After Lord Cornwallis had entered Philadelphia, and while the great body of the British troops were encamped under Sir William Howe, at a village called Germantown, about six miles from Philadelphia, Washington made a sudden attack upon them early in the morning of the 4th October. Although at first successful, it did not long continue so. Failure of punctual co-operation, according to Lee's account, and the brave stand made by the 40th Regiment, soon changed the current of events: and Washington was ultimately obliged to retire with a loss of at least 1000 killed, wounded, and prisoners. In speculating on the causes of this defeat, Lee uses language such as few other American writers would use, and such as few living Americans would care to hear. But it is perhaps all the more valuable. "The defeat must be attributed," he says, "to the yet imperfect discipline of the American army: to the broken spirit of the troops, who, from day to day, and from month to month, had been subjected to the most trying and strength-wasting privations, through the improvidence or inability of Government: to the inexperience of the tribe of generals, and to the complication of the plan of assault—a complication said to have been unavoidable."
It was before superior numbers that the British evacuated Boston: to superior numbers Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga: and now the superiority of numbers being in the other direction, the Americans were defeated in every action during this part of the campaign. Defeated, but, it must be admitted, not disheartened, for the losses round Philadelphia were forgotten in the blaze of triumph which accompanied the capitulation of Burgoyne's force; and the growing intensity of the American feeling will be realized from a letter, which will be quoted in the next chapter, written in the very place where their losses must have been most palpably real.
It was necessary to throw up field-works round the British camp, which after the battle of Germantown was brought nearer Philadelphia, and also to erect works to secure the command of the river. The Artillerymen were largely employed in building and arming these; and one of them was the scene of a gallant action on the part of a detachment, which is mentioned both by Stedman and Lee, and also appears in the MS. Record Book of the 4th Battalion. According to the last-mentioned authority, some detachments of Nos. 4, 5, and 8 Companies were employed in constructing batteries on Provence Island, in the Delaware, for the reduction of an American post on Mud Island, when a party of the 10th Regiment, under Major Vatap, which covered the works, abandoned them on the advance of the enemy, and the whole of the guns fell into their hands, but owing to the gallantry of the detachment of Artillery, the enemy was obliged to retire, the guns were retaken, and the batteries again occupied. Stedman in telling this circumstance mentions that the Artillerymen were under the command of a subaltern, to whose gallantry the recapture of the batteries was due: and Lee adds, "I believe this conduct of Major Vatap (who abandoned most shamefully the Artillery) is the single instance of dastardly conduct among the British officers during the war."
Sir William Howe spent the winter at Philadelphia with his army—of which eight companies of the Royal Artillery formed part. The same hesitation or dilatory disposition which prevented him following up his successes on Long Island induced him to spend many valuable months in idleness now. France and America had now formed an alliance, and it was very important that energetic action should be taken by the British troops in America before the arrival of the French fleet. But the opportunity was lost by the supineness of Sir William Howe; and although he was a man who had endeared himself to his troops, there can be no doubt that when he resigned the command in May, 1778, and was succeeded by Sir Henry Clinton, he was replaced by one who was equal to him as a soldier, and far superior in energy and activity. The first step taken by the new commander was to evacuate Philadelphia, and withdraw the army to New York. Every difficulty was thrown in his way by Washington, and a severe and indecisive engagement was fought during his retreat, which is known as the Battle of Monmouth or of Freehold Court-house. Both sides claimed the victory, but as Clinton's movement towards New York was not interrupted by it, it may be inferred that he had not the worst of the encounter. Four companies of the Artillery were engaged, and their fire was true and severe: one officer, Lieutenant T. L. Vaughan, was killed. On the 30th June, the English army reached Sandyhook, where they found Lord Howe's fleet; and early in July they passed over to New York. The conduct of the Artillery during the return from Philadelphia to New York may be learnt from the following order, issued by General Pattison:—"The very handsome and obliging terms in which the General Officers and others have repeatedly spoken of the appearance, discipline, and good order of the Corps of Artillery, and particularly of the conduct, care and attention of all the officers who have been detached with the several Brigades and Battalion guns, cannot fail to be highly pleasing and satisfactory to the Brigadier-General. He therefore takes this occasion to give them his best thanks, and to express further his entire approbation of the regularity and observance of duties that have been shown by all ranks during the late march, and of the cheerfulness and alacrity with which they have undergone the great fatigue of it."
During this retreat from Philadelphia, the Artillerymen were for the first time relieved of carrying their knapsacks and ammunition pouches, which were carried for them on the waggons. They carried their arms, except when actually fighting their guns, and had six cartridges in a small bag in their pockets.
A short summary of the occasions in 1778, after the evacuation of Philadelphia, when individual Artillerymen distinguished themselves, may be extracted from the pages of that most conscientiously and laboriously written work, Browne's 'England's Artillerymen;' with any requisite additions from other sources.
In July, 1778, Rhode Island was attacked by the American General Sullivan, supported by the French fleet. The island was garrisoned by 5000 British troops under Sir Robert Pigott, including a company of the Royal Artillery under the command of Lieut.-Colonel John Innes, an officer who, as has already been mentioned, commenced his career as a matross in 1736, and died in 1783, in command of the Invalid Battalion. The severe labour and exposure cheerfully undergone by the Artillery on this occasion were specially mentioned by Sir Robert in his despatches announcing the total defeat of the American scheme. The loss of the Artillery amounted to thirty-three killed and wounded. In September, 1778, General Grey sailed for Bedford, to destroy a nest of privateers, and was accompanied by some Artillery under Captain Scott, who blew up the American fort. In November a body of troops, with a detachment of Artillery under Lieutenant Ralph Wilson, sailed for Savannah in Georgia, a place which was speedily taken. From General Pattison's letter-books, it is easy to see that this operation gave great satisfaction in New York: considerable stores were taken; and the province of Georgia reduced. An officer of the Royal Artillery bearing the same surname as he who commanded at Rhode Island, Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Innes, was made Governor of Savannah, and afterwards sent home to the King with despatches. He had greatly distinguished himself during the attack.
This was the last operation of any consequence in 1778. The Army remained concentrated at New York, and the prisoners of war who had been taken by the Americans at Burgoyne's capitulation remained prisoners still. A few of the officers had been exchanged for American officers; and, in this way, General Phillips, of the Artillery, ultimately became available for duty. General Pattison, who still commanded the Artillery, and was with the head-quarters of the army, received a special mark of favour from Sir Henry Clinton in July, 1779, being appointed Commandant of the City and Garrison of New York. It may not be uninteresting to the reader to learn what sort of place New York was in 1779, under a gunner's government, and an attempt to describe it will now be made.
[32]. MSS. R. A. Record Office.