washington and his comrades in arms-第14部分

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n　people　doing　the　same　thing。　Militia　officers；　themselves；　〃generally〃　as　he　said；　〃of　the　lowest　class　of　the　people；〃　not　only　stole　but　incited　their　men　to　steal。　It　was　easy　to　plunder　under　the　plea　that　the　owner　of　the　property　was　a　Tory；　whether　open　or　concealed；　and　Washington　wrote　that　the　waste　and　theft　were　〃beyond　all　conception。〃　There　were　shirkers　claiming　exemption　from　military　service　on　the　ground　that　they　were　doing　necessary　service　as　civilians。　Washington　needed　maps　to　plan　his　intricate　movements　and　could　not　get　them。　Smallpox　was　devastating　his　army　and　causing　losses　heavier　than　those　from　the　enemy。　When　pay　day　came　there　was　usually　no　money。　It　is　little　wonder　that　in　this　spring　of　1777　he　feared　that　his　army　might　suddenly　dissolve　and　leave　him　without　a　command。　In　that　case　he　would　not　have　yielded。　Rather；　so　stern　and　bitter　was　he　against　England；　would　he　have　plunged　into　the　western　wilderness　to　be　lost　in　its　vast　spaces。

Howe　had　his　own　perplexities。　He　knew　that　a　great　expedition　under　Burgoyne　was　to　advance　from　Canada　southward　to　the　Hudson。　Was　he　to　remain　with　his　whole　force　at　New　York　until　the　time　should　come　to　push　up　the　river　to　meet　Burgoyne？　He　had　a　copy　of　the　instructions　given　in　England　to　Burgoyne　by　Lord　George　Germain；　but　he　was　himself　without　orders。　Afterwards　the　reason　became　known。　Lord　George　Germain　had　dictated　the　order　to　cooperate　with　Burgoyne；　but　had　hurried　off　to　the　country　before　it　was　ready　for　his　signature　and　it　had　been　mislaid。　Howe　seemed　free　to　make　his　own　plans　and　he　longed　to　be　master　of　the　enemy's　capital。　In　the　end　he　decided　to　take　Philadelphiaa　task　easy　enough；　as　the　event　proved。　At　Howe's　elbow　was　the　traitorous　American　general；　Charles　Lee；　whom　he　had　recently　captured；　and　Lee；　as　we　know；　told　him　that　Maryland　and　Pennsylvania　were　at　heart　loyal　to　the　King　and　panting　to　be　free　from　the　tyranny　of　the　demagogue。　Once　firmly　in　the　capital　Howe　believed　that　he　would　have　secure　control　of　Maryland；　Pennsylvania；　and　New　Jersey。　He　could　achieve　this　and　be　back　at　New　York　in　time　to　meet　Burgoyne；　perhaps　at　Albany。　Then　he　would　hold　the　colony　of　New　York　from　Staten　Island　to　the　Canadian　frontier。　Howe　found　that　he　could　send　ships　up　the　Hudson；　and　the　American　army　had　to　stand　on　the　banks　almost　helpless　against　the　mobility　of　sea　power。　Washington's　left　wing　rested　on　the　Hudson　and　he　held　both　banks　but　neither　at　Peekskill　nor；　as　yet；　farther　up　at　West　Point；　could　his　forts　prevent　the　passage　of　ships。　It　was　a　different　matter　for　the　British　to　advance　on　land。　But　the　ships　went　up　and　down　in　the　spring　of　1777。　It　would　be　easy　enough　to　help　Burgoyne　when　the　time　should　come。

