itude for the marquis was soon relieved. The strategem of the youthful warrior had been crowned with success. He completely gained the march upon General Grant, reached Matson's Ford in safety, crossed it in great order, and took a strong position on high grounds which commanded it. The enemy arrived at the river just in time for a skirmish as the artillery was crossing. Seeing that Lafayette had extricated himself from their hands, and was so strongly posted, they gave over all attack, and returned, somewhat disconcerted, to Philadelphia; while the youthful marquis rejoined the army at Valley Forge, where he was received with acclamation.

Indications continued to increase of the departure of troops from Philadelphia. New York, it was concluded, would be the place of destination; either as a rendezvous, or a post whence to attempt the occupation of the Hudson. Would they proceed thither by land or by water? Washington would gladly have taken post in Jersey, to oppose or harass them while on their march through the state. His camp, however, was encumbered by upward of three thousand sick, and covered a great amount of military stores. He dared not weaken it by detaching a sufficient force. For three weeks affairs remained in this state. Washington held his army ready to march toward the Hudson at a moment's warning. In the meantime, the commissioners empowered under the new conciliatory bills to negotiate the restoration of peace between Great Britain and her former colonies arrived in the Delaware in the Trident ship-of-war. The commissioners landed at Philadelphia on June 6th, and discovered, to their astonishment, that they had come out, as it were, in the dark, on a mission in which but a half confidence had been reposed in them by government. Three weeks before their departure from England, orders had been sent out to Sir Henry Clinton to evacuate Philadelphia and concentrate his forces at New York; yet these orders were never imparted to them. Their letters and speeches testify their surprise and indignation at finding their plan of operations so completely disconcerted by their own cabinet. The orders of evacuation, however, were too peremptory to be evaded, but Johnstone declared that if he had known of them, he never would have gone on the mission. The commissioners had prepared a letter for Congress, merely informing that body of their arrival and powers, and their disposition to promote a reconciliation, intending quietly to await an answer; but the unexpected situation of affairs occasioned by the order for evacuation obliged them to alter their resolution, and to write one of a different character, bringing forward at once all the powers delegated to them.

On June 9th, Sir Henry Clinton informed Washington of the arrival of the commissioners, and requested a passport for their secretary, Dr. Ferguson, the historian, to proceed to Yorktown bearing a letter to Congress. Washington sent to Congress a copy of Sir Henry's letter, but did not consider himself at liberty to grant the passport until authorized by them. Without waiting the result, the commissioners forwarded, by the ordinary military post, their letter, accompanied by the "conciliatory acts" and other documents. They were received by Congress on the thirteenth. The letter of the commissioners was addressed "to His Excellency, Henry Laureus, the President & id others, the members of Congress."

In their reply, signed by the president (June 17th), they observed that nothing but an earnest desire to spare further effusion of blood could have induced them to read a paper containing expressions so disrespectful to his most Christian majesty, or to consider propositions so derogatory to the honor of an independent nation; and in conclusion, they expressed a readiness to treat as soon as the king of Great Britain should demonstrate a sincere disposition for peace, either by an explicit acknowledgment of the independence of the states, or by the withdrawal of his fleets and armies. We will not follow the commissioners through their various attempts, overtly and covertly, to forward the object of their mission. We cannot, however, pass unnoticed an intimation conveyed from Governor Johnstone to General Joseph Reed, at this time an influential member of Congress, that effectual services on his part to restore the union of the two coun tries might be rewarded by ten thousand pounds sterling, and any office in the colonies in his majesty's gift. To this Reed made his brief and memorable reply: "I am

not worth purchasing; but such as I am, the king of Great Britain is not rich enough to do it."

The delay of the British to evacuate Philadelphia tasked the sagacity of Washington, but he supposed it to have been caused by the arrival of the commissioners from Great Britain. Early in June, it was evident that a total evacuation of the city was on the point of taking place; and circumstances convinced Washington that the march of the main body would be through the Jerseys. In consequence probably of the suggestions of

Lee, Washington called a general council of war on the seventeenth, to consider what measures to adopt; whether to undertake any enterprise against the enemy in their present circumstances; whether the army should remain in its actual position until the final evacuation had taken place, or move immediately toward the Delaware; whether, should the enemy march through the Jerseys, it would be advisable to attack them while on the way, or to push on directly to the Hudson, and secure that important communication between the eastern and southern states. Lee spoke eloquently on the occasion. He was opposed to an attack of any kind. He would make a bridge of gold for the

enemy.

