washington and his comrades in arms- 第1部分

　Washington　and　his　Comrades　in　Arms

　A　Chronicle　of　the　War　of　Independence


by　George　Wrong






PREFATORY　NOTE

The　author　is　aware　of　a　certain　audacity　in　undertaking；　himself　a　Briton；　to　appear　in　a　company　of　American　writers　on　American　history　and　above　all　to　write　on　the　subject　of　Washington。　If　excuse　is　needed　it　is　to　be　found　in　the　special　interest　of　the　career　of　Washington　to　a　citizen　of　the　British　Commonwealth　of　Nations　at　the　present　time　and　in　the　urgency　with　which　the　editor　and　publishers　declared　that　such　an　interpretation　would　not　be　unwelcome　to　Americans　and　pressed　upon　the　author　a　task　for　which　he　doubted　his　own　qualifications。　To　the　editor　he　owes　thanks　for　wise　criticism。　He　is　also　indebted　to　Mr。　Worthington　Chauncey　Ford；　of　the　Massachusetts　Historical　Society；　a　great　authority　on　Washington；　who　has　kindly　read　the　proofs　and　given　helpful　comments。　Needless　to　say　the　author　alone　is　responsible　for　opinions　in　the　book。

University　of　Toronto；　June　16；　1920。


CONTENTS

I。　THE　COMMANDER…IN…CHIEF

II。　BOSTON　AND　QUEBEC

III。　INDEPENDENCE

IV。　THE　LOSS　OF　NEW　YORK

V。　THE　LOSS　OF　PHILADELPHIA

VI。　THE　FIRST　GREAT　BRITISH　DISASTER

VII。　WASHINGTON　AND　HIS　COMRADES　AT　VALLEY　FORGE

VIII。　THE　ALLIANCE　WITH　FRANCE　AND　ITS　RESULTS

IX。　THE　WAR　IN　THE　SOUTH

X。　FRANCE　TO　THE　RESCUE

XI。　YORKTOWN

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE



WASHINGTON　AND　HIS　COMRADES　IN　ARMS


CHAPTER　I。　THE　COMMANDER…IN…CHIEF

Moving　among　the　members　of　the　second　Continental　Congress；　which　met　at　Philadelphia　in　May；　1775；　was　one；　and　but　one；　military　figure。　George　Washington　alone　attended　the　sittings　in　uniform。　This　colonel　from　Virginia；　now　in　his　forty…fourth　year；　was　a　great　landholder；　an　owner　of　slaves；　an　Anglican　churchman；　an　aristocrat；　everything　that　stands　in　contrast　with　the　type　of　a　revolutionary　radical。　Yet　from　the　first　he　had　been　an　outspoken　and　uncompromising　champion　of　the；　colonial　cause。　When　the　tax　was　imposed　on　tea　he　had　abolished　the　use　of　tea　in　his　own　household　and　when　war　was　imminent　he　had　talked　of　recruiting　a　thousand　men　at　his　own　expense　and　marching　to　Boston。　His　steady　wearing　of　the　uniform　seemed；　indeed；　to　show　that　he　regarded　the　issue　as　hardly　less　military　than　political。

The　clash　at　Lexington；　on　the　19th　of　April；　had　made　vivid　the　reality　of　war。　Passions　ran　high。　For　years　there　had　been　tension；　long　disputes　about　buying　British　stamps　to　put　on　American　legal　papers；　about　duties　on　glass　and　paint　and　paper　and；　above　all；　tea。　Boston　had　shown　turbulent　defiance；　and　to　hold　Boston　down　British　soldiers　had　been　quartered　on　the　inhabitants　in　the　proportion　of　one　soldier　for　five　of　the　populace；　a　great　and　annoying　burden。　And　now　British　soldiers　had　killed　Americans　who　stood　barring　their　way　on　Lexington　Green。　Even　calm　Benjamin　Franklin　spoke　later　of　the　hands　of　British　ministers　as　〃red；　wet；　and　dropping　with　blood。〃　Americans　never　forgot　the　fresh　graves　made　on　that　day。　There　were；　it　is　true；　more　British　than　American　graves；　but　the　British　were　regarded　as　the　aggressors。　If　the　rest　of　the　colonies　were　to　join　in　the　struggle；　they　must　have　a　common　leader。　Who　should　he　be？

