The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-01-30
THE OBSERVATORY

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and plotting, till they seem alive.
do not know il Fiske was in England
and searched original sources in pri-
vate libraries and the like. but he has
given us some remarkable stories
Take for instance the reason why
Burgoync's campaign failed The mil
itary plan to cut off the New England
colonies from those Of the middle
and south, was a good one. although
it did utterly fail to properly estimate
the fiery patriotism OF the New Eng
land yoemen. But Fiske has unearth.
ed one little fact which is like flash
Of lightning across the historical sky
II has always been wonder why
Wolfe and Sir Henry Clinton fritter-
ed away their summer. and did not
+ try to ascend the Hudson and at
tempt union with Burgoyne
Some Clouds Cleared Away.
Fiske gives the explanation: here
it is:
AT this point fatal blunder was
made, Burgoync was expressly dir
ected to follow the prescribed line
down the Hudson, whatever might
happen. until he should effect his jun
ction with the main army On the
other hand, no such unconditional or
ders were given Howe. He under
stood the plan of campaign, and knew
that he was expected to ascend the
river (Hudson river) in force Xxx
(But he had no such emphatic orders
ass Burgoyne.) The reasons for this
Inconsistency on the part of the min
istry were for long time unitelli-
gble: but memorandum of Lord
Shelbourne, lately brought to light by
Lord Edmund Fitzmaurice. has solv-
ed the mystery. 1t seems that dis
patch, containing positive and explicit
orders to Howe to ascend the Hud-
son. was duly drafted, and, with many
other papers. awaited the minister's
signature, Lord George German,
being on his way to the country,
called at his office to sign the dis
patches; but when he came to the let
ter addressed to General Howe. he
found it had not been fair copied"
Lord George would not be put out
Of his way for anything, Unwilling
to lose his holiday he hurried off to
the green meadows of Kent. intend
ing to sign the letter on his return.
The document on which hung the for
tunes of an army, and perhaps of "a
nation, was thrust into a pigeon hole
where it was duly discovered some
time after the disaster of (battle of,
Saratoga had become past history"
That story of British minister of
that day is true to FORM. he thought
more of his holiday, with its shoot
ing and drinking, than OF all the Am
erican colonies or British armies.
know that George Otto Trevelyan. in
one of the volumes OF his American
| Revolution. refers to this incident. but
does not give it as much weight as
does Fiske: Trevelyan had been a
cabinet minister himself. and perhaps
had fellow feeling" for Lord George
German.
Could Not Have Succeeded.
But think that investigators now
generally accept the fact OF the find
ing of that unsigned rough draft of
dispatch. as a solution of mystery
which has hung around the fate OF
Burgoyne; that il. so far as the failure
of Howe to join him is concerned.
But as said above. it is also the opin-
ion Of historians that even ii the Brit
ish navy and army had gone up the
Hudson. the new England militia
would have eventually swampcd them,
The reference above to Trevelyan's
American Revolution reminds me of
his wonderful history; wonderful be-
cause of it's sympathy with the Amer
lean colonists written by an English,
man. will write of that great work
at another time. Observer.