NOTICE: This site is part of a network that offers FREE genealogical and historical information

CHAPTER I.

The Beginnings

	Page
Relations between the American colonies and the British government      in the first half of the eighteenth century.	1
The Lords of Trade 2
The governors' salaries	3
Sir Robert Walpole	4
Views of the Lords of Trade as to the need for a union of the colonies	5
Weakness of the sentiment of union	6
The Albany Congress	7
Franklin's plan for a federal union (1754)	8, 9
Rejection of Franklin's plan	10
Shirley recommends a stamp act	11
The writs of assistance	12
The chief justice of New York	13
Otis's "Vindication"	14
Expenses of the French War	15
Grenville's resolves	16
Reply of the colonies	17
Passage of the Stamp Act	17, 18
Patrick Henry and the Parsons'Cause	18, 19
Resolutions of Virginia concerning the Stamp Act	20
The Stamp Act Congress	21, 22
Declaration of the Massachusetts assembly	22
Resistance to the Stamp Act in Boston	24
Debate in the House of Commons	25, 26
Repeal of the Stamp Act	27
The Duke of Grafton's ministry	28
Charles Townshend and his revenue acts	29-31
Attack upon the New York assembly	31-32
Parliament did not properly represent the British people	32-33
Difficulty of the problem	34
Representation of Americans in Parliament	35
Mr. Gladstone and the Boers	36-37
Death of Townshend	38
His political legacy to George III.	38
Character of George III.	39-40
English parties between 1760 and 1784	41
George III as a politician	42
His chief reason for quarrelling with the Americans	43-45

CHAPTER II

The Crisis

Character of Lord North	46
John Dickinson and the "Farmer's Letters"	47
The Massachusetts circular letter	48
Lord Hillsborough's instructions to Bernard	49
The "Illustrious Ninety-Two"	50
Impressment of citizens	51
Affair of the sloop Liberty	51-52
Statute of Henry VIII concerning "treason committed abroad"	53
Samuel Adams makes up his mine (1768)	54-57
Arrival of troops in Boston	58-59
Letters of "Vindex"	60
Debate in Parliament	60-62
All the Townshend acts, except the one imposing a duty upon tea,      to be repealed	62
Recall of Governor Bernard	62
Character of Thomas Hutchinson	63
Resolutions of Virginia concerning the Townshend acts	64
Conduct of the troops in Boston	65
Assault on James Otis	65
The "Boston Massacre"	66-68
Some of its lessons	69-72
Lord North becomes prime minister	73
Action of the new York merchants	73
Assemblies convened in strange places	74
Taxes in Maryland	74
The "Regulators" in North Carolina	75
Affair of the schooner Gaspee	76
The salaries of the Massachusetts judges	77
Jonathan Mayhew's suggestion (1766)	78
The committees of correspondence in Massachusetts	79
Intercolonial committees of correspondence	80
Revival of the question of taxation	81
The king's ingenious scheme for tricking the Americans into buying      the East India Company's tea	82-83
How Boston became the battle-ground	84
Advice solemnly sought and given by the Massachusetts towns	84, 85
Arrival of the tea; meeting at the Old South	85, 87
The tea-ships place under guard	87
Rotch's dilatory manoeuvres	88
Great town-meeting at the Old South	89, 90
The tea thrown into the Harbour	90
Moral grandeur of the scene	91, 92
How Parliament received the news	93, 94
The Boston Port Bill	95
The Regulating Act	95, 96
Act relating to the shooting of citizens	96
the quartering of troops in town	97
The Quebec Act	97
General Gage sent to Boston	97, 98

CHAPTER III

The Continental Congress

Protests of the Whig Lords	100
Belief that the Americans would not fight	101
Belief that Massachusetts would not be supported by the other colonies	102
News of the Port Bill	102-103
Samuel Adams at Salem	104-105
Massachusetts nullifies the Regulating Act	106
John Hancock and Joseph Warren	107
The Suffolk County Resolves	108
Provincial Congress in Massachusetts	109
First meeting of the Continental Congress (Sept 5, 1774)	110
Debates in Parliament	111-112
William Howe appointed commander-in-chief of the forces in America	112
Richard, Lord Howe, appointed admiral of the fleet	113
Franklin returns to America	114
State of feeling in the middle colonies	115
Lord North's mistaken hopes of securing New York	116
Affairs in Massachusetts	117
Dr. Warren's oration at the Old South	118
Attempt to corrupt Samuel Adams	119
Orders to arrest Adams and Hancock	120
Paul Revere's ride	121
Pitcairn fires upon the yeomanry at Lexington	122
The troops repulsed at Concord; their dangerous situation	123
The retreating troops rescued by Lord Percy	124
Retreat continued from Lexington to Charlestown	125
Rising of the country; the British besieged in Boston	126
Effects of the news in England and in America	127
Mecklenburg County Resolves	128
Legend of the Mecklenburg "Declaration of Independence"	129
Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allan	129, 130
Capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point	131
Second meeting of the Continental Congress	132
Appointment of George Washington to command the Continental army	133-136
The siege of Boston	136
Gage's proclamation	137
The Americans occupy Bunker's and Breed's hills	138
Arrival of Putnam, Stark and Warren	139
Gage decides to try an assault	140
First assault repulsed	140
Second assault repulsed	141
Prescott's powder gives out	142
Third Assault succeeds; the British take the hill	142
British and American losses	143
Excessive slaughter; significance of the battle	144-145
Its moral effects	146

CHAPTER IV.

