I must_ pronounce, that he has been giiilty of an act ot
cruel injustice towards a man, Vviio had certainly some
pretensions to the regard of every servant of his country;
and I think, sir, I liave a right to demand some reparation
for the injury committed : and, unless I can obtain it, I
must, in justice to myself, when the campaign is closed,
which I beheve will close the war, retire from a service,
at the head of which is placed a man capable of offering
such injuries : but, at the same time, in justice to vou, I
must repeat, that I, from my soul, beheve, that it was not
a motion of your own breast, but instigated by some of
those dirty earwigs, who will for ever insinuate thern-
CHARLES LEE.
643
selves near persons in high office ; for 1 am reahy assu-
red, that when General Washington acts from himself,
no man in his army will have reason to complain of in-
justice and indecorum.
I am, Sir, and I hope ever shall have reason to con-
tinue, Yours, &c.
CHARl.ES LEE.
His Excellency General Washington.
Head- Quarters^ English ToiuUy )
28th June, 1778. S
Sir,
1 received your letter, dated, through mistake, the 1st of
July, expressed, as I conceive, in terms highly improper.
1 am not conscious of having made use of any very sin-
gular expressions at the tim.e of my meeting you, as you
Ultimate. What I recollect to have said, was dictated by
duty, and warranted by the occasion. As soon as cir-
cumstances will admit, vou shall have an opportunity
either of justifv^ing yourself to the Army, to Congress, to
America, and 'to the World in general, or of convmcmg
them that you are guilty of a breach of orders, and of
misbehaviour before the enemy on the 28th instant, in
not attacking them as you had been directed, and in ma-
king an unnecessary, disorderly, and shameful retreat.
I am, Sir, vour most obedient servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
The Court met, by several adjournments till the 12th
of Au2:ust, when they found the unfortunate General guil-
ty of the several charges brought against him, and sen-
tenced him to be suspended from any cominission in the
armies of the United States of North America, for the
term of twelve months. But it was usual, in America,
and thought necessary, that the sentence of eveiy Court-
martial should be ratified or confirmed by Congress ; the
proceedings, therefore, of the Court, were accordingly
transmitted to them, and the General repaired to Phila-
delphia to await their decision. During his stay there on
this business, he was involved in several disputes; ana,
though his affair might be considered, as yet, snb judicc.
544 GLORY OF AMERICA.
the conversation of the city was rather against him,
which induced him to pubUsh, as it were, a second de-
fence.
It was a considerable time before Congress took the
General's trial under their consideration, during which
he continued smarting under liie frowns of fortune, and
the malignant tongues of men ; and, to add to his suffer-
ings, in this state of suspense, he received a letter from
Colonel Laurens, one of General Washington's aids, in-
forming him, " that in contempt of -decency and truth, he
had publicly abused General Washington in the grossest
terms :"' that ' the relation in which he stood to him, for-
bade him to pass such conduct unnoticed ; he therefore
demanded the satisfaction he was entitled to. and desired,
that as soon as General Lee should think himself at lib-
erty, he would appoint time and place, and name his
weapons."' Without hesitation, this was accepted, and
he made choice of a brace of pistols, declining the small
sword, because he was rather in a weak state of body,
having lately received a fall from a horse, and also taken
a quantity of medicine, to baffle a fit of the gout, which
he apprehended. They met, according to appointment,
and discharged their pistols, when General Lee received
a slight womid in his side ; and it has been said, that, on
this occasion, he displayed the greatest fortitude and
courage.
Soon after this time, when Lee had not yet recovered
from his wounds, Major Eustace, one of his aids, gave
Colonel Hamilton the lie, in some altercation respecting
the differences between Lee and Washington. Eustace,
expected a challenge from Hamilton, of which circum-
stance, he apprized Lee by letter, whose reply was in the
following laconic strain. " My dear Jack If the pedant
Hamilton takes notice of what you have said, and you
should fall, depend upon it, your life shall not pass unre-
venged.''
Shortly after, the proceedings of the court martial, on
his trial, came under consideration in Congress, and pro-
duced debates for several evenings ; but, finally, the sen-
tence Wis confirmed. The s^eneral was much dissatisfied
CHARLES LEE. 645
with it, and his mind extremely embittered against one of
the members, (Mr. Henry Drayton, of South Carohna.)
