diers and light infantry, for Concord, with the purpose of destroying all military stores collected there. Their coming was anticipated, and some cannon and some stores had been carried away. Six light infantry companies were dispatched to seize two bridges on different roads beyond Concord. They found country people drawn up on a green, with arms and accoutrements. The troops advanced. They were fired upon, and fired again. When the detachment reached Concord, there was a more serious skirmish, with a very considerable body of countrymen. On leaving Concord to return to Boston, they were fired on from behind the walls, ditches, trees, &c., for upwards of eighteen miles; and their entire destruction was only averted by the arrival at Lexington of a reinforcement sent out by general Gage. The British continued to retreat before their resolute opponents. They did not reach their quarters till night had fallen-worn out with fatigue, and with a loss of two or three hundred in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The day after the skirmish the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts dispatched a vessel to England, without freight, for the sole purpose of carrying letters detailing this triumph. Walpole says, "The advice was immediately dispersed, whilst the government remained without any intelligence. Stocks immediately fell." At the same time that the American war was commenced by the affair of Lexington, forty volunteers from Connecticut, with others under Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, had surprised Ticonderoga, a fort on Lake George, and Crown Point, a fort on Lake Champlain. By this bold and successful expedition the invasion of Canada by the American militia would be greatly facilitated.

On the day that Ticonderoga fell into the hands of these American partisans, the General Congress assembled for the second time at Philadelphia.

CHAPTER XLVII.

AT the end of March, 1775, Benjamin Franklin left England, and on the 6th of May he was elected by the Assembly of Pennsylvania one of the deputies to the Continental Congress appointed to meet on the 10th. at Philadelphia. This Congress, composed of deputies from thirteen States, representing various interests, various origins, and various forms of religion, held at first a common agreement only upon one principle,—the determination to resist the claim of the British government to tax the American colonies without their consent. But the mode of resistance, and the probable consequences of resistance, involved great differences of opinion. There were several weeks of indecision; but, gradually, the more timid counsels yielded to the bolder. The local Assemblies were organizing their provincial forces. On the news of the 19th of April, numerous bodies of militia-men were on the march towards Boston, under bold leaders, who left their ordinary occupations to place themselves at

A.D. 1775.

WASHINGTON COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.

611

the head of their neighbours. For a month general Gage, who had exclusive possession of Boston, was blockaded in his stronghold, having only communication by sea. On the 25th of May, reinforcements arrived from England, under the command of generals Burgoyne, Howe, and Clinton; and the force under general Gage now reached ten thousand men. Martial law was proclaimed by the British commander, and a pardon offered to all who would lay down their arms, except John Hancock and Samuel Adams. The Congress at Philadelphia had agreed upon articles of confederation and perpetual union, under the name of "The United Colonies of North America;" with authority to determine on war and peace, and on reconciliation with Great Britain; to raise troops; to appoint all officers civil and military. They had resolved to petition the king; still clinging to hopes of pacification. But, at the same time, they resolved to provide for munitions of war by the issue of a paper-currency, and appointed George Washington Commander-in-chief of the Confederate forces, now to be called the Continental Army. Washington had had no military experience since he was fighting in the British ranks against the French, on the Ohio. For twenty years he had resided upon his estate in Virginia as a plain country gentleman. But by the undeviating exercise of his sound judgment and his rigid integrity, he had acquired a reputation in his own colony which had extended to other States. Washington accepted the trust reposed in him by the Congress, but he would take no pay.

Before the Commander-in-chief arrived at the camp near Boston, the Provincials had shown, as general Gage wrote home, that they were "not the despicable rabble too many have supposed them to be." Boston is built upon a peninsula. Three hills command the town-Bunker's Hill, Breed's Hill, and Dorchester Heights. The British generals had determined to land a force to take possession of the two former acclivities on the 18th of June. This became known to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety. After sunset on the 16th of June, a brigade of a thousand men, under the command of William Prescott, took up their position on Breed's Hill, near Charles Town. The men were armed mostly with fowling-pieces, and carried their powder and ball in horns and pouches. They had an engineer with them, and abundance of intrenching tools. The lines of a redoubt were drawn; and the defences were nearly completed as day dawned. Then the cannon of the Lively sloop commenced a fire upon the earthworks; and a battery was mounted on the Boston side, on a mound called Copp's Hill. The Americans continued to extend their lines, whilst shot and shell were dropping around them. Two thousand soldiers, under the command of major-general Howe, embarked in boats, with fieldartillery, and landed under cover of the shipping on the Charles Town peninsula. Prescott and his band waited for their approach. The Americans had their rear protected by a low stone wall, surmounted with posts and rails. The British halted for some time, expecting additional force, which at length arrived, and, between two and three o'clock, troops under the command of general Pigot, advanced up the hill steadily in line, to attack the redoubt. Prescott had commanded his men not to fire till the British were within eight or ten rods. When he gave the word, the first rank of the British was swept away by the skilful marksmen. The

