CHAP. CHAPTER XXV. THE CONTEST FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER. SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER, 1777. SOME of the Pennsylvanians would have had Washington shut himself up in Philadelphia. Ex1777. cept that it was the city in which congress had Sept. declared American independence, its possession was of no importance, for above it the rivers were not navigable, and it did not intercept the communication between the north and the south. The approach to it by water was still obstructed by a double set of machines called chevaux-de-frise, extending across the channel of the Delaware: one, seven miles from Philadelphia, just below the mouth of the Schuylkill, and protected by Fort Mercer at Red-bank on the New Jersey shore and Fort Mifflin on Mud island; the other, five miles still nearer the bay, and overlooked by works at Billingsport. At Philadelphia the river was commanded by an American flotilla composed of one frigate, smaller vessels, galleys, floating batteries, and other craft. On XXV. 1777. Sept. Oct. the twenty-seventh of September they approached CHAP. the city to annoy the working parties; on the ebb of the tide the frigate grounded, and its commander, fearing a fire from land, hastily surrendered. This disaster enabled the British to open communication with the Jersey shore. On the second of October a detachment was put across the Delaware from Chester by the boats of one of their frigates; the garrison at Billingsport, spiking their guns, fled, leaving the lower line of obstructions to be removed without molestation. Faint-heartedness spread along the river; the militia who were to have defended Red-bank disappeared, those of New Jersey held back; from the water-craft and even from the forts there were frequent desertions both of officers and privates. Washington must act, or despondency will prevail. The village of Germantown formed for two miles one continuous street. At its centre it was crossed at right angles by Howe's encampment, which extended on the right to a wood, and was guarded on its extreme left by Hessian yagers at the Schuylkill. The first battalion of light infantry and the Queen's American rangers were advanced in front of the right wing; the second battalion supported the furthest pickets of the left at Mount Airy, about two miles from the camp; and at the head of the village, in an open field near a large stone house known as that of Chew, the fortieth regiment under the veteran Musgrave pitched its tents. Information of the intended attack reached Howe, but he received it with incredulity. About noon on the third, Washington, at Matu XXV. CHAP. chen Hills, announced to his army his purpose to move upon Germantown. He spoke to them 1777. of the successes of the northern army, and ex Oct. plained "that Howe, who lay at a distance of several miles from Cornwallis, had further weakened himself by sending two battalions to Billingsport. If they would be brave and patient, he might on the next day lead them to victory." Thus he inspired them with his own hopeful courage. A defeat of the insulated British army must have been its ruin. His plan was to direct the chief attack upon its right, to which the approach was easy; and for that purpose, to Greene, in whom of all his generals he most confided, he gave the command of his left wing, composed of the divis ions of Greene and of Stephen and flanked by Macdougall's brigade. These formed about two thirds of all his effective force.1 The divisions of Sullivan and Wayne, flanked by Conway's brigade and followed by Washington, with the brigades of Nash and Maxwell, under Lord Stirling, as the reserve, assumed the more difficult task of engaging the British left. To distract attention, the Maryland and New Jersey militia were to make a circuit and come upon the rear of the British right, while on the opposite side Armstrong, with the Pennsylvania militia, was to deal heavy blows on the Hessian yagers. The different columns received orders to conduct their march of about fourteen miles so as to arrive near the enemy in time to rest, and to 1 "Two thirds of the army at least." Sullivan to Weare. "Two thirds." Wayne to his wife. XXV. 1777. begin the attack on all quarters at daybreak. Ac- CHAP. cordingly, the right wing, after marching all night, halted two miles in front of the British outpost, Oct and took refreshment. Then, screened by a fog and marching in silence, the advance party surprised the British picket. The battalion of light infantry offered a gallant resistance; but when Wayne's men, whom Sullivan's division closely fol lowed, rushed on with the terrible cry: "Have at the blood-hounds! Revenge! revenge!" the bugle sounded a retreat. The cannon woke Cornwallis in Philadelphia, who instantly ordered his British grenadiers and Hessians to the scene of action; Howe, in like manner startled from his bed, rode up just in time to see the battalion running away. "For shame, light infantry!" he cried in 66 anger; never saw you retreat before. Form! form! it is only a scouting party." But the cutting grape-shot from three of the American cannon rattling about him showed the seriousness of the attack, and he rode off at full speed to prepare his camp for battle; while Musgrave, detaching a part of his regiment to support the fugitives, threw himself with six companies into Chew's house, and barricaded its lower windows and doors. Greene should by this time have engaged the British right; but nothing was heard from any part of his wing. In consequence, as the divisions of Sullivan and Wayne approached Chew's house together, Sullivan directed Wayne to pass to the left of it, while he advanced on its right. In this manner they were separated. The advance was slow, for it was made, not in column, but in line, XXV. 1777. CHAP. While the troops kept up an incessant fire at every house and hedge where the pursuit was checked. Oct. Washington, with Maxwell's part of the reserve, summoned Musgrave to surrender; but the officer who carried the white flag was fired upon and killed; the brave Chevalier Duplessis Mauduit, who, with John Laurens of South Carolina, forced and mounted the window on the ground-floor to set the house on fire, was not supported by men with combustibles, and, incredible as it may seem, the two gallant and adventurous youths retired slowly and safely under a fire from both stories of the house. The cannon was too light to breach the walls. Driven forward by his own anxiety1 and the zeal of the young officers of his staff, Washington left a single regiment to watch the house, and with the rest of the reserve advanced to the front of the battle and remained there to the last.4 3 And where was Greene ? From some cause 5 which he never explained, he reached the British outpost three quarters of an hour later than the troops with Washington; then, at a very great distance from the force which he was to have attacked, he formed his whole wing, and thus in line of battle attempted to advance two miles or more through marshes, thickets, and strong and |