CHAPTER XII.

Conferences with a Committee of Congress, and Plans for the next Campaign. Sullivan's Expedition against the Indians. The Enemy commence a predatory Warfare.-The Burning of New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk.-Stony Point stormed and taken. - Successful Enterprise against Paulus Hook. - Washington's Interviews with the French Minister. Plans proposed for cooperating with Count d'Estaing.— The Army goes into Winter-quarters.— Depreciation of the Currency, and its Effects. - Arrival of the Marquis de Lafayette, with the Intelligence that a French Armament was on its Way to the United States. -The Army takes a Position near Hudson's River. -The French Squadron arrives at Newport. Count de Rochambeau's Instructions. -French Fleet blockaded.— Interview between General Washington and the French Commander at Hartford.—The Treason of Arnold. -Plans for attacking New York.

GENERAL Washington remained in Philadelphia about five weeks, holding conferences with a committee of Congress, and making arrangements for the campaign of 1779. He suggested three plans, with remarks on the mode of executing them, and the probable result of each. The first plan had in view an attempt to drive the enemy from their posts on the seacoast; the second, an attack on Niagara, and an offensive position in that quarter; and, by the third, it was proposed to hold the army entirely on the defensive, except such operations as would be necessary to chastise the Indians, who had committed depredations on the frontiers during the past year, and who, emboldened by success, might be expected to repeat their ravages.

After mature deliberation, and taking into the account the exhausted state of the country in regard both to pecuniary resources and supplies for an army, it was decided to adopt the third plan as the best suited to circumstances, the least expensive, and perhaps the

most beneficial in its ultimate effects. It would afford an opportunity to retrench the heavy charges of the war, and to pursue a system of economy imperiously demanded by the financial embarrassments in which Congress had become involved, and thus enable them to do something for the relief of public credit, and for restoring the value of the currency, which was fast sinking into disrepute, unsettling prices, and threatening ruin to almost every branch of industry. It would also give repose to the country, and, by leaving a larger number of laborers to cultivate the soil, contribute to increase the supplies so much wanted for the comfort of the people, as well as for the subsistence of the

army.

This plan had its disadvantages. The inactivity in military operations might be thought to imply weakness, and thus injure the credit of the nation with foreign powers, dispirit the people at home, give confidence to the disaffected, and afford leisure for the factious and discontented to foment divisions. These inconveniences were, nevertheless, in the opinion of General Washington, more than balanced by other considerations; and he recommended the defensive system, preferring what he deemed the greatest public good to the glory that might be acquired by large military enterprises, even with a fair prospect of success. After the alliance with France, and especially after the indications given by Spain of an approaching war between that power and England, he had no doubt that the independence of the United States would be secured at the peace, whenever it should happen. It was evident, moreover, that England, being thus employed by her European foes, could not enlarge her army to a formidable extent in America. In his view, therefore, it was not expedient to exhaust the country and multiply the

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calamities of war by extraordinary exactions for military undertakings, which, although they might annoy the enemy and perhaps drive them from one post to another, could not hasten the desired end, depending as it now did mainly on events beyond the control of the United States. By an ambitious chieftain, aiming only to aggrandize himself and establish his power, the subject might have been regarded in a different light; but the designs and actions of Washington centred in nobler objects, the freedom, tranquillity, and happiness of his country, in which he was to participate equally with every other citizen, neither seeking nor expecting any other preeminence than that of having been an instrument in the hand of Providence for effecting so great a good in so just a cause, nor any other reward than the consciousness of having done his duty, and the enjoyment in common with his countrymen of the benefits flowing from his services.

Having completed all the necessary arrangements with Congress, he returned to head-quarters at Middlebrook. The infantry of the Continental army was organized for the campaign in eighty-eight battalions, apportioned to the several States according to the ratio hitherto assumed. There were four regiments of cavalry and forty-nine companies of artillery.

As the term of service, for which a large number of the troops had been engaged, would expire in a few weeks, the business of recruiting was begun without delay. The irregular, and in some cases enormous, bounties given by the States had operated in such a manner, as almost to defeat any attempt to enlist soldiers in camp. Even those, who intended to reënlist, were lured away by the prospect of State bounties, and were thus absent from the army till they could go home and come back with the new recruits. This evil was

partially remedied by a resolve of Congress, making it the business of each State to fill up its quota and pay the bounties, giving credit to such State for the Continental bounty of every soldier enlisted in its quota. Whether the soldier was enlisted in camp or at home, the same rule applied, so that it equalized the bounties throughout the line of a particular State. But the States themselves gave various bounties, causing an inequality among the different lines; and for this there was no remedy, except a uniform system in all the States, which was never pursued. The Continental bounty was raised to two hundred dollars, besides land and clothing; and in several instances the State bounty was much larger. The value of labor had risen so much during the war, partly from an increased demand, and partly from the depreciation of the currency, that a soldier could obtain, in almost any other service, higher wages than the amount of his pay and bounty in the army.

The objects of the campaign not requiring so large a number of men in the field as on former occasions, it was intended to bestow the more attention upon their discipline and practical skill. Baron Steuben, trained in the wars and under the eye of Frederic the Great, had been appointed inspector-general of the army the year before. He wrote a system of tactics, which was published, adopted, and put in practice. His services were of great importance, both as an experienced officer, and as a successful teacher of his system, by which the discipline of the army was much improved, and the discordant exercises and evolutions of the troops from different States were reduced to method and uniformity.

The winter and the spring passed away without the occurrence of any remarkable event. The British re

mained within their lines at New York, showing no disposition for hazardous adventures, and apparently making no preparation for any enterprise of magnitude into the country.

General Washington in the mean time turned his thoughts to the fitting out of an expedition against the Indians. The confederated Indians of the Six Nations, except the Oneidas and a few of the Mohawks, influenced by Sir John Johnson and British agents from Canada, became hostile to the United States, although at first they pretended to a sort of neutrality. Joined by a band of Tories, and persons of abandoned principles collected from various parts, they fell upon the frontier settlements, and waged the most cruel and destructive war against the defenceless and unoffending inhabitants. The massacres at Cherry Valley and Wyoming had filled every breast with horror, and humanity cried aloud for vengeance on the perpetrators of such deeds of atrocity. To break up these hordes of banditti, or at all events to drive them back and lay waste their territories, was the object of the expedition.

Four thousand Continental troops were detached for the purpose, who were joined by militia from the State of New York and independent companies from Pennsylvania. The command of the whole was given to General Sullivan. Three thousand men rendezvoused at Wyoming, where General Sullivan first established his head-quarters, and from which place he proceeded up the Susquehanna River into the Indian country. At the same time General James Clinton advanced with another division from the Mohawk River, by way of Otsego Lake and the east branch of the Susquehanna, and formed a junction with Sullivan near the fork, where the two main branches of the river unite. The army, then amounting to about five thousand men