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DESERTIONS; HOWE'S INACTIVITY.

contractors had prevailed for some time and finally became so notorious as to constitute a scandal. As far back as 1776, John Adams had written to his wife: "There is too much corruption even in this infant age of our republic. Virtue is not in fashion. Vice is not infamous. *** The spirit of venality you mention is the most dreadful and alarming enemy America has to oppose. It is as rapacious and insatiable as the grave. This predominant avarice will ruin America if she is ever ruined. * I am ashamed of the age I live in."* Hence it was that the hospital resembled more a morgue than a refuge for the sick, for those who entered were more likely to emerge dead than cured. Consequently, the hospital became the terror of the army, the soldiers preferring to take their chances in the cold open air rather than to be buried alive in the midst of the dead.

*

Probably few can can imagine the hardships through which the American army passed in the course of this winter, and the soldiers are to be much admired for the firmness with which they bore their sufferings. It could hardly be hoped that under the circumstances there would be no desertion, and considering the fact also that the Loyalists were holding out large inducements to those who would abandon the American cause. Consequently, a small number, driven

*C. F. Adams (ed.), Letters of John Adams Addressed to his Wife, vol. i., pp. 166, 171.

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to despair by their long continued sufferings, deserted their colors and joined the British at Philadelphia. The majority of these, however, were foreigners who had entered the American service,* the Americans persevering and preferring starvation rather than violate the faith they had pledged to their country.†

Undoubtedly, had Howe not remained inactive at this time and had he been of an enterprising nature, the American army could easily have been annihilated. Without military stores, in a half-starved condition, most of the troops sick and in the hospital, and the other half hardly able to stand because of frost-bitten feet, the army could have offered little resistance to Howe's well-fed, well-clothed, and well-equipped veterans. Howe said that he "did not attack the intrenched situation at Valley Forge, a strong point during the severe season, although everything was prepared with that intention, judging it imprudent until the season should afford a prospect of reaping the advantages that ought to have resulted from success in that measure, but having good information in the spring that the enemy had

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74 ATTEMPT TO REGULATE PRICES; CONFUSION IN COMMISSARIAT.

strengthened the camp by additional works, and being certain of moving him from thence when the campaign should open, he dropped thoughts of an attack."* Washington said that if Howe had attacked the army, the Americans could not even have retreated, because means of transportation were lacking.† On February 1, 1778, more than 4,000 troops were incapable of any kind of service for lack of clothing, and the condition of the balance was but little better, so that out of 11,000 or 12,000 men in the camp, Washington could have mustered 5,000 fit for duty only with the greatest difficulty.

Washington therefore addressed energetic remonstrances to Congress and to the various States, and these had some effect, though not in the measure that Washington expected. The convention of the eight Northern States that Congress had recommended met at New Haven and agreed upon a scale of prices at which provisions and clothing should be furnished to the army. "Some of the states attempted, by legislation, to enforce the New Haven scale of prices generally; but these attempts proved no more successful than former ones of the same sort. Recourse was also had, with the same object in view, to internal embargoes, which proved a great embarrassment to

* See Carrington, Battles of the Revolution,

p. 402; General Howe's Narrative, p. 30. Ford's ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. viii., p. 504.

commerce." Pennsylvania passed an act against forestalling and another regulating the supply of wagons for transporting impressed provisions to camp.*

Probably the chief reason for the deficiency of food and other supplies in a country abounding with provisions was the confusion prevailing in the commissary department. In the earlier stages of the war, the office of commissary-general had been conferred upon Colonel Joseph Trumbull of Connecticut, who was undoubtedly well fitted for that position, but so difficult was the task of arranging this complicated department that even before the Valley Forge experience the army was compelled to go without much needed supplies. Congress had early considered the subject, but the remedy applied served only to increase the disease, and when the system suggested by Congress was instituted, its arrangements were such that Colonel Trumbull resigned his position in that department and retired to private life. This was due chiefly to the fact that subordinate officers were accountable to Congress, and not to the head of the department, that officer having no authority over them. Though Washington had opposed the establishment of such a system, Congress persisted, and it was not long

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STARVATION IN CAMP; WASHINGTON'S PROCLAMATION.

before difficulties began to unfold. themselves. This was manifested in every military division on the continent. Never had the armies been able to operate as Washington wished, because their movements were always hampered by a lack of supplies, provisions, ammunition, etc. The sufferings at Valley Forge were simply the inevitable outcome of a totally inefficient system.

