washington and his comrades in arms-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　until　the　enemy　was　near。　Suddenly　there　was　a　roar　of　cannon　and　the　assailants　not　swept　down　fled　in　panic。　With　the　morning　light　the　dead　head　of　Montgomery　was　found　protruding　from　the　snow。　He　was　mourned　by　Washington　and　with　reason。　He　had　talents　and　character　which　might　have　made　him　one　of　the　chief　leaders　of　the　revolutionary　army。　Elsewhere；　too；　was　he　mourned。　His　father；　an　Irish　landowner；　had　been　a　member　of　the　British　Parliament；　and　he　himself　was　a　Whig；　known　to　Fox　and　Burke。　When　news　of　his　death　reached　England　eulogies　upon　him　came　from　the　Whig　benches　in　Parliament　which　could　not　have　been　stronger　had　he　died　fighting　for　the　King。


While　the　outlook　in　Canada　grew　steadily　darker；　the　American　cause　prospered　before　Boston。　There　Howe　was　not　at　ease。　If　it　was　really　to　be　war；　which　he　still　doubted；　it　would　be　well　to　seek　some　other　base。　Washington　helped　Howe　to　take　action。　Dorchester　Heights　commanded　Boston　as　critically　from　the　south　as　did　Bunker　Hill　from　the　north。　By　the　end　of　February　Washington　had　British　cannon；　brought　with　heavy　labor　from　Ticonderoga；　and　then　he　lost　no　time。　On　the　morning　of　March　5；　1776；　Howe　awoke　to　find　that；　under　cover　of　a　heavy　bombardment；　American　troops　had　occupied　Dorchester　Heights　and　that　if　he　would　dislodge　them　he　must　make　another　attack　similar　to　that　at　Bunker　Hill。　The　alternative　of　stiff　fighting　was　the　evacuation　of　Boston。　Howe；　though　dilatory；　was　a　good　fighting　soldier。　His　defects　as　a　general　in　America　sprang　in　part　from　his　belief　that　the　war　was　unjust　and　that　delay　might　bring　counsels　making　for　peace　and　save　bloodshed。　His　first　decision　was　to　attack；　but　a　furious　gale　thwarted　his　purpose；　and　he　then　prepared　for　the　inevitable　step。

Washington　divined　Howe's　purpose　and　there　was　a　tacit　agreement　that　the　retiring　army　should　not　be　molested。　Howe　destroyed　munitions　of　war　which　he　could　not　take　away　but　he　left　intact　the　powerful　defenses　of　Boston；　defenses　reared　at　the　cost　of　Britain。　Many　of　the　better　class　of　the　inhabitants；　British　in　their　sympathies；　were　now　face　to　face　with　bitter　sorrow　and　sacrifice。　Passions　were　so　aroused　that　a　hard　fate　awaited　them　should　they　remain　in　Boston　and　they　decided　to　leave　with　the　British　army。　Travel　by　land　was　blocked；　they　could　go　only　by　sea。　When　the　time　came　to　depart；　laden　carriages；　trucks；　and　wheelbarrows　crowded　to　the　quays　through　the　narrow　streets　and　a　sad　procession　of　exiles　went　out　from　their　homes。　A　profane　critic　said　that　they　moved　〃as　if　the　very　devil　was　after　them。〃　No　doubt　many　of　them　would　have　been　arrogant　and　merciless　to　〃rebels〃　had　theirs　been　the　triumph。　But　the　day　was　above　all　a　day　of　sorrow。　Edward　Winslow；　a　strong　leader　among　them；　tells　of　his　tears　〃at　leaving　our　once　happy　town　of　Boston。〃　The　ships；　a　forest　of　masts；　set　sail　and；　crowded　with　soldiers　and　refugees；　headed　straight　out　to　sea　for　Halifax。　Abigail；　wife　of　John　Adams；　a　clever　woman；　watched　the　departure　of　the　fleet　with　gladness　in　her　heart。　She　thought　that　never　before　had　been　seen　in　America　so　many　ships　bearing　so　many　people。　Washington's　army　marched　joyously　into　Boston。　Joyous　it　might　well　be　since；　for　the　moment；　powerful　Britain　was　not　secure　in　a　single　foot　of　territory　in　the　former　colonies。　If　Quebec　should　fall　the　continent　would　be　almost　conquered。