In　June；　while　the　Continental　Congress　faced　this　question　at　Philadelphia；　events　at　Boston　made　the　need　of　a　leader　more　urgent。　Boston　was　besieged　by　American　volunteers　under　the　command　of　General　Artemas　Ward。　The　siege　had　lasted　for　two　months；　each　side　watching　the　other　at　long　range。　General　Gage；　the　British　Commander；　had　the　sea　open　to　him　and　a　finely　tempered　army　upon　which　he　could　rely。　The　opposite　was　true　of　his　opponents。　They　were　a　motley　host　rather　than　an　army。　They　had　few　guns　and　almost　no　powder。　Idle　waiting　since　the　fight　at　Lexington　made　untrained　troops　restless　and　anxious　to　go　home。　Nothing　holds　an　army　together　like　real　war；　and　shrewd　officers　knew　that　they　must　give　the　men　some　hard　task　to　keep　up　their　fighting　spirit。　It　was　rumored　that　Gage　was　preparing　an　aggressive　movement　from　Boston；　which　might　mean　pillage　and　massacre　in　the　surrounding　country；　and　it　was　decided　to　draw　in　closer　to　Boston　to　give　Gage　a　diversion　and　prove　the　mettle　of　the　patriot　army。　So；　on　the　evening　of　June　16；　1775；　there　was　a　stir　of　preparation　in　the　American　camp　at　Cambridge；　and　late　at　night　the　men　fell　in　near　Harvard　College。

Across　the　Charles　River　north　from　Boston；　on　a　peninsula；　lay　the　village　of　Charlestown；　and　rising　behind　it　was　Breed's　Hill；　about　seventy…four　feet　high；　extending　northeastward　to　the　higher　elevation　of　Bunker　Hill。　The　peninsula　could　be　reached　from　Cambridge　only　by　a　narrow　neck　of　land　easily　swept　by　British　floating　batteries　lying　off　the　shore。　In　the　dark　the　American　force　of　twelve　hundred　men　under　Colonel　Prescott　marched　to　this　neck　of　land　and　then　advanced　half　a　mile　southward　to　Breed's　Hill。　Prescott　was　an　old　campaigner　of　the　Seven　Years'　War；　he　had　six　cannon；　and　his　troops　were　commanded　by　experienced　officers。　Israel　Putnam　was　skillful　in　irregular　frontier　fighting；　and　Nathanael　Greene；　destined　to　prove　himself　the　best　man　in　the　American　army　next　to　Washington　himself；　could　furnish　sage　military　counsel　derived　from　much　thought　and　reading。

Thus　it　happened　that　on　the　morning　of　the　17th　of　June　General　Gage　in　Boston　awoke　to　a　surprise。　He　had　refused　to　believe　that　he　was　shut　up　in　Boston。　It　suited　his　convenience　to　stay　there　until　a　plan　of　campaign　should　be　evolved　by　his　superiors　in　London；　but　he　was　certain　that　when　he　liked　he　could；　with　his　disciplined　battalions；　brush　away　the　besieging　army。　Now　he　saw　the　American　force　on　Breed's　Hill　throwing　up　a　defiant　and　menacing　redoubt　and　entrenchments。　Gage　did　not　hesitate。　The　bold　aggressors　must　be　driven　away　at　once。　He　detailed　for　the　enterprise　William　Howe；　the　officer　destined　soon　to　be　his　successor　in　the　command　at　Boston。　Howe　was　a　brave　and　experienced　soldier。　He　had　been　a　friend　of　Wolfe　and　had　led　the　party　of　twenty…four　men　who　had　first　climbed　the　cliff　at　Quebec　on　the　great　day　when　Wolfe　fell　victorious。　He　was　the　younger　brother　of　that　beloved　Lord　Howe　who　had　fallen　at　Ticonderoga　and　to　whose　memory　Massachusetts　had　reared　a　monument　in　Westminster　Abbey。　Gage　gave　him　in　all　some　twenty…five　hundred　men；　and；　at　about　two　in　the　afternoon；　this　force　was　landed　at　Charlestown。

