The record-union., 1896-07-03
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Condition of the American Army Dur
ing the Last Year.

Condition of the American Army Dur
ing the Last Year.
Certainly things looked desperate
enough that dark year. The Congress
was sinking into a more and more help
less inefficiency Definite articles OF
confederation had been submitted to the
States nearly three years ago (Novem-
Der, 111O, but they had not been
adopted yet, and the States had almost
ceased to heed the acquisitions of the
Congress at all. Unable to tax, it paid
its bills and the wages of it's troops in
paper, which SO rapidly fell in value
that by the time the hopeless year 1870
was out, men in the ranks found a
months pay too little with which to buy
even a single bushel cf wheat. Wash
ing ton was obliged 70 levy supplies from
the country round him tc feed his army:
and in spite of their stanch loyalty to
him, his men grew mutinous, in disgust
with the weak and faithless Government
they were expected TO serve. Wholesale
desertion began, as many as 100 men
a month going over to the enemy. to get
at least pay and food and clothing The
country seemed not SO much dismayed
as worn out and Indifferent; weary of
waiting and hoping: looking stoldly to
see the end to come. Washington was
helpless. Without the cooperation of
a naval force it was impossible to do
more than hold the British in New York.
France was bestirring herself again, in
deed. On the 10th OF July French feet
put in at Newport and landed a force of
6 600 men, under Count Rochambeau, a
most sensible and capable officer. who
was directed to join Washington and
PUT himself entirely under his command.
But a powerful British fleet presently
made it's appearance in the Sound; the
French Admiral dared not stir; Rocham-
beau dared not leave him without sue
cor; and the reinforcements that were
to have followed out of France We're
blockaded in the harbor Of Brest. Then.
while things stood so, treason was
added. Benedict Arnold the man whom
Washington trusted with a deep affec-
tion, and whom the army loved for his
gallantry, entered into correspondence
with the enemy; arran ged to give West
Point and the posts dependent upon it
into their hands; and, his treason sud-
denly detected, escaped without punish
ment to the British slCop of war that
waited i'm the river for the British agent
in the plot. Washington was at hand
when the discovery was made. His
aides were breakfasting with Arnold
when the traitor was handed the note
which told him he was found out, and
Arnold had scarcely excused himself and
| made good his flight when the com
manderin-chief reached the house
When Washington had learned what
had happened, 1T smote him so that
mighty SObs burst from him, as if his
great heart would break, and all the
night through the guard could hear him
pacing his room endlessly, in lonely
vigil with his bitter thoughts He did
not In his own grief forget the stricken
wife UP stairs. "Go to Mrs. Arnold"
he said to one Of his officers. land tell
her that though my duty required that
no means should be neglected to arrest
General Arnold, I have great pleasure in
acquainting her that he is now safe on
board British vessel" Arnold had
deemed himself wronged and insulted
by Congress1but what officer that
Washington trusted might not? Who
could be trusted if such men turned
traitors?
But sudden turning of affairs mark
ed the close of the year. CORVALLIS had
penetrated too far into the Carolinas;
had advanced into North Carolina, and
was beset, as Burgoyne had been, by
rising of the country. He lost 200 men
at Kings Mountain October Z, 1880.
as Burgoyne had lost 1000 at Benning-
ton; and everywhere, as he moved.
he found himself checked by the best
officers the long war had bred-Nathan-
iei Greene, who had been Wash
ington's right hand the war
through; Henry Lee, the daring master.
Of cavalry, whom Washington loved:
the veteran Steuben; Morgan, who had
won Saratoga with Arnold; and parti-
san leaders score, whom he had
learned to dread in that wide forested
country He was outgeneraled; his
forces were taken in detail and beaten.
and he himself was forced at last into
Virginia. By midsummer, 1871, all his
interior posts were lost, and he was cut
off from Charleston and Savannah by
a country he dared not cross again. In
Virginia, though at first he raided as
ne pleased, he was checked more and
more as the season advanced by grow
ing force under Lafayette; and by the
first week in August he had taken coun-
sci of prudence, and established him
self, 1000 strong, at Yorktown, near the
sea, his base of supplies. Then it was
that Washington struck the blow which
ended the war. At last Rochambeau
was free to move; at last a French fleet
was at hand to block the free passag ge
of the sea. The Count de Grasse, with
twenty-eight ships of the line, six
frigates, and 10000 men, was in the
West Indies, and in August sent word
to Washington that he was about to
bring his whole fleet to the Chesapeake,
as Washington had urged. Either the
Chesapeake or New York had been
Washington's prayer to him. Making
as if he were but moving about New
York from north to south for some ad-
vantage of position, Washington sud-
denly took 1000 Continentals and 1000
Frenchmen, under Rochambeau, all the
long 400 miles to York River in Vir-
ginia to find CORVALLIS already en-
trapped there, as he had planned, be-
tween Grasses fleet in the bay and
Lafayette intrenched across the penin-
sula with 5000 men, now the French
had loaned him 1900. A few weeks
siege and the decisive work was done,
to the admira ton of CORVALLIS himself;
the British army was taken. The gem
erous Englishmen could not withhold
ar expression of his admiration for the
extraordinary skill with which Wash
ington had struck all the way from New