Reign of George III. (Continued.) page 5

The Americans had great hopes of exciting a rebellion in Ireland at the same time that they promoted the discontent of the people of England. Jay tells us that he was employed to draw up at this time an address to the Irish, in which he took care to remind them of the oppressions of themselves by Great Britain; of their love for the Irish, and deep sympathy with their wrongs; of the gratitude of the Americans for the friendly spirit they had manifested towards them during the tyrannies of England. They deplored their necessity of stopping trade with Ireland as well as England; because, if they did not, England would continue the trade through Ireland. And they thus concluded: - " Compelled to behold thousands of our countrymen imprisoned, and men, women, and children, in promiscuous and unmerited misery; when we find all faith at an end, and sacred treaties turned into tricks of state; when we perceived our friends and kinsmen massacred, our habitations plundered, our houses in flames, and our once happy inhabitants fed only by the hand of charity: who can blame us for endeavouring to restrain the progress of the desolation? Who can censure us for repelling the attacks of such a barbarous band? Who, in such circumstances, would not obey the great, the universal, the divine law of self-preservation? Though vilified as wanting spirit, we are determined to behave like men; though insulted and abused, we wish for reconciliation; though defamed as seditious, we are ready to obey the laws; and though charged with rebellion, we will cheerfully bleed in defence of our sovereign in a righteous cause. What more can we say? What more can we offer? We know that you are not without your grievances. We sympathise with you in your distress, and are pleased to find that the design of subjugating us has persuaded the administration to dispense to Ireland some vagrant rays of ministerial sunshine. Even the tender mercies of government have long been cruel towards you. In the fat pastures of Ireland, many hungry parricides have fed and grown strong to labour in her destruction. We hope the patient abiding of the meek may not always be forgotten."

It is edifying to recollect that this Mr. Jay, who thus declared the Americans still ready to obey the laws, still longing for reconciliation, still prepared to bleed for their sovereign in a rightful cause, had been always amongst the foremost in forcing on the people of New York to an irreconcilable rupture, and in authorising a minority to send delegates to supersede in congress the delegates of the properly-constituted assembly, because they would not vote for the declaration of independence.

It is a very significant fact, that, though the declaration of independence had thus been violently and irregularly forced into being, its announcement was everywhere received with a cold indifference. When it arrived from congress at the camp, it was, by Washington's order, read aloud at the head of every regiment, but it produced no particular sensation. The adjutant-general (Reed) does not even mention it in his almost daily letters to his wife; and his biographer remarks in his Life, written at the present day, that, " No one can read the private correspondence of the times without being struck with the slight impression made, on either the army or the mass of the people, by the declaration." Jared Sparks, indeed, in his " Life of Washington," makes the general, in his letters to congress, say that the troops " testified their warmest approbation; " but lord Mahon (see appendix to his History of England, vol. vi.) has so completely exposed his falsifications of the original letters and dispatches of Washington, that this assertion, contrary to the general evidence, is of little value. The most marked act following the publication of the declaration was, that a party of soldiers pulled down and beheaded a leaden statue of George III., which had been erected in the Broadway, at New York, six years before, and cast it into bullets.

Lord Howe arrived from England, and cast anchor off Sandy Hook, a few hours after the declaration of independence had been read to the army by Washington. He had been expected by his brother, general Howe, who had arrived at the same point on the 29th of June, supposing he should find the admiral already there. General Howe had been immediately waited on by governor Try on, who was lying there on board a ship of war, and had engaged two hundred volunteers from amongst the tories of New York, who were violently incensed at the persecutions of the republicans, who had denounced the penalty of death on all who in any way assisted the English, and were then confiscating and selling their property by public auction. General Howe found Washington already in New York, and actively engaged in throwing up entrenchments, both there and on Long Island, to close the Hudson against the English fleet. Washington's head-quarters were at New York; those of general Sullivan, at the western extremity of Long Island, opposite to New York; and Governor's Island, Paulus Hook, New Rochelle, and other points, were strongly defended to protect the rear of the city.

At the time of admiral Howe's arrival, the army of Washington did not amount to more than seventeen thousand men, of whom three thousand were sick, and but about ten thousand men fit for duty. By his letters to congress, it is clear that he entertained very little hope of maintaining his ground in case of attack, for the fresh forces brought by Howe from England, being joined by the shattered remains of Sir Peter Parker's squadron, amounted to twenty thousand men. A few days afterwards, however, he was joined by two regiments from Philadelphia, and by large bodies of New York and New England militia, raising his army to twenty-seven thousand men, but of these a large number were sick. He now posted strong reinforcements in Brooklyn. On this general Howe quitted Sandy Hook, and advanced to Stat en Island, where he could watch the operations of the enemy. The Americans abandoned Staten Island, on his approach, without firing a gun.

Things being in this position on the arrival of lord admiral Howe, he determined still, notwithstanding the proclamation of independence, to make every effort to procure a last chance of peace. He deeply regretted the delays which had attended his fleet, and lost no time in sending on shore an intimation that he brought conciliatory overtures. His first act was to dispatch a letter to Franklin, who, in England, had expressed so earnest a desire for accommodation of all differences, informing him of his commission to seek reconciliation, and of his powers for the purpose. But the declaration being now made, Franklin had no longer a motive to conceal his real sentiments, and he replied in terms which greatly astonished Howe, filling his letters only with complaints of " atrocious injuries," and of what America had endured from " your proud and uninformed nation."

