Both sides, therefore, prepared to terminate their disputes by arms ; and hostilities began as soon as the English troops were collected at their appointed stations. The character of the forces which were now about to engage was very different. The British were numerous, regularly disciplined, and accustomed to military opera tions ; while the Americans were inferior in numbers. and inexperienced, newly imbodied, and not well pro vided with artillery and ammunition. Washington marked the condition of his army with very great con cern. It amounted to no more than 18,000 effective men ; while that of the English was nearly 25,000, strong. As the American government had no established re venue, and as the sources of their commerce were com pletely dried up, the difficulties which the general had to encounter were such as no human ability and perse verance could easily surmount. " These things," said he in a letter to the Congress, "are melancholy, but they are nevertheless true. I hope for better. Under every disadvantage, my utmost exertions shall be employed to bring about the great end we have in view ; and so far as I can judge from the professions and apparent dis position of my troops, I shall have their support. The superiority of the enemy, and the expected attack, do not seem to have depressed their spirits. These con siderations le-id me to think, that though the appeal to arms may not terminate so happily as I could wish, yet the enemy will not succeed in their views without con siderable loss. Any advantage they may gain, I trust will cost them dear." Notwithstanding the difficulties which Washington had to encounter, he maintained his positions, and availed himself of every circumstance which might en courage his troops or improve their discipline. He ani mated them by his exhortations and eKnmple ; he told them that the day was approaching which would decide whether the American people were to be freemen or slaves ; and he informed them, that the happiness of my rinds, yet unborn, cho pended on their courage and conduct. Ile promised rewards to those who should distinguish themselves by acts of extraordinary bra very, and threatened such as were doubtful or with the utmost severity of punishment, if they should desert the cause in which they were engaged. The time was at hand when the effect of these exhortations was to be ascertained. In the month of August, A. D. 1776, the English made a descent upon Long Island, with forty pieces of cannon, and under cover of their ships. On a peninsula, formed by the East River and Cowan's Cove, and constituting part of the same island, lay Putnam, the American general, strongly fortified, and waiting the approach of the king's troops. Between the al noes there was a range of hills, the principal pass through which was near a place called Flat Bush. At this place, the Hessians, the centre of the Roy alists, took their suaien. The left wing, under the or ders of general Grant, was close upon the shore, and the right commanded by general Clinton, earl Percy, and lord Cornwallis, and comprehending the chief strength of the British forces, approached the opposite coast of Flat Land. Putnam had directed that all the passes should be secured by strong detachments of the provin cial troops. The orders to this purpose, though not dis obeyed, were not complied with to the extent which that general required ; and one road through the hills, of the utmost importance, was entirely neglected : an oversight which was speedily communicated to the British, and which they were too wise not to improve to their ad vantage. On the evening of the 26th, general Clinton drew off the right wing of the English army, in order to gain the heights. Nearly about day-break, he reached the pass undiscovered by the enemy, and immediately took possession of it. The detachment under lord Percy followed ; and when the day appeared, the royalists advanced into the level country between the hills and Brooklyn, a village situated on the peninsula, where the Americans were encamped. Without loss of time, Clinton fell upon the rear of the provincials, and the Hessians attacking them in front at the same instant, neither valour nor skill could save them from a defeat. Inspirited, however, by their generals, and the presence of Washington, they continued the engagement for a while, and fought with all the bravery of men, whom the love of freedom animates to deeds of heroism ; but pres sed by superior numbers, and thrown into confusion, ihey gave way on every side, and fled with the utmost precipitation to the woods. Nor was this the only part of the army which suffered ; the right wing, engaged with general Grant, experienced a similar fate. And in one fatal day, the Americans lost 4000 of their best troops, and, what was of more value to them, their onfidence of success : a confidence which till now had supported them amidst all their sufferings, and had es tablished in their minds a resolution of parting with their libel ty only with their lives. In this engagement the British fought with extraordinary valour, and their antagonists, though less experienced in the art of war, were equally distinguished by the steadiness of their conduct. Of a regiment consisting of young gentlemen from Maryland, the greater part was cut in pieces, and not one of those who survived had escaped without a wound, .After the defeat at Brooklyn, and the evacuation of Long Island by the Abel leans, proposals for an accom modation were made by lord Howe. But as his lordship was not authorised to treat with the congress as a legal assembly, he invited such of its members as were desir ous of peace to a private conference. To this invitation the congress replied, that as they were the representa tives of the free and independent states of America, it was not possible for them to send any of their number, to confer with the English commanders in their indivi dual capacity ; but that, as it was exceedingly to be wish ed, that an accommodation should take place, on rea sonable terms, they would direct a committee to receive the proposals of the British government. Accordingly they nominated for this purpose, the celebrated Dr Franklin, Mr J. Adams, [tild Mr Rutledge, all zealous and faithful in the cause of liberty. But notwithstand ing the disposition of lord Howe, which was certainly towards peace, and the late misfortunes of the provin cial troops, the conference was altogether ineffectual: his lordship would not acknowledge the deputies as the commissioners of a free people ; and the deputies would not treat with him on any other condition. It was re
solved, therefore, on both sides, to prosecute the war with all their vigour and their utmost resources.
