the greatest man in the Revolution, and, with the exception of Lincoln, the greatest of all Americans.

136. The

alliance

The capture of Burgoyne saved the republic, because it made a profound impression upon the French government, which for three years had been damaging its enemy, Great Britain, French by secret aid in arms and money to the revolted colonies. (1775-1778) In 1775 Silas Deane was sent over to France; he was followed by Benjamin Franklin, who, as the principal one of three commissioners, brought about two treaties, signed February 6, 1778, with the following principal provisions: (1) these treaties recognized the "United States of North America" as an independent power; (2) the treaty of amity and commerce gave to the vessels of each power large privileges in the ports of the other; (3) the treaty of alliance (the only one in the history of the United States) provided that the two powers should make common cause against Great Britain till the independence of the United States should be secured.

England tried to head off these treaties with France by Lord North's third plan of conciliation, by which Parliament repealed the tea duty and the act suspending the Massachusetts charter, and promised not to lay any tax or send any troops without the consent of America. In June, 1778, British commissioners came over to treat for peace on these terms; but Congress replied that "they claim a right to alter our charters and establish laws, and leave us without any security for our lives or liberties." The real reason for refusal was that the treaty with France seemed to insure independence.

The news that a French fleet was coming to America obliged Sir Henry Clinton (who had superseded General Howe) to evacuate Philadelphia. He retired through New Jersey; but with his usual vigilance Washington followed and attacked at Monmouth (June 28, 1778). The treasonable disobedience of General Charles Lee brought about a drawn battle; but the British retired to New York, and they made no more general

campaigns and fought no more pitched battles in the North, except forays on the coast.

137. The navy and the priva

teers

Notwithstanding the immense naval strength of England, the Americans fought well and successfully at sea. In 1775 Congress organized the first naval force out of merchant vessels; and in 1776 Esek Hopkins was put in command of a national squadron of small ships, which raided the town of New Providence in the Bahamas. Several of (1775-1780) the states also commissioned ships of war of their own; but during the whole war the Americans never built a single ship which could fight the ordinary three-decker ship of the line, of which Great Britain had about 120. The greater part of our naval warfare was carried on by privateers. From 1776 to 1778 the Americans took British merchantmen to the value of nearly ten million dollars; in 1777 alone 320 British merchantmen were taken; on the other hand, the little American navy was driven off the sea, and the British and loyalist privateers captured hundreds of American vessels.

After the French alliance, naval conditions were changed. In August, 1778, the French fleet appeared, blockaded New York, and then took part in an unsuccessful attack on Newport. The treaty also opened the way for the most dashing of all the American naval commanders of the time, John Paul Jones, for whom the French government fitted out a little fleet, including an old merchantman, the Bon Homme Richard. With this craft Jones cruised in the North Sea, and attacked and took the Serapis, a forty-four-gun ship of the British navy (September, 1779), the first instance of a square fight between American and British cruisers, and a glorious victory for the Americans. In American waters, however, the United States could do little but look on while the French and British fleets fought each other in the West Indies, or off the American coast. The Spaniards joined in the war in 1779, and the Dutch in 1780, and did their best to keep the British navy busy.

138. Arnold's treachery

During 1779 there was a lull in the Revolutionary War; but by a gallant surprise "Mad Anthony Wayne" (July 16) overpowered the British post of Stony Point, on the Hudson. A year later the patriot cause almost perished through the treason of Benedict Arnold, a brave officer, veteran of many battles, who thought he had been slighted. He asked the command of the important post of West Point, in order to betray it for $30,000 and a major general's commission. Fortunately the British agent, Major John André, was taken at the critical moment (September 23, 1780); West Point was saved, and with it the line of communication with New England. Since André was traveling through the American lines in disguise, he was a spy, and was justly executed as a spy, though his captors bore tribute to his brave and manly character. Arnold received the promised reward from the British.

139. Cam

South

In 1780 the British changed their plan of warfare by attacking the southern states. Savannah had already been taken (December, 1778), and a royal government set up in Georgia. An expedition under the French admiral D'Estaing, in paign in the coöperation with a land force under General Lincoln, in (1778-1780) 1779 was unable to recover Savannah. With troops set free by the evacuation of Newport, Charleston was besieged by Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Charles Cornwallis, with about 13,000 men, and by the renowned loyalist cavalry commander, Tarleton. On May 12, 1780, Lincoln was compelled to surrender the city, with its whole garrison of about 3000.

The British command in the Carolinas was now intrusted to Lord Cornwallis, an experienced officer who had strongly advised a southern campaign. He began to push into the interior, and Tarleton broke up the remnant of the American southern army at Waxhaw Creek; but Marion and Sumter, with militia, irregular troops, and guerrillas, somehow kept the field. The effort of Cornwallis to establish a loyal government, and to enroll loyalist troops, led to a fearful condition

of partisan warfare, marked by excesses on both sides. To stem this invasion, Washington sent De Kalb from the North to Hillsboro, North Carolina; but Congress called Horatio Gates from his inactivity to take command. Gates formed the project of seizing Camden, occupied by the British as an important strategic point. With 1400 regular troops and 1600 militia, he moved on Cornwallis's force of 2000 men August 16, 1780; the American army was routed with a loss of 2000 men. De Kalb was killed, and the "hero of Saratoga" ran away like any poltroon.

Cornwallis now set about the systematic conquest of North Carolina, but a force of 1200 loyalist troops under Ferguson was trapped by the militia and destroyed or taken at Kings Mountain (October 17). This important battle was won by western settlers, under John Sevier, and was the chief blow struck by the West in the Revolution.

The winter of 1780-1781 was again very hard for the American army, and bodies of the Pennsylvania and New 140. From Jersey "line" mutinied for lack of pay. Washington Charleston realized that his objective was the British army wherever to Yorktown it was to be found, and sent General Nathanael Greene to (1780-1781) take command in the South, the principal seat of hostilities. Cornwallis still held the advanced positions of Augusta and Ninety-six, but was harassed by the regulars under Marion, Henry Lee, and Morgan. Greene sent Morgan to attack a column of Cornwallis's army under Tarleton, who was completely beaten at the battle of the Cowpens (January 17, 1781). The two armies then maneuvered northward. Cornwallis suffered severely at Guilford (March 15), was unable to maintain his communications, and fell back to the coast at Wilmington. Most of North Carolina was thus lost to the British; and Greene soon made himself master of inland South Carolina. Cornwallis made up his mind to invade Virginia, where there was already a British force under Benedict Arnold and Phillips.