CHAP. III. gons, horses, and provisions, necessary for 1777. the use of the army; and to give certificates to the owners, who were to be satisfied from the continental treasury.

Sept. 12.

From Chester, small parties were detached to Wilmington, and up all the roads leading towards the enemy, for the purpose of collecting the stragglers who had not yet come in; and the army was ordered immediately to march through Darby over the Schuylkill bridge, to their former ground near the falls of that river. General Greene's division, which, having been less in action, was more entire than any other part of the continental army, covered the rear; and general Maxwell with the light infantry, was directed to remain at Chester until the next day, as the rallying point for the small detached parties, and the straggling soldiers who might yet be found in the neighbourhood.

The commander in chief exerted himself with great address to repair the loss which had been sustained. His orders were calculated to impress on the troops an opinion that they had manifested no inferiority to their adversaries. They were assured that from every account which had been received, the loss of the enemy exceeded theirs; and that there was every reason to hope that the issue of another action would be more favourable.

To the requisitions for completing the works on the Delaware, the general answered,

that the service would be essentially injured by CHAP. III. employing upon them at this critical juncture, 1777. while another battle was contemplated, any part of the continental troops; that, if he should be enabled to oppose the enemy successfully in the field, the works would be unnecessary; if not, it would be impossible to maintain them. It was therefore most essential to the safety of Philadelphia, to keep his army in full force. The works, he said, had been made under the particular direction of monsieur De Coudray,* who without doubt would pay every attention to their completion and security which the present state of affairs would admit of.

Having allowed his army, on the ground near Germantown, only one day for repose and refreshment, he then recrossed the Schuylkill, and proceeded on the Lancaster road with the intention of meeting the enemy, and trying the fate of another battle.

* A French officer who had engaged with mr. Deane, minister of the United States, at Paris, to enter into the American service as general of the artillery, to be subject to the authority only of the commander in chief. He brought with him several other officers for whom he also stipulated high rank in the army. This contract very much embarrassed congress: monsieur De Coudray had attended to the fortifications, and now expressed a willingness to serve for the present with his corps as a volunteer, having only such rank as would insure an exchange in the event of their being captured. On his way to join the army, he was drowned in the Schuylkill.

CHAP. III.

1777.

Sir William Howe lay the night of the 11th, on the field of battle, where he continued with the greater part of his army the succeeding day, detaching from thence major general Grant with two brigades to Concord meeting-house. On the 13th, lord Cornwallis joined general Grant and proceeded towards Chester. Another detachment took possession of Wilmington; to which place, the sick and wounded were escorted. On their first appearance, the militia of Delaware, who had been assembled under general Rodney, dispersed of themselves.

Foreseeing that the British army must have its movements much encumbered with the wounded, whom he believed to be more numerous than they appear in reality to have been; or must remove them under a guard which, most probably, could not be very strong; general Washington had ordered Smallwood with all the force he could possibly collect, to hang on the rear, or flank of the enemy, as occasion might require, and hold himself in a condition to strike at the detachment which should have the sick and wounded in its care, if such detachment should be made; or, if not, to harass their march, in the course of which, if encumbered with all their wounded, they must necessarily expose some vulnerable parts.

To prevent a sudden movement to Philadelphia, by the lower road, which was apprehendedfrom the corps near Chester, the bridge over

the Schuylkill, was ordered to be loosened from CHAP. IIL its moorings, to swing on the Philadelphia side; 1777. and major general Armstrong with the Pennsylvania militia was directed to guard the passes over that river, for the defence of which monsieur du Portaile, chief of Engineers, attended him, in order to construct such sudden works as might be of immediate use.

On the 15th, the American army, intending to gain the ground on the left of the British, reached the Warren tavern, on the Lancaster road, about twenty-three miles from Philadelphia, where intelligence was received very early next morning, that the enemy was approaching in two columns. Finding it now too late to gain the ground, originally wished for, the whole Sept. 16. army was immediately put in motion for the purpose of meeting and engaging them in front.

Sir William Howe had designed to gain the Lancaster road, and from thence to govern his subsequent operations by the circumstances which should present themselves. With this intention he had marched very early in the morning of the 16th, in two columns, towards Goshen; and whilst on the road, was informed that general Washington was advancing towards him, and was within five miles of that place.

Both armies immediately prepared, with great alacrity, for battle. The advanced parties had met, and were beginning to skirmish, when they were separated by a heavy rain, which

CHAP. III becoming more and more violent, soon rendered 1777. the retreat of the Americans a matter of absolute necessity.

After a slight

skirmish compelled again to retire, cross

kill, and

French creek

The vast inferiority of their arms, which imposed on them at all times the cruel task of engaging the enemy on unequal terms, never brought them into such imminent peril as on this occasion. Their gun-locks not being well secured, many of their muskets were soon unfit for use. Their cartridge boxes had been so inartificially constructed, as not sufficiently to protect their ammunition from the severity of the tempest. Their cartridges were consequently soon damaged; and this mischief was the more serious, as very many of the soldiers were without bayonets.

The army being rendered thus totally unfit for action, the design of giving the enemy batthe Schuyl- tle was, necessarily, though reluctantly, abanproceed to doned; and a retreat commenced. It was continued all the day, and great part of the night, through a cold, and most distressing rain, and very deep roads. A few hours before day, they reached the Yellow Springs, where a halt was made; and after allowing the troops some short time for repose, the state of their arms and ammunition was examined; and the important fact was fully disclosed, that scarcely a musket in a regiment could be discharged, and scarcely one cartridge in a box, of which forty rounds per man had just been drawn, was ca