This gentleman's conduct was censured by Lee in the
severest language, because he opposed in Congress a di-
vision of the several charges brouglit against him, and
argued and insisted upon lumping them all together, to
be decided by one question. In this he was ingeniously
and warmly opposed by Mr. William Paca, a former go-
vernor of Maryland. Here we must observe, that, prior
to this, Mr. Drayton was by no means one of the general's
favourites ; he had taken some unnecessary liberties with
his character, in a charge which he delivered, as chief
justice, to a grand jury in Charleston, South Carolina.
His temper thus exasperated, he could no longer refrain
from emphatically expressing his sense of the injuries he
had received from Mr. Drayton. These were deliverer"-,
intermixed with threatening language, to Mr. Hutson, his
colleague and friend, who communicated it. A corrc^:-
pondence ensued, remarkable for its poignancy of I'eply.
This correspondence being finished, the General re-
tired to his plantation in Berkley county, Virginia, whei'^,
still irritated with the scurrilous attacks he had met with
from several writers, and others, in Philadelphia, he could
not forbear giving vent to the bitterness of his feelings,
and, in this misanthropic disposition, composed a set oi
(Queries, which he styled political and military. These
lie sent, by one of his aids, to the printers of Philadelphia,
for publication ; but they thought it imprudent to admit
them into their papers, as General Washington possessed
the hearts and admiration of every one ; he, therefore,
applied to the editor of the Maryland Journal, at Balti-
niore, who indulged him with their insertion. The
Queries no sooner made their appearance, than a consi-
derable disturbance took place among the citizens of Bal-
timore ; the printer was called on for the author, and
obliged to give up his name.
Lee remained at his retreat, living in a style peculiar
to himself, in a house more like a barn than a palace.
Glass windows and plastering would have been luxurious
extravag-ance, and his furniture consisted of a very few
^ 46*
646 * GLORY OF AMERICA.
necessary articles : indeed, he was noW so nisticated, that
he could have hved in a tub with Diog-enes ; howeverj
he had obtained a few select, valuable authors, and these
enabled him to pass away his time in this obscurity. In
the fall of 17S2, he began to be weary \^4th the sameness
of his situation, and experiencing his unfitness for the
management of country business, he came to a determi-
nation to sell his estate, and procure a little settlement
near some sea-port town, where he might learn what the
world was doing, and enjoy the conversation of mankind.
Ehs farm, though an excellent tract of land, rather
brought him in debt at the end of the year, and added to
the difficulties under which he laboured. It is no won-
der, then, that he was inclined to relinquish his present
system of life. He left Berkley, and came to Baltimore,
where he staid nearly a week with some old friends, and
then took his leave for Philadelphia. He took lodsfings
at an inn, the sign of the Connestoofa Avagon, in Market-
street. A ludicrous circumstance here took place, vrhich
created considerable diversion : The late Judge H. H.
Breckenridge, whose poignancy of satire and eccentricity
of character was nearly a match for that of the general,
had dipped his pen in some gall, which vehemently irri-
tated Lee"s feelings, insomuch, that he challenofed him to
single combat, which Breckenridge declined, in a very
eccentric reply. Lee. having furnished himself Avith a
horse-whip, determined to chastise him ignominiously on
the very first opportunity". Observing Breckenrid-ge go-
ing doAA^i Market-street, in a few days thereafter, he gave
him chase, and Breckenridge took refuge in a public
house, and barricaded the door of the room he entered.
A number of persons collected to see the sport. Lee
damned him, and invited him to come out and fiofht him.
like a man. Breckenridge replied, that he did not like to
be shot at, and made some other curious observations,
which only increased Lee's irritation and the mirth of the
spectators. Lee, with the most bitter imprecations, order-
ed him to come out, Vv-hen he said he would horse-whip
feim. Breckenridge replied, that he had no occasion for
a discipline of that kind. The amusing scene lasted
CHARLEB LEE. 54T
some time, until at length, Lee, finding that he accom-
plished no other object than calling forth Breckenridge's
wit for the amusement of the by-standers, retired. This
had such an effect on him, that, in a few days after his
arrival in the city, he was taken with a shivering, the
fore-runner of a fever, which put a period to his existence,
October 2d, 1782.
