The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-26
I8irtmnnh 9ispatrt.
WEDNESDAY, mORHIN0. FEB is IISSi



IN his hour OF anxiety by studying these re-
semblances. The BAiS, Of Monday, has -
briefly and clearly presented them TO it,
readers that We cannot do better than copy
what IL says, and commend 1t to general Pc,
rusal. We therefore place Its article very
nrominently in our columns, as follows:
,u.nEv.ssks OF THE RgvoLUrroHARY War.
In the gloom which follows our recent re-
verses. we turn to the great example Of our
ancestors In q struggle very similar to that
In which we are engaged, in it, origin q,
well as its incidents.
The war Of the Revolution was one in
which the disparity Of the contsnding pow
srs was far greater than at present. The 3 rit.
ish had every cdyau tags that numbers, ex.
perience in warfare, and uniim tied resources
Of the superior skill and force Of their enc.
mics. They were almost without artillery.
their small arms were Of the most Indifferent
description, and insu fhcient for their troops.
Their armies were badly clad and badly pro.
vided with stores. They were enlisted for
very short terms, and therefore badly disci-
plined AMI drilled. The people of every
colony were more or less divided in opinion
as to the rig tfulness Of the con test, and some,
a. New York, furnished ~ many troops to
one side a. the other.
The course Of the contest was sufficient to
have discouraged any but the most resolute
natures.
The British had taken IN onths for the most
elaborate preparations to subdue the colo
MES. They wsre supreme by sea. General
Washington had concentrated his forces at
New York. He had q, ,0c0 men. The enemy
had "A, 900. He undertook to defend Long
Island, upon which he erected defencss and
stationed troops. The British landed troops,
TUNED his left fsnk, routed his army, and captured
5000 men. The remainder were fortunate
enough to escape to the mainland.
The American army was then in great part
Withdrawn from the city. but such was the
terror inspired by the superior military skill
attributed to the British, that tho force sta.
toned for the defence Of a water battery fed
from the bonn bardment Of the ensmy, and
two brigadss, sent TO their aid, were 80 in :
feeted with panic that they retreated without
firing gun or seeing the enemy, and in spite
of the remonstrances Of Gen. Washinet ton
and their own officers.
New York was then abandoned, with the
loss of all artillery, much Of our army stores,
pror:sions tents, &c.
The Am merican army behaved better at
White Plains. But 1t was pursued by other
disasters. Fort WashingtoI-rather against
the advice of Gen. Washington-was de-
Tended. The garrison made q gallant de-
fence, killing several hundred Hessians; but
| the British advanced in three columns, and
drove the garrison within the fort, where II
surrendered. The British captured tro ,housond
Sre hundred men, ptth military ct ores. and Z
| strong portion. This was considered the
greatest calamity Of the war. Fort Lee fell
| next-the troops were Withdrawn, but oil tn
ormams1t and supplies, including three hundred
asnts, fell into the hands of The enemy.
The effect of these blows, falling with such
| weight and rapidity, was intense. The histo.
| rian says the troops Quilted the army "by
regiments, half regiments, and companies y
| General Washington crossed into the Jer'
l seys, into which he was followed by q victe'
rious enemy. He thea headed an army of on!,
,kree thousand men, besides some detachment,
| under Lee and others.
New Jersey yielded without resistance, ant
no one who looked on the ragged handfu
| of Americans" as they retreated before h
snper,or force of the disciplined and appoint
| Cd army which pursued them, could doub
that "the contest approached Its termina
| ton"
It is unnecessary to follow the narrative Q
| reverses, which ought to be read by ever,
one, and repu blished for the inspection of tn
| people.
Washington, undismayed, turned in hi
celebrated night march across the Delaware
captured ], 900 men, with arms and stores
and returned in safety. But othing else oc
CURED for months to break the current Q
British successes. Their army embarked il
| the next cam paign, and for weeks Washing
| ton was ignorant Of their destination. T.
avoid the forts which he had erected ON tn
Delaware, they ascended the Chesapeake t
march overland upon Philadelphia. Wash
ington, who had again recruited. his tempo
rary army, resisted their advance at Bran
dywine. Here, leaving a force TO thrsate
the fords in front, the enemy made de,ot
and turned our right faak. The Americans
after q short resistance withdrew. Wash
ington made yet another stand to save Phil'
delphia but a violent rain SO completed
drenched his men that their rhole stock Of on
s,E,sition xas rendered unit for use, and the arm
was com PEELED to fall back. 1t 10 stated ths
at this time there were scarcely two guns {
the same calibre in the army. One regimen
reviewed nixety mnskess and srrcn bdy0nets.
Our night attack on Germantown was
failure, and the enemy held Philadelphi
without farther molestation. Their ne1
object was to open the Delaware. Washing
| ton wished to preserve his forts. We strength
| sned, and threw men into them. Tho enen
| were repulsed In land attack on one OF her,
| Then they brough ht their ships to bear, an
"sk<lled' tho forts until they were NO longe
| tsnable, and were abandoned. WasatnSto
seoned nerer aftsroards to hacs resisted the Brsis
| ON The ,caler or near the Water-tf we excep
the capture Of CORVALLIS. The Britis
| we're supreme on that element. In his ow,
words: "To protect the coost from an ene~y. ee
Sreiy IN pc,,esstoa Of tie SEQ u impyaeneaS!e
But Washington never disbanded his army
and his victories were chiefly In tho in tSrio
| whore the enemy was compelled to pursu
him on their theory Of subjusation.
We look with apprehension upon the nu
msrous expeditions OF our enemy. Howws
Il with the invasion Of our ancestorsi 4
large British army held New York and III
Jerseys. Another lay unmofestsd At Phils
dslphia. An expedition, under Burgoyn,
caTus In through l)Anada. To the constsrns
Con Of all. ii condsfoga. reported impregna
ols felt-fts eapsavs DE, n srsss pert' to hs sAtf
pfa6 '0hieA accompanied B~Soyns. Our store
ana artillery fell into the hands Of the sn'
my. Another expedition advanced from th
Canadian border. It was composed Of loya
ist OAnadians. with large force Of INDIAN
Yst Burgoyne was esptsvsl. ssttk Ms srMy, ~
A penetrated 70 tks esst,s Of Nss York, and th
Indian expeditions came TO naaGht. ash ~
We shall not at present taks up the South
srn campaign, 70 show Virginia invaded. N
capital occupied By the susmy, and Oaroliu