RECALL OF GENERAL CARLETON. 381 Ch. 22. 1778 warded. he justly considered had been put upon him, had written to the minister in terms of such asperity and insubordination that his recall became a measure of indispensable necessity. The King, how- Carleton reever, took the first opportunity of marking his sense of Carleton's merit by conferring upon him the sinecure government of Charleston. Probably, indeed, His Majesty's intention was more to mortify Germaine than to gratify Carleton. Certainly he was willing to avail himself of a pretext to be rid of a minister whom he disliked, and whose arrogance and ill-fortune added to the discredit of the Government. The hint was immediately taken. Lord George, grown more haughty and impetuous as he advanced in years, resented the compliment paid to Sir Guy Carleton as an insult to himself, and tendered his resignation, which was readily accepted. The difficulty, however, of providing a successor to an office so unenviable, in existing circumstances, as that of Colonial and War Minister, proved insuperable; and, consequently, the resignation did not then take effect. CHAPTER XXIII. INTRIGUES AGAINST WASHINGTON - FAILURE OF THE CONCILIATORY COMMISSION SIR H. CLINTON EVA- CHANNEL FLEET COMMANDERS SPANISH MANIFESTO. Ch. 23. AFTER the battle of Germantown, Washington 1778 Movements of retreated to a strong position called White marsh; and Howe, after one or two ineffectual Washington. attempts to dislodge him, retired into his winter quarters at Philadelphia. The American army, which was in no condition for active operations during the winter, was likewise withdrawn into quarters; but Washington, still desirous of observing the movements of the enemy, selected a desolate spot called Valley Forge, among the hills, about twenty miles from Philadelphia. Here, amidst a wilderness covered by frost and snow, an encampment was cleared by the half-starved and half-naked army. All Washington's representations as to the total inefficiency of his commissariat were, at this time, treated by Congress with neglect, or answered with taunts for going into winter quarters at all. ATTEMPT TO SUPPLANT WASHINGTON. 383 Ch. 23. -- 1778 Washington. The truth is, that a faction, chiefly composed of representatives from the Northern States, had lately been formed against that illustrious man to Cabal against whose fortitude, perseverance, and integrity his country was mainly indebted for the ultimate achievement of their liberties. The object of this cabal was to supplant Washington, and place Gates at the head of the army. The success of Saratoga was, of course, the ground upon which Gates's pretensions were placed. Gates, who was a man of small military capacity, had been refused the promotion to which he considered himself entitled; and his animosity towards the Commander-in-chief found vent not only in open disrespect, but in secret intrigue. Contrary to all military etiquette, he had reported the surrender of Saratoga direct to Congress, and neglected to make any communication whatever on the subject to his superior in command. An expedition to Canada was planned without consulting Washington, or even informing him that it had been determined upon. Attempts were made to detach Lafayette from his connection with Washington by offering him the command of this expedition. Lafayette. Lafayette, who, whatever may have been his Conduct of faults, was a gentleman, would have declined an offer, the object of which plainly was to separate him from his chief; nor would he accept it without the express permission and approval of Washington. When the young French nobleman repaired to Gates's camp, at Yorktown, he was 384 Ch. 23. 1778 LAFAYETTE AT ALBANY. One received with extraordinary marks of attention All these vauntings, as might have been expected, had no solid foundation. When Lafayette arrived at Albany, instead of a force of two thousand five hundred men in a complete state of equipment, which he had been promised, he found twelve hundred half-clad wretches without arms or discipline. With a Parisian sensibility to ridicule, Lafayette was immediately seized with the dread of becoming the laughing-stock of his countrymen, when the character and quality of the brigade, which he was to lead to glory through a wilderness, and over a frozen lake, became known; and his letters to Washington on the subject are conceived in terms themselves abundantly ludicrous.b a IRVING'S Life of Washington. The reader will recollect a similar scene in fiction, when Cedric, the Saxon thane, gives the health of King Richard in the camp of John. Ivanhoe, vol. i. I am afraid,' he says, after describing the state of the MAGNANIMITY OF WASHINGTON. The plan was abandoned, and Lafayette returned to head-quarters. 385 Ch. 23. 1778 of intrigues. At no period of the war, perhaps, were the Non-success magnanimous patience and perseverance of Washington more signally manifested than during this winter. His army, reduced by the usual desertions at the close of the year, and still farther wasted by cold and famine, could with difficulty be restrained from open mutiny, in consequence of the hardships to which they were exposed. All this time, the party, which from the first had thwarted his influence in Congress, and eagerly seized every opportunity of disparaging his conduct, were more than usually active, and had at length obtained the ascendancy in its counsels. It was intended by means of the expedition to Canada, of which Washington was first informed by a letter from Gates, enclosing the offer of the command to Lafayette, that a ground should be laid for elevating Gates, or Conway, or some other expeditionary force, that I shall be laughed at. My fears upon the subject are so strong, that I would choose to become again only a volunteer.' In a subsequent letter, he dwells still more upon this point. I have written lately to you my distressing, ridiculous, foolish, and, indeed, nameless situation. I am sent, with a great noise, at the head of an army for doing great things; the whole continent, France and Europe herself, and, what is worse, the British army, are in great expectation. How far they will be deceived, how far we shall be ridiculed, you may judge by the candid account you have got of the state of our affairs. Washington, in his replies, good-naturedly soothed the wounded vanity of his young friend. |