All blame for the loss of Ticonderoga was for a time put on St. Clair who explained the matter to Washington and Jay, and quitely asked for a court of inquiry. A very able one was finally granted with Major General Benjamin Lin coln as president. They heard the evidence and in their find ings entirely exonerated St. Clair "Of all and every charge against him with the highest honor." Then the tide turned somewhat in his favor. The people saw that as a direct re sult of his surrender, the English army had sustained the heaviest loss ever known in America, this, after all their preparations and glowing prospects, and that the Colonies were yet intact. St. Clair was warmly congratulated by the leading men of the nation, but the letter from Lafayette was perhaps the most cherished of all. "I cannot tell you," wrote the eminent French General, "how much my heart was inter ested in anything that happened to you and how much I re joiced, not that you were acquitted, but that your conduct was examined." St. Clair has been criticised for surrendering the fort be fore he was attacked. His only alternative was,.to remain as General Greene did shortly before at Fort Washington, and like Greene, needlessly sacrifice his entire army, which, by retreat, might have been saved to the Colonies. Upon several occasions, had Washington not retreated before he was at tacked, his army would have been captured. Indeed, one of his strongest points as a general was his ability to evade a contest and extricate his army, when there could be but one result, if he gave battle.
Let us look further into his reasons for retreating, for the facts brought out by the court of inquiry speak very eloquent ly in favor of St. Clair. Burgoyne's army, when he met St.
Clair, numbered 7,863, while St. Clair had less than 2,200, all of whom were ill fed and but half clad. Burgoyne sur rendered 142 heavy guns, while St. Clair had less than too second rate cannon of various sizes and they were served by inexperienced men. It is scarcely necessary to defend his re treat in this age of general intelligence. The United States Gazette, in speaking of his defense before the court of in quiry said : "His defense on that occasion is still extant and exhibits a sample of profound generalship. While the Eng lish language shall be admired it will continue to be an ex ample of martial eloquence." It is easy now to see the wis dom of St. Clair's retreat, rather than to surrender his entire army, in which case Burgoyne's defeat could not have been brought about.
After this he was with the army at Brandywine and Val ley Forge and was then detailed to organize Pennsylvania and New Jersey troops and send them to the front. When Arnold turned traitor Washington scarcely knew whom to trust, but with implicit confidence, he selected St. Clair to take charge of West Point. He was then selected with Greene, Lafayette, Clinton, Knox, Stark, etc., as a member of the most noted military jury that ever sat in this country to try the unfortunate Major Andre. They were selected be cause of their high character both as soldiers and civilians and because they were educated in the military history of Europe. They reported that Andre should be considered as a spy and should suffer death.