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HOWE PLANS ATTACK ON DELAWARE FORTS.

Lafayette subsequently being assigned to the command of Stephen's division.* In this engagement the American army lost 673 killed and wounded and about 400 taken prisoners, while the British loss was 535 killed and wounded, among the slain being General Agnew and Colonel Bird. Among the Americans killed. was General Nash of North Carolina. After the battle, Washington returned to his encampment at Skippack Creek.‡

* See the accounts of the battle by C. Lambdin in Pennsylvania Magazine of History, vol. i., pp. 368-403, also vol. ii., p. 112 et seq., vol. xvi., p. 197 et seq.; Stillé, Wayne and the Pennsylvania Line, pp. 94-98; Gordon, American Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 521-527 (ed. 1788); Fiske, American Revolution, vol. i., pp. 318-322; G. W. Greene, Life of Greene, vol. i., pp. 472-481; Johnson, Life of Greene, vol. i., p. 83; F. V. Greene, Life of Greene, p. 85 et seq.; Hildreth, History of the United States, vol. iii., pp. 222-224; Lowell, Hessians in the Revolution, pp. 201-203; Ford's ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. vi., pp. 93–100, 113, 126–127; Irving, Life of Washington, vol. iii., pp. 297-305; Bancroft, vol. v., pp. 192–195; Reed, Life of Joseph Reed, vol. i., pp. 319–323; Lee's Memoirs, vol. i., pp. 27-30; Thacher, Military Journal, pp. 117-118; Sparks, Life of Washington, p. 238 et seq.; Stedman, American War, vol. i., p. 299; Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. ii., pp. 37-41.

Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, pp. 390391; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., p. 112.

Mr. Sparks, in recording this battle, speaks of the good effect of it upon the views of the Count de Vergennes, who remarked to the American commissioners in Paris, "That nothing struck him so much as General Washington's attacking and giving battle to General Howe's army; that to bring an army, raised within a year, to this, promised every thing."- Life of Washington, p. 241. From this, as well as from other occurrences, it was evident that the French government narrowly scanned the military movements of Washington, and also, that his being the commander

65

While the British had been successful in this battle, their position was by no means comfortable, for it was certain that they could not maintain themselves for any great length of time in Philadelphia, unless the Delaware were opened and free communication established between the fleet and the army.* As a large part of the inhabitants of the surrounding country were favorable to the British. cause, Washington sent out foraging parties and other detachments of troops to prevent the British from securing the necessary supplies from the adjacent territory, thus compelling the British to procure their supplies from the fleet or go without. Howe therefore determined to proceed with all despatch against the fortifications on the Delaware. The under line of chevaux-de-frise was protected by a work named Fort Mifflin, situated on Mud Island, a marshy island near the Pennsylvanią bank of the river. On the Jersey side, at Redbank, was a redoubt known as Fort Mercer. A short distance below Mud Island and nearly in a line with it was Hog Island, and between this and the Pennsylvania bank of the river was a narrow channel of sufficient depth to admit ships of moderate draught.† If Howe

in-chief had an important bearing upon their final decision to give aid to the American cause.

See Worthington C. Ford, The Defence of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania Magazine of History (October, 1895, to January, 1897).

On the obstructions placed in the river, see Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol.

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mantown and stationed it in the vicinity of Philadelphia. He then sent Count Donop, with 2,000 Hessians, to

ii., pp. 42-43; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., p. 86.

Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iv., p. 252. In his instructions to Christopher Greene, Washington said: "The post with which you are entrusted is of the utmost importance to America. The whole defence of the Delaware depends upon it; and consequently, all the enemy's hopes of keeping Philadelphia, and finally succeeding in the present campaign."— Irving, Life of Washington, vol. iii., 310. p.

battle no quarter whatever would be given." † Colonel Christopher Greene, of Rhode Island, who commanded the troops in the redoubt, answered that he would defend the post to the best of his ability. Donop then ordered the assault to begin, he himself leading the troops in the face

Regarding the numbers, see the note in Trevelyan, p. 256.

Trevelyan, p. 257; Lossing, vol. ii., p. 87.