It　was　summer　before　Howe　was　ready　to　move；　and　by　that　time　he　had　received　instructions　that　his　first　aim　must　be　to　cooperate　with　Burgoyne。　First；　however；　he　was　resolved　to　have　Philadelphia。　Washington　watched　Howe　in　perplexity。　A　great　fleet　and　a　great　army　lay　at　New　York。　Why　did　they　not　move？　Washington　knew　perfectly　well　what　he　himself　would　have　done　in　Howe's　place。　He　would　have　attacked　rapidly　in　April　the　weak　American　army　and；　after　destroying　or　dispersing　it；　would　have　turned　to　meet　Burgoyne　coming　southward　from　Canada。　Howe　did　send　a　strong　force　into　New　Jersey。　But　he　did　not　know　how　weak　Washington　really　was；　for　that　master　of　craft　in　war　disseminated　with　great　skill　false　information　as　to　his　own　supposed　overwhelming　strength。　Howe　had　been　bitten　once　by　advancing　too　far　into　New　Jersey　and　was　not　going　to　take　risks。　He　tried　to　entice　Washington　from　the　hills　to　attack　in　open　country。　He　marched　here　and　there　in　New　Jersey　and　kept　Washington　alarmed　and　exhausted　by　counter　marches；　and　always　puzzled　as　to　what　the　next　move　should　be。　Howe　purposely　let　one　of　his　secret　messengers　be　taken　bearing　a　despatch　saying　that　the　fleet　was　about　to　sail　for　Boston。　All　these　things　took　time　and　the　summer　was　slipping　away。　In　the　end　Washington　realized　that　Howe　intended　to　make　his　move　not　by　land　but　by　sea。　Could　it　be　possible　that　he　was　not　going　to　make　aid　to　Burgoyne　his　chief　purpose？　Could　it　be　that　he　would　attack　Boston？　Washington　hoped　so　for　he　knew　the　reception　certain　at　Boston。　Or　was　his　goal　Charleston？　On　the　23d　of　July；　when　the　summer　was　more　than　half　gone；　Washington　began　to　see　more　clearly。　On　that　day　Howe　had　embarked　eighteen　thousand　men　and　the　fleet　put　to　sea　from　Staten　Island。

Howe　was　doing　what　able　officers　with　him；　such　as　Cornwallis；　Grey；　and　the　German　Knyphausen；　appear　to　have　been　unanimous　in　thinking　he　should　not　do。　He　was　misled　not　only　by　the　desire　to　strike　at　the　very　center　of　the　rebellion；　but　also　by　the　assurance　of　the　traitorous　Lee　that　to　take　Philadelphia　would　be　the　effective　signal　to　all　the　American　Loyalists；　the　overwhelming　majority　of　the　people；　as　was　believed；　that　sedition　had　failed。　A　tender　parent；　the　King；　was　ready　to　have　the　colonies　back　in　their　former　relation　and　to　give　them　secure　guarantees　of　future　liberty。　Any　one　who　saw　the　fleet　put　out　from　New　York　Harbor　must　have　been　impressed　with　the　might　of　Britain。　No　less　than　two　hundred　and　twenty…nine　ships　set　their　sails　and　covered　the　sea　for　miles。　When　they　had　disappeared　out　of　sight　of　the　New　Jersey　shore　their　goal　was　still　unknown。　At　sea　they　might　turn　in　any　direction。　Washington's　uncertainty　was　partly　relieved　on　the　30th　of　July　when　the　fleet　appeared　at　the　entrance　of　Delaware　Bay；　with　Philadelphia　some　hundred　miles　away　across　the　bay　and　up　the　Delaware　River。　After　hovering　about　the　Cape　for　a　day　the　fleet　again　put　to　sea；　and　Washington；　who　had　marched　his　army　so　as　to　be　near　Philadelphia；　thought　the　whole　movement　a　feint　and　knew　not　where　the　fleet　would　next　appear。　He　was　preparing　to　march　to　New　York　to　menace　General　Clinton；　who　had　there　seven　thousand　men　able　to　help　Burgoyne　when　he　heard　good　news。　On　the　22d　of　August　he　knew　that　Howe　had　really　gone　southward　and　was　in　Chesapeake　Bay。　Boston　was　now　certainly　safe。　On　the　25th　of　August；　after　three　stormy　weeks　at　sea；　Howe　arrived　at　Elkton；　at　the　head　of　Chesapeake　Bay；　and　there　landed　his　army。　It　was　Philadelphia　fifty　miles　away　that　he　intended　to　have。　Washington　wrote　gleefully　〃Now　let　all　New　England　turn　out　and　crush　Burgoyne。〃　Before　the　end　of　September　he　was　writing　that　he　was　certain　of　complete　disaster　to　Burgoyne。

