hero tales from american history-第5部分

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ingly　he　disbanded　the　Indians　and　sent　some　of　his　troops　back　to　Detroit；　announcing　that　when　spring　came　he　would　march　against　Clark　in　Illinois。

If　Clark　in　turn　had　awaited　the　blow　he　would　have　surely　met　defeat；　but　he　was　a　greater　man　than　his　antagonist；　and　he　did　what　the　other　deemed　impossible。

Finding　that　Hamilton　had　sent　home　some　of　his　troops　and　dispersed　all　his　Indians；　Clark　realized　that　his　chance　was　to　strike　before　Hamilton's　soldiers　assembled　again　in　the　spring。　Accordingly　he　gathered　together　the　pick　of　his　men；　together　with　a　few　Creoles；　one　hundred　and　seventy　all　told；　and　set　out　for　Vincennes。　At　first　the　journey　was　easy　enough；　for　they　passed　across　the　snowy　Illinois　prairies；　broken　by　great　reaches　of　lofty　woods。　They　killed　elk；　buffalo；　and　deer　for　food；　there　being　no　difficulty　in　getting　all　they　wanted　to　eat；　and　at　night　they　built　huge　fires　by　which　to　sleep；　and　feasted　〃like　Indian　war…dancers；〃　as　Clark　said　in　his　report。

But　when；　in　the　middle　of　February；　they　reached　the　drowned　lands　of　the　Wabash；　where　the　ice　had　just　broken　up　and　everything　was　flooded；　the　difficulties　seemed　almost　insuperable；　and　the　march　became　painful　and　laborious　to　a　degree。　All　day　long　the　troops　waded　in　the　icy　water；　and　at　night　they　could　with　difficulty　find　some　little　hillock　on　which　to　sleep。　Only　Clark's　indomitable　courage　and　cheerfulness　kept　the　party　in　heart　and　enabled　them　to　persevere。　However；　persevere　they　did；　and　at　last；　on　February　23；　they　came　in　sight　of　the　town　of　Vincennes。　They　captured　a　Creole　who　was　out　shooting　ducks；　and　from　him　learned　that　their　approach　was　utterly　unsuspected；　and　that　there　were　many　Indians　in　town。

Clark　was　now　in　some　doubt　as　to　how　to　make　his　fight。　The　British　regulars　dwelt　in　a　small　fort　at　one　end　of　the　town；　where　they　had　two　light　guns；　but　Clark　feared　lest；　if　he　made　a　sudden　night　attack；　the　townspeople　and　Indians　would　from　sheer　fright　turn　against　him。　He　accordingly　arranged；　just　before　he　himself　marched　in；　to　send　in　the　captured　duck…hunter；　conveying　a　warning　to　the　Indians　and　the　Creoles　that　he　was　about　to　attack　the　town；　but　that　his　only　quarrel　was　with　the　British；　and　that　if　the　other　inhabitants　would　stay　in　their　own　homes　they　would　not　be　molested。　Sending　the　duck…hunter　ahead；　Clark　took　up　his　march　and　entered　the　town　just　after　nightfall。　The　news　conveyed　by　the　released　hunter　astounded　the　townspeople；　and　they　talked　it　over　eagerly；　and　were　in　doubt　what　to　do。　The　Indians；　not　knowing　how　great　might　be　the　force　that　would　assail　the　town；　at　once　took　refuge　in　the　neighboring　woods；　while　the　Creoles　retired　to　their　own　houses。　The　British　knew　nothing　of　what　had　happened　until　the　Americans　had　actually　entered　the　streets　of　the　little　village。　Rushing　forward；　Clark's　men　soon　penned　the　regulars　within　their　fort；　where　they　kept　them　surrounded　all　night。　The　next　day　a　party　of　Indian　warriors；　who　in　the　British　interest　had　been　ravaging　the　settlements　of　Kentucky；　arrived　and　entered　the　town；　ignorant　that　the　Americans　had　captured　it。　Marching　boldly　forward　to　the　fort；　they　suddenly　found　it　beleaguered；　and　before　they　could　flee　they　were　seized　by　the　backwoodsmen。　In　their　belts　they　carried　the　scalps　of　the　slain　settlers。　The　savages　were　taken　redhanded；　and　the　American　frontiersmen　were　in　no　mood　to　show　mercy。　All　the　Indians　were　tomahawked　in　sight　of　the　fort。

For　some　time　the　British　defended　themselves　well；　but　at　length　their　guns　were　disabled；　all　of　the　gunners　being　picked　off　by　the　backwoods　marksmen；　and　finally　the　garrison　dared　not　so　much　as　appear　at　a　port…hole；　so　deadly　was　the　fire　from　the　long　rifles。　Under　such　circumstances　Hamilton　was　forced　to　surrender。

No　attempt　was　afterward　made　to　molest　the　Americans　in　the　land　they　had　won；　and　upon　the　conclusion　of　peace　the　Northwest；　which　had　been　conquered　by　Clark；　became　part　of　the　United　States。



THE　BATTLE　OF　TRENTON

And　such　they　areand　such　they　will　be　found：　Not　so　Leonidas　and　Washington；　Their　every　battle…field　is　holy　ground　Which　breathes　of　nations　saved；　not　worlds　undone。　How　sweetly　on　the　ear　such　echoes　sound！　While　the　mere　victor's　may　appal　or　stun　The　servile　and　the　vain；　such　names　will　be　A　watchword　till　the　future　shall　be　free。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Byron。

