. The first American Civil War, first period 1775-1778, with chapters on the continental or revolutionary army and on the forces of the crown . royal officers werefurther influenced by the state of Philadelphia. Gordonsays that Putnam dared not at this juncture withdraw aman of his command from that town for fear of aninsurrection in favour of the British. The oppositionto Independence in that city had always been strong,especially among the Quakers, and the Loyalist party inPhiladelphia was too powerful to be left unwatched.^Misled, perhaps, in this way, Howe made the dis-position of troops w
. The first American Civil War, first period 1775-1778, with chapters on the continental or revolutionary army and on the forces of the crown . royal officers werefurther influenced by the state of Philadelphia. Gordonsays that Putnam dared not at this juncture withdraw aman of his command from that town for fear of aninsurrection in favour of the British. The oppositionto Independence in that city had always been strong,especially among the Quakers, and the Loyalist party inPhiladelphia was too powerful to be left unwatched.^Misled, perhaps, in this way, Howe made the dis-position of troops which brought about that amazingescape from the ruin from which, as Washington said,nothing but the infatuation of the enemy could saveAmerica. And thus on Christmas Eve, 1776, the curtainfalls over the British army, posted in ten portionsfrom Trenton and Burlington on the Delaware, by wayof Princeton, New Brunswick, and Newark, up to thewest bank of the Hudson, with occupation of PerthAmboy at the outfall of the Raritan. In Trenton theHessians made every preparation to spend in the Germanstyle a merry Christmas. 1 Gordon, ii. 390, 393. n. CHAPTER XIV THE CRISIS Sir William Howes disposition of troops in NewJersey was made, it is said, against his better judg-ment, on the advice of Lord Cornwalhs. In the defence of their conduct of this campaign setup by Viscount Howe, the Admiral-in-Chief, and SirWilliam Howe, the General-in-Chief, the latter excusedhis share of the failure in New Jersey by pleading he hadacted on the advice of Cornwallis, a statement confirmedunder examination by Cornwallis himself. Similarlyin the case of the disaster at Fort Washington, imputedby Bancroft and others to Greene, to whose judgmentWashington had deferred, an attempt was made to shiftresponsibility from the shoulders of the senior to thoseof the junior officer. Similarly it was common report in1900 that Sir Redvers Buller was persuaded against hisbetter judgment by Warren and Cleary to attack Spi
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