Quebec　did　not　fall。　All　through　the　winter　the　Americans　held　on　before　the　place。　They　shivered　from　cold。　They　suffered　from　the　dread　disease　smallpox。　They　had　difficulty　in　getting　food。　The　Canadians　were　insistent　on　having　good　money　for　what　they　offered　and　since　good　money　was　not　always　in　the　treasury　the　invading　army　sometimes　used　violence。　Then　the　Canadians　became　more　reserved　and　chilling　than　ever。　In　hope　of　mending　matters　Congress　sent　a　commission　to　Montreal　in　the　spring　of　1776。　Its　chairman　was　Benjamin　Franklin　and；　with　him；　were　two　leading　Roman　Catholics；　Charles　Carroll　of　Carrollton；　a　great　landowner　of　Maryland；　and　his　brother　John；　a　priest；　afterwards　Archbishop　of　Baltimore。　It　was　not　easy　to　represent　as　the　liberator　of　the　Catholic　Canadians　the　Congress　which　had　denounced　in　scathing　terms　the　concessions　in　the　Quebec　Act　to　the　Catholic　Church。　Franklin　was　a　master　of　conciliation；　but　before　he　achieved　anything　a　dramatic　event　happened。　On　the　6th　of　May；　British　ships　arrived　at　Quebec。　The　inhabitants　rushed　to　the　ramparts。　Cries　of　joy　passed　from　street　to　street　and　they　reached　the　little　American　army；　now　under　General　Thomas；　encamped　on　the　Plains　of　Abraham。　Panic　seized　the　small　force　which　had　held　on　so　long。　On　the　ships　were　ten　thousand　fresh　British　troops。　The　one　thing　for　the　Americans　to　do　was　to　get　away；　and　they　fled；　leaving　behind　guns；　supplies；　even　clothing　and　private　papers。　Five　days　later　Franklin；　at　Montreal；　was　dismayed　by　the　distressing　news　of　disaster。

Congress　sent　six　regiments　to　reinforce　the　army　which　had　fled　from　Quebec。　It　was　a　desperate　venture。　Washington's　orders　were　that　the　Americans　should　fight　the　new　British　army　as　near　Quebec　as　possible。　The　decisive　struggle　took　place　on　the　8th　of　June。　An　American　force　under　the　command　of　General　Thompson　attacked　Three　Rivers；　a　town　on　the　St。　Lawrence；　half　way　between　Quebec　and　Montreal。　They　were　repulsed　and　the　general　was　taken　prisoner。　The　wonder　is　indeed　that　the　army　was　not　annihilated。　Then　followed　a　disastrous　retreat。　Short　of　supplies；　ravaged　by　smallpox；　and　in　bad　weather；　the　invaders　tried　to　make　their　way　back　to　Lake　Champlain。　They　evacuated　Montreal。　It　is　hard　enough　in　the　day　of　success　to　hold　together　an　untrained　army。　In　the　day　of　defeat　such　a　force　is　apt　to　become　a　mere　rabble。　Some　of　the　American　regiments　preserved　discipline。　Others　fell　into　complete　disorder　as；　weak　and　discouraged；　they　retired　to　Lake　Champlain。　Many　soldiers　perished　of　disease。　〃I　did　not　look　into　a　hut　or　a　tent；〃　says　an　observer；　〃in　which　I　did　not　find　a　dead　or　dying　man。〃　Those　who　had　huts　were　fortunate。　The　fate　of　some　was　to　die　without　medical　care　and　without　cover。　By　the　end　of　June　what　was　left。　of　the　force　had　reached　Crown　Point　on　Lake　Champlain。

Benedict　Arnold；　who　had　been　wounded　at　Quebec；　was　now　at　Crown　Point。　Competent　critics　of　the　war　have　held　that　what　Arnold　now　did　saved　the　Revolution。　In　another　scene；　before　the　summer　ended；　the　British　had　taken　New　York　and　made　themselves　masters　of　the　lower　Hudson。　Had　they　reached　in　the　same　season　the　upper　Hudson　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain　they　would　have　struck　blows　doubly　staggering。　This　Arnold　saw；　and　his　object　was　to　delay；　if　he　could　not　defeat；　the　British　advance。　There　was　no　road　through　the　dense　forest　by　the　shores　of　Lake　Champlain　and　Lake　George　to　the　upper　Hudson。　The　British　must　go　down　the　lake　in　boats。　This　General　Carleton　had　foreseen　and　he　had　urged　that　with　the　fleet　sent　to　Quebec　should　be　sent　from　England；　in　sections；　boats　which　could　be　quickly　carried　past　the　rapids　of　the　Richelieu　River　and　launched　on　Lake　Champlain。　They　had　not　come　and　the　only　thing　for　Carleton　to　do　was　to　build　a　flotilla　which　could　carry　an　army　up　the　lake　and　attack　Crown　Point。　The　thing　was　done　but　skilled　workmen　were　few　and　not　until　the　6th　of　October　were　the　little　ships　afloat　on　Lake　Champlain。　Arnold；　too；　spent　the　summer　in　building　boats　to　meet　the　attack　and　it　was　a　strange　turn　in　warfare　which　now　made　him　commander　in　a　naval　fight。　There　was　a　brisk　struggle　on　Lake　Champlain。　Carleton　had　a　score　or　so　of　vessels；　Arnold　not　so　many。　But　he　delayed　Carleton。　When　he　was　beaten　on　the　water　he　burned　the　ships　not　captured　and　took　to　the　land。　When　he　could　no　longer　hold　Crown　Point　he　burned　that　place　and　retreated　to　Ticonderoga。