Independence

Washington's arrival in Cambridge	147
Continental officers: Daniel Morgan	148
Benedict Arnold, John Stark, John Sullivan	149
Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox	150
Israel Putnam	151
Horatio Gates and Charles Lee	151
Lee's personal peculiarities	152-153
Dr. Benjamin Church	153
Difficult work for Washington	154-156
Absence of governmental organization	156
New government of Massachusetts (July, 1775)	157
Congress sends a last petition to the king	158-159
The king issues a proclamation and tries to hire troops from Russia	160
Catharine refuses; the king hires German troops	161
Indignation in Germany	162
Burning of Falmouth (Portland)	163
Effects of all this upon Congress	164
Montgomery's invasion of Canada and capture of Montreal	165
Arnold's march through the wilderness of Maine	166
Assault upon Quebec (December 31, 1775)	167
Total failure of the attempt upon Canada	168
The siege of Boston	169
Washington seizes Dorchester Heights (March 4, 1776)	170
The British troops evacuate Boston (March 17)	171
Movement toward independence; a provisional flag (Jan. 1, 1776)	172
Effect of the hiring of "myrmidons"	172
Thomas Paine	173
His pamphlet entitled "Common Sense"	174
Fulminations and counter-fulminations	175
The Scots in North Carolina	176
The fight at Moore's Creek; North Carolina declares for independence	177
Action of Rhode Island and Massachusetts	181
Resolution adopted in Congress May 15.	181-182
Instructions from the Boston town-meeting	182
Richard Henry Lee's motion in Congress	183
Debate on Lee's motion	184
Action of the other colonies; Connecticut and New Hampshire	185
New Jersey	185
Pennsylvania and Delaware	185-187
Maryland	187-188
The situation in New York	188-190
The Tryon plot	190
Final debate on Lee's motion	191
vote on Lee's motion	192
Form of the Declaration of Independence	193
Thomas Jefferson	193-194
The declaration was a deliberate expression of the sober thought of the      American people	195-197

CHAPTER V.

FIRST BLOW AT THE CENTRE

Lord Cornwallis arrives upon the scene	198
Battle of Fort Moultrie (June 28, 1776)	199-200
British plan for conquering the valley of the Hudson, and cutting the      United Colonies in twain	201
Lord Howe's futile attempt to negotiate with Washington un-officially	202, 203
The military problem at New York	204-206
Importance of Brooklyn Heights	206
Battle of Long Island (August 27, 1776)	207-210
Howe prepares to besiege the Heights	210
But Washington slips away with his army	211
And robs the British of the most golden opportunity ever offered them	212
The confernce at Staten Island	213
General Howe takes the city of New York September 15	214
But Mrs. Lindley Murray saves the garrison	215
Attack upon Harlem Heights	215
The new problem before Howe	216
He moves upon Throg's Neck, but Washington changes base	217
Baffled at White Plains, Howe tries a new plan	217-218
Washington's orders in view of the emergency	218
Congress meddles with the situation and muddles it	219
Howe takes Fort Washington by storm (November 16)	220
Washington and Greene	221
Outrageous conduct of Charles Lee	221-222
Greene barely escapes from Fort Lee (November 20)	223
Lee intrigues against Washington	224
Washington retreats into Pennsylvania	224-225
Reinforcements come from Schuyler	226
Fortunately for the Americans, the British capture Charles Lee      (December 13)	226-227
The times that tried men's souls	228
Washington prepares to strike back	229
He crosses the Delaware and pierces the British centre at Trenton      (December 26)	230
Cornwallis comes up to retrieve the disaster	231
And thinks he has run down the "old fox" at the Assunpink      (January 2, 1777)	232
And again severs the British line at Princeton (January 3)	233
General retreat of the British upon New York	234
The tables completely turned	235-236
Washington's superb generalship	237
Effects in England	238
And in France	239
Franklin's arrival in France	240
Secret aid from France	241
Lafayette goes to America	241
Efforts toward remodelling the Continental army	243-248

CHAPTER VI.