They were nearly equal in number to the Americans, and far superior in discipline. An attack would endanger the safety of the cause. It was now in a prosperous state, in consequence of the foreign alliance just formed; all ought not to be put at risk at the very moment of making such an alliance. He advised merely to follow the enemy, observe their motions, and prevent them from committing any excesses.

Lee's opinion had still great weight with the army; most of the officers, both foreign and American, concurred with him. Greene, Lafayette, Wayne and Cadwalader thought differently. Washington's heart was with this latter counsel; but seeing such want of unanimity among his generals, he requested their opinions in writing. Before these were given in, word was brought that the enemy had actually evacuated the city. Sir Henry had taken his measure with great secrecy and dispatch. On the first intelligence of this movement, Washington detached General Maxwell with his brigate, to co-operate with General Dickinson and the New Jersey militia in harassing the enemy on their march. Then breaking up his camp at Valley Forge, he pushed forward with his main force in pursuit of the enemy.

As the route of the latter lay along the eastern bank of the Delaware as high as Trenton, Washington was obliged to make a considerable circuit, so as to cross the river higher up at Coryell's Ferry. Heavy rains and sultry summer heat retarded his movements, but the army crossed on June 24th. The British were now at Moorestown and Mount Holly. Thence they might take the road on the left for Brunswick, and so on to Staten island and New York, or the road to the right through Monmouth, by the heights of Middletown to Sandy Hook. Uncertain which they might adopt, Washington detached Colonel Morgan with six hundred picked men to reinforce Maxwell, and hang on their rear, while he himself pushed forward with the main body toward Princeton, cautiously keeping along the mountainous country to the left of the most northern road. The march of Sir Henry was very slow. From his dilatory movements, Washington suspected Sir Henry of a design to draw him down into the level country, and then by a rapid movement on his right, to gain possession of the strong ground above him, and bring him to a general action on disadvantageous terms. He himself was inclined for a general action whenever it could be made on suitable ground; he halted, therefore, at Hopewell, about five miles from Princeton, and held another council of war while his troops were reposing and refreshing themselves.

Sir Henry Clinton, in the meantime, had advanced to Allentown, on his way to Brunswick, to embark on the Raritan. Finding the passage of that river likely to be strongly disputed by the forces under Washington, and others advancing from the North under Gates, he changed his plan, and turned to the right by a road leading through Freehold to Navesink and Sandy Hook, to embark at the latter place. Washington, no longer in doubt as to the route of the enemy's march, detached Wayne with one thousand men to join the advanced corps, which, thus augmented, was upward of four thousand strong. The command of the advance properly belonged to Lee as senior major-general; but it was eagerly solicited by Lafayette, as an attack by it was intended, and Lee was strenuously opposed to everything of the kind. Washington willingly gave his consent, provided General Lee were satisfied with the arrangement.

Lafayette set out on the twenty-fifth to form a junction as soon as possible with the force under General Scott. Scarce, however, had Lee relinquished the command, when he changed his mind. In a note to Washington, he declared that in assenting to the agreement, he had considered the command of the detachment one more fitting a young volunteering general than a veteran like himself. He now viewed it in a different light. Lafayette would be at the head of all the continental parties already in the line, six thousand men at least, a command next to that of the commander-in-chief. Should the detachment march, therefore, he entreated to have the command of it.

Washington was perplexed how to satisfy Lee's punctilious claims without wounding the feelings of Lafayette. A change in the disposition of the enemy's line of march furnished an expedient. This made it necessary for Washington to strengthen his advanced corps, and he took this occasion to detach Lee, with Scott's and Varnum's brigades, to

support the force under Lafayette. As Lee was the senior major-general, this gave him the command of the whole advance. Washington explained the matter in a letter to the marquis, who resigned the command to Lee when the latter joined him on the twentyseventh. That evening the enemy encamped on high ground near Monmouth Courthouse. About sunset, Washington rode forward to the advance, and anxiously reconnoitered Sir Henry's position. It was protected by woods and morasses, and too strong to be attacked with a prospect of success. Should the enemy, however, proceed ten or twelve miles further unmolested, they would gain the heights of Middletown, and be on ground still more difficult. To prevent this, he resolved that an attack should be made

on their rear early in the morning, as soon as their front should be in motion. This plan he communicated to General Lee, in presence of his officers, ordering him to make dispositions for the attack, keeping his troops lying on their arms, ready for action on the shortest notice. Knyphausen with the British vanguard had begun about daybreak to descend into the valley between Monmouth Court-house and Middletown. To give the long train of wagons and pack-horses time to get well on the way, Sir Henry Clinton with his choice troops remained in camp on the heights of Freehold until eight o'clock, when he likewise resumed the line of march toward Middletown.

