登陆注册
5194800000047

第47章 THE ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE AND ITS RESULTS(4)

There was nothing for it but, at whatever risk, to abandon Philadelphia and march the army across New Jersey.It would be possible to take by sea the stores and the three thousand Loyalists from Philadelphia, some of whom would probably be hanged if they should be taken.Lord Howe, the naval commander, did his part in a masterly manner.On the 18th of June the British army marched out of Philadelphia and before the day was over it was across the Delaware on the New Jersey side.That same day Washington's army, free from its long exile at Valley Forge, occupied the capital.Clinton set out on his long march by land and Howe worked his laden ships down the difficult river to its mouth and, after delay by winds, put to sea on the 28th of June.

By a stroke of good fortune he sailed the two hundred miles to New York in two days and missed the great fleet of d'Estaing, carrying an army of four thousand men.On the 8th of July d'Estaing anchored at the mouth of the Delaware.Had not his passage been unusually delayed and Howe's unusually quick, as Washington noted, the British fleet and the transports in the Delaware would probably have been taken and Clinton and his army would have shared the fate of Burgoyne.

As it was, though Howe's fleet was clear away, Clinton's army had a bad time in the march across New Jersey.Its baggage train was no less than twelve miles long and, winding along roads leading sometimes through forests, was peculiarly vulnerable to flank attack.In this type of warfare Washington excelled.He had fought over this country and he knew it well.The tragedy of Valley Forge was past.His army was now well trained and well supplied.He had about the same number of men as the British--perhaps sixteen thousand--and he was not encumbered by a long baggage train.Thus it happened that Washington was across the Delaware almost as soon as the British.He marched parallel with them on a line some five miles to the north and was able to forge towards the head of their column.He could attack their flank almost when he liked.Clinton marched with great difficulty.He found bridges down.Not only was Washington behind him and on his flank but General Gates was in front marching from the north to attack him when he should try to cross the Raritan River.The long British column turned southeastward toward Sandy Hook, so as to lessen the menace from Gates.Between the half of the army in the van and the other half in the rear was the baggage train.

The crisis came on Sunday the 28th of June, a day of sweltering heat.By this time General Charles Lee, Washington's second in command, was in a good position to attack the British rear guard from the north, while Washington, marching three miles behind Lee, was to come up in the hope of overwhelming it from the rear.

Clinton's position was difficult but he was saved by Lee's ineptitude.He had positive instructions to attack with his five thousand men and hold the British engaged until Washington should come up in overwhelming force.The young La Fayette was with Lee.

He knew what Washington had ordered, but Lee said to him: "You don't know the British soldiers; we cannot stand against them."Lee's conduct looks like deliberate treachery.Instead of attacking the British he allowed them to attack him.La Fayette managed to send a message to Washington in the rear; Washington dashed to the front and, as he came up, met soldiers flying from before the British.He rode straight to Lee, called him in flaming anger a "damned poltroon," and himself at once took command.There was a sharp fight near Monmouth Court House.The British were driven back and only the coming of night ended the struggle.Washington was preparing to renew it in the morning, but Clinton had marched away in the darkness.He reached the coast on the 30th of June, having lost on the way fifty-nine men from sunstroke, over three hundred in battle, and a great many more by desertion.The deserters were chiefly Germans, enticed by skillful offers of land.Washington called for a reckoning from Lee.He was placed under arrest, tried by court-martial, found guilty, and suspended from rank for twelve months.Ultimately he was dismissed from the American army, less it appears for his conduct at Monmouth than for his impudent demeanor toward Congress afterwards.

These events on land were quickly followed by stirring events on the sea.The delays of the British Admiralty of this time seem almost incredible.Two hundred ships waited at Spithead for three months for convoy to the West Indies, while all the time the people of the West Indies, cut off from their usual sources of supply in America, were in distress for food.Seven weeks passed after d'Estaing had sailed for America, before the Admiralty knew that he was really gone and sent Admiral Byron, with fourteen ships, to the aid of Lord Howe.When d'Estaing was already before New York Byron was still battling with storms in mid-Atlantic, storms so severe that his fleet was entirely dispersed and his flagship was alone when it reached Long Island on the 18th of August.

同类推荐
  • 般若波罗蜜多心经-玄奘

    般若波罗蜜多心经-玄奘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 荣进集

    荣进集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 法华论疏

    法华论疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 饮膳正要

    饮膳正要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 云笈七签

    云笈七签

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 渡我入魔

    渡我入魔

    她是拥有魔族神族血统灵气煞气并存的丑陋女子,日益增大的煞气将她的脸变得一半黑一半黄,为了不被魔障之毒吞噬而入魔,她踏上了修仙之路。他堕仙入魔,嗜血为生,超脱六界外,不在五行中,无情无欲,靠近她只为了夺取神族宝物开天,他日能将这六界踩于脚下。她猩红的眸子腾起了无限杀气,看着他冷漠的背影一字一顿“你若再弃,便渡我成魔!”他依旧绝然冷语道“我从来没有爱过你!”八个字便将她满腔的情愫生生撕裂。这是一部仙侠言情小说,神,魔,妖,仙,之间的争夺,是比较轻松的文,内容丰富多彩,文笔一般,多名小伙伴表示想继续看,属于读起来不费劲型,部分发宝法术名称取自于我曾经玩的网游热血传奇,为此纪念那些玩传奇的年代。
  • 盛世女尊之许你一世长情