Second Blow at the Centre

Invasion of New York by Sir Guy Carleton	249
Arnold's preparations	250
Battle of Valcour Island (Oct 11, 1776)	251
Congress promotes five junior brigadiers over Arnold (February 19,      1777)	252
Character of Philip Schuyler	253
Horatio Gates	254-255
Gates intrigues with Schuyler	256
His unseemly behaviour before Congress	257
Charges against Arnold	257-258
Arnold defeats Tryon at Ridgefield (April 27, 1777)	259
Preparations for the summer campaign	260
The military centre of the United States was the state of New York	261
A second blow was to be struck at the centre; the plan of campaign	262
The plan was unsound; it separated the British forces too widely and      gave the Americans the advantage of interior lines	263-264
Germaine's fatal error; he overestimated the strength of the Tories	265
Too many unknown quantities	265-266
Danger from New England ignored	266
Germaine's negligence; the dispatch that was never sent	267
Burgoyne advances upon Ticonderoga	268
Phillips seizes Mount Defiance	269
Evacuation of Ticonderoga	269-270
Battle of Hubbardton (July 7)	270
One swallow does not make a summer	271
The king's glee; wrath of John Adams	271
Gates was chiefly to blame	272
Burgoyne's difficulties beginning	273
Schuyler wisely evacuates Fort Edward	273
Enemies gathering in Burgoyne's rear	274
Use of Indian auxiliaries	275
Burke ridicules the address	276
The story of Jane McCrea	277-279
The Indians desert Burgoyne	280
Importance of Bennington; Burgoyne sends a German force against it	280-281
Stark prepares to receive the Germans	282
Battle of Bennington (August 16) nearly the whole German army      captured in the field	283-284
Effect of the news; Burgoyne's enemies multiply	285
Advance of St. Leger upon Fort Stanwix	286
Herkimer marches against him; Herkimer's plan	287
Failure of the plan	288
Thayendanegea prepares an ambuscade	288
Battle of Oriskany (August 6)	289-290
Retreat of the Tories	290
Retreat of the patriot army	291
Colonel Willett's sortie; first hoisting of the stars and stripes	291
Death of Herkimer	292
Arnold arrives at Schuyler's camp	293
And volunteers to retrieve Fort Stanwix	294
Yan Yost Cuyler and his stratagem	295
Flight of St.Leger (August 22)	295
Burgoyne's dangerous situation	296
Schuyler superseded by Gates	296-297
Position of the two armies (August 19-September 12)	297-298

CHAPTER VII.

SARATOGA

Why Sir William Howe went to Chesapeak Bay	299
Charles Lee in captivity	300
Treason of Charles Lee	301-303
Folly of moving upon Philadelphia at the "rebel capital"	303-304
Effect of Lee's advice	305
Washington's masterly campaign in New Jersey (June, 1777)	306
Uncertainty as to Howe's movements	307
Howe's letter to Burgoyne	308-309
Burgoyne's fate was practically decided when Howe arrived at Elkton	311
Washington's reasons for offering battle	312
He chooses a very strong position	313
Battle of the Brandywine (September 11)	313-316
Washington's skill in detaining the enemy	317
The British enter Philadelphia (September 26)	317
Significance of Forts Mercer and Mifflin	318
The situation at Germantown	318-319
Washington's audacious plan	320
Battle of Germantown (October 4)	321-323
Howe captures Forts Mercer and Mifflin	324
Burgoyne recognizes the fatal error of Germaine	325
Nevertheless he crosses the Hudson River	326
First Battle at Freeman's Farm (September 19)	326-327
Quarrel between Gates and Arnold	328
Burgoyne's supplies cut off	329
Second battle at Freeman's Farm (October 7); the British totally defeated      by Arnold	330-332
The British army is surrounded	333
Sir Henry Clinton comes up the river, but it is too late	334
The silver bullet	335
Burgoyne surrenders (October 17)	335-338
Schulyer's magnanimity	338
Bad faith in Congress	339-342
The behaviour of Congress was simply inexcusable	342
What became of the captured army	343

INDEX AT THE BACK OF THE BOOK (for both volumes in Vol. II)	291

PORTRAIT AND MAPS

George Washington from a miniature enamelled on copper by Henry      Bone, R. A.; after a crayon portrait made in 1796 by William Birch	Frontispiece.
Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776, from Stedman's American War      with some additions	208
Operations in New York and New Jersey, 1776-1777, from a sketch by      the author	218
Burgoyne's campaign, July-October, 1777, ditto.	262
Battle of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777, ditto.	314
Battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777, ditto	320
First battle at Freeman's Farm, September 19, 1777, ditto	326
Second battle at Freeman's Farm, October 7, 1777, also called battle of      Bemis Heights, or of Stillwater, ditto	332
Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga October 17, 1777, ditto	336

PREFACE

VOLUME II

TYPED AND REFORMATED BY JANICE FARNSWORTH

HOME

This page was last updated .

You Are the  Visitor to this Safe-Site™ Since April 7, 2004