Part 4
In July, 1779, Congress passed a vote of thanks to Colonel De Fleury, with a gold medal (_see_ Plate II.) for his bravery and courage at Stony Point. During the two years De Fleury was attached to the American army, he took a conspicuous post in all the battles fought within that period; and such was his bravery, that every commander under whom he had the honor to serve, recommended him to the especial notice of Congress.
MEDAL.
OCCASION.--Taking the fort of Stony Point.
DEVICE.--A soldier helmeted and standing against the ruins of a fort: his right hand extended, holding a sword upright: the staff of a stand of colors reversed in his left: the colors under his feet: his right knee drawn up, as if in the act of stamping on them.
LEGEND.--Virtutis et audiciæ monum, et præmium D. De Fleury equiti gallo primo muros resp. Americ. d. d.
REVERSE.--Two water batteries, three guns each: one battery firing at a vessel: a fort on a hill: flag flying: river in front: six vessels before the fort.
LEGEND.--Aggeres paludes hostes victi.
EXERGUE.--Stony Pt. expugn. 15th July, 1779.
CAPTURE OF MAJ. ANDRE.
John Andre, a British officer, was clerk in a mercantile house in London; being anxious for a military life, he obtained a commission as ensign in the regiment commanded by Sir Henry Clinton, then about to embark for America. His energetic and enterprising spirit soon raised him to the rank of major and aid-de-camp to Sir Henry. Benedict Arnold, the American traitor, a man guilty of every species of artifice and deception, smarting under the inflictions of a severe reprimand from his superiors, for misconduct, was resolved to be revenged by the sacrifice of his country. By artifice he obtained command of the important post of West Point. He had previously, in a letter to the British commander, signified his change of principles, and his wish to join the royal army. A correspondence now commenced between him and Sir Henry Clinton, the object of which was to concert the means of putting West Point into the hands of the British. The plot was well laid, correct plans of the fort drawn, and as they supposed, the execution certain. The arrangement was effected by Major John Andre, aid-de-camp to Sir Henry Clinton, and adjutant-general of the British army. Andre, who had effected all the arrangements with Arnold, received from him a pass, authorizing him, under the feigned name of Anderson, to proceed on the public service to the White Plains, or lower, if it was required.
He had passed all the guards and posts on the road without suspicion, and was proceeding, with the delicate negotiation, to Sir Henry, who was then in New York.
Having arrived within a few miles of Tarrytown, he was accosted by three individuals who appeared loitering on the road. One of them seized the reins of his bridle, while another in silence pointed a rifle to his breast. Andre exclaimed, “Gentlemen, do not detain me; I am a British officer on urgent business; there is my pass,” at the same time drawing from his breast a paper, which he handed to one of the three, while the other two, looking with anxious scrutiny over the shoulders of their comrades, read as follows:--
_Head Quarters, Robinson’s House, Sept. 22d, 1780._
Permit Mr. John Anderson to pass the guards to the White Plains, or below, if he chooses. He being on public business by my direction.
B. ARNOLD, _M. Gen’l._
Andre made a second effort to be dismissed; when one of the men requested to know, how a British officer came in possession of a pass from an American general. A notice appeared some time since, purporting to be from a person who had remembered the circumstance, and an actual acquaintance of Paulding, Van Wart and Williams, that Paulding wore a British uniform, which accounted for the fatal mistake made by Andre, in so quickly declaring himself to be a British officer. The three militia men insisted upon Andre’s dismounting, which he did. They then led him to the side of the road, and told him he must divest himself of his clothing, in order to give them an opportunity to search him. This was done with reluctance, after offering his splendid gold watch, his purse, nay thousands, to be permitted to pass; but no bribe could tempt, no persuasion could allure: they were Americans! Paulding, Van Wart and Williams had felt the hand of British wrong; they had been robbed, ill-treated, and trampled on, and would sooner suffer death than aid the enemy of Washington.
This, then, was the appalling moment. Andre knew that all must be divulged. He had but one hope, that their ignorance might prevent their being able to read the papers contained in his boot. In this he was mistaken, for Paulding first seizing the papers, read them aloud to his comrades in a bold voice. Nothing can picture the terrible treachery, which, to their uneducated minds, was planned in these papers.
Andre was speechless, and as pale as death. His fortitude seemed to forsake him; and laying his hands on Paulding’s arms, exclaimed, in tones of pity not to be described, “Take my watch, my horse, my purse, all! all I have--only let me go!” But no! the stern militia men could not be coaxed or bribed from their duty to their country. By a court martial ordered by General Washington, Andre was tried, found guilty, and agreeably to the law of nations, sentenced to suffer death.
Though he requested to die like a soldier, the ignominious sentence of being hung was executed upon him the 2d of October, 1780, at the early age of twenty-nine years.
