A history of the United States for schools . ossibleto conquer the United States. The British tried firstone way and then the other, and so the war after theDeclaration of Independence may be divided into twoperiods. The first period was rather more than a yearand a quarter in length, the second lasted exactly fouryears. During the first period, the British tried to conquerand hold the line of the Hudson River. This would bethe most direct and speedy way of settling the busi- §87. THE WINNING OF INDEPENDENCE. 217 ness. The British had full control of the sea, so that it was impossible for Amer
A history of the United States for schools . ossibleto conquer the United States. The British tried firstone way and then the other, and so the war after theDeclaration of Independence may be divided into twoperiods. The first period was rather more than a yearand a quarter in length, the second lasted exactly fouryears. During the first period, the British tried to conquerand hold the line of the Hudson River. This would bethe most direct and speedy way of settling the busi- §87. THE WINNING OF INDEPENDENCE. 217 ness. The British had full control of the sea, so that it was impossible for American troops to go from one state to another by water. So by of the holding the Hudson River, the British would cut off all communication between New England and the rest of the country. There were two ways of attacking the Hudson, fromabove and from below ; the British tried both ways atonce. In the autumn of 1776, General Carleton, withhis army in boats, under convoy of a stout little fleet,came up Lake Champlain to attack Ticonderoga. On. BATTERY AND BOWLING GREEN IN October ii, he encountered Benedict Arnold in an ob-stinate naval fight off Valcour Island. Arnold wasworsted, but escaped with his vessels, and Carleton wasso badly damaged that he soon turned about and wentback to winter quarters at Montreal. But it was at the mouth of the Hudson River that 1 From the Manual of the Common Council of New York, 1858, wherea full description of Bowling Green may be found. 2l8 THE REVOLUTION. Ch. XL the British struck their heaviest blows. As the city ofNew York stands on an island, it was impossi- The city ^ of New ble for the Americans to hold it without com-mand of the water. It would, nevertheless, bemost unwise to surrender it without a struggle. If youcannot beat the enemy, it is always worth while in warto use up his time and fritter away his energies. Nogeneral ever understood this better than order to hold the city of New York, it was necessaryto hold
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