BRITISH REPULSED; PLAN TO ATTACK FORT MIFFLIN. 67

of a close fire from the fort and from the American war vessels and floating batteries on the river. He succeeded in capturing an extensive and unfinished outwork, but was unable to make any impression on the redoubt. The count himself now fell mortally wounded; shortly afterward the second officer in command was disabled; and, after suffering a severe loss, the British beat a hasty retreat under a fire similar to that which had met them in their advance. Count Donop was captured and soon died of his wounds. The British loss was about 400, but the American loss was only 8 killed and 29 wounded.*

The British fleet had also participated in the attack, and was equally unfortunate. Through an opening in the lower line of chevaux-de-frise the Augusta, Roebuck, Liverpool, Pearl, and Merlin had succeeded in passing, and with the flowing tide moved up the river. But the obstructions in the river had altered the course of the channel and raised up sand banks where none had previously existed. Unaware of this, the Merlin and Augusta grounded a short distance below the second row of chevaux-defrise, and every effort made to free them resulted in failure. In

Lowell, Hessians in the Revolution, pp. 203208; Bancroft, vol. v., pp. 195-197; Thacher, Military Journal, p. 118; Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, pp. 393-395; Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. ii., pp. 46-47; Ward's letter in Sparks' ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. v., p. 112; Heath's Memoirs, pp. 127–128 (Abbatt's ed.); Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 87-88.

the morning the Americans perceived the precarious situation of the British ships and began to fire on them, also sending fire ships against them. The Augusta caught fire but the crew after the greatest difficulty succeeded in escaping, though some of the officers and men perished in the flames. The Merlin was abandoned and destroyed.*

Howe, nevertheless, did not abandon his effort to reduce the forts. On the Pennsylvania bank opposite Mud Island, he ordered batteries to be erected, but because of the marshy ground and the difficulty in transporting heavy artillery through the swamps, it was a long time before the batteries were in working order. Province Island was also occupied by the British and other works erected upon it. On November 15 everything was ready for the attack upon Fort Mifflin. Three British ships, the Isis, Somerset, and Roebuck, went up the main channel as far as the second line of chevaux-de-frise and stationed themselves in front of the fort. The Vigilant, an armed ship, and a hulk, both mounted with heavy cannon, were sent up the strait between Hog and Province Islands and the Pennsylvania bank, stationing themselves

*See Commodore Hazelwood's letter in Sparks, Correspondence of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 1213; Heath's letter of October 25, in ibid, vol. ii., pp. 18-20; Washington's letter of November 13 to Patrick Henry, in Henry, Life of Patrick Henry, vol. iii., p. 118.

† Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii.,

p. 90.

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REDUCTION OF FORTS MIFFLIN AND MERCER.

so as to be able to sweep the weakest
part of the fortification. At this time
the garrison at Fort Mifflin consisted
of not more than 300 men, under
command of Colonel Samuel Smith.
They had put forth every exertion to
retard the operations of the British.
fleet and army against them; and
when the British finally succeeded in
completing their works, the little gar-
rison still kept up its courage and de-
termined to defend themselves as
best they could. The British bat-
teries and ships now
ships now opened a
terrific cannonade against the fort,
which was answered by the fort, the
works on the Jersey banks, and the
galleys and floating batteries on the
river. At the end of the day, the fort
was almost demolished and many of
the guns had been dismounted. Find-
ing their position untenable, there-
fore, the garrison retired during the
night.* Two days after, Lord Corn-
wallis marched against Fort Mercer
at Redbank, but the garrison having
evacuated the fort some time pre-
viously, he occupied it without
opposition. † Being now unprotected

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Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, p. 395; Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iv., pp. 262265; Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. ii., pp. 47-50; Lossing, pp. 91-93. See also Smith's reports in Sparks, Correspondence of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 7-8.

Bancroft, vol. v., pp. 198-199; Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. ii., p. 58; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., p. 93. See also Reed, Life of Joseph Reed, vol. i., pp. 335-341; Stedman, American War, vol. i., p. 301; Ford's ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. vi., pp. 131, 137, 143-148, 157-159, 168-169, 176-177, 187-188, 190-206, 217-218, 220, 224, 227-228, 373

receiving

reinforcements

by land batteries, the American ship-
ping retired up the river. By keep-
ing close to the Jersey side, a few of
the ships were able to pass the bat-
teries at Philadelphia and thereby
escape, but the rest were set on fire
and abandoned.* The ships that
escaped at this time were shortly
afterward destroyed. Thus the Brit-
ish succeeded in opening navigation
on the Delaware and in establishing
free communication between the fleet
and the army.
After
from the northern army,† Washing-
ton left his encampment at Skippack
Creek and took up a position at
White Marsh, twelve miles from
Philadelphia and nearer the British.‡
In front was a valley and a rivulet,
while his right was protected by an
abattis, or a fence of trees cut down
with their branches sharpened and
pointed outward. Believing that, be-
cause of his reinforcements, Wash-
ington would hazard a battle to re-
take the capital of Pennsylvania,
Howe, on the evening of December 4,
marched from Philadelphia and on
the next morning took a position on
Chestnut Hill in front of the right

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