Matters finally came to such a pass that even meat unfit to be eaten was issued, and soon no meat at all was to be had. On one occasion Washington wrote: "For several days there has been little less than a famine in camp. A part of the army have been a week without any flesh, and the rest three or four days. Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiers, that they have not been ere this excited by their sufferings to a general mutiny and dispersion. Strong symptoms, however, of discontentment have appeared in particular instances; and nothing but the most active efforts everywhere can long avert so shocking a catastrophe."* Washington, on a number of occasions, made representations on this subject to Congress, and that body had authorized him to seize provisions for the use of the army within seventy miles of headquarters and to pay for

Sparks, Life of Washington, pp. 255-256; Irving, vol. iii., p. 400; Trevelyan, American Revolutio, vol. iv., pp. 294–295.

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such requisitioned provisions in money if he had it, or, if not, in public certificates. But Washington experienced much difficulty in obtaining these provisions, because Congress failed to provide funds to take up these certificates when presented. On the other hand, the British in Philadelphia were only too willing to pay a fair price in specie for such goods as the people in the surrounding country brought in. As a result, the temptation was too great for the country people to resist,* and they eluded the troops which Washington sent out to gather these provisions, and instead conveyed them to Philadelphia. Washington, therefore, at the urgent request of Congress, issued a proclamation requiring all farmers within seventy miles of Valley Forge to thresh out one-half of their grain by the 1st of February and the other half by the 1st of March, under the penalty that unless this were done, the whole would be seized as straw. Many of the farmers, however, refused to accede to this demand and in many cases defended their grain and their cattle with their rifles, in some instances. even going so far as to burn the grain then ripening in the fields.

Washington was filled with anguish at the condition of the army, but what gave him more pain was the example set by some of the officers, who openly declared that they would resign their

Van Tyne, Loyalists in the Revolution, pp. 205-206.

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OFFICERS LEAVE ARMY; WASHINGTON URGES HALF PAY.

commissions unless conditions were soon remedied. Many of them had already left the army to enter upon more lucrative employment,* chiefly because the paper money had so depreciated that the officers were not only unable to live up to their station, but could not even provide the necessities of life. Their private resources had become exhausted; many had become involved in debt; and it was evident that unless this situation were remedied, the army would be deprived of the majority of its most efficient officers. Washington put forth every effort to bring about a change in the affairs of the army, exerting all his influence to persuade the officers to remain in the service. He also urged Congress to take some step to meet the emergency. In reply to one of Washington's letters regarding the resignations of officers under these trying circumstances, Gouverneur Morris said:

"We are going on with the regimental arrangements as fast as possible, and I think the day begins to appear with respect to that business. Had our Saviour addressed a chapter to the rulers of mankind, as he did many to the subjects, I am persuaded his good sense would have dictated this text: Be not wise over much. Had the several members who compose our multifarious body been only wise enough, our business would long since have been completed. But our superior abilities, or the desire of appearing to possess them, lead us to such exquisite tediousness of debate that the most precious moments pass unheeded away. * # As to what you mention of the extraordinary demeanor of some gentlemen, I cannot but agree with you that such conduct is not the most honorable. But, on the other hand, you must allow that it is the most safe, and certainly you

Sparks' ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. v., pp. 305, 312, 313, 322, 351, vol. vi., p. 168.

are not to learn that, however ignorant of that happy art in your own person, the bulk of us bipeds know well how to balance solid pudding against empty praise. There are other things, my dear sir, beside virtue which are their own reward." *

Washington urged that Congress grant half pay to the officers after the war, either for life or for a certain specified time. In doing so, he disclaimed any personal interest as to how this matter might be settled, but he said that it was easy to talk about patriotism and to cite a few examples from ancient history of great enterprises carried to a successful conclusion by patriotism alone; but those who thought that a long and bloody war could be carried on for any great length of time simply by individual sacrifices were laboring under a great delusion; that it was necessary to deal with men as they are and not as they ought to be; that love of country had been a strong point in the greater part of the operations up to the present time, but that to continue the contest on this basis was utterly impossible; and that it would be necessary to give the officers and soldiers some incentive for a continuance of their services so that they might not altogether abandon the cause.

were

At first the members of Congress much opposed to granting Washington's requests, many deeming them not only extraordinary and

* Roosevelt, Gouverneur Morris, p. 84.
See Sparks, Life of Washington, pp. 258-263.
Sparks' ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. v.,

p. 323.

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