Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-28
WRITER ASSAItS
FIRST PRESIDENT
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS SAYS
GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS T.
....8 FAILURE As GENERAL.
= S-'t -t Nv ~'-'' 49, .. :
VICTORY WAS LUCK.

miseakes OF General Howe Responsible
for British Defeats, Not Prowess
= Of American, Descendant of -
Adams Family Declares.
/ Boston, Mass, Dec. 25.-Charles
Francis Adams, lawyer, general in the
civil war. and present head of the
great Adams family that gave two
presidents to the United States, has
published a startling historical study
| In which he sets forth what he terms
the errors Of Judgment made by Geo.
Washington during the revolutionary
war He says they were exceeded only
by the mistakes of Sir William Howe,
the British leader. "
TIL sremarkable conclusion drawn
by Mr.. Adams Is in striking contrast
| TO the position accorded the Father
OF His Country by historians in gen.
eral. Yet the distinguished writer as
serts that such conclusion is inev-
table II the facts of his tory are stud
led In purely cold and critical
spirit, uninspired by patriotism and de-
void OF sympathy for those concerned
| on the one side or the other"
In his book, which is entitled
Studies, Military and Diplomatic"
Mr. Adams deals severely with century
old accounts in which stories of bat
ties of the revolution reflect naught
but credit on him who is known as
first in war, first in peace, first in the
hearts of his countrymen."
Howe Erred at Bunker Hill.
1 At Tho Nufcof ~ tho rovNl,,tiop Gop
Howe is credited with neglecting an
opportunity of crushing the American
forces at Bunker Hill, when he failed
to take advantage of the military in
efficiency Of Ward, Putnam and Pres
All that was necessary, Mr.. Adams
points out, was to spring the trap in
which the forces on Breeds hill had
placed themselves. A siege could have
resulted in no other course but sur
render, and then the demoralized re-
mainder of the army at Cambridge
would have been easy of destruction
he says.
Later, in the school year of the war,
after Washington has assumed COM
mand, Howe is blamed for not en-
bracing an almost identical opportun-
ity of trapping the patriot leader and
his forces on either Long Island or in
Manhattan.
Washington is censured by Mr.. Ad-
ans for getting into this trap, as he
is also held responsible for neglect
ing an opportunity to end the war sue
cessfully in the third year of the con-
fiict, instead Of placing himself at
Brandywine and Germantown in the
power of the English: -
Says Luck Saved Washington.
After Howe, evacuated Boston he
proceeded to New York, where Wash
ington went to keep him out and fail
ed. The dilatoriness and stupidity of
Howe, says Mr.. Adams, combined
with almost amazing luck, saved
Washington and the cause of Ameri'
can independence at New York.
MAI. Gen. Howe, afterwards, Sir
William Howe, is an historical char
acter of no great moment and lnvesti-
gators are free to do with him as they
may see flt," says the book; but that
Washington should have been respon-
which ought under any reasonable
weighing of probabilities to have ruin
ed the American cause and deprived
the world of one of it's immortalities;
that he should have involved his army
in disaster and disgrace through bad
Judgment and because of frequent and
long hesitations at time when quick
decision was essential-these are
things not readily now to be admitted;
nor does the record thus in any way so
read in the pages of the distinctively
American historian.
Though manifestly not in accord
with long accepted traditions, or per-
haps even with the everlasting fitness
Of things, the necessary conclusion
would seem to be that if there was at
Bunker Hill gross military laundering
on both sides, before Brooklyn and on
Manhattan island, that laundering was
on both sides fairly outdone.
Howe Threw Away Victory.
THE British commander there al
most wantonly threw away the GER
tainty of a decisive and probably
final victory, while not even the 'dila-
toriness and stupidity Of the enemy
saved the patriots from disaster and
DISGRACE, which in no way, moral or
otherwise, could be exploited as a vic
tory.
And in truth the simple fact seems
to be that, time and again between
Aug. 20 and Sept. 20, the errors Of
judgment of the American commander
in chief exposed his army and the
cause ne nau 10 OeIeIlQ u great anu
unnecessary peril and America owes
it's liberty and the world an immortal
ity to the incapacity and supineness Of
Howe.
Every sound principle. whether of
policy or strategy, was on the patriot
side either disregarded or violated dur
ing the period included from August to
November, 1777. That the main army
Of the patriots was not utterly destroy
ed after the defeat by the British at
Brandywine was due to the indolent
forbearance Of Howe
Quotes Two French Officers.
Mr. Adams quotes two French Of
fcers with the American troops-La
Fayette and Du Portail-who say that
Howe could have destroyed the Amer
lean army had he followed up the vic
tory on the Brandywine.
, "As a matter of cold historic TRUTH"
says Mr. Adams, Washington had. in
the great game of war, played into his
opponents hands, done exactly what
his opponents wanted him to do and
what he ought never to have done.
"Outmaneuvered and outfought,
twice beaten in pinched battles, neither
Of which under the circumstances, he
ought to have risked, Washington
~.a.a,%l,, ,x,a,,t into his u,ipter c,,artorS