The French General reported himself to Wash ington as commander in chief, and requested orders with a defined plan of operations. His troops were sent as auxiliaries, which, according to military usage, left the post of honour to the Americans. These instructions, so well calculated to preserve the harmony of the allied arms, were given by the King of France at the earnest instance of Lafayette. The natural demand of a sketch of the proposed campaign, exposed Washington to a choice among many difficulties, for it was impossible to decide safely, while his means of action were yet matters of hope and conjecture. The resolution adopted was such as he considered due to the honour of our national engagements. He fixed upon the siege of New York, and designated the 2,5th of August for the movement of the French. This plan was after wards suspended, because its essential basis was the possession of maritime superiority, which was wrested from Admiral de 'Perna}- by the junction of the fleets of Arbuthnot and Graves, and the sub sequent arrival of Sir George Rodney. The French fleet and army were then blockaded in Newport; while Washington was fully employed in anxious struggles against the accumulating embarrassments of the commissariat, which threatened at every mo ment to dissolve his forces.
The remainder of the campaign passed away, without presenting any active enterprize. The Americans retired into winter quarters in the early part of December. The Pennsylvania line occupied a station near Morristown; the Jersey troops lay around Pompton; those from New England were stationed on both sides of the Hudson, at and near \Vest Point; and the New York line continued at Albany for the purpose of resisting any movement from the side of Canada.
The summer of 1780 was marked by the fa mous treaty of armed neutrality, in which Den mark, Sweden and Russia pledged themselves to a combined assertion of certain maritime prin ciples, peculiarly obnoxious and dangerous to Great Britain as a naval belligerent. Holland was about to join the alliance, when a declaration of war by the English ministry compelled her to take part among the declared confederates of the United States.
About the same time, the dangerous machina tions of private treason were added, in America, to the ordinary perils and difficulties of war. Bene dict Arnold, who had won by his courage and for titude a high place in the esteem of the nation, was entrusted with the important command of \Vest Point. Pecuniary distress, produced by thought less prodigality, led a mind but weakly fortified 'by honourable principle, into the crime of peculation; and the imminent danger of discovery next produ ced a traitorous correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton. Major John Andre. an aid-de-camp, to the British commander and adjutant-general of the army, was the instrument employed in this negotia tion, the settled object of which was the surrender of the post and the capture of the American garri son. The plan was almost matured, when Andro,
returning from a personal conference within the American lines, was providentially captured, with all his private notes, by three militiamen, who resist ed his bribes and promises with patriotic firmness. Arnold immediately took refuge on board the Brit ish sloop of war, the Vulture. Ilis unfortunate associate was brought before a court of general offi cers, where his noble conduct deeply excited the commiseration of the American public. The board, while lamenting the stern necessities of ditty, felt themselves compelled to convict him as a spy, and to pronounce the sentence of death prescribed by the usages of war. On no occasion had the com mander-in-chief to contend with equal reluctance, than while resolving to sanction the award of the court of inquiry. The public service left no alter native, and his country overcame all inferior con .
siderations.
The chivalrous generosity of Washington's cha racter was exhibited in a small incident connected these transactions. Mrs Arnold was left by her husband's flight, in the most distressing agonies. Every effort was made to overtake the traitor; but as soon as his escape was ascertained, it was an nounced to the unfortunate lady in a respectful mes sage. It is honourable to the American character, that at this moment of excitement, Mrs Arnold was allowed to proceed to Philadelphia, to collect her husband's property, and to rejoin him in New York, not only without the least interruption or insult, but with all the assistance that her convenience could require.
In the south, after the decisive victory of Camden, Lord Cornwallis directed his views to the conquest of North Carolina; but his plans were frequently retarded and frustrated by the successes of Sumpter, Marion and other distinguished parti sans, and the indomitable courage of the inhabi tants. Gates was removed by Congress from the command, which was then assumed by General Greene, on the special appointment of the com mander-in-chief. The judicious dispositions of the new general were followed by the rout of Tarlton at the spirited and successful battle of the Cowpens. The efforts of Cornwallis to recover the prisoners and to attack the American army in detail, were foiled by Greene's celebrated retreat into Virginia, where being joined by reinforce ments, he found himself strong enough to re-enter North Carolina and to fight the battle of Guilford Court-house. The heavy loss sustained in this action and the scantiness of supplies, compelled Cornwallis to abandon the upper country and finally to retreat to Wilmington on the coast. General Greene, who had hitherto preserved Virginia as the base of his operations, then formed the daring reso lution of carrying the war into South Carolina; upon which, after some hesitation, Cornwallis marched upon Virginia, where the traitor Arnold had already landed and commenced his work of invasion and devastation.