The Loyalists of America and Their Times

CHAPTER XXVII.. Alliance Between Congress and France Not Productive of the

ALLIANCE BETWEEN CONGRESS AND FRANCE NOT PRODUCTIVE OF THE EFFECT ANTICIPATED; EFFORTS OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR RECONCILIATION WITH THE COLONIES 1-16

Alliance deferred twelve months by France after it was applied for by Congress, until the King of France was assured that no reconciliation would take place between England and the Colonies 1

Lord Admiral Howe and his brother, General Howe, Commissioners to confer with Congress with a view to reconciliation; their power limited; Congress refuses all conference with them, but the vast majority of the Colonists in favour of reconciliation 2

Reasons of the failure of the two Commissioners 4

New penal laws against the Loyalists 5

Three Acts of Parliament passed to remove all grounds of complaint on the part of the Colonists, and the appointment of five Commissioners; Lord North's conciliatory speech; excitement and opposition in the Commons, but the bills were passed and received the royal assent 6

Lord North's proposed resignation, and preparations for it 8

Opinions of Lords Macaulay and Mahon as to the success of a commission; proposed terms of reconciliation if appointed and proposed by the Earl of Chatham 8

The large powers and most liberal propositions of the five Royal Commissioners for reconciliation between the Colonies and the Mother Country 11

The refusal of all negotiation on the part of Congress; bound by treaty to the King of France to make no peace with England without the consent of the French Court 12

The three Acts of Parliament, and proposals of the five Commissioners of all that the Colonists had desired before the Declaration of Independence; but Congress had transferred allegiance from England to France, without even consulting their constituents 12

Appeal of the representative of France to the Canadians to detach Canada from England (in a note) 12

Sycophancy of the leaders of Congress to France against England 13

The feeling of the people in both England and America different from that of the leaders of Congress 14

The war more acrimonious after the alliance between Congress and the Kingof France and the failure of the British Commissioners to promote reconciliation between Great Britain and the Colonies 16

CHAPTER XXVIII.. Complete Failure of the French Fleet and Army,

COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE FRENCH FLEET AND ARMY, UNDER COUNT D'ESTAING, TO ASSIST THE CONGRESS 17-32

Count D'Estaing arrives in America with a powerful fleet and several thousand soldiers 17

Anchors off Sandy Hook for eleven days; goes to Long Island by Washington's advice, and sails up Newport River, whither he is pursued by the Lord Admiral Howe with a less powerful fleet; the ships, with 4,000 French soldiers and 10,000 Americans, to land and attack the British on Long Island, who were only 5,000 strong 17

The two fleets separated by a storm; only fighting between individual ships 18

Count D'Estaing, against the remonstrances and protests of American officers, determines to sail for Boston Harbour for the repair of his ships 18

Bitter feeling and riot between the American sailors and citizens and French seamen and soldiers in the streets of Boston 19

Raids in New England by British expeditions (in a note) 19

Differences between Count D'Estaing and the American officers as to the mode of attacking the British on Long Island 19

Early in November Count D'Estaing with his fleet quitted the port of Boston and sailed for the West Indies, thus disappointing the hopes of the Americans from the French alliance 20

Count D'Estaing, though strengthened by the fleet of Count De Grasse, could not be induced to come to close fight with Admiral Byron 21

The French take St. Vincent 21

Count D'Estaing complained of by the Americans to the French Court, which orders him to return to the American coasts and assist the Colonists 22

D'Estaing arrives suddenly on the American coasts with twenty-two sail-of-the-line and eleven frigates and six thousand soldiers; his magnificent plans and expectations 22

D'Estaing arranges with General Lincoln to attack Savannah and rescue the province of Georgia, and afterwards other Southern provinces, from the British 23

Account of the Siege of Savannah, and the defeat of the French and their American allies; result of the contest 24

Mutual recriminations and jealousies between the French and American officers; Count D'Estaing sails with his fleet for France 25

Why this minute account of Count D'Estaing's abortive expeditions to America; the barren results of the first two years' alliance between Congress and the King of France, by Dr. Ramsay 27

Spain joins France against England in 1779 28

Low state of the American army and finances; discouragement and despondency of the Americans in 1780 28

