The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-06-06
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ashore al ElKtOn IOE iIS Au'@nSo UP'
Philadelphia.
Defeat But Not Rout.
1 II was then the 25th of August.
washington met him (September III
behind the fords of the Brandywine,
and. unable to check CORVALLIS on
his flank, was defeated.
But for him defeat was never rout;
his army was still intact and STEADY;
and he held his foe yet another fort
night on the road ere Capital could
be entered (Septembsr 27).
Burgoyne was by that time deep
within the net spread for him at Sara
toga. On the morning of the 4th OF
October, in a thick mist, Washington
threw himself upon Howe's main
force encamped across the village
streetvof Germantown, and would have
overwhelmed 1t In the surprising on
set had not two of his own columns
gone astray in the fog. attacked each
other, and 80 lost the moments op-
portunity
But an Empty Success.
General Howe knew very soon how
barren a success he had had. The
end of November came before he had
made himself master of the forts up
on the Delaware below the capital"
and removed the distractions from
the river to give access to his heet;
the British power was broken ana
made an end of in the north; ana
Washington was still at hand as men
acing and dangerous as ever.
DR.. Franklin was told in Paris that
General Howe had taken Philadelphia
"Philadelphia has taken Howe he
laughed.
Winters at Valley Forge.
Philadelphia kept Howe safely
through the winter, and his officers
made themselves easy amidst round
of gayeties in the complacent town.
while Washington went to valley
Forge to face the hardships and the
intrigues of bitter season.
A deep Generalization fell that WIN
ter, like a blight, upon all the bust
ness of the struggling confederacy.
The congress, in it's exile at York, had
lost its tone and its command in az
fairs. It would have lost it as COM
pletely In Philadelphia. no doubt, for
It was no longer the body 1t had BEEN
Its best members were withdrawn
to serve their respective states In the
critical business, now everywhere IN
hand, of recognizing their govern
ment; and 1t itself was no government
at all, but simply committee OF ad-
vice. which the states Needed or ig-
nored as they pleased.
Congress Without Power.
Oftentimes but ten or twelve mem
Oers could be got together to transact
ito business. It suffered itself to fall
into the hands Of intriguers and Sec
tional politicians. 1t gave commits
sions in the army not according to
merit, but upon q plan carefully de-
vised to advance no more ohicers from
one section than from another-even
men like John Adams approving.
Adams denounced claims Of senior
ity and service as involving lone OF
the most putrid corruptions of abso-
lutte monarchy" and suggested that
the officers who did not relish the
idea of seeing the several states given
"a share of the general officers, pro-
portioned to the number of troops they
had sent to the army, had better take
themselves of, and see how little
they would be missed.
Plot to Dlsplace Chief.
Worst of all, an ugly plot was
Matched to displace Washington; and
the various distempers Of different
men for brief season gave it a chance
TO succeed.
. Some we're impatient of Washing
TOMS Fabian policy" as they called
It, and would have had him annihilate'
instead OF merely checking, these in
Tading hosts.
"My toast" cried John Adams. is
q short and violent war"
Others envied Washington his pow
er and his growing fame, resented
their own subordination and his su-
premacy, and intrigued to put General
Gates in his place. Had not Gates
won at Saratoga, and Washington lost
at the Brandywine and at German
town? Schuyler had prepared the
victory in the north; Arnold and Nor
gan had done the fighting that secured
lit: but Gates had obtained the COM
lmand when all was ready, and was
Willing to receive the reward.
With a political committeecongress
In charge OF affairs, nothing was Inn
possible
Washington and his army were
Istarving the while at Valley Forge, in
desperate straits to get anything to
teat or anything to cover them in that
bitter season-not because there were
no supplies, but because congress had
disorganized the commissary depart
ment, and the supplies seldom reach
ed the camp.
The country had not been too heav-
lily stricken by the war. Abundant
crops were everywhere sown and
peacefully reaped, and there were men
enough to- do the work of seed-time
and harvest.
The Army Chief Sufferers.