WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON
to teach them how to organize and supply their
armies. The expetlitiou against Canada was sent
out and failed, and he continued the siege of
Boston, being twice voted down by his officei"s
when lie proposed a boat attack on the town. On
March 4, under cover of a heavy bombardment
to distract the enemy's attention, he marched a
large body of troops to Dorchester Heights, aiiil
Gen. Rufus Putnam began to throw up redoubts;
and on March 17, 1776, the British evacuat« I
Boston. Washington now proceeded throu.u'n
Rhode Island and Connecticut, and on April 1;
readied New York, where he built forts, drills I
and recruited soldiers, and gave much attention
to the Canada campaign. He went to Philadel-
j>liia to visit congress, and on his return a con-
spiracy, devised by Tryon, leader of the Tories,
to assassinate the commander-in-cliief, was dis-
covered; the mayor of the city, David Matthews,
and other conspirators were thrown into prison,
and the principal actor in the plot, Thomas Hick-
ey,was hanged. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of
Independence was adopted, and on Juh' 12 Lord
Howe arrived with more troops and endeavored
to open correspondence with Washington, but
Colonel Reed, in behalf of the general, refused to
receive letters addressed to " Mr. Washington "
and to " George Washington, Esq., etc., etc.,"
as a result of which Howe wrote to England that
it would be well to give Mr. Washington his
proper title. On August 23, the British began to
land on Long Island, where Greene had drawn a
strong line of redoubts behind Brooklyn, to de-
fend the heights commanding New York. Greene's
sudden illness caused confusion in the camps,
and on August 26, the British with 9000 men, at-
tacked the American left flank, killing and cap-
turing about 2000 men out of a total of 5000.
Washington, hemmed in at Brooklyn, determined
on a retreat, obtained boats, and on the 29th, dur-
ing the night, transported his entire army of
CtOOO men across the river to Harlem. Tiie British
fleet moved up the river and opened fire, and
landed troops at Kip's Bay on Sept. 15, 1776, in-
tending to surround the American army; routed
the militia at that point, and it was only through
the coolness and dispatch of Washington that the
army was saved. He now retreated to White
Plains, and on Sept. 28, 1776, was attacked by
Lord Howe, who after a sliort action sent for
reinforcements and waited two days, allowing
Washington, in the meanwhile, to withdraw to a
line of hills. Howe, seeing the folly of an attack,
withdrew to Dobbs Ferry, and directed his at-
tention to Forts I^ee and Wasliington, on the Hud-
son. An attempt was made by General Greene
to hold these forts, but Vxjth were lost, and 2600
men and all the munitions of war fell into the
British hands. W^ashington now began his re-
treat through New Jersey, closely pursued by
Lord Cornwallis, and reached Princeton, Dec. 2,
1776, witii 3000 men, all that remained of his
army. Cornwallis, however, sure of success,
neglected to make a forced march, and when his
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army reached the Delaware Washington had
crossed, and all the boats were destroyed for
.seventy miles up and down the stream. During
the winter of 1776-77 the American army was in
a precarious condition: Lee had been captured
by the British; the Jersej^ militia refused to turn
out; Philadelphia was threatened; Newport was
captured; congress had fled from Philadelphia,
and Washington was left unsupported with his
3000 ragged men, and the British close at his
heels. In the middle of December, Howe, feel-
ing satisfied that the American army would soon
dissolve, withdrew to New York, and Washing-
immediately took the offensive. On December 1 4,
he crossed the Delaware, and marched nine miles
to Trenton in a fierce storm of sleet, that spoiled
their ammunition. In broad daylight he made a
bayonet charge on the town, and captured 1000
Hessians under Colonel Rahl, after which he re-
crossed the Delaware. Congress, now aroused, in-
vested Washington with greater powers of com-
mand, and Cornwallis, alarmed and dismayed,
started from New York with 7000 troops, and
pursued Washington to Princeton. When they
reached the Assunpink river, Washington crossed
first, and after a repulse on the bridge, Cornwallis
waited till the next morning before attacking,
but Washington, leaving his camp fires burning,
retreated during the night, marcheil on Prince-
ton, and defeated three regiments of the British
stationed there, after which he withdrew to the
higli lands to rest and recruit. Encouraged by the
successes at Trenton and Princeton, the farmers
of New Jersey rose and attacked the British in
all directions, .shutting them up in the immediate
vicinity of New York. Washington occupying a
strong position at ^lorristown. and planning to
hold the enemy in check and delay operations