The degeneracy of Congress in 1778, as stated by General Washington 29

Depreciation of public credit; sale of the confiscated property of "Tories" 30

CHAPTER XXIX.. 1780--a Year of Weakness and Disaster to the American Cause,

1780--A YEAR OF WEAKNESS AND DISASTER TO THE AMERICAN CAUSE, AND OF SUCCESS TO THE BRITISH 32-41

Depression of American finances 32

Weakness of Washington's army 32

La Fayette returns from France with a loan of money and reinforcements of naval and land forces 33

The British receive naval reinforcement of war ships, and become superior to the French 33

Failure of the French reinforcements 33

Sir Henry Clinton goes South; besieges and takes Charleston 34

Conditions of the surrender and treatment of the inhabitants, as stated by Dr. Ramsay and misrepresented by Mr. Bancroft 35

Sir Henry Clinton's bad administration and bad proclamation in South Carolina; his exaggerated statements of his success; re-embarks at Charleston for New York 36

Expeditions to secure the universal submission of the people; but they weakened the cause of the British in the hearts of the people 36

The military power of Congress reduced and crushed in the Southern States 37

Lord Cornwallis's antecedents, and those of Lord Rawdon (afterwards Marquis of Hastings); but their severe policy unjustifiable and injurious to the British cause 38

Military proceedings in the North also unfavourable to the Congress; its confessed weakness and gloomy prospects 40

Appeal of Congress to France for men and money as their only hope 40

Washington's despondency without French aid (in a note) 41

Mr. Hildreth, the historian, on the gloomy state of American affairs at the close of the year 1780, though the English victories and rule did not attract the hearts of the people to the British cause 41

CHAPTER XXX.. The French and Congress Allies Recover Virginia; Surrender of

THE FRENCH AND CONGRESS ALLIES RECOVER VIRGINIA; SURRENDER OF LORD CORNWALLIS; RESULTS 42-52

General Washington and the French Commander plan an expedition to the South 42

Sir Henry Clinton deceived as to their design 43

Count De Grasse sails for the Chesapeake with a fleet of 28 ships and 7,000 French troops 43

Remarkable march of the allied army, five hundred miles from New York to Virginia, without committing any depredations whatever upon the inhabitants, even in the season of fruits 43

Plan of the siege of York Town 44

Earl Cornwallis's measures of defence 44

Position and strength of the allied forces, and their process of operations 45

Lord Cornwallis's courageous and protracted defence; is disappointed of promised reinforcements from New York 45

Lord Cornwallis capitulates to superior forces 45

Conditions of capitulation 46

Circumstances of the Loyalists 46

Groundless boastings of American orators and writers over the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, commanding but a small part of the British forces 47

The unrivalled skill and courage of Washington undoubted, as well as the bravery and endurance of his soldiers; but the success of the siege of York Town chiefly owing to the French, but for whose ships, artillery and land forces, Lord Cornwallis would have been the conqueror, rather than conquered, in this famous siege and battle 47

The resources of England; the peace party opposed to the continuance of the American War irrespective of the Battle of York Town 48

The war party and corrupt administration at length defeated in the House of Commons, after repeated and protracted debates and various intrigues 50

Change of Government, and end of Lord North's twelve years' administration 51

Seven years' war and bloodshed, and an unnatural alliance would have been prevented, liberty secured, and the united life of the Anglo-Saxon race saved, had Congress, in 1776, adhered to its previous professions (in a note) 52

CHAPTER XXXI.. Change of Administration in England; Change of Policy

CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION IN ENGLAND; CHANGE OF POLICY FOR BOTH ENGLAND AND THE COLONIES; PEACE NEGOTIATIONS AT PARIS; CAUSE OF THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS; CHANGE OF MINISTRY; THE KING COMPELLED TO YIELD 53-65

Names of the new Ministers; death of the Marquis of Rockingham, the Premier, succeeded by the Earl of Shelburne, in consequence of which several Ministers resign, and are succeeded by others, among whom was Pitt, as Chancellor of the Exchequer (in a note) 53

Correspondence between Dr. Franklin, at Paris, and the Earl of Shelburne, which led to negotiations for peace 54

Parliament does not pass an Act to authorize peace with America until three months after the accession of the new Ministry 54

Dr. Franklin proposes to include Canada in the United States 54

English and American Commissioners meet at Paris and hold protracted negotiations, with many delays, in regard to terms of peace 56

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