As it was, Howe occupied the
left bank of the Delaware with his chief post at Trenton. If he
made sure of New Jersey he could go on to Philadelphia when the
river was frozen over or indeed when he liked. Even the Congress
had fled to Baltimore. There were British successes in other
quarters. Early in December Lord Howe took the fleet to Newport.
Soon he controlled the whole of Rhode Island and checked the
American privateers who had made it their base. The brothers
issued proclamations offering protection to all who should within
sixty days return to their British allegiance and many people of
high standing in New York and New Jersey accepted the offer. Howe
wrote home to England the glad news of victory. Philadelphia
would probably fall before spring and it looked as if the war was
really over.
In this darkest hour Washington struck a blow which changed the
whole situation. We associate with him the thought of calm
deliberation. Now, however, was he to show his strongest quality
as a general to be audacity. At the Battle of the Marne, in 1914,
the French General Foch sent the despatch: "My center is giving
way; my right is retreating; the situation is excellent: I am
attacking." Washington's position seemed as nearly hopeless and
he, too, had need of some striking action.
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