The provincial army under the orders of Washing ton, was now stationed in the vicinity of New York. They had erected many batteries near the place, and from these they kept up an incessant fire upon the Bri tish ships. Between the armies lay the East River, which the royalists, for some days, had manifested a de sire to cross. Accordingly, after the fleet had silenced the American batteries, they landed on the opposite shore, at Kipp's Bay, nearly three miles distant from New Yolk ; and marching rapidly towards the city, they forced the enemy to abandon their works, and to retreat with the utmost precipitation. Leaving the town itself, and their baggage, provisions, and military stores, in possession of the British, the Americans withdrew to the northern part of the island, where the chief strength of their forces was collected. Here Washington deter mined to wait the approach of the king's troops; and in the mean time, he used every method in his power to restore the courage of his soldiers, and elevate their fallen hopes. He had long ago formed that plan of ope rations which is usually successful against an invading army ; though with the intention of deviating from it as circumstances might require. It was his design at pre sent not to risk a general engagement, but to harass the English by continual skirmishes, by cutting off their supplies, and exhausting their patience. The object of the British general was exactly the contrary of this; his safety, as well as his success, lay in bringing the Americans speedily to action, and in terminating the war, if possible, by a single blow. The fortune of the royalists was now predominant. In almost every attack the superiority of regular discipline had been shown. Washington had been forced to quit his strong position at Kingsbridgc, in New York Island, and had saved his army by retiring towards the main land of Connecticut. He was followed by the English general as soon as the troops could be landed, and the proper reinforcements had arrived.
After some ineffectual skirmishing, both armies met at a place called the White Plains; the royalists began the assault, and made such an impression on the Ameri can lines, that Washington was compelled again to re treat. He withdrew in good order, and occupied an ad vantageous post at a considerable distance front that which he had just abandoned. But sir William Howe, finding himself unable to bring on a general action, re linquished the pursuit, and employed his troops during the rest of the campaign, in reducang- and taking posses sion of the forts which the enemy still retained in the vicinity of New York. In this he succeeded to his ut most wish ; the Jerseys were laid open to the incursions of the British forces, and if the Americans had not seized the boats, and removed them to a distance, Phi ladelphia itself must have fallen into the hands of the royal army.
In other parts of the continent, the success of the British was equally great. Sir Henry Clinton took pos session of Rhode Island without losing a man. The American fleet under commodore Hopkins, was obliged to remain in the river Providence, entirely useless. In Canada, general Burgoyne, who had already distinguish ed himself against the provincials, and forced them to retreat across Lake Champlain to Crown Point, ordered a number of ships to be built ; and, attacking those of the republicans, commanded by Arnold, defeated them with great slaughter ; compelling them to run their vessels ashore, and to set them on fire. The conse quence of this disaster was, that the garrison of Crown Point, having destroyed or carried off their provisions and military stores, retired to Ticonderoga.
In the midst of these calamitous events, the spirit of Washington remained unbroken. Though his soldiers had deserted him in great numbers, and though Lee, one of the ablest of the provincial generals, had been taken prisoner, lie never despaired of success. He had frequently written to the congress, and represented to that body, the condition of his army. It was originally composed of a loose militia, and of volunteers from the different provinces, once full of patriotism, and eager to engage; but now, dispirited by misfortune, and ready to abandon their general on the first appearance of the king's troops. In addition to this, the time, during which the militia were bound to serve, had almost expired. The congress, therefore, determined to recruit the ar my, by offering a bounty in land to all those who would enrol their names, and pledge themselves to continue in the field during the remainder of the war. Their efforts were nobly seconded by the zeal and activity of the COM mander in chief. He kept his troops constantly em ployed; and being successful in many of the skirmishes in which they were engaged, and reinforced by num bers of their countrymen, the soldiers began to resume their wonted courage, and to be animated with better hopes. When the English approached Philadelphia, the American general had thrown himsc If into that city, and strengthened it by every method in his power. The royal army now lay in cantonments at some distance from the place ; they occupied a great extent of coun try, and one of the divisions, consisting of the Hessians in the king's service, was stationed at Trenton, about thirty miles from the American capital. This division Washington resolved to attack, and, if possible, to sur prise. Accordingly, he put himself at the head of a body of his troops; and marching all night, and with the utmost expedition which the roads would allow, he fell upon the enemy, who had not the slightest intelli gence of his approach, and routed them with great slaughter. Colonel Rawle, who commanded the royalists in that quarter, did every thing which could be expect ed from an officer at once brave and accustomed to mili tary operations; but the attack w as sudden and impetti. °us, and directed by Washington himself; the Hessians gate way un all sides ; their artillery was seized, and 1000 of their best troops remained prisoners of war.