FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. 447 XXXIV. the army to sixty thousand, but it really never reached CHAP. more than half that number. Many of the more experienced officers were compelled by necessity to resign; 1778. their families were dependent upon them, and they received scarcely any pay. These resignations were unfortunate. Washington appealed to Congress in behalf of the officers, and also of the soldiers. That body promised half pay for seven years to those officers who should serve to the end of the war, and to the soldiers thus serving a gratuity of eighty dollars. But the treasury was empty; new bills of credit were issued, and the several States were called upon to levy taxes for the public expenses; but the States were poor, and some of them were negligent. Their bills of credit continued to lose their value; and to increase the evil, the British and Tories flooded the country with counterfeits. The depreciation became so great, that a pair of boots cost more than seven hundred dollars in some of these bills of credit. Yet it shows the patriotism of the great mass of the people, that at this time of despondency and distress, the British, with their promises of gold and protection, could induce only three thousand five hundred Tories to enlist in their army. The office of quartermaster had been held during the last campaign by Mifflin; but he was seldom at his post, and the department was in great confusion. Many difficulties had grown out of this neglect; the army was irregularly supplied with provisions and forage, while the country people suffered much on account of the demands made upon them for provisions by unauthorized foraging parties. At the urgent request of Washington, Congress appointed General Greene quartermaster. He assumed the duties of the office, so irksome to him, for one year, but without compensation. The system with which Greene performed all his duties was soon apparent; the army was regularly furnished with provisions and ammu CHAP. nition, so that it could be ready to march at a few minutes' notice. XXXIV. 1778. General Lee was returned to the army in exchange for April General Prescott. Lee was as selfish as he was destitute of the true nobleness of a man of honor. In a document in his own handwriting, written when a prisoner in New York, dated "March 29, 1777," and endorsed by Lord and Sir William Howe as "Mr. Lee's plan," may be found the evidence of his willingness to ruin the cause of American Independence. In this elaborate plan, he urged with great earnestness upon the British ministry to send a large force; part of which to take position at Alexandria, on the Potomac, and part at Annapolis, on the Chesapeake. Thus to separate the Northern and Southern colonies, and prevent them from aiding each other, while to oppose Burgoyne's advance would require all the force that New England could raise. He was willing to forfeit his life, if the measure did not speedily terminate the war and dissolve the "Congress Government." For some reason the ministry did not adopt Lee's suggestion, and the document was filed away among British state papers, to bear testimony to the dishonesty of the author three-quarters of a century after his death.' In the Spring, Sir William Howe, after complaining that his government did not furnish him a sufficiency of men and supplies, resigned his command, and Sir Henry Clinton was appointed his successor. With the exception of foraging parties, the British, as yet, made no military May movements. About this time came intelligence of the passage of Lord North's conciliatory bills, and that the commissioners would soon be on their way to open negotiations. The substance of these bills was circulated very extensively by zealous Tories. Congress ordered them to "Treason of General Charles Lee," by George H. Moore. Esq., TREATY WITH FRANCE-BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 449 XXXIV. be printed in the newspapers, accompanied by a severe CHAP criticism, furnished by a committee of the House. The Jan. 30. Presently came the news that France had acknow- 1778. ledged the independence of the States, and had entered into a treaty with them of commerce and defence. light had dawned upon the American cause ! A thrill of joy went throughout the land. 5. The treaty between the United States and France May produced a great sensation in England. It is madness to protract the war! said the friends of America. Let us acknowledge the independence of the States, and obtain their good will by liberal terms of commerce, lest our great rival win them to herself. But no! the idea was scouted; the war must be prosecuted, blood must still flow. In June came the commissioners to treat under Lord North's conciliatory bills. They were the Earl of Carlisle, William Eden, brother of the late governor of Maryland, and George Johnstone, formerly governor of Florida, and who had been a friend of the Americans in Parliament. The commissioners sent their proposals to Congress, but that body refused to treat, until the independence of the States was acknowledged, and the British troops withdrawn. As the commissioners could not grant these demands, negotiations were not commenced. Some of the commissioners indirectly resorted to bribery, and by means of a loyalist lady of Philadelphia, made propositions to General Joseph Reed, of ten thousand pounds, and any. office in the colonies he might choose, if he would aid the object of the mission. To which offer he made this memorable reply: "I am not worth purchasing, but such as I am, the king of England is not rich enough to buy me." When it was known that a French fleet was expected on the coast, the British hastened to evacuate Philadelphia, and retreat to New York. Most of the stores, together with the sick and wounded, were sent round by June 18. XXXIV. CHAP. water, while the army, twelve thousand strong, took up its line of march across New Jersey. Washington was 1778. soon in pursuit. The weather was excessively warm, and the heavily armed British moved very slowly. The Ameri cans soon came up. A council of war was held, and the question discussed, whether to attack the enemy and bring on a general engagement, or merely harass them on their march. Washington, with Greene and Lafayette, was in favor of the former manner of attack, and Lee, for some reason, strenuously advocated the latter. When it was decided to bring on a general engagement, Lee, as his advice had not been taken, declined to take any com mand in the affair. June 28. Washington therefore sent Lafayette forward with two thousand men, to take position on the hills, and thus crowd Sir Henry Clinton off into the plain. The next morning Lee had changed his mind, and asked to be given a command. Washington sent him forward with two brigades, and when he came up with Lafayette, being of superior rank, he assumed the command of the entire advance division. The British encamped near Monmouth Court-house. There were morasses and groves of woods in the vicinity, a difficult place in which to manœuvre troops. When Lee advanced, he found a force of apparently about two thousand on the march, but a portion of the woods obstructed a full view. He made his arrangements to cut off this force, and sent word of his movements to Washington. But when he came upon the division, he found it much stronger than he anticipated-in truth, Clinton had thrown this strong force of German and British there, for the express purpose of giving the Americans a severe check. The battle had scarcely begun, before occurred a misapprehension of orders. The Americans began to retreat, and Lee, in the hurry of the moment, forgot to send word of BATTLE OF MONMOUTH. 451 XXXIV the movement to Washington, who was advancing with CHAP Washington hastily formed the men on a rising ground. After refreshing his men, Washington marched across New Jersey, passed the Hudson, and took position at White Plains, to be ready to co-operate with the French fleet |