Howe　had；　in　truth；　made　a　ruinous　mistake。　Had　the　date　been　May　instead　of　August　he　might　still　have　saved　Burgoyne。　But　at　the　end　of　August；　when　the　net　was　closing　on　Burgoyne；　Howe　was　three　hundred　miles　away。　His　disregard　of　time　and　distance　had　been　magnificent。　In　July　he　had　sailed　to　the　mouth　of　the　Delaware；　with　Philadelphia　near；　but　he　had　then　sailed　away　again；　and　why？　Because　the　passage　of　his　ships　up　the　river　to　the　city　was　blocked　by　obstructions　commanded　by　bristling　forts。　The　naval　officers　said　truly　that　the　fleet　could　not　get　up　the　river。　But　Howe　might　have　landed　his　army　at　the　head　of　Delaware　Bay。　It　is　a　dozen　miles　across　the　narrow　peninsula　from　the　head　of　Delaware　Bay　to　that　of　Chesapeake　Bay。　Since　Howe　had　decided　to　attack　from　the　head　of　Chesapeake　Bay　there　was　little　to　prevent　him　from　landing　his　army　on　the　Delaware　side　of　the　peninsula　and　marching　across　it。　By　sea　it　is　a　voyage　of　three　hundred　miles　round　a　peninsula　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　long　to　get　from　one　of　these　points　to　the　other；　by　land　only　a　dozen　miles　away。　Howe　made　the　sea　voyage　and　spent　on　it　three　weeks　when　a　march　of　a　day　would　have　saved　this　time　and　kept　his　fleet　three　hundred　miles　by　sea　nearer　to　New　York　and　aid　for　Burgoyne。

Howe's　mistakes　only　have　their　place　in　the　procession　to　inevitable　disaster。　Once　in　the　thick　of　fighting　he　showed　himself　formidable。　When　he　had　landed　at　Elkton　he　was　fifty　miles　southwest　of　Philadelphia　and　between　him　and　that　place　was　Washington　with　his　army。　Washington　was　determined　to　delay　Howe　in　every　possible　way。　To　get　to　Philadelphia　Howe　had　to　cross　the　Brandywine　River。　Time　was　nothing　to　him。　He　landed　at　Elkton　on　the　25th　of　August。　Not　until　the　l0th　of　September　was　he　prepared　to　attack　Washington　barring　his　way　at　Chadd's　Ford。　Washington　was　in　a　strong　position　on　a　front　of　two　miles　on　the　river。　At　his　left；　below　Chadd's　Ford；　the　Brandywine　is　a　torrent　flowing　between　high　cliffs。　There　the　British　would　find　no　passage。　On　his　right　was　a　forest。　Washington　had　chosen　his　position　with　his　usual　skill。　Entrenchments　protected　his　front　and　batteries　would　sweep　down　an　advancing　enemy。　He　had　probably　not　more　than　eleven　thousand　men　in　the　fight　and　it　is　doubtful　whether　Howe　brought　up　a　greater　number　so　that　the　armies　were　not　unevenly　matched。　At　daybreak　on　the　eleventh　the　British　army　broke　camp　at　the　village　of　Kenneth　Square；　four　miles　from　Chadd's　Ford；　and；　under　General　Knyphausen；　marched　straight　to　make　a　frontal　attack　on　Washington's　position。

In　the　battle　which　followed　Washington　was　beaten　by　the　superior　tactics　of　his　enemy。　Not　all　of　the　British　army　was　there　in　the　attack　at　Chadd's　Ford。　A　column　under　Cornwallis　had　filed　off　by　a　road　to　the　left　and　was　making　a　long　and　rapid　march。　The　plan　was　to　cross　the　Brandywine　some　ten　miles　above　where　Washington　was　posted　and　to　attack　him　in　the　rear。　By　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Cornwallis　had　forced　the　two　branches　of　the　upper　Brandywine　and　was　marching　on　Dilworth　at　the　right　rear　of　the　American　army。　Only　then　did　Washington　become　aware　of　his　danger。　His　first　impulse　was　to　advance　across　Chadd's　Ford　to　try　to　overwhelm　Knyphausen　and　thus　to　get　between　Howe　and　the　fleet　at　Elkton。　This　might；　however；　have　brought　disaster　and　he　soon　decided　to　retire。　His　movement　was　ably　carried　out。　Both　sides　suffered　in　the　woodland　fighting　but　that　night　the　British　army　encamped　in　Washington's　position　at　Chadd's　Ford；　and　Howe　had　fought　skillfully　and　won　an　important　battle。

Washington　had　retired　in　good　order　and　was