Benedict Arnold effected his escape, remained in the British service during the war, then returned to London, where he died in 1801.
“By a vote of Congress, 3d of November, 1780, a silver medal or shield (_See_ Plate IV.) was ordered to be struck and presented to John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, who intercepted Major John Andre in the character of a spy, and notwithstanding the large bribes offered them for his release, nobly disdaining to sacrifice their country for the sake of gold, secured and conveyed him to the commanding officer of the district, whereby the conspiracy of Benedict Arnold was brought to light, the insidious designs of the enemy baffled, and the United States rescued from impending danger.”
A pension of two hundred dollars, annually, during life, was bestowed on each of them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDALS.
OCCASION.--Capture of Major Andre, Adjutant-General of the British army.
DEVICE.--A shield.
LEGEND.--Fidelity.
REVERSE.--A wreath.
LEGEND.--Vincit amor Patriæ.
GEN. NATHANIEL GREENE.
Nathaniel Greene, the son of a preacher of the Society of Friends, was born on the 27th of May, 1742, in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Nathaniel received the first rudiments of his education among that peaceful sect; but being of a strong and robust form, he often had to intersperse his hours of study by a relaxation of labor in the field, at the mill, or at the anvil. His early years were passed at the home of his parents, and in the garb of a strict Quaker, till he was twenty years of age, when he commenced the study of law.
Not long, however, did he continue his studies, for in 1773, when the states began to organize their militia, his attention turned to the subject, and he became a member of the “Kentish Guards,” a military company composed of the most respectable young men in his county. For this he was dismissed from the Society of Friends; yet he ever after regarded the sect with great respect.
Greene remained in the ranks of this corps till after the battle of Lexington; when Rhode Island embodied three regiments of militia, and placed them under his command with a commission as brigadier-general. He marched his regiments to Cambridge, where he met the commander-in-chief, and was the first to express his satisfaction in his appointment, which was met by the confidence and friendship of Washington, which he retained through life. He was appointed by Congress major-general in 1776. He accompanied the army to New York, and took the command of the troops on Long Island. His absence, caused by sickness, from the disastrous battle of Flatbush, was severely regretted; but when the commander-in-chief found it necessary to retreat across New Jersey, General Greene was his companion. Although scarcely able, from debility, to sit on his horse, his cheerfulness and confidence never forsook him, and the spirits of the troops were ever cheered by his example.
On the night of the 25th of December, 1776, General Greene crossed the Delaware, and in command of the left wing of the army, surprised the enemy at Trenton, seized their artillery, and prevented their retreat to Princeton. He never left the army during the following winter, but bore his share in its hardships and glories. He commanded the left wing of the American army at the battle of Germantown. “Such was the distressed situation of the American army through the winter of that year, that Washington was doubtful of his ability to take the field the ensuing season. Every exertion was made to put the army in a condition for the campaign, and General Greene was urged to accept the appointment of quarter-master general. The office was accepted with great reluctance, for his inclination was to serve in the line; and the charge and disbursing the public money was to him of all things unpleasant. The necessities of the army, however, and the strong expression of Washington, that ‘some one must make the sacrifice,’ at last induced him to consent; but not until the condition was acceded, that he should not lose his right to command in action. Of this he availed himself at the battles of Monmouth, and on the retreat from Rhode Island. The duties of his new station were arduous and embarrassing, but were rendered more so by the unhappy factions which divided the councils of the country. Notwithstanding the distress and poverty which threatened ruin to the cause, intrigue and slander were in active operation, to undermine the reputation and character of the men who were devoting themselves to accomplish the almost hopeless work. Washington himself was assailed; and Greene, who was supposed to have been his favorite officer and confidential adviser, was made an object of suspicion; but the purity and integrity of General Greene’s character bore him above the storm.--Congress did him justice, and his personal friends never faltered in the discharge of their duty towards him.” In 1780, General Greene was appointed to the command of the southern department; on his arrival at Charlotte, he found the southern army destitute of almost everything: no artillery, baggage or stores. In a letter to Lafayette, he says:--“Were you to arrive now, you would find a few ragged, half-starved troops in the wilderness, destitute of everything necessary for the comfort or convenience of soldiers.”
He had arrived in an exhausted country, the inhabitants divided into hostile parties, and an enemy before him, well provided, and flushed with the prospect of victory.
His only dependence and hope of success were in a number of spirited and devoted officers, who gathered around him, and the promise of reinforcements from the states he had passed through during his route. General Greene thought it most prudent to remove to a place where subsistence and the means of transportation could be obtained.