    盛世女尊之许你一世长情

    「禁止转载,谢谢配合」续《女尊重生:男后倾城》第二部。玉无双发现自己跳崖竟然没死,却浑身赤裸,身边还躺着一个女人!这个女人是谁?她为什么要对自己这么好?她是天辰最尊贵的太女殿下,对谁都冷冷淡淡,可以说是万年冰山,外人言,她有隐疾,对男人没兴趣,可谁人知,在那偏院,独宠着那个不爱她的男人。主角:玉无双,司慕倾,凤清晚,锦城,凤清城,凤玖倾,配角:司玥城,景尧,凤卿,芜连城,背景:架空女尊王朝,天辰
  • 清城绝恋:福晋难当

    清城绝恋:福晋难当

    初遇,我们素不相识,却结下不解之缘。再见,我已是你的十四福晋,却没能成为你心中所爱。后来,我两次变换身份,完颜安沁的名字渐渐消失在人们的心中,重新归来,已是物是人非,待到最后,我能选择谁?胤祯,我爱你,你都知道的。
  • 逆天魔后:拐上魔君回现代

    逆天魔后:拐上魔君回现代

    【简介】一朝穿越,付小七成了独孤一人,面对崭新而玄妙的世界,一无所知。然而渐渐复苏的记忆和一个若即若离的男人,如约而至;一段尘封多年的往事,渐渐浮出水面。当她拼尽全力去保护身边的人,却被人玩弄鼓掌……既然委屈不能求全,那么,她就逆天逆命!胆敢欺她辱她,玩弄她的,即便是神,也照杀不误!【一句话简介】某小强为了自由和爱情而屡战屡败屡败屡战屡死屡生的【纠结+虐恋+悲情+搞笑】的长篇奋斗史。
  • 前辈们的秘密

    前辈们的秘密

    本书所写的是中国文坛和学界的一流文化人。其中包括王元化、李泽厚、黎澍、施蜇存、金性尧、黄裳、范用、唐振常、曾卓、辛丰年、谷林、吴小如、周作人、张爱玲等,多为第一手材料,对这些人物作学术分析,写出他们真正的价值。这些人都是“专家之上的文人”,中国文化都是由这种“专家之上的文人”传承和推进的。此书深入浅出、雅俗共赏,是一本具有深刻文化含量的大书。
  • 时尚健身体育

    时尚健身体育

    本丛书以统一的体例、创新的形式,讲解各项目的起源与发展、运动保健、基本技术、运动技巧、比赛规则等,注重实用性、可操作性,使读者在学习过程中,不仅能够学会运动健身的方法,同时还能够学到保健方面的基本知识。
  • 中华健脑菜

    中华健脑菜

    本书详细讲解了日常生活中最常用的众多健脑食物及其营养成分、养生功效、烹调应用、搭配宜忌,及以这些食物为主料烹制的多道家常菜肴。这些菜普均介绍了详细的制作方法、食用方法及功效,让您既享受到美味,又增加了营养。书中还阐述了脑的生理结构和功能,以及健脑原则和饮食调理方法,帮助您用科学的方法健脑补脑。
  • 化天之神

    化天之神

    天下没我必灭亡!上神(神的师父)见我求帮忙!美女金钱多如毛!
  • 感恩·三文鱼的生命旅程

    感恩·三文鱼的生命旅程

    感恩是指当怀着一种感谢别人对自己的帮助的心情来回馈社会。我们一生中或多或少都收到过别人的帮助或者恩泽,所以我们每一个人都应该怀有感恩之心。多年前就有一首歌唱道:“感恩的心,感谢有你”。在中国每当有灾难发生,都会有无数人支援,于是这首歌在各种晚会上经久不衰。
  • 冷少总裁宠妻

    冷少总裁宠妻

    严禁转载,违者必究。这里没有激情的片段,也没有勾心斗角的场面,有的只是温馨浪漫。有的只是一个宠女人的男人和一个自卑的女人。他是冷氏集团的总裁,也是她眼中的“希哥哥”。他对其他人都是另眼相待,唯独对她宠爱有加。他从不对别人笑,就只是在她面前崭露笑容。可是,为什么她还是要离开自己呢?她是一个父亲离世,母亲不要的人,却有个“希哥哥”伴着她。她是个佣人的孩子,怎么可能配得上他这个总裁。她没有人疼,只是有“希哥哥”会疼她,宠她,可是她又怎么能承受呢?她要离开他,却努力打造匹配得上他的自己。感谢抬头让你吻为偶做的美丽的封面。此文每天在9:00——11:00之间更新,一天一更。如果想多更的话,请在下面留言,霏霏会考虑的。哈哈推荐朋友的文:晓臻:——梅冬——