Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by

GEORGE BANCROFT,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

Cambridge: Printed by John Wilson and Son

THE

AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

BY

GEORGE BANCROFT.

VOL. II.

SIXTH EDITION, REVISED.

BOSTON:

LITTLE, BROWN & COMPANY.

1868.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by

GEORGE BANCROFT,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the

Southern District of New York.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XLI.

THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS IN MIDSUMMER, 1775. June 17-July, 1775.

Censure on Howe's attack on Bunker Hill, 25—Sufferings of the British,

25-Great loss of officers, 26-Death of Abercrombie, 26-Election of Ameri-

can major generals, 26-Artemas Ward, 26-Charles Lee, 26-Opinion of

him in England, 26-His character, 27-His demand of indemnity, 28-New

York proposes Schuyler, 28-Montgomery's opinion, 29-Schuyler's charac-

ter, 29—Choice of Israel Putnam, 29-His previous career, 29—His charac-

ter, 29—Horatio Gates Adjutant General, 30-His rank, 30—His character, 30

-Incompetency of the general officers, 30-Thomas Jefferson enters Congress,

30-Election of brigadiers, 30-Seth Pomeroy chosen, 30-His character, 30-

He declines, 30-Richard Montgomery chosen, 30-His character, 31-

Choice of David Wooster, 31-Of William Heath, 31-Of Joseph Spencer, 31

-Of John Thomas, 31-Of John Sullivan, 31-Of Nathaniel Greene, 31—

Washington's farewell to Congress, 31-His departure from Philadelphia, 31

-His reception at New York, 32—Reception of Governor Tryon, 33-Ad-

dress of New York Congress to Washington, 33-His answer, 34-New York

plan of accommodation, 34-Congress expects but one campaign, 34—Its finan-

cial system, 35—Increase of the army, 35—Congress authorizes the invasion

of Canada, 35-Causes of taking up arms, 36-Measures advised by John

Adams, 37-Franklin's message to Strahan, 37-Second petition of congress to

the King, 37-Union announced, 38-Congress addresses the people of Great

Britain, 38-Address to London, 39-Appointment of Richard Penn as agent

for congress, 39-The alternative proposed, 39.

CHAPTER XLII.

THE ARMY ROUND BOSTON. July, 1775.

Washington, Mifflin, Reed, Lee, Gates, at Cambridge, 40-Popularity
ɔf Washington, 41-Trumbull's Message, 41-State of the army, 41-Wash-
ington visits the American posts, 41-Their condition, 42-Sufferings of the
inhabitants of Boston, 42-Number of the British army, 42-The American
lines, 43-Stockbridge Indians, 43-Number of the American army, 44-

Their appearance, 44-The camp, 44-Its deficiencies, 44-Washington intro-

duces reforms, 45-Lee tries to negotiate, 46-Burgoyne's letter to Lee, 46—

Lee's clandestine letter to Burgoyne, 46-Various skirmishes and expeditions,

47–Declaration for taking up arms read to the colony, 47-Town meetings in

Massachusetts, 47-Election of house of representatives, 48-Boston town

meeting held at Concord, 48-Attack on Boston lighthouse, 48-Organization

of government in Massachusetts, 48—Alarm of General Gage, 48-He wishes

to transfer the army to New York, 49—Skirmish at the lighthouse, 49–

Washington misjudges the New England people, 49-Their benevolence and

zeal, 49—Their exertions, 50.

CHAPTER XLIII.

CONGRESS STILL HOPES TO AVERT WAR. July, 19-August, 1775.

Inefficiency of the continental congress as an executive body, 51-Wash-

ington's reports, 51-His wants, 51-Reports from Schuyler, 52-The want of

discipline, 52-Measures adopted by Congress, 52-Congress gives authority

to employ troops, 52--and recommendations to provide them, 53-Franklin

proposes a confederacy, 53-Its conditions, 53-Its component members, 53----

Its perpetuity, 53—Two great principles of his plan, 54—The proposition

reserved, 54—Georgia joins the Union, 54-Lord North's proposal referred to a

committee, 54—Jamaica remembered, 54—America and Ireland, 54—Ameri-

cans complain to the Irish of Howe, 55-British attempts to gain the aid of the

savages, 55-Apathy of Congress, 55-Indignation of John Adams, 56-His

letters intercepted, 56-Jefferson's paper in reply to Lord North's proposal,

56-Reasons for rejecting his proposal, 56—Proposal for a truce, 57—Post

Office established, 57-Congressional system of finances, 57-How it was

proposed to redeem the paper money, 58-Contrast of the finances of Britain,

58-Congress refuses to open the American ports, 58-Congress adjourns, 59.

CHAPTER XLIV.

AMERICA AWAITS THE KING'S DECISION. August-September, 1775.

Duties of Washington, 60-His position, 60--His want of money, powder,

arms, 61-Divisions of the army, 61-Washington's measures to obtain a lit-

tle powder, 61-Spirit of the country, 62-The riflemen, 62-Character of

Morgan, 62—Zeal of his company, 63—Cresap and his company, 63-Pennsyl-

vania riflemen, 64-Alacrity of the new recruits, 64-Influence of the riflemen on

European tactics, 65-Linzee beaten off from Cape Ann, 65-Artifices of Gage,

66-His ill-treatment of American prisoners, 66-Washington remonstrates, 66

-Foolish insolence of Gage, 66-Washington and the people as the source of

power, 66—Retaliation threatened, 67-Stanhope breaks his parole, 67—State

of the British troops in Boston, 67-Timorousness of Gage, 67-Boston more

closely invested, 67-Washington rejects the plan of an expedition against