1777.]

BURGOYNE'S SURRENDER.

215

fronted with a strong force ready to dispute his passage across the river.

The British army, now almost completely surrounded by a superior force, had provisions sufficient for only three days. Burgoyne at first proposed to make a rapid retreat in the night up the Hudson, and then cross it at Fort Edward. But finding the ford there strongly guarded, this plan was abandoned as hopeless, and after a short negotiation, he agreed to a surrender. The conditions were, that his troops should not serve again during the war, and were not to be detained in captivity.

Gates's army consisted of nine thousand and ninetythree continental troops, and four thousand one hundred and twenty-nine militia. The sick exceeded two thousand men. The whole number surrendered was five thousand seven hundred and fifty-two. This army, when it left Saratoga, was estimated to number nine thousand men.

This event excited the liveliest pride and joy throughout America, and many regarded it as decisive of the contest. The thanks of Congress and a medal of gold were voted to Gates.

After General Washington heard of the capture of Burgoyne, he despatched Colonel Hamilton with orders to Gates to send him all the force that he could spare; but he found that a large part of the Northern army had joined General Putnam near New York, and that Gates had retained four brigades at Albany, to continue there until he undertook an expedition against Ticonderoga. Hamilton proceeded to Albany, to remonstrate against retaining so large a division of the army where it was not immediately wanted. He with some difficulty obtained two of the brigades, and finally a third; but

216 WINTER QUARTERS AT VALLEY FORGE. [CHAP. III. these reinforcements did not arrive on the Delaware until Philadelphia had fallen.

Meanwhile Howe meditated an attack on Washington for the purpose of driving him from his present position to the west of the mountains. With this view, Howe marched out of Philadelphia on the fourth of December, and finally took post about a mile from the American left. A partial action ensued; but the day was spent in the manoeuvres by which each party sought to obtain some advantage. The next day the enemy filed off and retreated to Philadelphia. This was the first occasion in which the Americans were not inferior in numbers. The British had twelve thousand men. The Americans had twelve thousand one hundred and sixty-one. With this equality of numbers, neither could leave the advantageous position it occupied to attack its adversary. This fact showed how much the American troops had been improved by discipline and experience, when General Howe, with equal numbers, far better appointed, was unwilling to venture on an engagement, unless he had the advantage of position.

A commanding situation at Valley Forge was selected for Washington's winter quarters; and there huts were built to supply the place of tents. It was soon found that the army was without provisions. The Commissary department had never been well served for want of men of experience; and Congress increased the evil, by taking from the head of the department the power of appointing and removing its subordinate officers, choosing to exercise that power itself. Thus restricted, the Commissarygeneral refused to continue in office. The mischiefs of this system were strongly and clearly pointed out to Congress by the Commander-in-chief. In this state of things, he ordered provisions to be seized, receipts, how

1777.]

COMPLAINTS AGAINST WASHINGTON.

217

ever being given for them; and by their forcible impressment the army for some time obtained subsistence. This was well calculated to increase the disaffection of the surrounding country, already very great, by its contrast with the British, who paid for their supplies with gold. The power given to the General to obtain supplies in this summary and violent mode was exercised by him with great forbearance. But while it was deeply felt and resented by most of those on whom it acted, others accused him of undue lenity, with that inconsistency of reproach which the unsuccessful are sure to encounter; and he was urged by Congress to execute his powers for this object with greater strictness. Against this course he strongly remonstrated, apparently, however, without effect.

But of all the adverse circumstances which then assailed the Commander-in-chief, the most serious was that he was threatened with a loss of some of that public favor and confidence which had hitherto constituted his pride as well as his strength. His achievements at Trenton and Princeton seemed to be already forgotten in his recent defeats at Brandywine and Germantown. The dissatisfaction was the greater from the glory which Gates had lately acquired in the North, where, it was said, he had given so signal a proof of his military talents; and Washington had failed not only in the field, but in defending Philadelphia and Fort Mifflin. Some began to think that Gates was better qualified to be the Commander-inchief. It was impossible that such large powers as had been intrusted to General Washington should be so exercised, as not, sometimes, to create disappointment, and a sense of ill treatment; and all who held such sentiments would readily lend themselves to repeat and swell the first note of censure they heard.

218

CONWAY'S CAbal.

[CHAP. III. Gates gave indications that these sentiments were not unknown or unwelcome to him. He had violated military propriety, in not communicating to the Commanderin-chief the capture of Burgoyne. He had also carried on a correspondence with General Conway, born, like himself, in the mother country, when Conway expressed decided contempt for Washington; and on Gates being charged with the receipt of such a letter, he had demanded the name of the informer in no very friendly terms, and made the inquiry through Congress. General Washington replied to this letter with moderation, firmness, and dignity. It seems that a small party, composed of a few members of Congress, General Conway and General Gates, with some citizens of Philadelphia, had formed a cabal to undermine Washington, and to advance Gates. Among other unworthy acts they had written anonymous letters to injure Washington's reputation. Two of these letters, sent to Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia, and Governor Laurens, of South Carolina, were transmitted to him by those gentlemen, indignant at the attempts of the authors.

When these facts were known, it was found that the confidence of the people, of the army, even of that portion of it which was commanded by Gates, was unshaken, and the authors either screened themselves from public condemnation by concealment, or made reparation for their error.1 Candid men saw that if Washington had not been successful in the field, he had always fought at a disadvantage, with raw troops, at once inexperienced, ill armed, and sometimes inferior to the enemy in numbers: that he pointed out the evils he labored under, and

Gates wrote a letter of disclaimer - Conway one of contrition, and asking forgiveness-Mifflin, too, seemed at last to have made atone

ment.

1778.]

COMPLAINT BY GENERAL BURGOYNE.

219

the remedy: that the benefit of his advice was perceived as soon as it was followed: that if he had not, with such insufficient means, been able to obtain victory, he had done the next best thing, prevented defeat when the danger was most imminent: and that, by reason of his judicious and untiring efforts, he had finally made the troops of his country a match for the well-appointed army of European veterans.

During the extreme suffering of the army for want of supplies, Washington wrote to Congress: "I am now convinced, beyond doubt, that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place in that line, this army must be reduced to one or other of three things, to starve, dissolve, or disperse in order to obtain subsistence." The distress for clothes was very great. In the return made on the twenty-fifth of December, two thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight men were reported unfit for duty because they were barefoot. The want of blankets was equally great. The whole army then was eight thousand two hundred fit for service.

In consequence of the forcible representation of the Commander-in-chief, Congress sent a deputation of their own to repair to the army, and to report its condition to Congress.

By the convention at Saratoga the troops under General Burgoyne were to embark for England at Boston, and it being very difficult in the winter season for a sufficient number of vessels to reach that port, General Burgoyne applied to have that article of the convention changed; but on a reference to Congress, they were unwilling thus gratuitously to hasten the return of the British troops, and they refused to make any change in the articles of the convention.

As it was stipulated that the troops were not to serve