He accordingly marched to the Cheraw hills, on the Pee Dee; and detached General Morgan to the west of the Catawba, to cut off the left wing of Cornwallis’ army, and otherwise annoy him as circumstances might permit. This movement of General Morgan and his army alarmed the British from their posts. Colonel Tarleton was dispatched with a force to cut off and destroy him; but in this case the victory took an opposite direction, and Colonel Tarleton’s troops met their annihilation at the Cowpens. The news of this victory was a severe blow to Cornwallis, and he at once determined to cut off Morgan’s retreat with his prisoners, and prevent his joining the main army. But in this he was foiled; for, mistaking the route supposed to be taken by his enemy, Morgan was enabled to reach Greene in safety. Notwithstanding the victory at the Cowpens, General Greene had to encounter a number of successive disasters. He was defeated at Guildford, and again at Camden, but prevented Lord Rawdon from improving his success, and obliged him to retire beyond the Santee. While in the vicinity of the Santee, he was under the painful necessity of ordering the sentence of the law to be put in force on some of his men. From the continual desertions taking place, he found it necessary to hang eight of his soldiers in one day. A number of forts and garrisons in South Carolina now fell into his hands, but the army, at the approach of Lord Rawdon, was under the necessity of retreating to the extremity of the state. Discouraging as this was, the firmness and decision of General Greene sustained him through every trial. Being at this time advised to abandon South Carolina and retire to Virginia, he replied, “I will recover the country or perish in the attempt.” Lord Rawdon soon found that pursuit was hazardous, and retired to Charleston. General Greene retired to the Santee Hills, to enjoy the breezes during the debilitating heat of the summer months. An able historian gives the following account of the battle at Eutaw Springs, which was the last of General Greene’s battles:--“The battle at the Eutaw Springs, on the 8th of September, was described by the American commander, as the most obstinate and bloody he had ever seen. The militia, with a firmness ‘which would have graced the veterans of the great King of Prussia,’ advanced with shouts into the hottest of the enemy’s fire; but one part of the line faltering for a moment, the British, elated at the prospect, sprang forward to improve that moment, but at the same time deranged their own line. General Greene, who was watching for such an incident, ‘ordered the second line to advance and sweep the field with the bayonets!’
“The order was promptly obeyed, and the enemy were driven from the ground, through their camp in the rear. But their pursuers were diverted by the spoils of their tents, and became irretrievably confused. In the mean time the enemy rallied, and under cover of the fire from a large party who had taken possession of a brick house, recovered their camp. Had it not been for the temptation, so unexpectedly thrown open, the British forces must have surrendered. As it was, their power in South Carolina was prostrated, for in this action they lost upwards of one thousand men. The enemy abandoned the whole of South Carolina, except Charleston, and the American army retired to their former encampment.”
Except for the purpose of procuring provisions, the enemy lay inactive in Charleston, for with all their sagacity they had not been able to retain possession of the country. They therefore prepared to evacuate the city, having agreed with General Greene to leave it uninjured, and without interruption from the American army. On the 14th of December, 1782, the delighted citizens of Charleston beheld the British troops march out of their city, and with joyous congratulations received with open arms the liberators of their country. This, indeed, was a happy day; many and sincere were the prayers offered to the ALMIGHTY for their deliverance; the whole city presented a scene of festivity.
From the governor to the lowly citizen, General Greene was regarded as the object of every eye, the praise of every tongue. South Carolina conveyed to him a valuable portion of land; Georgia presented him with a beautiful and highly improved plantation in the vicinity of Savannah.
When peace was restored, General Greene returned for a time to his native state, in order to remove his family to his new plantation in Georgia.
On his arrival at Princeton, New Jersey, where Congress was then in session, that body unanimously resolved to present him with two pieces of ordnance, taken from the British army, “as a public testimony of the wisdom, fortitude and military skill which distinguished his command in the southern campaign. They had previously voted him a British standard and a gold medal, an engraving of which is given on Plate III., commemorative of the battle of Eutaw.
In 1785 General Greene removed, with his family, to his new residence in Georgia, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in the education of his children, but his period of domestic repose was short; scarcely a year did he enjoy the happiness of his family, for on the 19th of June, 1786, he closed a life of deep, pure, devoted patriotism to his country, and love and good-will to all mankind.
MEDAL.
OCCASION.--Gallant conduct at Eutaw Springs, S. C.
DEVICE.--Head of General Greene, profile.
LEGEND.--Nathanieli Greene egregio duci comitia Americana.
REVERSE.--Victory lighting on the earth, stepping on a broken shield; under her feet broken arms; colors; a shield.
LEGEND.--Salus regionem australium.
EXERGUE.--Hostibus ad Eutaw debellatis, die 8th Sept. 1781.
GEN. HORATIO GATES.
