as any hero of romance, and his adventures are as various and as strange as those of Roderick Random or Masterman Ready. He had actually sailed over to the enemy's country, landed on the coast of England at Whitehaven, spiked all the cannon in the fort while the town was asleep, and then set fire to the ships in the harbor, and gone quietly on board his vessel, before the terrified inhabitants could rub open their sleepy eyes and see that it was only one poor little vessel with a handful of men, who had done all this. After this adventure, he went to France, and with Benjamin Franklin's aid and influence finally got a good-sized ship, which he called the Bon Homme Richard (Good Man Richard), after Dr. Franklin's "Poor Richard's Maxims," which I am sure you have often heard quoted.

John Paul sailed with "Good Man Richard" to the coast of England bordering on the North Sea. Cruising about near the harbor of Scarborough in Yorkshire County, he saw a fleet of ships just setting to sea under the protection of two English men-of war. The largest of these ships was the Serapis, with forty-four guns, splendidly manned and every way the better of John Paul's ship. He did not hesitate on that account, but challenged her at once to battle. The English captain was so certain of victory that when he had fired one or two broadsides at " Good Man Richard," he inquired of her commander if he was ready to pull down his colors. “I have not yet begun to fight," answered John Paul coolly.

The two ships were then so close together that the bowsprit of the Serapis came over the side so that it nearly touched the mizzen-mast of the Bon Homme Richard. John Paul saw his opportunity, and before the captain could disentangle the two ships he seized a rope and with his own hands tied the ships together. There, lashed side by side, with the mouths of the cannon from each vessel belching into each other their terrible volley, ensued one of the most desperate fights in the history of sea battles. It lasted about two hours and a half, when the English captain went aloft and hauled down his colors with his own hand. Not one of his men was brave enough to venture on deck on such an errand. When the fight was over, John Paul's vessel was sinking, and her master and his crew were obliged to leave her and take refuge in the conquered ship. "Next day," says John Paul in his account of it, "I saw it was impossible to save the good old ship from sinking. We did not abandon her till nine in the morning. The water was then

up to the lower deck, and a little after ten I saw, with inexpressible grief, the last glimpse of the Bon Homme Richard."

The fight with the Serapis filled all Europe with surprise, and John Paul Jones was the hero of the hour. The fact that an English ship could be beaten in fair battle was proved, and was hailed as a good omen in America. Of all the events of the year 1779 it was the most brilliant, and excited most wonder.

CHAPTER XLVII.

EVENTS DURING 1779.

Discontent in the Army.-Flogging of Soldiers. Taking of Charleston by the British Tarlton's Quarter. — General Marion's Militia. — Story of Marion and the British Officer. — Count Rochambeau in Rhode Island.

ANOTHER winter of cold and discontent in Washington's army stationed at Morristown. The winter was terribly severe, and in their miserable quarters the men huddled together at night on piles of straw, keeping themselves from freezing by the heat from the close contact of their bodies. Heavy snow-storms often cut off their supplies, and, they were frequently a week without a mouthful of meat, and sometimes as long without bread. The soldiers, paid in Continental money, were discontented with this kind of reward for their services. They grumbled loudly at having nothing but this worthless paper to send home to their families, whom they knew were often without the common necessaries of life. When their pay was given them, they said, as they looked scornfully at the crisp new paper which the Continental Congress had issued, "A hat full of this stuff would not buy our families one bushel of salt."

There were many signs of mutiny, and only the utmost care and judicious management of Washington prevented a serious outbreak in his army. Many of the soldiers, contrary to orders, would steal from camp to take sheep, pigs, and poultry, from the farmers in the country round about. Many a poor fellow had to be flogged for this offense (for the discipline of the army must be maintained), and it was said Washington would always take care to have the punishment inflicted as far as possible from his quarters, that he might not be pained by witnessing it. The soldiers would bear the whipping with great fortitude, and devised a means to endure the pain with

out uttering any outcry. They would take a leaden bullet between the teeth, and chew on it while the lash fell on their naked backs. After the punishment was over they would often spit the bullet from their mouths all flattened out, and showing as plainly the impression of the teeth as if it had been rubber.

