| CHAPTER II. |
1776—1777.
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.
Committee on Foreign Relations—Franklin's letter to Dumas—Deane in Paris—Commissioners to France—Extent to which France was willing to go—Commissioners to other courts—Progress of negotiations—Position of Congress—Washington's letter to the President of Congress—Vast powers conferred on him—Action of Parliament—Washington's plans to retrieve losses in New Jersey—Surprise and Capture of the Hessians at Trenton—Effects of this success—Movement of Cornwallis—Washington's retreat and attack on Princeton—General Mercer's death—Washington's proclamation—His generalship—Botta's eulogy—Excesses and abominations of war—Effect on the people—Similar excesses on the side of the Americans—Sufferings of the prisoners in New York—The army inoculated—Heath's attempt on New York—British attack on Peekskill, and on Danbury—General Wooster's death—American success at Sag Harbor—Howe inactive—Washington's arrangements to meet him—Washington advances to Middlebrook—Howe attempt to surprise him—New Jersey evacuated by the British—Great preparations in New York for an expedition by sea—Washington's first interview with Lafayette—Seizure of General Prescott—British fleet enter the Chesapeake—Washington's determination to defend Philadelphia—Battle of the Brandywine—Further movements—Wayne surprised—Fresh powers conferred on Washington—Hamilton's activity—Philadelphia abandoned—Battle of Germantown—Obstructions in the Delaware—British efforts to clear the navigation—Howe's offer of battle declined—State of the armies—Approach of winter—Appendix to Chapter II.—I. Letter from General Robertson, and Governor Livingston's Reply.—II. Charge of John Jay, Esq., to the Grand Jury.
It had not escaped the attention of those sagacious men who exercised preponderating influence in Congress, that the Declaration of Independence would necessarily involve an appeal to the nations of Europe for countenance and aid. Accordingly, as early as the close of 1775, a committee, consisting of Mr. Harrison, Dr. Franklin, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Dickinson, and Mr. Jay, was appointed for the sole purpose of holding a secret correspondence with the friends of America, in Great Britain, Ireland, and other parts of the world. The main object of this Committee, was to sound indirectly some of the principal powers of Europe, particularly France and Spain, in regard to American affairs. Dr. Franklin, not long after, addressed a letter to a gentleman in Holland, named Dumas, making inquiries as to the prospect of aid being extended to the Americans, in the struggle upon which they had entered with the mother country. "That you may be better enabled," wrote Franklin, "to answer some questions which will probably be put to you, concerning our present situation, we inform you, that the whole continent is very firmly united—the party for the measures of the British ministry being very small, and much dispersed; that we had on foot the last campaign, an army of near twenty thousand men, wherewith we have been able, not only to block up the king's army in Boston, but to spare considerable detachments for the invasion of Canada, where we have met with great success, as the printed papers
