Chapter I: Front Matter

{Frontispiece: WASHINGTON AS A SURVEYOR}

_History of the American Revolution_.

THE STUDENT'S LIFE OF WASHINGTON; CONDENSED FROM THE LARGER WORK OF WASHINGTON IRVING.

FOR YOUNG PERSONS AND FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, 182 FIFTH AVENUE. 1876.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by G. P. PUTNAM & SONS, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE.

In condensing into one compact volume Mr. Irving's elaborate Life of Washington, care has been taken to retain, not only all the important facts connected with Washington's career, but also those circumstances and incidents which may be supposed to contribute to a full estimate of his character in all its aspects. Nor have any portion of the great events connected with the era in which he filled so grand and controlling a part been unduly neglected or subordinated. The work, in its present abbreviated form, still presents a continuous and complete record of American history during the period of Washington's official life. Mr. Irving's language, as a rule, has been retained; but in cases where a variation from his sentences has been necessary, in order to secure the requisite brevity, the paragraphs are enclosed in brackets.

CONTENTS.

I. Birth of Washington.--His Boyhood, . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. Washington's Youth.--First Surveying Expedition, . . . . 5

III. Rival Claims of the English and the French.--Preparations
for Hostilities, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

IV. Washington's Mission to the French Commander, . . . . . 19

V. Military Expedition to the Frontier, . . . . . . . . . . 30

VI. Misfortunes.--Capitulation of Fort Necessity, . . . . . 39

VII. A Campaign under General Braddock, . . . . . . . . . . . 48

VIII. Braddock's Advance.--His Defeat, . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

IX. Washington in Command.--Panics on the Frontier, . . . . 68

X. Frontier Service, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

XI. Operations against the French.--Washington's Marriage, . 85

XII. Campaigns in the North.--Washington at Mount Vernon, . . 94

XIII. Colonial Discontents, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

XIV. Expedition to the Ohio.--Tea Tax, . . . . . . . . . . . 112

XV. The First General Congress, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

XVI. Military Measures.--Affairs at Lexington, . . . . . . . 125

XVII. Capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point.--Washington
appointed Commander-in-Chief, . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

XVIII. Battle of Bunker Hill, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

XIX. Washington on his Way to the Camp, . . . . . . . . . . . 148

XX. Siege of Boston, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

XXI. Projects for the Invasion of Canada, . . . . . . . . . . 158

XXII. War along the Coast.--Progress of the Siege, . . . . . . 168

XXIII. Affairs in Canada, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

XXIV. Incidents of the Camp.--Arnold before Quebec, . . . . . 177

XXV. Washington's Perplexities.--New York in Danger, . . . . 183

XXVI. Attack on Quebec.--Affairs in New York, . . . . . . . . 188

XXVII. Movements before Boston.--Its Evacuation, . . . . . . . 196

XXVIII. Reverses in Canada.--The Highlands.--Close of the
Invasion of Canada, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

XXIX. The Army in New York, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

XXX. Proceedings of Lord Howe.--Gates and Schuyler, . . . . . 222

XXXI. The War in the South.--Affairs in the Highlands, . . . . 229

XXXII. Battle of Long Island.--Retreat, . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

XXXIII. Retreat from New York Island, . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

XXXIV. Retreat through Westchester County.--Battle of White
Plains, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

XXXV. Washington at Peekskill.--The Northern Army, . . . . . . 271

XXXVI. Capture of Fort Washington and Garrison.--Retreat
through New Jersey, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

XXXVII. Retreat across the Delaware.--Battle of Trenton, . . . . 286

XXXVIII. Washington recrosses the Delaware.--Battle of Princeton, 297

XXXIX. The Army at Morristown.--Attack on Peekskill, . . . . . 308

XL. The Northern Army.--British Expedition to Connecticut, . 316

XLI. The Highlands.--Movements of the Army, . . . . . . . . . 327

XLII. Invasion from Canada, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

XLIII. Exploits and Movements.--Howe in the Chesapeake, . . . . 345

XLIV. Advance of Burgoyne.--Battle of Oriskany.--Battle of
Bennington, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354

XLV. Battle of the Brandywine.--Fall of Philadelphia, . . . . 368

XLVI. The Northern Invasion.--Fall of the Highland
Forts.--Defeat and Surrender of Burgoyne, . . . . . . 380

XLVII. Battle of Germantown.--Hostilities on the Delaware, . . 399

XLVIII. The Army on the Schuylkill.--At Valley Forge.--The
Conway Cabal, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

XLIX. Exploits of Lee and Lafayette.--British Commissioners, . 426

L. Evacuation of Philadelphia.--Battle of Monmouth
Court House, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

LI. Arrival of a French Fleet.--Massacre at Wyoming
Valley.--Capture of Savannah, . . . . . . . . . . . . 450

LII. Washington in Philadelphia.--Indian Warfare.--Capture of
Stony Point.--Ravages in Connecticut.--Repulse at
Savannah, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464

LIII. Army at Morristown.--Arnold in Philadelphia.--Charleston
Besieged, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477

LIV. Discontents in the Army.--Fall of Charleston, . . . . . 489

LV. Marauds in the Jerseys.--The French Fleet at Newport, . 499

LVI. Battle of Camden, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507

LVII. The Treason of Arnold.--Trial and Execution of André, . 515

LVIII. Plan to entrap Arnold.--Projects against New York, . . . 535

LIX. The War in the South.--Battle of King's Mountain, . . . 540

LX. Hostilities in the South.--Mutiny, . . . . . . . . . . . 550

LXI. Battle of the Cowpens.--Battle of Guilford Court-house, 557

LXII. The War in Virginia.--Demonstrations against New York, . 576

LXIII. Ravages in Virginia.--Operations in Carolina.--Attack on
New London, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 586

LXIV. Operations before Yorktown.--Greene in the South, . . . 602

LXV. Siege and Surrender of Yorktown, . . . . . . . . . . . . 610

LXVI. Dissolution of the Combined Armies.--Discontents in the
Army, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615

LXVII. News of Peace.--Washington's Farewell to the Army, and
Resignation of his Commission, . . . . . . . . . . . . 621

LXVIII. Washington at Mount Vernon, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629

LXIX. The Constitutional Convention.--Washington elected
President, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 634

LXX. Organization of the New Government, . . . . . . . . . . 643

LXXI. Financial Difficulties.--Party Jealousies.--Operations
against the Indians, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651

LXXII. Tour Southward.--Defeat of St. Clair.--Dissensions in
the Cabinet, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662

LXXIII. Washington's Second Term.--Difficulties with the French
Ambassador, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 673

LXXIV. Neutrality.--Whiskey Insurrection.--Wayne's Success
against the Indians, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684

LXXV. Jay's Treaty.--Party Claims.--Difficulties with
France.--Farewell Address, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693

LXXVI. Washington's Retirement and Death, . . . . . . . . . . . 708

WASHINGTON AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.