Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-02-19

'Afs'yi$1> people. He was
v fS' the gentleman in
camp and on
horse back, of
course, but the gentleman with the ma
tive nonsense taken out of him by con-
tact with the rough side of life. Like
one of the modern blue bloods translated
from Oxford or Harvard to che wild
scenes of tho plains, he had learned be-
fore called to the high command to re-
spect men for manhood alone, for phys
ical strength and courage, for loyalty
and endurance. Braddock despised the
Virginia provincials whom Washington,
then a young staff officer, proposed to
throw around the ambushed army at
MCnoneahela for defense But Wash.
ingtOn knew his men and knew the
value of bush fighting i'll that border
warfare. Ho saved the naughty English
from total massacre. So later, the Brit
ish cffice:5 despised the ragged and un-
military rebels who dared stand before
the trained battalions Of Europe. Wash
ington had served with British officers
and had learned to estimate the prowess
of British troops. His faith in the ulti-
mate triumph of the rebels was practi-
cal, not sentimental. He won the fight
by hard work, not by luck, ne yet by
the favor of the gods.
When Virginia was discussing what
she should do to assist Boston in her
fight with the British, Colonel Wash
ington said, eff need be, will raise
1000 men, suEsist them at my own eX-
pense and march them to the relief of
Boston, He had in mind the noun
taincers and hunters of the Virginia
borders, whom he knew and who knew
him. When Patrick Henry uttered be-
fore the continental congress the burn
ing appeal ending with the words,
give me liberty or give me DEATH, -
Washington stood calmly by, dressed
in his uniform of colonel, with his sword
buckled on ready to march at the word.
1t was bold hand that the Virginia
colonel put to the task of making soldiers
out of militia and minutemen. The
troops at Cambridge were chiefly New
Englanders, who were rebels against all
authority as smacking of kingly rule.
He gave them to understand that the
war was not to be simply a holiday of
thraShing the hated redcoats, but q long
struggle, where patriotism and loyalty
must be tried in the fire. Incompetent
and dishonest officers were cashiered,
although they had been elected by the
men. His firmness and habit of order
drew the admiration of the best element,
and he found such New Englanders as
Stark, the Green mountain ranger; Put
nam, the Connecticut farmer and Greene,
the studious Rhode Island mechanic
ready to stand by every act for the dis
cipline of the army
Washington first campaign, the
siege of Boston, was attended with all
manner of difficulties. He had to create
a navy to cope with British ships, to
satisfy the stay at home counselors of
the colonies, who, like most stay at
homes, We're full of fight, and more than
once found his plans thwarted by a
council of his chief officers upon whom
he depended to lead in attacks Mean
while the commander WIS busy with
grand strategy. He sent Arnold and
Montgomery to Canada, a brilliant
move, but one that came to disaster
through the untimely death of Mont
gomery and the wounding of Arnold.
at the end of six months, three of them
winter months at that, from tho time
he had an army fit for action Boston
was clear of the British for good.
After Boston the points of Importance
were Philadelphia and New York, both
more exposed to naval attacks than Bos-
ton, the cradle of the rebellion. The
colonies had next to no navy, and Wash
ington entered upon defensive warfare
to keep the British on the coast and pro-
long the struggle until the enemy was
worn out or outside help should come.
Bringing the army to New York, Wash
ington yielded nothing without fight,
but at the same time saved his strength
for better purposes than tIse attempt to
defens untenable ground. New York
was bound to fall to the British, but he
saw to it that it was not made base
for operations in the Hudson river val
ley, which would cut the colonies in
two. He fought some lively battles, or
skirmishes rather, which raised the
hopes of his soldiers and of the colonial
people The rebels could stand before
the redcoats one to five and give good
account of themselves. West Point was
made a bulwark against British advance
up the Hudson.
So far Washington had clung to the
defensive il his new field. Next he en-
tered upon double line of strategy-to
hold on to New England while keeping
the British from controlling New Jer-
sey and the Delaware river as a new
base for cutting the colonies in two.
With but 5000 poorly clad and half
starved troops he took position i'll Penn
sylvania behind the Delaware, i'll De-
cember, 1776. General Charles Lee,
the second in command, had larger