Yet although the soldiers were often hungry and very ragged, the army managed to turn out and make a tolerable appearance whenever Washington had any distinguished foreign guest, and a "dress review" was ordered. Washington had very efficient help at this time in disciplining the army, in the person of Baron Steuben, a splendid soldier, who had been an aide-de-camp in the army of Frederick the Great of Prussia, who you know had the finest soldiers in the world. There was no better order in the American army than in the regiments which Baron Steuben drilled. Perfect order and

perfect silence prevailed in the parades of his soldiers. Every man's gun was examined, and if it was dirty or out of order, off the man went to the guard-house. If clean, and ready for use at a seconds notice, the soldier had a reward in money from his commander. There were few among those foreign officers who came to aid us, more efficient than Baron Steuben.

During the winter General Clinton, who still held New York firmly in his grasp, and who felt sure Washington was not in a condition to make any attempt to retake the city, sailed with a fleet to Charleston, South Carolina, to take that town. His southern army held Savannah, and if they could take Charleston, he believed that Georgia and the Carolinas would be entirely subdued to British power. General Lincoln, who commanded our southern troops, was a brave man and a good soldier, but he always fought with the odds against him. He managed to muster about 3,000 men inside the city of Charleston for its defense, and he hoped to get more forces before Clinton could entirely surround the city. But he hoped in vain. The British ships entered Charleston harbor boldly, and after a siege of a month, Lincoln was forced to surrender. There were many Tories in South Carolina as well as many patriots, and Clinton took counsel of the Tories, who of course were very bitter against the Whigs, and advised him to issue a severe proclamation, threatening all the people who did not at once prove themselves loyal to the British king. The South Carolina militia began to retreat to the mountains of North Carolina, to get out of the way of their conquerors. One of the British officers, Colonel Tarleton,

was sent to pursue them, and falling in with a band who were retreating, he attacked them and cut them to pieces without mercy. It was reported that he spurred on his soldiers after the militia had laid down their arms and asked for quarter,- and " Tarleton's quarter afterwards was understood to mean the most unrelenting barbarity.

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After the taking of Charleston, two brave soldiers in the Carolinas carried on unceasing war against the Tories. These were General Francis Marion and General Thomas Sumter, both natives of South Carolina. General Marion had been in the siege, but had left the city just before it surrendered and escaped capture. The two generals had raised an army of men from among the patriot farmers and hunters in the interior. They were a motley crew, without aniforms and almost without arms. Yet for months they were the only representatives of the American cause in the South, and by ha

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rassing the Tories, making frequent descents on British outposts, and capturing now and then a few prisoners and a stand of arms, they kept liberty alive. At one time Marion had a camp upon Snow's Island, an inaccessible spot, in the centre of swamps and tangled forests. Here with his men he slept on the ground without a blanket, and marched bareheaded in the sun, for want of a hat. A British officer was marched into this retreat, blindfolded, in order to talk with Marion about the exchange of some prisoners.

Marion invited him to dinner, and when it was reported ready, the young officer, fresh from the luxurious fare of the English

mess-rooms, saw a pine log for a table, and some roasted sweet

"Is this all you have for dinner?" he asked, in astonishment. "This is all," answered General Marion, " and we thought ourselves fortunate in having more potatoes than usual, when we had a guest to dine with us."

"You must have excellent pay to console you for such living," said the officer.

"On the contrary," answered Marion, "I have never received a dollar, nor have one of my men."

"What on earth are you fighting for?"

"For the love of liberty," answered the hero. The story relates that the young officer went back to Charleston and resigned his position in the English army, saying he would not fight against men who fought from such motives, and endured such hardships. I hope the story is true, it is such an excellent one.

In the mean time, at the North, there had been some skirmishing, and many houses and towns plundered in New York and New Jersey, but no serious fighting. During the spring Lafayette returned from France with news of more help on the way to America. The Count de Rochambeau soon followed him with several ships and an army of 6,000 men. They took up quarters in Newport, Rhode Island.

In September Washington went to Connecticut to confer with the Count, and while here a treason to the American cause was discovered, which if it had been successful might have been the death-blow to liberty in this country. But the account of this treason must have place in a fresh chapter.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

TREASON OF BENEDICT ARNOLD.

West Point. Gustavus, and John Anderson. - Capture of Colonel André. - Escape of Benedict Arnold. André condemned to be hanged. - His Letter to Washington. - Plot to save André. Feigned Desertion of Champe. - The Execution of André. Failure of Champe's Enterprise and his Return.

WE left General Benedict Arnold in command of the forces stationed in Philadelphia after Howe's evacuation. He had lived a gay life in the Quaker city, getting badly in debt there, and growing every day on worse terms with himself and his brother generals in the American army. In the summer he asked Washington for a