A friend of the general was at the inn when he took
his departure from this world. The servants told him
that General Lee was dying ; on which he went into the
room : he was then struggling with the King of Terrors,
and seemed to have lost his senses ; the last words he
heard him speak, were, " Stand by me, my brave grena-
diers !"
The citizens of Philadelphia, calling to mind his former
services, appeared to be much affected by his death. His
funeral was attended by a very large concourse of peo-
ple, the cler2:y of different denominations, his excellency
the president of Congress, the president and some mem-
bers of the council of the commonwealth of Pennsylva-
nia, his excellency the minister plenipotentiary of France,
M. Marbois, secretary to the embassy, the mmister of
finance. General Baron de Viominil, Duke de Lausan,
the minister of war, and several other officers of distmc-
tion, both in the French and American armies.
General Lee was a great and sincere friend to the
rio-hts and liberties of mankind, and it was this grand
principle, which led him to take part on the side of Ame-
rica. From his youth, he was bred up with the highest
reo:ard for the noble sentiments of freedom ; his education
and reading strengthened them ; the historians and ora-
tors of Greece and Rome, with whom he was considera-
bly conversant, added to the sacred flame, and his travels,
m many parts of the world, did not tend to dimmish it.
His person was of a genteel make, and rather above
the middle size ; his remarkable aquiline nose rendered
his face somewhat disas^reeable. He was master of a
most genteel address ; but, in the latter part of his file,
became excessively neo^ligent of the graces, both in garb
and behaviour. A talent for repartee, united with a
548 GLORY OF AMERICA.
quickness of penetration, created him many enemies. A
character so eccentric and singular, could not fail of at-
tracting the popular attention. His s??iall friends fre-
quently passed severe criticisms on his words and actions
Xarrowly watchea, every little slip or failure was noticed,
and represented to his disadvantage. The objections to
his moral conduct were numerous, and his g-reat fondness
for dogs brought on him the dislike and frowns of the
fair sex : for the general would permit his canine adhe-
rents to follow him to the parlour, the bed-room, and,
son:ietimes, they miofht be seen on a chair, next his elbow,
at table.
There is a gi'eat probability, that the general was the
first person who suggested the idea that^ America ought
to declare herself independent. When he was sent bv
the commander-in-chief to New- York, he behaved vdth
such activity and spirit, infusing the same into the minds
ef the troops and the people, that :\Ir. John Adams said,
' a happier expedition never was projected : and that the
whole whig world were blessino^ himVor it." About this
time, Doctor Franklin gave Mr. Thomas Paine, the cele-
brated author of ' Common Sense,"' an introductory letter
to him, in which were these words, The bearer, Mr.
Paine, has requested a line of introduction to you, which
I gave the more willingly, as I know his sentiments are
not ver\^ different from" yours.'" A fev/ days after, the
doctor vTites again, -There is a kind of 'suspense in
men's minds here, at present, waiting to see what terms
will be offered from England. I expect none that we can
accept: and when that is generally seen, vre shall be
more unanimous, and more decisive. Then, vour pro-
posed 'Solenm League and Covenant' will go better
down, and, perhaps, most of vour other strong measures,
vvill be adopted.'' In a letter 'to Edward Faufedo-e. Esq.,
m the spring of 1776, then a member of the Continental
Congress, the general thus expresses his sentiments :
' As vour affairs prosper, the timidity of the senatorial '
part of the continent, o-reat and small, 'grows and extends
itself By the EternafG , unless vou "declare yourselves
mdependent, establish a more certain and fixed le^isla-
CHARLES LEE. 549
ture than that of a temporary courtesy of the people, you
richly deserve to be enslaved ; and 1 think that, far from
impossible, it should be your lot ; as, without a more sys-
tematic intercourse with France and Holland, we have
not the means of carrying on the war." There are other
opistles of his of a similar spirit and diction.
The more the general's character and conduct are in-
vestigated, the more conspicuous his services will appear.
In the infancy of the American dispute, he was continu-
ally suggesting and forwarding plans for the defence of
the country ; and though a professed enemy to a stand-
ins: army, he was always recommending a well-regulated
militia. This he considered as the natural strengfh of a
country, and absolutely necessary for its safety and pre-
servation.