THE　BATTLE　OF　TRENTON

In　December；　1776；　the　American　Revolution　was　at　its　lowest　ebb。　The　first　burst　of　enthusiasm；　which　drove　the　British　back　from　Concord　and　met　them　hand　to　hand　at　Bunker　Hill；　which　forced　them　to　abandon　Boston　and　repulsed　their　attack　at　Charleston；　had　spent　its　force。　The　undisciplined　American　forces　called　suddenly　from　the　workshop　and　the　farm　had　given　way；　under　the　strain　of　a　prolonged　contest；　and　had　been　greatly　scattered；　many　of　the　soldiers　returning　to　their　homes。　The　power　of　England；　on　the　other　hand；　with　her　disciplined　army　and　abundant　resources；　had　begun　to　tell。　Washington；　fighting　stubbornly；　had　been　driven　during　the　summer　and　autumn　from　Long　Island　up　the　Hudson；　and　New　York　had　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　British。　Then　Forts　Lee　and　Washington　had　been　lost；　and　finally　the　Continental　army　had　retreated　to　New　Jersey。　On　the　second　of　December　Washington　was　at　Princeton　with　some　three　thousand　ragged　soldiers；　and　had　escaped　destruction　only　by　the　rapidity　of　his　movements。　By　the　middle　of　the　month　General　Howe　felt　that　the　American　army；　unable　as　he　believed　either　to　fight　or　to　withstand　the　winter；　must　soon　dissolve；　and；　posting　strong　detachments　at　various　points；　he　took　up　his　winter　quarters　in　New　York。　The　British　general　had　under　his　command　in　his　various　divisions　twenty…five　thousand　well…disciplined　soldiers；　and　the　conclusion　he　had　reached　was　not　an　unreasonable　one；　everything；　in　fact；　seemed　to　confirm　his　opinion。　Thousands　of　the　colonists　were　coming　in　and　accepting　his　amnesty。　The　American　militia　had　left　the　field；　and　no　more　would　turn　out；　despite　Washington's　earnest　appeals。　All　that　remained　of　the　American　Revolution　was　the　little　Continental　army　and　the　man　who　led　it。

Yet　even　in　this　dark　hour　Washington　did　not　despair。　He　sent　in　every　direction　for　troops。　Nothing　was　forgotten。　Nothing　that　he　could　do　was　left　undone。　Unceasingly　he　urged　action　upon　Congress；　and　at　the　same　time　with　indomitable　fighting　spirit　he　planned　to　attack　the　British。　It　was　a　desperate　undertaking　in　the　face　of　such　heavy　odds；　for　in　all　his　divisions　he　had　only　some　six　thousand　men；　and　even　these　were　scattered。　The　single　hope　was　that　by　his　own　skill　and　courage　he　could　snatch　victory　from　a　situation　where　victory　seemed　impossible。　With　the　instinct　of　a　great　commander　he　saw　that　his　only　chance　was　to　fight　the　British　detachments　suddenly；　unexpectedly；　and　separately；　and　to　do　this　not　only　required　secrecy　and　perfect　judgment；　but　also　the　cool；　unwavering　courage　of　which；　under　such　circumstances；　very　few　men　have　proved　themselves　capable。　As　Christmas　approached　his　plans　were　ready。　He　determined　to　fall　upon　the　British　detachment　of　Hessians；　under　Colonel　Rahl；　at　Trenton；　and　there　strike　his　first　blow。　To　each　division　of　his　little　army　a　part　in　the　attack　was　assigned　with　careful　forethought。　Nothing　was　overlooked　and　nothing　omitted；　and　then；　for　some　reason　good　or　bad；　every　one　of　the　division　commanders　failed　to　do　his　part。　As　the　general　plan　was　arranged；　Gates　was　to　march　from　Bristol　with　two　thousand　men；　Ewing　was　to　cross　at　Trenton；　Putnam　was　to　come　up　from　Philadelphia；　and　Griffin　was　to　make　a　diversion　against　Donop。　When　the　moment　came；　Gates；　who　disapproved　the　plan；　was　on　his　way　to　Congress；　Griffin　abandoned　New　Jersey　and　fled　before　Donop；　Putnam　did　not　attempt　to　leave　Philadelphia；　and　Ewing　made　no　effort　to　cross　at　Trenton。　Cadwalader　came　down　from　Bristol；　looked　at　the　river　and　the　floating　ice；　and　then　gave　it　up　as　desperate。　Nothing　remained　except　Washington　himself　with　the　main　army；　but　he　neither　gave　up；　nor　hesitated；　nor　stopped　on　account　of　the　ice；　or　the　river；　or　the　perils　which　lay　beyond。　On　Christmas　Eve；　when　all　the　Christian　world　was　feasting　and　rejoicing；　and　while　the　British　were　enjoying　themselves　in　their　comfortable　quarters；　Washington　set　out。　With　twentyfour　hundred　men　he　crossed　the　Delaware　through　the　floating　ice；　his　boats　managed　and　rowed　by　the　sturdy　fishermen　of　Marblehead　from　Glover's　regiment。　The　crossing　was　successful；　and　he　landed　about　nine　miles　from　Trenton。　It　was　bitter　cold；　and　the　sleet　and　snow　drove　sharply　in　the　faces　of　the　troops。　Sullivan；　marching　by　the　river；　sent　word　that　the　arms　of　his　soldiers　were　wet。　〃Tell　your　general；〃　was　Washington's　reply　to　the　message；　〃to　use　the　bayonet；　for　the　town　must　be　taken。〃　When　they　reached　Trenton　it　was　broad　daylight。　Washington；　at　the　front　and　on　the　right　of　the　line；　swept　down　the　Pennington　road；　and；　as　he　drove　back　the　Hessian　pickets；　he　heard　the　shout　of　Sullivan's　men　as；　with　Stark　leading　the　van；　they　charged　in　from　t