In a very short time after the fall of Charlestown, South Carolina was cleared of rebels by the English troops, and Sir Henry Clinton returned to New York, leaving Lord Cornwallis in command.
The state of affairs in America at this time cannot but awaken comment and speculation in the student's mind. The speculation may be idle, but it is instinctive. What was the state of the rebel army at this time? of the rebel Government? of the rebel fleet? Let their own historian—so often quoted here—reply. The army was demoralized, neglected, almost mutinous. The Government was imbecile, interfering, and incapable. As to naval operations, Lee's own words were as follows:—"Every attempt made by the naval force of the enemy during the war succeeded: ... and many such operations took place." And yet we lost our colonies.
New York was ours,—thoroughly, loyally ours, in spite of all that American writers may say. Canada was ours; then, as now, loyal and true. The great Middle and Western States did not exist, which now so swell the strength of the great Republic in riches and in muscle. And yet we lost our colonies.
Our fleets more than matched their foes; our soldiers fought then as well as they have ever fought since. The Peninsula, the Crimea, India itself, cannot show in their annals more determined courage than was shown in the English ranks between 1775 and 1781. And yet we lost our colonies.
Where was the weak place in our harness? God help us! it was where it will be again if Englishmen do not take care; if Englishmen do not sink class and party differences when the word is given to fight; if Englishmen do not remember that a nation is weak when disunited, and its army at such a time is weaker still.
There was another weak point, and to it we must now come in our narrative. Our Generals during this great war were brave; they were even in their way able; and, as we have seen, they were frequently successful. But they were in presence of a Master. Pettiness, obstinacy, blundering, on the part of his Government might vex and weary Washington; reluctance and timidity on the part of his allies might at times nearly ruin his plans; but his courage, his skill, his confident hope, survived and surmounted all obstacles. If one reckons up the qualities which make a General, we shall find he possessed them all. Patriotism—it was his almost to an exaggerated extent; for, having once adopted a view which he considered patriotic, he did not care to reason. Enthusiasm—would God that every man who draws a sword for England had but one-half of that which swelled Washington's bosom! Purity of motives—who can think of the scenes which are now historical, when he would have resigned the power he had so justly earned, without feeling (even after all these years) that he is in the antechamber of a man who was pure and above reproach? And skill—if any man doubts it, let him think of that scene at Yorktown to which this chapter slowly leads. To see one's schemes mature so surely and so happily is the highest reward for his exertions for which a General can hope; and as in this case it implied that independence for his country which had been his sole and unselfish aim, one can conceive Washington ready, even then, to resign his command and sheath his sword.
He was to America what Wallace was to Scotland, and Garibaldi to Italy; but he had a larger sphere of action than the former, and a more statesmanlike mind than the latter.
With dissension at home, and Washington against them in the field, who can wonder that, in spite of continued courage and spasmodic success, our armies failed to secure our colonies?
There was an acting-bombardier in the Royal Artillery, named Richard Atkinson Boddy, who died at Woolwich on the 18th January, 1837. Animated by the same desire which has filled the breast of many an Artilleryman, to commemorate in some durable form the services of his corps, Bombardier Boddy commenced to make extracts from all military histories which touched on the subject which he had so strongly at heart. A manuscript volume of such extracts was left by him at his death, and was thus alluded to in his will:—"To the library of the non-commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery I bequeath a manuscript book of the services of many of the officers, written by myself. In the event of the dissolution of the library, I will that the book do revert to my father."