The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-06-14

him presently, hs put his eighteen
thousand men aboard the fleet and
carried them by sea to the Chesa,
peake. FIX
s@. 5.s, Washington Puzzled. -7.s.--
Washington was sorely puxsled. He
had taken it for granted that Howe
would 70 north. and he had gone
south! ~ @~Is ~. : = + =
'Howe's in q manner abandoning
Burgoyne IL 10 unaccountable." he
said, that I cannot help casting my
eyes continually behind me-" and he
followed very cautiously, ready upon
the moment to turn back, lest the
movement should prove fsint.
But there was no mistake. Howe
entered the Delaware, and, being
frightened thence by reports Of OBJ
structions in the river, went all tho
long four hundred miles about the
capes Of Chesapeake, and put his army
ashore at Elkton for it's advance upon
Philadelphia.
Defeat, But Not Rout.
It was then the 18th 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 (September 3D.:
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 encAnaped across the village
streetsof Germantown, and would have
overwhelmed it in the surprising on
set had not two Of his own columns
gone astray in the fog, attacked each
other; and so lost the moments op.
portunity.
But an Empty Success.
General Howe knew very soon how
barren success he had had. The
end of November came before he had
made himself master of tho forts up
on the Delaware below the capital
and removed the distractions from
the river to give access to his fleet;
the British power was broken and
made an end Of In the north: and
Washington was still at hand as men
acing and dangerous as ever.
DIR. 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 hardshtps and the
lntrigues of a bitter season.
A deep decentralization fell that win
ter, like a blight, upon all the busi-
ness Of the struggling confederacy.
The congress. In it's exile at York, had
lost its tone and It's command In at
fairs: 1t would have lost it as com.
pletely, in Philadelphia. no doubt, for
It was no longer the body it had been.
It's best members were withdrawn
to serve their respective states In the
critical business, now everywhere In
hand, Of reorganizing their govern.
ment; and it itself was no government
at all. but simply a committee of ad'
vice, which the states needed or ig-
uored as they pleased.
Congress Without Power.
Oftenttmes but ten or twelve mem.
bers could be got together to transact
it's business. 1t suffered itself to tall
into the hands Of intriguers and sec
tional politicians. It gave connie
Bions in the army not according to
merit, but upon q plan carefully de-
vised to advance no more officers from
one section than from another
men like John Adams approving.
Adams denounced claims of senior
lty and service a. 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
hey would be missed.
Plot to Displace Chief.
Worst of all, an ugly plot was
hatched to displace Washington; and
he various distempers Of different
men for a brief season gave It Z chance
10 succeed. --.,
Some were impatient Of Washing
on's Fabian policy" as they called
t, and would have had him annfhilate,
instead of merely checking, these In
Fading hosts. ..,,=s..:>
my toast" cried John Adams, 10
! short and violent war" s., &
Others envied Washington his pow.
n and his growing fame, resented
heir own subordination and his su-