All England was deeply stirred.Nearly every important town offered to raise volunteer forces at its own expense.The Government soon had fifteen thousand men recruited at private cost.Help was offered so freely that the Whig, John Wilkes, actually introduced into Parliament a bill to prohibit gifts of money to the Crown since this voluntary taxation gave the Crown money without the consent of Parliament.The British patriot, gentle as he might be towards America, fumed against France.This was no longer only a domestic struggle between parties, but a war with an age-long foreign enemy.The populace resented what they called the insolence and the treachery of France and the French ambassador was pelted at Canterbury as he drove to the seacoast on his recall.In a large sense the French alliance was not an unmixed blessing for America, since it confused the counsels of her best friends in England.
In spite of this it is probably true that from this time the mass of the English people were against further attempts to coerce America.A change of ministry was urgently demanded.There was one leader to whom the nation looked in this grave crisis.The genius of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, had won the last war against France and he had promoted the repeal of the Stamp Act.
In America his name was held in reverence so high that New York and Charleston had erected statues in his honor.When the defeat of Burgoyne so shook the ministry that North was anxious to retire, Chatham, but for two obstacles, could probably have formed a ministry.One obstacle was his age; as the event proved, he was near his end.It was, however, not this which kept him from office, but the resolve of George III.The King simply said that he would not have Chatham.In office Chatham would certainly rule and the King intended himself to rule.If Chatham would come in a subordinate position, well; but Chatham should not lead.The King declared that as long as even ten men stood by him he would hold out and he would lose his crown rather than call to office that clamorous Opposition which had attacked his American policy.
"I will never consent," he said firmly, "to removing the members of the present Cabinet from my service." He asked North: "Are you resolved at the hour of danger to desert me?" North remained in office.Chatham soon died and, during four years still, George III was master of England.Throughout the long history of that nation there is no crisis in which one man took a heavier and more disastrous responsibility.
News came to Valley Forge of the alliance with France and there were great rejoicings.We are told that, to celebrate the occasion, Washington dined in public.We are not given the bill of fare in that scene of famine; but by the springtime tension in regard to supplies had been relieved and we may hope that Valley Forge really feasted in honor of the great event.The same news brought gloom to the British in Philadelphia, for it had the stern meaning that the effort and loss involved in the capture of that city were in vain.Washington held most of the surrounding country so that supplies must come chiefly by sea.With a French fleet and a French army on the way to America, the British realized that they must concentrate their defenses.Thus the cheers at Valley Forge were really the sign that the British must go.
Sir William Howe, having taken Philadelphia, was determined not to be the one who should give it up.Feeling was bitter in England over the ghastly failure of Burgoyne, and he had gone home on parole to defend himself from his seat in the House of Commons.There Howe had a seat and he, too, had need to be on hand.Lord George Germain had censured him for his course and, to shield himself; was clearly resolved to make scapegoats of others.So, on May 18, 1778, at Philadelphia there was a farewell to Howe, which took the form of a Mischianza, something approaching the medieval tournament.Knights broke lances in honor of fair ladies, there were arches and flowers and fancy costumes, and high-flown Latin and French, all in praise of the departing Howe.Obviously the garrison of Philadelphia had much time on its hands and could count upon, at least, some cheers from a friendly population.It is remembered still, with moralizings on the turns in human fortune, that Major Andre and Miss Margaret Shippen were the leaders in that gay scene, the one, in the days to come, to be hanged by Washington as a spy, because entrapped in the treason of Benedict Arnold, who became the husband of the other.
On May 24, 1778, Sir Henry Clinton took over from Howe the command of the British army in America and confronted a difficult problem.If d'Estaing, the French admiral, should sail straight for the Delaware he might destroy the fleet of little more than half his strength which lay there, and might quickly starve Philadelphia into surrender.The British must unite their forces to meet the peril from France, and New York, as an island, was the best point for a defense, chiefly naval.A move to New York was therefore urgent.It was by sea that the British had come to Philadelphia, but it was not easy to go away by sea.There was not room in the transports for the army and its encumbrances.
Moreover, to embark the whole force, a march of forty miles to New Castle, on the lower Delaware, would be necessary and the retreating army was sure to be harassed on its way by Washington.
It would besides hardly be safe to take the army by sea for the French fleet might be strong enough to capture the flotilla.