By　this　time　it　was　late　autumn。　The　British　were　far　from　their　base　and　the　Americans　were　retreating　into　a　friendly　country。　There　is　little　doubt　that　Carleton　could　have　taken　Fort　Ticonderoga。　It　fell　quite　easily　less　than　a　year　later。　Some　of　his　officers　urged　him　to　press　on　and　do　it。　But　the　leaves　had　already　fallen；　the　bleak　winter　was　near；　and　Carleton　pictured　to　himself　an　army　buried　deeply　in　an　enemy　country　and　separated　from　its　base　by　many　scores　of　miles　of　lake　and　forest。　He　withdrew　to　Canada　and　left　Lake　Champlain　to　the　Americans。



CHAPTER　III。　INDEPENDENCE

Well…meaning　people　in　England　found　it　difficult　to　understand　the　intensity　of　feeling　in　America。　Britain　had　piled　up　a　huge　debt　in　driving　France　from　America。　Landowners　were　paying　in　taxes　no　less　than　twenty　per　cent　of　their　incomes　from　land。　The　people　who　had　chiefly　benefited　by　the　humiliation　of　France　were　the　colonists；　now　freed　from　hostile　menace　and　secure　for　extension　over　a　whole　continent。　Why　should　not　they　pay　some　share　of　the　cost　of　their　own　security？　Certain　facts　tended　to　make　Englishmen　indignant　with　the　Americans。　Every　effort　had　failed　to　get　them　to　pay　willingly　for　their　defense。　Before　the　Stamp　Act　had　become　law　in　1765　the　colonies　were　given　a　whole　year　to　devise　the　raising　of　money　in　any　way　which　they　liked　better。　The　burden　of　what　was　asked　would　be　light。　Why　should　not　they　agree　to　bear　it？　Why　this　talk；　repeated　by　the　Whigs　in　the　British　Parliament；　of　brutal　tyranny；　oppression；　hired　minions　imposing　slavery；　and　so　on。　Where　were　the　oppressed？　Could　any　one　point　to　a　single　person　who　before　war　broke　out　had　known　British　tyranny？　What　suffering　could　any　one　point　to　as　the　result　of　the　tax　on　tea？　The　people　of　England　paid　a　tax　on　tea　four　times　heavier　than　that　paid　in　America。　Was　not　the　British　Parliament　supreme　over　the　whole　Empire？　Did　not　the　colonies　themselves　admit　that　it　had　the　right　to　control　their　trade　overseas？　And　if　men　shirk　their　duty　should　they　not　come　under　some　law　of　compulsion？

It　was　thus　that　many　a　plain　man　reasoned　in　England。　The　plain　man　in　America　had　his　own　opposing　point　of　view。　Debts　and　taxes　in　England　were　not　his　concern。　He　remembered　the　recent　war　as　vividly　as　did　the　Englishman；　and；　if　the　English　paid　its　cost　in　gold；　he　had　paid　his　share　in　blood　and　tears。　Who　made　up　the　armies　led　by　the　British　generals　in　America？　More　than　half　the　total　number　who　served　in　America　came　from　the　colonies；　the　colonies　which　had　barely　a　third　of　the　population　of　Great　Britain。　True；　Britain　paid　the　bill　in　money　but　why　not？　She　was　rich　with　a　vast　accumulated　capital。　The　war；　partly　in　America；　had　given　her　the　key　to　the　wealth　of　India。　Look　at　the　magnificence；　the　pomp　of　servants；　plate　and　pictures；　the　parks　and　gardens；　of　hundreds　of　English　country　houses；　and　compare　this　opulence　with　the　simple　mode　of　life；　simplicity　imposed　by　necessity；　of　a　country　gentleman　like　George　Washington　of　Virginia；　reputed　to　be　the　richest　man　in　America。　Thousands　of　tenants　in　England；　owning　no　acre　of　land；　were　making　a　larger　income　than　was　possible　in　America　to　any　owner　of　broad　acres。　It　was　true　that　America　had　gained　from　the　late　war。　The　foreign　enemy　had　been　struc