In the meantime, Lee, on hearing of the early movement of the enemy, had advanced with the brigades of Wayne and Maxwell, to support the light troops engaged in skirmishing. Arriving on the heights of Freehold, and riding forward with General Wayne to an open place to reconnoiter, Lee caught sight of a force under march, but partly hidden from view by intervening woods. Supposing it to be a mere covering party of about two thousand men, he detached Wayne with seven hundred men and two pieces of artillery, to skirmish in its rear and hold it in check, while he, with the rest of his force, taking a shorter road through the woods, would get in front of it, and cut it off from the main body. He at the same time sent a message to Washington, apprising him of this movement and of his certainty of success. Washington, in the meantime, was on his march with the main body, to support the advance, as he had promised. The booming of cannon at a distance indicated that the attack so much desired had commenced, caused him to quicken his march. Arrived near Freehold church, where the road forked, he detached Greene with part of his forces to the right, to flank the enemy in the rear of Monmouth Court-house, while he, with the rest of the column, would press forward by the other road.

and

Washington had alighted while giving these directions, and was standing with his arm thrown over his horse, when a countryman rode up and said the continental troops were retreating. Washington was provoked at what he considered a false aların. The man pointed, as his authority, to an American fifer who just then came up in breathless affright. Springing on his horse, Washington had moved forward but a short distance when he met other fugitives, who concurred in the report. He now sent forward Colonels Fitzgerald and Harrison to learn the truth, while he himself spurred past Freehold meeting-house. Between that edifice and the morass beyond it he met Grayson's and Patton's regiments in most disorderly retreat, jaded with heat and fatigue. Riding up to the officer at their head, Washington demanded whether the whole advanced corps was retreating. The officer believed they were. It seemed incredible. There had been scarce any firing; Washington received no notice of the retreat from Lee. He was still almost inclined to doubt, when the heads of several columns of the advance began to appear. It was too evident; the whole advance was falling back on the main body, and no notice had been given to him. One of the first officers that came up was Colonel Shreve, at the head of his regiment. Washington, greatly surprised and alarmed, asked the meaning of this retreat. The colonel smiled significantly; he did not know; he had retreated by order. There had been no fighting excepting a slight skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, which had been repulsed. A suspicion flashed across Washington's mind of wrongheaded conduct on the part of Lee to mar the plan of attack adopted contrary to his counsels. Ordering Colonel Shreve to march his men over the morass, halt them on the hill beyond and refresh them, he galloped forward to stop the retreat of the rest of the

advance. Arriving at a rising ground, Washington beheld Lee approaching with the
residue of his command in full retreat.

"What is the meaning of all this, sir?" demanded he, as Lee rode up to him.
Lee for a moment was disconcerted, and hesitated in making a reply.

"I desire to know the meaning of this disorder and confusion," was again demanded, still more vehemently.

Lee attempted a hurried explanation. His troops had been thrown into confusion by contradictory intelligence, by disobedience of orders, by the meddling and blundering of individuals, and he had not felt disposed, he said, to beard the whole British army with troops in such a situation.

"I have certain information," rejoined Washington, "that it was merely a strong covering party."

"That may be, but it was stronger than mine, and I did not think proper to run such a risk."

"I am very sorry," replied Washington, "that you undertook the command, unless you meant to fight the enemy."

"I did not think it prudent to bring on a general engagement."

"Whatever your opinion may have been," replied Washington, disdainfully, "I expected my orders would have been obeyed."

This all passed rapidly. The enemy were within a quarter of an hour's march. Washington's appearance had stopped the retreat. The fortunes of the day were to be retrieved, if possible, by instant arrangements. The place was favorable for a stand; it was rising ground, to which the enemy could approach only over a narrow causeway. The rallied troops were hastily formed upon this eminence.

Shortly after this, Washington, having made all his arrangements with great dispatch, but admirable clearness and precision, rode back to Lee, and inquired: "Will you retain the command on this height or not? If you will, I will return to the main body, and Lave it formed on the next height."