The Washington herald., 1913-02-15

"ASusu StOu "mS OACA INC EletQ
but q Great Storm Disables lt-C
tcopgnsh. iss. by Harper 4 Brothers. All night
reservod.D
Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
NO. 36.
With a French fleet about to take the
sea. 1t was necessary that the British
commanders in America should conccn.
trate their forces
Philadelphia, they had at last found
out, was burden. not a prize II had
no strategic advantage of position: was
too lar from tho sea. and not far enough
from Washington's open line of opera
ton.
Gen. Howe Resigns.
Before tho summers campaign began
Sir William Howe resigned his COM
mand and bade the town good-by
amid elaborate festivities (May is, I71g)
Gen. Clinton. who succeeded him, re.
ceived orders from England to undo
Howe's work at once, abandon PhiIadel-
phia, and concentrate his forces at New
York.
Washington CLOSE Behind.
Twas easier said than done.
ihere were not transports enough In
move his l5o00 men by sea: only the 3.ooc
!oyalists who had put themselves under
his protection could be sent in the ships,
with portion of his stores; he must
cross the hostile country; and his march
was scarcely begun June IS) before
Washington was at his heels, with a
force but little inferior to his own, either
IN numbers or in discipline.
he might never have reached New
York at all had not Charles Lee been
once more second In command in the
American army.
The Insubordinate Lee.
Ho had come out of captivity. ex-
changed. and now proved himself the
fnsubordinate poltroon he was. He had
never had any real heart in the cause
lie owned estates in Virginia. but he
was not of the great Virginian family
Of the Northern Neck
He was only a sailor of fortune. stray.
ed out of the British service on half.
pay to seek some profit in the col.
onies, and cared for no interest but his
own While prisoner he had secretly
directed Howe's movement against Phila.
delphia. and now he was to consim-
mate his cowardly treachery
Washington outstripped his opponent
In the movement upon New York. and
determined to fall upon him at Mon
mouth Court House. where. on the night
Of the 18th OF June, Clinton's division,
lay separate. Offering 4 chance to cut
them asunder.
A Treacherous Move.
On the morning of the 18th, Lee wa.
ordered forward with 500 men to enfoId
CIinton's left wing-s.0oo men. the flower
Of the British force-by gaining its flank
while Washington held his main body
ready to strike in his aid at the righ,
moment
The movement was perfectly success
ful. and the fighting had begun, when
to the amaZement and chagrin alike OF
officers and men. Lee began to withdraw
Lafayette sert messenger hot-foot for
Washington. who rode up to find his
men. not attacking. but pursued.
What Is the meaning of all this?''
he thundered, his wrath terrible to see.
Washington's Terrible Wrath.
When Lee would have made some ex-
cuse, he hotly cursed him, in his fury
for coward. himself rallied the willing
troops, and led them forward again to
a victory: won back the field Lee had
abandoned. and drove the enemy to the
cover of a morass.
In the night that followed. Clinton
hastily withdrew. leaving even his wound.
ed behind him. and Washington's chance
to crush him was gone.
Great Frederick's Opinion.
Clinton gained no advantage excep.
to reach New York with the wreck OF
his army" commented the observant
Frederick over sea; America Is prob
ably lost for England"
But a great opportunity had been
treacherously thrown away, and the war
dragged henceforth with every painful
trial OF hope deferred.
French Fleet on sandy Hook.
a scant three weeks after Clinton had
reached New York, the Count dEstaing
feet of twelve ships Of the line and six
frigates, bringing 1000 troops. The
British fleet within the harbor was
barely half as strong: but the pilots
told the cautious Frenchman that his
larger ships could not cross the bar.
and he turned away from New York
to strike at Newport, the only other
point now held by the British in all the
country.
That place had hardly been invested.
however, when Lord Howe appeared
with a stronger fleet than the French.
Fleet Sails to Boston.
D'Estaing was obliged to draw of to
meet him: a great storm sent both fleets
into port to refit instead of to fight; and
the disguised militiamen and continent
ais, who had come to take the town with
the French. withdrew in high cLOler to
see the feet, without which they could
do nothing, taken of to Boston
When the autumn came Clinton felt
free to send $500 men to the Southern
coast, and Savannah was taken Decem-
Der - 117S.
Only in the far West, at the depths
Of the great wilderness beyond the noun
tains, was anything done that promised
decisive advantage.
George Rogers Clark. that daring Sax
on frontiersman, who moved SO like
king through the far forest, swept the
whole country of the Illinois free from
British. soldiers and British authority
that winter of 1853. annexing 1t to the
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