The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-11-02
Washington Resqning His Commission, Dec p, 1873

was New York where Sir Henry Clinton al
though outwitted by Washington In his quick
dash to trap CORVALLIS, still had strong army
that perpetual threat against the Ameri-
can line Of defense along the Hudson
The surrender at Yorktown was a stunning
blow to British prestige, but it did not mean that
the stubborn Briton was ready to give up yet.
True. school book histories tell US, Lord
North upon receiving news of the disaster,
threw up his arms as though struck by a
cannon ball and cried out: My God, 1t is all
over! 1t is all overr" But when parliament
convened King George III made speech which
indicated his determination to continue the war,
and, hearing Of this, Washington knew that his
task was far from being ended. So he sent urgent
appeals to the states not TO relax their efforts,
made plans for a stronger army than ever be-
fore and, after brief stop at Mount Vernon and
short stay in Philadelphia where he conferred
with a committee from congress on the measures
necessary for the next campaign, marched his
Continentals back TO Newburgh on the Hudson,
where for the next few months he lay watching
Clinton in New York
But Clinton showed no desire to make a move
and for the next year the two armies adopted
policy of "watchful waiting" During this time
there was some raiding by marauding bands of
Tories and Patriots, but there were no major
military movements in the northern theater of
The conflict there had become a stalemate
Down in the South bitter partisan warfare
was still being waged- After Yorktown, Mad
Anthony Wayne had been sent to help Cen
Nathaniel Greene regain South Carolina and
Georgia from the enemy and in series of minor
skirmishes he defeated the Creek Indian allies
of the British. scattered parties of Tory raiders
and ousted several small British garrisons from
the towns they were holding. Then he marched
against Savannah forced the British to evacu-
ate it in July, 1882, and joined Greene In the
siege of Charleston which the British gave up in
December
So in both the North and South hostilities had
virtually ceased by the middle of the year. But
out In the West the war was still raging in a
fearful form unknown on the Atlantic seaboard
except in the blood-drenched Mohawk valley of
New York. Indian scalping parties led by Brit
ish and Canadian officers, were assailng the
Pennsylvania and Virginia borders and the Ken
lucky settlements.
In August, 1882, the men and women Of Bry-
ants Station successfully withstood such an at
tack, only to have their victory followed by the
disaster at Blue Licks on August 10 when the
flower Of Kentucky's man power was destroyed
in this LAST Battle of the Revolution" so called
because it was the last pitched battle between
forces Of any considerable size On September
IL wave of savage fury once more beat against
the palisaded walls Of Fort Henry wheeling
W. Val where Betty Zane won immortality with
her dash through hail of bullets to carry
powder to the defenders of the fort. This attack
was also repulsed as were others against other
outposts Of the frontier, but for many months
afterwards there hung over the West the shadow
of fear OF the redskins, kind of fear which the
Redcoats had never been able to inspire in the
East
In the meantime the march Of events across
the Atlantic was rapidly bringing the nearer
and nearer to end. Even before Yorktown the
English nation was tired Of which gave il
more debts than victories and which had been
denounced more than once by members of the
Wing party After Yorktown King George was
about the only one who wanted to keep on with
the war, but eventually even he gave up all hope
of subduing the Americans. However, he stub
bornly insisted that he would never give up
Georgia and the cities Of Charleston and New
York and he once vowed that rather than
acknowledge the independence of the United
States, he would abdicate the throne and retire
TO his native Hanover.
On March 5. 1852, parliament passed bill to
enable the king to make peace with America
Fifteen days later Lord North. bowling to the
storm of opposition to the kings plan of renew
ing hostilities, resigned, and the Wings under
Lord Rockingham, formed a new ministry with
the understanding that American independence
should be acknowledged Rockingham died in
July and was succeeded by Lord SheIburne who
was also committed to a policy of making peace
Shelburne had been friend OF Benjamin
Franklin. who was then minister TO France
and through his agent, Richard Oswald. a Scotch
merchant. the British minister opened negotia-
tons with his American friend to discuss peace
terms. Franklin had the assistance Of John Jaw.
who had been In Spain seeking an alliance with
that country; John Adams. American minister
to Holland: and Henry Laurens. then prisoner
In England; and during the summer OF 17S2 their
negotiations with Oswald proceeded smoothly.
Finally on November 80. Franklin, jay. Adams
and Oswald signed preliminary treaty of peace,