He has frequently asserted, that a more pernicious idea
could not enter into the heads of the citizens, than, that
rigid discipline, and a strict subjection to military rules,
were incompatible with civil liberty ; and he was of opi-
nion, that when the bulk of a community would not sub-
mit to the ordinances necessary for the preservation of
military discipline, their freedom could not be of long
continuance.
The liberty of every commonwealth must be protected
ultimately by military force. Military force depends upon
order and discipline ; without order and discipline, the
greatest number of armed men are only a contemptible
mob ; a handful of regulars must disperse them. It fol-
lows, then, that the citizens at lars^e must submit to the
means of becoming soldiers, or that they must commit
the protection of their lives and property to a distinct body
of men, who will, naturally, in a short time set up a pro-
fessional interest, separate from the community at large.
To this cause we may attribute the subversion of every
free state that history presents to us. The Romans were
certainly the first and most glorious people, that have
figured on the face of the globe ; they continued free
longest. Every citizen was a soldier, and a soldier not
in name, but in fact ; by which is meant, that they were
the most rigid observers of military institutions. The
550 GLORY OF AMERICA.
general therefore, thought it expedient that every state in
America should be extremely careful to perfect the laws
relative to their militia ; that, where they were glaringly
defective, they should be made more efficient ; and that it
should be establistied as a point of honour, and the crite-
rion of a virtuous citizen, to pay the greatest deference to
the common necessary laws of a camp.
General Lee, in the wide field of conjecture, has found
literary partisans who attribute to his pen, the celebrated
Letters of Junius. However, well that celebrated writer
may have garbed himself in the veil of obscurity, these
pretend to find a proof of their conjecture in the well
chosen motto of that hidden and classic author, '- stat
7iominis umbra /" They pretend to say, that it was ori-
ginally found in a letter written by the king of Poland in
Latin, to Lee, whose aid the latter had been. How well
founded this opinion may be, certain it is, that the immor-
tal author of those celebrated letters, have never as yet,
notwithstanding- the most laborious research, been drao -
ged from his concealment. If living, he enjoys in secret,
the meed of literary and patriotic applause ; if dead, he
lived to enjoy the reward of his labours and carry his se-
cret with him to the grave.
In the vale of Lee's military career, his opinion of the
American character, redounded not to its favour. This
he exhibited in a letter to his sister, wherein he sfoes at
length,4o display his feelings in regard to them, while he
breathes the full spirit of enthusiasm in favour of liberty,
v/hich he had ever evinced throuofh life.
His intentioQs were just and sincere. His errors those
of sensibility, smarting under the wounds of ill-requited
services.
NATHANIEL GREENE
This gallant officer, whose death was so generally and
so justly regretted, was born in Warwick, Kent county,
Rhode Island, in or abont the year 1741, and was the
second son of a respectable citizen of the same name.
The General was endued with an uncommon degree
of judgment and penetration, which, with a benevolent
manner and affable behaviour, acquired him a number of
valuable friends, by whose interest and influence he was,
at an early period of life, chosen a member of the assem-
bly of Rhode Island. This trust, in which he gave the
highest satisfaction to his constituents, he continued to
possess, until hostihties commenced betAveen the mother
countiy and her colonies.
After the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, when
a spirit of resistance spread, like wild-fire, over the conti-
nent, Rhode Island v/as not deficient in her contributions
for the general defence. She raised three regiments of
militia, the conmiand whereof was given to Mr. Greene,
who was nominated Brigadier-General.
He led the troops under his command to Cambridge,
and was present at the evacuation of Boston by the Bri-
tish army.
General Greene's merit and abilities, as well in the
council as in the field, were not long unnoticed by General
Washington, who reposed in him the utmost confidence,
and paid a particular deference to his advice, on all occa-
sions of doubt and difficulty.
He was appointed Major-General by Congi'ess, the 26th
of August, 1776. Towards the close of that year, he was
at the Trenton surprise ; and, at the beginning of the
next, was at the battle of Princeton, two enterprises not
more happily planned, than judiciously and bravely exe-
552 GLORY OJT AMERICA.
cuted, in both of which he displayed his talents, serving
his noviciate under the American Fabiiis.
At the battle of Brandywine. General Greene distin-
guished himself by supporting the right wing of the Ame-
rican army, when it gave way, and judiciously covering
the whole, when routed and retreating in confusion : and
their safety from utter ruin was generally ascribed to his
skill and exertions, which were well seconded by the
troops under his command.
