Evening star., 1926-05-16

n ~
that remarkable stroke of
statesmanship long since would have
been forgotten had it not been for
the military ope rations which occurred
during the same year, and which, to-
gether with the events of the years
immediately following. made it impos-
slble for the world. or any country. to
treat that document as a mere scrap
of paper
During their fight for the independ-
ence which they so boldly procla.:::5d
as one of their ''inalienable rights,
the Americans, although frequently
defeated by superior numbers on the
| field of battle, usually exhibited on
such occasions qualities of bravery
and military ability which in com
paratively short time won the respect
of their opponents and eventually
led to victory.
In March, 1916. the British left
Boston never to return. An effort TO
carry the war to the South was
promptly repulsed when the English
were unsuccessful in their effort
to capture Charleston, :. G. The
month after the colonies became
free" at least in their own
estimation. their arnay was severely
beaten in the Battle of Long Island.
an American spy was captured with
in the British lines and met his death
so gallantly that he was Immediately
acclaimed as a martyr To the cause
of liberty. All during the Fall the
Continental Army did nothing but
retreat before a more powerful foe.
But the year closed with better luck
for the forces of the young nation.
who celebrated Christmas by crossing
the ice-caked Delaware River and
handily defeating the enemy after
taking him completely by surprise.
Ever since the Battle of Bunker
Hill in June 1918. the American Army
had kepi the British bottled up" in
Boston. Month by month the lines of
the Colonial troops had drawn closer
about the town until finally the
British were faced with the alter
native of either fighting or evacuatinG.
Gen, Howe. the English commander,
felt that honor compelled him to
fight The Americans had constructed
strong earthw6rks and were also will
| ing to settle the issue by force of
arms. But the day of the proposed
British attack was a stormy one. and
it was Impossible for ships to convey
the soldiers near the besieSers' lines.
Similar weather conditions prevailed
the following day. so that Gen. Howe
was at length forced to abandon the
idea of fighting. He was reluctantly
compelled to order an evacuation.
X 4
pLANS were made to leave the town
on the 18th and the inhabitants
We're ordered to remain indoors on
that day so that they would not annoy
the soldiers as they departed. But
again contrary winds intcrfercd with
the English program. The delay also
worried Washington. who feared that
the enemy was deceving him. and
waiting for retnforcements which
might be expected at any time.
Accordingly he went ahead with his
preparations. fortifying strategic
positions that commanded the harbor
and keeping in readiness for an al
tack.
Fearing that if they waited much
longer their ships would be at the
mercy of the Americans guns, the
British began filing down to their
boats on Sunday morning, March l6.
thus signalling that the long siege of
| months was at an end. More than
a thousand refugees sailed away with
the soldiers.
Led by Ensign Richards carrying
the colOrs. the American troops, un-
der the command of Gen. Putnam,
quickly poured into the city, taking
possession lin the name of the thir-
teen United Colonies of North Amer
ica of all the fortresses of that large
and once f1ourishing metropolis. which
the flower of the British army. head
ed by an experienced general and sup
ported by formidable fleet of men
of-war. had but an hour before evat-
uated in the most precipitous and
cowardly manner"
The smallpox epidemic, which had
so annoyed the English. was still
prevalent in several sections of the