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place. Colonel John Stark assumed the command of the Americans of that region, but all he could muster was a little band of eight hundred patriots. Colonel Stark's battle call has become famous: "There the Redcoats are, my boys. We must capture them ere night, or Mollie Stark will be a widow." In the battle that ensued over two hundred of the Hessians were killed and seven hundred captured.

231. St. Leger Meets with Disaster.-The British cause was further endangered by the total rout of the expedition under St. Leger who had proceeded down the Mohawk valley to attack the Americans at Fort Stanwix. While General Nicholas Herkimer was hastening to the relief of the besieged fort, he was ambuscaded at Oriskany by St. Leger's Tories and Indians. A bloody battle ensued, in which one third of those engaged were left dead upon the field. Herkimer with but a remnant of his followers was received into the inclosure of the fort. During the battle with Herkimer the brave company in the fort sallied forth and, driving off the British, captured their entire camp and supplies. Returning from Oriskany the British continued the siege. Benedict Arnold

soon appeared upon the scene, whereupon St. Leger, deserted by his Indian allies, was forced to retreat.

232. The Stars and Stripes.-When the American force made the sally from Fort Stanwix mentioned above it captured five British flags, which were at once hoisted upside down above the ramparts of the fort. High above them all there was flung to the breeze for the first time the Stars and Stripes the new flag of the American Republic. Congress had voted on June 14, 1777, that the national flag should consist of thirteen horizontal red and white stripes-seven red and six white-with thirteen white stars in a circle on a blue field in the upper staff corner of the flag. None of the new flags having been issued to the army at the time, the Americans at Fort Stanwix hastily made one from a soldier's blue jacket, scraps of red flannel, and strips of an officer's white shirt. Prior to the adoption of the Stars and Stripes,

flags of various designs had been used by the different patriot armies. Washington used the new flag for the first time at the battle of Brandywine. The flag was changed in 1792 to fifteen stripes and fifteen stars on account of the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the union. In 1818, when it was restored to thirteen stripes, it was voted that the number of stars in the blue field should equal the number of states in the Republic.

233. The Two Battles of Saratoga Sept. 19 and Oct. 7: Burgoyne's Surrender-Oct. 17.-Burgoyne now had but one hope. Howe must come, and that quickly, or disaster would follow. Howe did not come, nor could Burgoyne even hear from him. Affairs grew worse daily in the British camp, as the Americans were now in sufficient force to give battle. Just at this moment occurred one of those events in army politics which sometimes disgrace the page of history. The patient, vigilant, resourceful General Schuyler, just ready to pluck the fruits of his consummate strategy, was superseded by General Horatio Gates." Schuyler's patriotism shines out on the pages of American history— he communicated to Gates every detail of his plan to capture the British army and remained with Gates to assist him in carrying out these plans. Burgoyne, now thoroughly beset, decided to try to fight his way southward, where he hoped to meet Howe. Crossing the Hudson, Burgoyne attacked the Americans in their strongly intrenched position at Bemis Heights, and the first battle of Saratoga ensued (Sept. 19). After a fierce engagement Burgoyne was compelled to withdraw. Three weeks passed, and as aid promised by Howe still failed to come, Burgoyne decided to try to break through the American lines. The British attacked desperately, but they were so outnumbered by the American army that they were forced to retire (Oct. 7). Burgoyne now attempted to retreat, but on reaching the river he found all the fords strongly guarded. The Americans were pressing him eagerly on every side, his supplies were gore, and nothing

was left to him but to surrender his entire army, comprising nearly six thousand men. This surrender occurred on the 17th of October. The defeat of one of her ablest generals and of an army of her best troops humiliated England beyond measure and correspondingly raised the hopes of the colonies. France, pleased with the result, soon openly espoused the cause of the colonies and the French alliance followed.

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234. Battle of Brandywine Sept. 11: Philadelphia Taken. It was the last of June and Burgoyne's expedition,

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just started, was moving southward from Canada with but little opposition, when Howe made a fatal error by acting on the advice of his prisoner, Charles Lee. He moved south against Washington instead of assisting Burgoyne's expedition as originally planned. The following of Lee's advice by Howe resulted, as we have just seen, in the loss to the British government of an army of ten thousand men, the disaffection of a large number of Indian allies, the surrender of the control of a vast extent of territory, and further in the secur

ing to the American republic its recognition as an independ ent nation by the French government. Fearing that Washington might strike him at an unfavorable point if he marched overland, Howe embarked his army on the fleet and sailed for Philadelphia by way of Chesapeake Bay. He consumed nearly two months in the voyage, and when he landed his troops at the head of Chesapeake Bay found Washington in his front. The American commander retreated slowly before Howe's advance. Finally taking position on Brandywine Creek on the 11th of September, he met the British in the battle of Brandywine, which was a British victory, dearly bought. Two weeks later Howe entered Philadelphia.

235. Germantown-Oct. 4.-The greater part of the British army was encamped about Germantown, a village six miles from Philadelphia, and Washington planned an attack on it. On the night of October 4, separating his army into four divisions, he closed in on the enemy by four different roads. The British were yielding on all sides, when one of their divisions took a position at a stone house which offered excellent opportunity for defence. During the delay occasioned by the stubborn resistance at this point, two divisions of the American army met, and, a dense fog preventing recognition, engaged in a pitched battle. Before the mistake was discovered the Americans were seized with a panic, whereupon the British, recovering themselves, compelled Washington to withdraw.

236. The Winter at Valley Forge.-Washington then went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, a point on the west side of the Schuylkill River, twenty miles from Philadelphia, as the most available place from which to watch Howe. That winter was a most severe one, and Howe, always an indolent general, was well content to remain in his comfortable quarters in Philadelphia. It was fortunate for the Americans that no active field operations were required, for they were scantily clothed and had but few supplies save those secured from the country roundabout. Intense suffering was the

portion of all, even the officers having the scantiest of fare. As in prosperity, so in adversity, the commander-in-chief of the army shared in its fortunes. He remained in the camp the entire winter, giving encouragement and counsel to all and keeping the men as busy as possible, that they might forget their sufferings. The bitterness of this period was made the greater to Washington from the fact that he knew it was due to the culpable neglect and mismanagement on the part of the commissary department. There was an abundance in the country to clothe and to feed the army. Washington did no greater service during the entire war than in holding the suffering patriot army together during this terrible winter.

EVENTS OF 1778

237. The Conway Cabal.-This period of the war was one of discontent in both the army and in Congress, and was seized upon by ambitious and designing men as an opportune time to molest and annoy the commander-in-chief. Washington had lost the Philadelphia campaign. Gates was the hero of the hour on account of Burgoyne's surrender, though the truth was that he deserved little credit. Congress, unfortunately, was full of politicians that winter, who failed to grasp the situation, or measure up to its requirements; and, shame be it said, laid all the blame on Washington. In this atmosphere a cabal was formed against Washington by a number of his subordinate officers with the purpose of deposing him from command and putting Gates in his place. Conway, the jealous inspector-general; Gates, the selfish schemer; Mifflin, the incompetent quartermaster-general, and a few others, were the leading conspirators. Owing to the popularity of Washington with the people, and to the foolish blunders made by these unworthy officers, the cabal failed utterly. It was met by the people with such a storm of indignation that all who could, hastened to deny connection with it.

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