rear ranks advanced to meet another discharge equally fatal. The whole line staggered, and retreated down the hill. From another point Howe led up his men to attack the fence. They were met by a volley, and fell back in confusion. Their officers rallied those who had retreated; and again the columns advanced upon the redoubt. There was the same carnage as before. Officers had fallen in unusual numbers. It was a terrible scene. The town below Breed's Hill was furiously burning. The hill was covered with the dead, "as thick as sheep in a fold." The colonists were ready to meet a third attack, when it was discovered that their ammunition was nearly spent. Cannon were brought up so as to rake the breastwork of the redoubt, against which all the available force was concentrated. The fire from the breastwork gradually ceased. The redoubt was scaled, and the Americans gave way, some retiring in order, but most escaping as they best might. There was little pursuit. The British lost above a thousand killed and wounded, of whom more than eighty were officers. The American loss was represented as less than

half that of the royal forces. Within a week after the arrival of Washington at the camp, he had employed all his energies to place his troops in a position of security. The British were now entrenching on Bunker's Hill, where the bulk of their army, commanded by general Howe, were encamped. Under great difficulties, arising from "a want of engineers to construct proper works and direct the men, a want of tools, and a sufficient number of men to man the works in case of attack," Washington was enabled to continue the blockade of Boston through the autumn and winter.

Parliament met on the 26th of October. The terms of the royal Speech showed that conciliation was to be cast to the winds, and his majesty did not hesitate to inform his Parliament that he had condescended to implore the aid of other countries in putting an end to this "rebellious war." As might be expected, the parliamentary majorities in support of the views of the Court were very large. The duke of Grafton voted with the minority, and then resigned his office of Privy Seal, to which Lord Dartmouth succeeded. Lord George Germaine (Sackville) became Secretary of State. General Gage had been previously called home, and the chief command left with general Howe.

On the 8th of July, the Congress assembled at Philadelphia had confided to Richard Penn, governor of Pennsylvania, a petition to the king, to be presented on his arrival in England. This document, denominated the Olive Branch, was delivered to lord Dartmouth on the 1st of September, and in three days, Penn and his companion, Arthur Lee, were informed by letter that no answer would be given to it. This contemptuous rejection of the humble petition of Congress went upon the ground that the body petitioning had no legal existence. The Americans from the time of that rejection of their last humble effort at pacification held that to British councils, and not to American, all the bloodshed and guilt of the war were to be ascribed. In an examination of Mr. Penn before the House of Lords, he averred that the general feeling in America was not for independence, but simply "for the defence of their liberties." Mr. Penn's opinions on this subject have been confirmed by those held by Washington,

A.D. 1775.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

613

Madison, Franklin, and Jefferson, before the commencement of hostilities. A motion that the petition of Congress afforded grounds for conciliation was rejected by an overwhelming majority. The government carried its measures with a high hand. Chatham was again incapable through sickness of taking part in the debates of this solemn period; but he emphatically manifested the consistency of his opinions by withdrawing his eldest son, lord Pitt, from his post of aide-de-camp to general Carleton, the commander in Canada.