Howe next turned to Washington, to whom he dispatched a flag of truce, bearing a letter to the commander-in-chief. But, as Washington could only be regarded as an insurgent chief, lord Howe thought he could not officially recognise a title only conferred by the American congress, and therefore did not address him as general, but simply as George Washington, esquire. Washington refused to treat in any other character than that of commander-in-chief of the American forces. He instantly returned Howe's letter, and forwarded the other papers to congress. One of these papers was a circular declaration to all the late royal governors, including a copy of lord Howe's commission, and an offer of pardon to all who should submit; and that any town or province which declared its adhesion to the crown should at once be exempt from the provisions of all the late acts of parliament, especially as regarded their trade; and that, moreover, all such persons as were active in promoting the settlement of their districts should be duly rewarded.

The moment congress received this document they ordered it to be published in all the newspapers, that " the people might see how the insidious court of Great Britain had endeavoured to disarm and amuse them," and that " the few whom hopes of moderation and justice on the part of the British government had still kept in suspense, might now at length be convinced that the valour alone of their country is to save its liberties."

Lord Howe, undeterred by this spirited proceeding of congress, on the 20th of July sent the adjutant-general once more to Washington, with another letter, still addressed to George Washington, esquire, but adding a number of etceteras. Washington was not to be caught by so shallow an artifice. He replied that the etceteras might mean everything, and they might mean anything; that, as a public officer, he could not receive any letter, except in due form. Paterson protested that no disrespect was intended, but that lord Howe and his brother, the general, had their conduct prescribed by their government, and could not depart from it; but that they had the best intentions, and were furnished with large powers. Washington replied that, so far as he could learn, they had only powers to grant pardons, which those who had committed no fault did not need. The interview, like the last, therefore, ended in nothing, except that the congress took advantage of these repeated efforts to insinuate that the English were afraid of fighting.

Lord Howe now prepared to attack New York; but, before following his movements, we must notice that congress, bold as it assumed to be, was not only in great anxiety regarding the event there, but also regarding the state of things on the northern frontiers. Ten regiments had been dispatched there from New York, which would now have been of the utmost value at New York itself. Three regiments had been sent from Boston, and there was active recruiting in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Spite of this, Crown Point was declared untenable; the troops were starving, sick, and deserting, and it was determined, in a council of war, to fall back on Ticonderoga.

Schuyler, the general of the continental troops raised in New York, was looked on with great aversion by the New England troops, who could not forgive the people of New York for their leaning to moderation. Schuyler, on his part, had no great respect for the New Englanders; and now general Gates with his army, having retreated out of Canada, came into Schuyler's district, and the New Englanders were disposed to set aside Schuyler's authority. Miserably defeated as the noisy and bombastic New Englanders had been in Canada, and miserable as was their plight when they arrived in the district under Schuyler's command, they did not hesitate to insult him, and to propagate the most injurious reports against him, accusing him even of treachery. Schuyler was a brave officer and high-spirited man, and offered to resign; but congress expressed entire confidence in his patriotism, and refused to accept his resignation. They added that, in appointing Gates, they had no intention of superseding Schuyler; but this did not prevent the usual mischief of contending parties and conflicting commands. To add to this evil, the smallpox continued its ravages in the northern array; and, though reinforcements continued to arrive, the army, during three months, had lost five thousand men by death and desertion, and the whole force now did not exceed that number, half of whom were sick.

Carleton, on the other hand, was at the fort of Lake Champlain, with an army of thirteen thousand men. To operate upon Arnold, who had the command of the vessels on the lake, he launched twenty small craft, and a number of armed boats, which he had dragged up the Sorel and over the rapids of Chamble. To these he added five vessels larger than any of the American ones, which he had brought the frames of from Montreal. With this superior fleet he soon chased Arnold from Crown Point to near Ticonderoga, compelling him to run his vessels ashore, and set fire to them. The Americans lost eleven vessels and ninety men; the rest escaped into the woods. But, though Carleton accomplished this in October, and Gates lay at Ticonderoga, Carleton, with that want of spirit and perseverance which marked all the English commanders then, thought he had done enough, retired to Crown Point, and put his army into winter quarters.

At New York, which Howe was now preparing to attack, Washington had about thirty thousand men - Mifflin was his quarter-master-general - Lincoln led the militia of Massachusetts, and George Clinton that of New York. Thaddeus Kosciusko, afterwards the hero of Poland, was one of the chief engineers; and William Palfrey, a Boston merchant, was paymaster-general. But Washington's troops were ill equipped, and most disorderly in their discipline. In the regiments of the southern states, and of the Jerseys and Virginia, there was some distinction betwixt the officers and the men, but very little in those of New England. The officers of the New England states were for the most part farmers, or sons of farmers, or at best innkeepers, like Israel Putnam, and the officers of the other states turned up their noses at them. Meantime, the privates of the New England regiments paid little more respect to their officers. "When," says adjutant-general Reed, "so thorough a levelling spirit predominates, either no discipline can be established, or he who attempts it must become odious and detestable. It is impossible for any one to have an idea of the complete equality which exists between the officers and men who compose the greater part of our troops. You may form some notion of it when I tell you that yesterday morning a captain of horse, who attends the general from Connecticut, was seen shaving one of his men on the parade near the house!"

With such troops had Washington to encounter the well- disciplined forces of England. General Putnam had thrown up entrenchments on each side of the Hudson and the East river, and sunk vessels in them to prevent the English vessels passing; but these precautions did not avail.

In spite of the artillery of Forts Washington and Lee, several British vessels ascended the Hudson, whence, having taken soundings, and reconnoitered, they returned safe, notwithstanding attempts to burn them with fireships.

Washington expected that Howe would attack New York by the way of Long Island, and therefore he had posted nine thousand men at Brooklyn, nearly opposite to it, behind entrenchments thrown up by general Greene. Greene had been attacked by fever; and general Putnam, who had taken his post, was but indifferently acquainted with the position of the forces and the nature of the ground they would have to defend with a rabble of most insubordinate troops.