It had been expected by the French and American commanders that they would soon be joined by de Guichen, with a land-force and twenty ships of the line from the West Indies. Had their expectations been realized, it was resolved to attack New York in every direction, with irresistible fury. About this time however, intelligence arrived of de Guichen’s departure for Europe, and of the consequent naval superiority of the British. Thus frustrated in their designs, Washington and Rochambeau held a meeting midway between their respective camps, to concert new measures. While Washington was absent upon this service, General Arnold, who commanded a considerable body of troops at West Point, on the New River, and who had recently entered into a secret correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton for delivering up that important post to the British, requested that a confidential person might be sent to him, in order to adjust the business, and to carry it into effect without delay. The officer charged with this commission was Major André, a young man of spirit and undaunted courage, and in whom General Clinton reposed unlimited confidence. Major Andre had a secret interview with Arnold, and matters were arranged by them for the defection, but as he was returning in disguise he was taken by three men of the New York militia, and on examination the papers found upon him discovered all the particulars of the conspiracy. By some means or other—but how is not sufficiently clear—Arnold received intelligence of Andre’s capture in time to make his escape to New York, where, on his arrival, he received the commission of a brigadier-general in the British service. Major André had hitherto passed himself off as one John Anderson, but when he found that Arnold was safe, he announced his name and rank; and with more anxiety for his military honour than for his life, he wrote a letter to Washington, to secure himself from the imputation of having assumed the character of a spy for treacherous purposes or self-interest. His letter concluded with expressions of confidence in the generosity of Washington’s mind; but he soon found that his confidence was misplaced; that Washington was an implacable judge. A board of general officers was appointed to inquire into his case, and notwithstanding the solicitations and menaces of Sir Henry Clinton, who anxiously sought to save him, he was condemned to die an ignominious death. He died on a gibbet on the 2nd of October! His death is one of the blackest stains on the character of Washington; for his obduracy alone prevented the mitigation of the punishment. In vain was it represented to him that Sir Henry Clinton, and his predecessor Sir William Howe, had never put to death any person for a breach of the rules of war: in vain was it shown that Captain Robinson of the American army, who had been taken as a spy by the British, had recently been exchanged as a prisoner of war; and in vain did Arnold, through whose plots he had been captured, plead by letter for his life—Washington was obdurate still, and left his victim to perish by the hands of the common hangman! And yet this obdurate commander-in-chief of the Americans professed to commiserate his victim’s fate; and applauded the fortitude with which he met his death: but so did others of the American generals, and yet all the while kept twisting the rope that was to hang him! The same may be said of Lafayette. He also praised his courage, frankness, and delicacy, and “lamented his fate,” and yet did nothing to avert his doom. How much more nobly did Sir Henry Clinton act on this trying occasion. Although he had yet many Americans in his power, and although he had held out a threat that if André should perish, they should perish likewise, yet no reprisals were made; not one in his power was condemned by a military tribunal for their flagrant, and in some instances repeated breaches of the rules of war. Yet Washington seems to have considered that he had only acted in the character of a just judge. He could imagine that Arnold was undergoing “the torments of a mental hell,” for the part he had acted in this transaction, but he felt no compunction for his own unjust and uncalled-for severity—he could see the mote in Arnold’s eye, but could not discover the beam which was in his own. As regards Arnold he was probably correct. After the death of André that renegade issued addresses to the Americans, but he was scorned and unheeded; and he was employed during the remainder of the war, but he was shunned by the British officers, and although the British soldiers on guard were bound to salute his uniform and respect his rank, yet they whispered as he passed along, “There goes the traitor Arnold!” The death of André is the last recorded act in this campaign. All the belligerents went early into winter-quarters; and with the exception of a few foraging expeditions, Clinton’s army remained at New York and its dependencies during winter doing nothing; while Washington continued to occupy his old station on the high lands above the Hudson, and the French troops under Rochambeau, staid at Rhode Island, all being equally inactive. About the same time that the troops went into winter-quarters. Admiral Rodney left the American shores, and returned to his old station in the West Indies.