Lord Pitt had brought home news that the Congress had sanctioned an invasion of Canada, under the command of general Montgomery. Ethan Allen was marching to attack Montreal when he fell in with the British troops; was made prisoner; and was sent to England. Benedict Arnold had received a detachment of a thousand men from Washington's army in Massachusetts, and, having surmounted great difficulties in penetrating through a country of woods and rocks, he appeared suddenly before Quebec. Arnold was repulsed by colonel Maclean, who came in time to save the capital of Canada. But Montgomery was approaching with a larger force. Carleton, with energetic resolution, set off from Montreal disguised as a fisherman; and, passing in a whale-boat through the American flotilla on the St. Lawrence, got into Quebec, and took the command. On the 31st of December the united forces of Montgomery and Arnold climbed the heights of Abraham, and attacked the city. They were met by a formidable resistance. Montgomery was killed, and Arnold severely wounded. But the Americans blockaded Quebec throughout the winter. Meanwhile the British army, in camp round Boston, was suffering great privations and miseries. The small-pox had broken out among the troops. The want of fresh provisions and of fuel made sickness and cold more fatal. In March, Washington had taken possession of Dorchester Heights, and, on the 17th, the British army evacuated Boston. General Howe sailed for Halifax to wait for reinforcements. Washington and his army marched for New York.

On the 20th of February, 1776, lord North presented copies of treaties between Great Britain and the duke of Brunswick, the landgrave of Hesse Cassel, and the count of Hanau, for the hire of troops. The petty German princes had made a hard bargain with the English government. The measure was supported by a majority of a hundred and fifty-four.

At the beginning of 1776, the Americans had been defeated by general Carleton, and had retired from Quebec. In other engagements they had been equally unsuccessful; and Canada, in the summer of that year, was in the unmolested possession of the king's troops. In June, general Howe had left Halifax, and had landed his forces on Staten Island. In July, admiral lord Howe arrived with reinforcements from England. The two brothers were authorised, as Commissioners, to receive the submission of insurgent colonists, to grant pardons, and inquire into grievances. In the meantime the Congress at Philadelphia had taken a decisive resolution. The delegates from Virginia had been instructed to propose that the Colonies should declare themselves independent of Great Britain. The proposal was submitted to the Congress at the beginning of June, and was debated for some days with slight prospect of unanimity. Nevertheless,

a committee of five was appointed to prepare a manifesto embodying this principle. Jefferson was selected to make the draught of a Declaration of Independence. This was discussed during sittings of three days; and it was finally agreed to by the members present of the twelve States, with the exception of one. The delegates from New York were subsequently empowered to give their assent. The document set forth a long catalogue of "injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny," and declared that "these united Colonies" were therefore "free and independent states," "absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown." The opening paragraphs of this Declaration were very remarkable as an exposition of doctrines based upon the "Social Contract" of Rousseau, and reflecting the popular philosophy then prevalent in the Parisian salons.

The first measures of lord Howe, upon his arrival off New York, were of a conciliatory nature, but his attempts at negotiation with Washington were unsuccessful, as was also a conference he held with some members of Congress in September. A large division of the British troops, on the 22nd of August, landed on Long Island. A portion of Washington's army was stationed near Brooklyn, a small town at the western angle of the island. Washington, with the greater number of his troops, remained in New York. The Americans were under the command of general Putnam; the British, and their Hessian auxiliaries, were under sir William Howe. On the 27th, was fought the battle of Brooklyn, in which the Americans were defeated with great loss, and were driven back to their iines. Washington then determined to make no farther attempt to hold Long Island; and with consummate prudence and ability, favoured by a dense fog, embarked his troops in boats, and landed them with the military stores and artillery in safety at New York. Lord Cornwallis, who had sailed from Cork in February, with seven regiments of infantry, was in the action of Brooklyn. Two of the American generals, Sullivan and Stirling, were taken prisoners. On the 15th of September, Washington evacuated New York. When the British entered the town, they were received by a large number of the inhabitants as deliverers from the plunder and oppression of the troops of the Congress. There was a serious skirmish between the two armies on the 28th of October; but Howe was deterred from following up the retiring enemy by the apparent strength of their lines. In reality Washington's army was so disorganised and weakened by desertions that a vigorous attack might have annihilated his remnant of effective men. Fort Washington and Fort Lee, each situated on the bank of the Hudson, were captured by the British in the middle of November. They followed up their success by overrunning Jersey. Washington continued to retreat before Cornwallis. Lee, the general who had been directed to join him, was taken prisoner, through his own imprudence in lodging out of his camp. The British generals now thought they had done enough for one campaign, and Howe directed that the men should go into winter cantonments, considering the troops in perfect security. Washington had about five thousand men. On the evening of Christmas-day he embarked about half his forces on the Delaware; and continuing his passage through the night, impeded by floating ice, and