Official Letters to the Honorable American Congress: Written, During the War Between the United Colonies and Great Britain, Volume 1

Front Cover
Cadell Junior, 1795 - United States

From inside the book

Selected pages

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 261 - To bring men to a proper degree of subordination is not the work of a day, a month, or even a year, and unhappily for us and the cause we are engaged in, the little discipline I have been...
Page 258 - A soldier, reasoned with upon the goodness of the cause he is engaged in, and the inestimable rights he is contending for, hears you with patience, and acknowledges the truth of your observations, but adds that it is of no more importance to him than to others. The officer makes...
Page 340 - ... service of the militia who come in, you cannot tell how, go, you cannot tell when, and act, you cannot tell where, consume your provisions, exhaust your stores, and leave you at last at a critical moment?
Page 234 - Our situation is truly distressing. The check our detachment sustained on the 27th ultimo has dispirited too great a proportion of our troops, and filled their minds with apprehension and despair. The militia, instead of calling forth their utmost efforts to a brave and manly opposition in order to repair our losses, are dismayed, intractable, and impatient to return. Great numbers of them have gone off; in some instances, almost by whole regiments, by half ones, and...
Page 352 - Ferry, and taken possession of the bridge leading out of town; but the quantity of ice was so great, that, though he did every thing in his power to effect it, he could not get over. This difficulty also hindered General Cadwalader from crossing with the Pennsylvania militia from Bristol. He got part of his foot over; but, finding it impossible to embark his artillery, he was obliged to desist. I am fully confident, that, could the troops under Generals Ewing and...
Page 252 - Leitch unluckily began their attack too soon, as it was rather in flank than in rear. In a little time Major Leitch was brought off wounded, having received three balls through his side ; and, in a short time after, Colonel Knowlton got a wound, which proved mortal. Their men however persevered, and continued the engagement with the greatest resolution. Finding that they wanted a support, I advanced part of Colonel Griffith's and Colonel Richardson's Maryland...
Page 259 - ... increase with time. When the army was first raised at Cambridge, I am persuaded the men might have been got, without a bounty, for the war. After...
Page iii - Official Letters to the Honorable American Congress, Written, during the War between the United Colonies and Great Britain, by his Excellency, George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Forces, now President of the United States. Copied, by Special Permission, from the Original Papers preserved in the Office of the Secretary of State, Philadelphia [by John Carey] Vol.
Page 86 - ... man, who thinks little of the one, and is fearful of the other, acts from present feelings, regardless of consequences. Again, men of a day's standing will not look forward ; and from experience we find, that, as the time approaches for their discharge, they grow careless of their arms, ammunition, camp utensils, &c.
Page 235 - Till of late, I had no doubt in my own mind of defending this place; nor should I have yet, if the men would do their duty; but this I despair of.