GEORGE III. 1780-1781
MARITIME LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THE BRITISH.
In the European seas British commerce suffered some blows during this year, which spread a gloom over the whole nation. Admiral Geary, who on the death of Sir Charles Hardy in May, had been appointed to the command of the fleet in the Channel, captured, in the beginning of July, twelve French merchantmen from Port-au-Prince; but while he proceeded southward, in hopes of falling in with a detached squadron of French and Spanish ships, of which he had received intelligence, and was cruizing off Cape Finisterre, a rich convoy for the East and West Indies, attended by the Ramillies and two frigates, were intercepted by the combined fleets of the enemy, and nearly fifty merchant ships were captured and carried into Cadiz. Many of these ships were laden with naval and military stores for the different settlements to which they were destined; and the loss of these, together with that of 3000 men taken prisoners on board, so increased public dissatisfaction at the mode of employing the Channel-fleet, that Geary soon afterwards resigned the command. But this was not the only disaster which the English met with on the seas during this year. About the same time, fourteen ships of the outward-bound Quebec fleet were captured by some American privateers off the banks of Newfoundland. These concurrent losses, in their nearer or more remote consequences, affected all classes of society.
WAR WITH HOLLAND.
It has been seen that Holland was one of those states which entered into the league called “The Armed Neutrality.” From the very commencement of the American war, the Dutch had secretely favoured the cause of the colonists; or at least had sought a commercial advantage in supplying some of their wants at the expense of the commerce and interests of England. Then again, after the interference of France and Spain in the quarrel, the ports of Holland were open equally to all the enemies of Great Britain; the advantages of a contraband trade making the Dutch regardless of the faith of treaties, and of every other consideration. Remonstrances were made on this subject by the British ambassador at the Hague, but without effect. The States General were determined to follow their own line of policy, and the breach thus made between the two countries gradually widened as the war with America progressed. It was easy to foresee, indeed, that sooner or later Holland would be joined to the long list of our open enemies. An event which occurred early in September of this year, led to such a consummation. At that time a congress packet was taken by the Vestal frigate off the banks of Newfoundland, as it was steering its course towards Holland. On board this packet was Henry Laurens, the late president of congress; who, as soon as he perceived that he should be captured, threw a box containing papers overboard. The lead which was attached to this box was not sufficiently heavy to sink it immediately, and a British sailor leaped into the sea and caught it as it was sinking. The papers which it contained were found to contain a treaty of amity and commerce between the republic of Holland and the States of America, some articles of which had been provisionally agreed to and signed two years before at Aix-la-Chapelle, by William Lee, agent for congress, and John de Neufville, a merchant of Amsterdam, acting under powers delegated to him by Van Berkel, the grand pensionary of that city. Laurens, the bearer of these papers, was brought to England, and committed to the Tower on a charge of high-treason; and our government transmitted the papers to their ambassador at the Hague, and instructed him to present a memorial to the States General, requiring them to disavow the proceedings of Van Berkel and his accomplices, and to punish them for their offence. No answer was returned to this memorial on the 12th of December, and Sir Joseph Yorke sent in another, expressing, in diplomatic language, his astonishment at the silence of the States General. The truth was, that although the Statholder neither approved of the treaty with the United States nor of war with England, the great trading interest of Amsterdam and the whole French party in Holland were eager for the completion of the treaty, and fondly imagined that Great Britain, through the number and power of her enemies and the Armed Neutrality, must succumb. Hence the memorial of the British ambassador was still treated with silent contempt, and there was no alternative left for our government but to declare war against Holland. Sir Joseph Yorke was recalled, and a royal manifesto was issued, declaring that Great Britain had issued letters of reprisals against the Dutch, and justifying her conduct in taking this hostile step. This manifesto was issued, on the 20th of December, and it would appear that the States General were alarmed at this firmness of the British government, for they did not put forth their answer to the manifesto of his Britannic majesty till the March following. The States General were, in truth, ill prepared for war with England, and they had soon reason to repent that they had even provoked it: it brought them only loss and degradation.