At the battle of Germanto^\ai, he commanded the left
winof of the American armv, and his utmost endeavours
were exerted in endeavouring to retrieve the fortune of
that day, in which his conduct met with the approbation
of the Commander-in-chief.
Li March, 177S, he was appointed Q,uarter-3Iaster-Ge-
neral, which office he accepted under the stipulation, that
his rank in the army should not be effected by it, and that
he should retain his right to command in time of action,
accordinof to his rank and seniority.
In this station, he fully answered the expectations form-
ed of his abilities ; and enabled the American army to
move with additional celerity and vigour.
At the battle of ^Monmouth, the Commander-in-chief,
disgusted with the behaviour of General Lee. deposed him
on the field of battle, and appointed General Greene to
command the ri^ht wing, where he greatly contributed to
retrieve the errors of his predecessor, and to the subse-
quent events of the day.
About the middle of the year 1778, an attack being
planned by the Americans, in conjunction with the French
fleet, on the British garrison at Newport, Rhode Island,
General Sullivan was^ appointed to the conmiand. under
whom General Greene served. This attempt was imsuc-
cessful. The French fleet having sailed out of harbour,
to engage Lord Howe's fleet, they were dispersed by a
storm, and the Americans were obliged to raise the siege
of ^Se^\^ort ; in doing which, General Greene displayed a
great degree of skill in drawing olf the army in safety.
After the hopes of the British generals to execute some
decisive stroke to the northward, were frustrated, they
NATHANIEL GREENE. 553
turned their attention to the southern states, as less capa-
ble of defence, and more Hkely to reward the invaders
with ample plunder. A grand expedition was planned at
New York, where the army embarked on the 26th of De-
cember, 1779, and landed on the 11th of February, 1780,
within about thirty miles of Charleston, which, after a
brave defence, was surrendered to Sir Henry Clinton, on
the 12th of May.
A series of ill success followed this unfortunate event.
The American arms in South Carolina were in general
unsuccessful, and the inhabitants were obliged to submit
to the invaders, whose impolitic severity was extremely
ill calculated to answer any of the objects for which the
war had been commenced.
Affairs were thus circumstanced, when General Wash-
ington appointed General Greene to the command of the
American forces in the southern district. He arrived at
Charlotte, on the 2d day of December, 1780, accompanied
by General Morgan, a brave officer, who had distinguish-
ed himself to the northv/ard, in the expedition against
Burgoyne. He found the force which he was to com-
mand, reduced to a very small number, by defeat and de-
sertion. The returns were nine hundred and seventy con-
tinentals, and one thousand and thirteen militia. Milita-
ry stores, provisions, forage, and all things necessary,
were, if possible, in a more reduced state than his army.
His men were without pay, and almost without clothing,
and supplies of the latter were not to be had but from a
distance of two hundred miles. In this perilous and em-
barrassed situation, he had to oppose a respectable and
victorious army. Fortunately for him, the conduct of
some of the friends of royalty obliged numbers, otherwise
disposed to remain neuter, to take up arms in their own
defence. This, and the prudent measures the General
took for removinof the innumerable difficulties and disad-
vantages with which he was surrounded, and for concilia-
ting the affections of the inhabitants, soon brought togeth-
er a considerable force, far inferior, however, to that of
the British, who esteemed the country perfectly subjuga-
ted.
4r
554. GLORY OF AMERICA.
After he had recruited his forces, with all the friends to
the revoUitioii that he could assemble, he sent a conside-
rable detachjiient, under General Morgan, to the western
extremities of the state, to protect the well disposed in-
habitants from the ravasfes of the tories. This force,
which was the first that had for a considerable time ap-
peared there, on the side of the Americans, inspired the
friends of liberty with new courage, so that numbers of
them crowded to the standard of General Moro^an. He
at length became so formidable, that Lord Cornwallis
thought proper to send Colonel Tarleton to dislodge him
from the station he had taken. This officer was at the
head of a thousand regular troops, and had two field-
pieces. On the 7th of January, 1781, he met General
Morgan, at the Cowpens, having a far inferior force, com-
posed of two-thirds mihtia, and one-third continentals.
An engagement was the mimediate consequence. In this