'' ie balance is in favor of General Howe's
officers. You and Iknowof what fluff many
of tnem are made. Two Scholars to a regi
ment is a rare fight in the Briclh army.
How many of them have we Seen travelling
with their interpreters, or as they are cal
led in England Bearlea ders, thro' France,
and distinguishing themfelyes only by thfetf
debaucheries. The American officers it is
true from the nature of their education,
appear to be less men of the world. Some
of them have been reproached with being
tradesmen, but a tradesman in America'
is quite a different creature from a
tradesman in Europe. Some of the best fa
milies in this country bring up their sons to
trades and long before the present war,
tradesmen filled some of the most important
offices in government. I have been charm
bd to find many of them whole manners
were liberal- -and whose minds were en
larged with a considerable acquaintance
with politicks and history. But by far (he
grtyeft part of the American officers arb
farmers arid farmers sons of independent or
easy fortunes. Many of them have been
bread to the learned pfofeffiohs. I have the
pleasure of knowing some of them who
would not pass unnoticed in the politest
court in Europe. But I value them most
for their bravery and zeal in the service of
their country. They have not been whip
ped from Schools, or driven by necessity in
to the army. Their pay is no allurement
to them, for from the Scarcity of goods, and
the depreciation of the money it is hardly
Sufficient to Support them, they are above
the common maxims of your 'foldiers of
fortune." and have no other wilh but to
ettablilh the liberties and independence wf
their country.
Tire taking of Philadelphia will probably
makea noise in Europe—but it has no bad
effeA upon the minds of the people in Ame
rica. They fay that General Howe has
only changed his prison from Brunswick to
Philadel • 1, for at no time has he possessed
more territory here than he could cover
with his out polls. lam cleary of the opi
nion that his taking Philadelphia will be a
real advantage to th : s country. It has long
been the akes of difaffeftion to the Ameri
can cause, and the fan&uary of tories and
traitors who have fled from every other part
of the continent. I have conflantly observ
ed that America acquires strength by the
progress of Howe's army --for where ever
he goes he confirms the timid and the neu
tral characters in the cause of America, and
at the fame time like a good Scavenger car
ries away all the tory filth with him that
lies in his way.
I refer you to my letter of February last
for an account of General Washington the
amiable and illuOrious commander in chief
•i the American army. His ^erleveranca