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he was again assigned to command a di- vision of the army, whose duty was to punish the savages, who had destroyed our settlements at Wyoming, etc., and butchered many of our frontier inhabit- ants. Gen. Sullivan was successful in this campaign, and retaliated upon the enemy to that extent as to prevent sub- sequent depredations in that region. Up- on his return from this expedition, he and his army received the thanks of Con- gress. At the end of this year he resign- ed his commission, and retired from mil- itary service, assigning, among other reasons, that his health was impaired. Here was the termination of his military life.
In forming a just estimate of his mer- its and success as a military commander, we are to weigh the circumstances that surrounded him, the many difficulties with which he had to contend, arising out of the poverty of the whole country, the want of men and adequate supplies of food and munitions of war, and a good sanitary department, united with the lack of good discipline in his troops, the prevalence of fatal camp disease, and his own inexperience in warfare, at the first, and the wonder is, that he was able to accomplish so much towards establish- ing a good reputation for himself and his country. Washington knew men well, and formed an accurate judgment of the abilities of those around him. At an early stage of the war he wrote to John Hancock, giving his opinion of Sullivan. He remarked, " That he was active, and zealously attached to the American cause. He has his wants and foibles. The latter are manifested in his little tincture of vanity, and in an over desire to be popu- lar. His wants are common to us all. His military inexperience is greatly over- balanced by sound judgment, and an ac- quaintance with men and books, accom- panied by an enterprising genius, which I must do the justice to him, in saying, I think he possesses."
Sullivan, on his part, adhered to the fortunes of Washington, when Conway and others undertook to support him as Commander-in-Chief. Again, at that critical time during the siege of Boston, when, in October and November, 1775.
��SERVICES OF GEN. SULLIVAN.
the terms of enlistment of the American army generally expired, and it was nec- essary to renew the enlistments or sup- ply the places of the experienced sol- diers by new men, Sullivan's energy and influence were acknowledged by Wash- ington in persuading the men belonging to this State to re-enlist. Also in pro- curing more regiments to take the place of Connecticut men who then went home. Sullivan then wrote to the New Hamp- shire Committee of Safety, "'I hope the eager speed with which the New Hamp- shire forces will march to take possess- ion of, and defend our lines will evince to the world their love of liberty and regard to their country. I must entreat you not to give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, till the troops are on their march." On the 18th of December, Gen. Greene wrote: "The Connecticut troops have gone home, the militia from this Province (Massachusetts), and New Hampshire, have come in to take their places. Upon this occasion they have discovered a zeal that does them the high- est honor. New Hampshire behaves no- bly." [Vide Frothingham's History of the siege of Boston, page 274.]
The siege of Boston was maintained by the four New England states. At this critical time Connecticut failed to supply her quota, but in justice to her patriot- ism, we believe, she afterwards came to the rescue. The able translator of Chat- teleux's travels in America, who accom- panied Sullivan in his expedition into the Indian country in 1779, thus attests to his military skill : '" That the instructions given by Gen. Sullivan to his officers, the order of march he prescribed to his troops, and the discipline he had the ability to maintain, would have done honor to the most experienced ancient or modern Gen- erals." The evidence of eye witnesses, in this class of cases is of the highest or- der, especially when coming from intelli- gent and disinterested sources. The facts stated by such witnesses command our confidence. If Gen. Sullivan had ac- quired the character, such as charged by Bancroft, it is singular that his employ- ers at home, his old friends and neigh- bors, should stand by him, and that the faithful chroniclers of that day should
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