Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-06-26
Charles Lees Treason.


Charles Lees Treason.
A capital plan of the British ministry
for the campaign of l77T was the seiz-
ure and the occupation by military posts
of the Champlain and Hudson valleys,
from st. Johns on the Sorrel, to the
city of New York. The object was TO
sever the close union between New
England and the other States, paralyze
the powers of each section, and so weak
en- the whole that the subjugation of
the resisting States might become an
easy task. To accomplish this end for
ces were prepared TO move southward
from the banks of the St. Lawrence,
while other forces should ascend the
Hudson River, and these columns,
meeting near Albany, perfect the exc
cution of the scheme. Lieutenant Cen
eral Burgoyne commanded the north
ern invading army, and Sir William
Howe the forces that were to penetrate
New Gark fl ON the south
At this point treacherous officer of
high rank in the Continental army ap-
pears conspicuous in the series ofevents
that caused the evacuation of Philadel-
phia. That officer was Charles Lee. the
senior Major General under Washing
ton. He had been an officer in the
British army, served under Burgoyne
i'm Portugal, and had risen to the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel. He had served
under Braddock in the disastrous con-
fiict on the banks of the MonOngahela,
and with Abercrombie in the unsuc-
cessful attack on Ticonderoga, about
twenty years before the time we are
considering. Lee had dwelt for time
among the Mohawk Indians, who made
him a chief, with the appropriate name
of Boiling Water, for he was hot
and ever restless man, vain, arrogant,
jealous, and quarrelsOme. Failing to
| obtain higher promotion in the army
he left the Royal service, came To
America in 1873, engaged in politics on
the side of the colonists, and when ;he
Continental army was organized he re-
ceived the commission of Major General.
He resigned his commission in the Brit
ish army, but required Congress to in
demnify him against any loss which he
might sustain as consequence of that
act. Then he began to play the part OF
an American patriot; and TO enable
him to continue to do so, Congress, in
the autumn of 1176, loaned him upon
his own bond $50, 1000. He was simply
an unscrupulous and selnsh adventur-
er, whose influence in the army was
always pernicious.
Proud, censorious anu disobedieHt,
Lee had followed Washington at dis
tance with a heavy force during the
perilous flight of the shattered Ameri-
can army across New Jersey, late in
JIG, pursued by the victorious troops
of CORVALLIS. Washington repeatedly
called on Lee to push forward and give
him strength to strike the pursuers
and he as often omitted TO obey. he
evidently desired TO have disaster be-
fal mis- superior, hoping thereby to pro-
mote his own ambitious scheme to be-
come Commander-in-chief. He wa'
not only disobedient, but several day:
after the chase had ended at the Della
ware, and CORVALLIS had relinquisheC
it, Lee, yet lingering in New Jersey
| 4. I. h. or
distance from his army, by small
British scont.
Taken to New York, he was useC
harshly at first by General Howe as
British deserter, but very soon tina
commander and his officers treated Lee
with marked consideration. And wei
they might; for Lee revealed to Howe
the political condition of Pennsylvania
Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, an'
presented him with a written plan fo
the subjugation Of the colonies, whici
promised better results than that of tn
Ministry. He made it appear so plainl!
that a land and naval force up the Chesa
peake and Delaware would prove sue
cessful that the brothers Howe aband
oned the Ministerial plan and largel,
accepted Lees. They sailed for Cbesa
peake bay with a greater part OF tn
British army, instead of going up tn
Hudson to cooperate with Burgoyn
coming down from the north. How
landed his troops on the shores of Mary
land, marched into Pennsylvania. gain
ed victory on the banks of the Bran
dywine creek, frightened Congress
: from Philadelphia, took possession
: that city in the autumn of 1777, an
r held it until June, l77s. This aband
onment of Burgoyne caused the loss
E that Generals army and its splcndi
appointments, and the ruin of the Min
isterial plan.