The　little　town　was　soon　aflame　and　the　smoke　helped　to　conceal　Howe's　movements。　The　day　was　boiling　hot　and　the　soldiers　carried　heavy　packs　with　food　for　three　days；　for　they　intended　to　camp　on　Bunker　Hill。　Straight　up　Breed's　Hill　they　marched　wading　through　long　grass　sometimes　to　their　knees　and　throwing　down　the　fences　on　the　hillside。　The　British　knew　that　raw　troops　were　likely　to　scatter　their　fire　on　a　foe　still　out　of　range　and　they　counted　on　a　rapid　bayonet　charge　against　men　helpless　with　empty　rifles。　This　expectation　was　disappointed。　The　Americans　had　in　front　of　them　a　barricade　and　Israel　Putnam　was　there；　threatening　dire　things　to　any　one　who　should　fire　before　he　could　see　the　whites　of　the　eyes　of　the　advancing　soldiery。　As　the　British　came　on　there　was　a　terrific　discharge　of　musketry　at　twenty　yards；　repeated　again　and　again　as　they　either　halted　or　drew　back。

The　slaughter　was　terrible。　British　officers　hardened　in　war　declared　long　afterward　that　they　had　never　seen　carnage　like　that　of　this　fight。　The　American　riflemen　had　been　told　to　aim　especially　at　the　British　officers；　easily　known　by　their　uniforms；　and　one　rifleman　is　said　to　have　shot　twenty　officers　before　he　was　himself　killed。　Lord　Rawdon；　who　played　a　considerable　part　in　the　war　and　was　later；　as　Marquis　of　Hastings；　Viceroy　of　India；　used　to　tell　of　his　terror　as　he　fought　in　the　British　line。　Suddenly　a　soldier　was　shot　dead　by　his　side；　and；　when　he　saw　the　man　quiet　at　his　feet；　he　said；　〃Is　Death　nothing　but　this？〃　and　henceforth　had　no　fear。　When　the　first　attack　by　the　British　was　checked　they　retired；　but；　with　dogged　resolve；　they　re…formed　and　again　charged　up　the　hill；　only　a　second　time　to　be　repulsed。　The　third　time　they　were　more　cautious。　They　began　to　work　round　to　the　weaker　defenses　of　the　American　left；　where　were　no　redoubts　and　entrenchments　like　those　on　the　right。　By　this　time　British　ships　were　throwing　shells　among　the　Americans。　Charlestown　was　burning。　The　great　column　of　black　smoke；　the　incessant　roar　of　cannon；　and　the　dreadful　scenes　of　carnage　had　affected　the　defenders。　They　wavered；　and　on　the　third　British　charge；　having　exhausted　their　ammunition；　they　fled　from　the　hill　in　confusion　back　to　the　narrow　neck　of　land　half　a　mile　away；　swept　now　by　a　British　floating　battery。　General　Burgoyne　wrote　that；　in　the　third　attack；　the　discipline　and　courage　of　the　British　private　soldiers　also　broke　down　and　that　when　the　redoubt　was　carried　the　officers　of　some　corps　were　almost　alone。　The　British　stood　victorious　at　Bunker　Hill。　It　was；　however；　a　costly　victory。　More　than　a　thousand　men；　nearly　half　of　the　attacking　force；　had　fallen；　with　an　undue　p