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.
There was nothing for it but, at whatever risk, to abandon
Philadelphia and march the army across New Jersey. It would be
possible to take by sea the stores and the three thousand
Loyalists from Philadelphia, some of whom would probably be
hanged if they should be taken. Lord Howe, the naval commander,
did his part in a masterly manner. On the 18th of June the
British army marched out of Philadelphia and before the day was
over it was across the Delaware on the New Jersey side.
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