Horatio Gates was the son of a clergyman at Malden, in England, and was born in the year 1729. Having lost his father at an early age, he was left pretty much to the dictates of his own passion. He appears to have determined on a military life as early as twelve years of age, when the frequent remonstrances of his uncle and guardian could not prevail on him to relinquish the thoughts of a profession so much against the wishes of his family.
At the age of seventeen he was appointed to an ensigncy in the regiment commanded by General Monckton, who was a personal friend of the father of Gates, and who gave him every opportunity of improving himself. Shortly after he was promoted to a lieutenancy, and was aid-de-camp to General Monckton at the capture of Martinico, where his bravery and soldier-like conduct won for him the rank of major. He was among the first troops who landed at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, under General Cornwallis, and was stationed there for some time. He was only in his twenty-sixth year when he accompanied the unfortunate Braddock in the expedition against Fort du Quesne, and with the illustrious Washington, was among the few officers, who, on that occasion, escaped with their lives. Gates did not escape, however, without a very dangerous wound; he was shot through the body, which for a time shut him out from the bloody and perilous scenes which attended the various battles of the French war. Although he had not been a citizen of the new world but a few years, he evinced his attachment to it by purchasing a farm in Virginia, where he retired till he was perfectly restored to health. His attachment to the new country, and a military reputation so high, Congress, without any hesitation, appointed him adjutant-general, with the rank of brigadier-general in the new army of the revolution of 1775. General Washington was well acquainted with his merits in his military character, and warmly recommended him to Congress on the occasion; they had been fellow-soldiers and sufferers under General Braddock.
From this period he took an active part in most of the transactions of the war, and his bravery and good fortune placed him in a rank inferior only to Washington. In July, 1775, he accompanied the commander-in-chief to Cambridge, and was employed for some time in a subordinate but highly useful capacity. In June, 1776, the government evinced their confidence in Gates, by conferring on him the chief command of the forces at the north, and the new general was found in no way deficient in courage and vigilance, so necessary under such circumstances.
The Congress had turned an anxious eye towards Canada at the opening of the contest; being fully aware of the danger of their gaining possession of our harbors and lakes, and the great difficulty to us, to obtain possession of their strong forts on their settled frontier. The British commenced the naval preparations on their side with great alacrity and success. But the Americans had every obstacle, but the want of zeal, to encounter in preparing for defence. General Gates was directed to co-operate with General Schuyler, but there was a miserable and irreparable deficiency in cannon, in the materials of ship-building, and even in the necessary workmen. The country had been hitherto a desert. Colonization, in its natural progress, had not approached these solitary shores. Nothing but the exigencies of the former war with France had occasioned this region to be traversed or inhabited. A few forts, with suitable garrisons, were all that could be found in it, and that abundance of workmen, vessels and prepared timber, which a well-planted country would have spontaneously furnished, was unknown. Schuyler, indeed, was not destitute of a naval armament, but it was insufficient to cope with the greater preparations of the enemy. With all the exertions of the two commanders, they were merely able to equip about fifteen vessels, half of which were little better than boats, and the largest carried only twelve small guns very ill supplied with ammunition. This small armament, at the recommendation of General Gates, was placed under the command of the intrepid, and then, unsuspected Arnold. The first operations of the campaign consisted in a contest between these vessels under Arnold, and a much superior force under General Carleton, in which the land forces had no concern. The British army under Carleton commenced their advance to Ticonderoga, where Gates and Schuyler were already stationed with eight thousand men, well provisioned and determined to defend it to the last extremity; all parties expecting to witness a long, obstinate, and, perhaps, a bloody siege.
Some causes, however, and most probably the lateness of the season, induced Carleton to disappoint these expectations, by precipitately retiring to Canada in search of winter quarters.
This retreat enabled General Gates to march southward, with a considerable detachment of his army, to assist General Washington in his operations in the middle colonies. The ensuing year was passed in a great variety of movements and skirmishes in the lower districts of New York, Pennsylvania and Jersey, between detachments of each army. In the ordinary records of the time, we meet with no splendid or conspicuous part performed by the subject of these memoirs, though there is sufficient reason to believe that his services in that motley warfare were active, strenuous and useful.
News having reached General Gates that Burgoyne, with part of his army, had passed the Hudson and encamped at Saratoga, he, with numbers already equal, and continually augmenting, advanced quickly towards him, with a resolution to oppose his progress at the risk of a battle.
On the 17th of September he arrived at Stillwater, where he encamped, being then within four miles of the enemy. Two days after, skirmishes between advanced parties terminated in an engagement almost general, in which the utmost efforts of the British merely enabled them to maintain footing of the preceding day. Burgoyne, who was daily expecting reinforcements from Clinton at New York, was content to remain in his camp, although his army was diminished by the desertion of the Indians and the Canadian militia, to less than one-half of its original number.