ovements, he wrote to Sir Horace Mann: "Washington has shown himself
both a Fabius and a Camillus. His march through our lines is allowed
to have been a prodigy of generalship. In one word, I look upon a
great part of America as lost to this country."[227]

[Footnote 227: In another letter Walpole says:

"It is now the fashion to cry up the manoeuvre of General Washington
in this action [Princeton] who has beaten two English regiments, too,
and obliged General Howe to contract his quarters--in short, the
campaign has by no means been wound up to content.... It has lost a
great deal of its florid complexion, and General Washington is allowed
by both sides not to be the worst General in the field."

Again, in a humorous vein:

"Caius Manlius Washingtonius Americanus, the dictator, has got
together a large army, larger than our ally, the Duke of Wirtemberg
was to have sold us; and General Howe, who has nothing but salt
provisions in our metropolis, New York, has not twenty thousand
pounds' worth of pickles, as he had at Boston."--_Walpole's Letters
and Correspondence. Cunningham._]

Here the campaign closed. Washington could not be dislodged from his
strong mountain position, and Howe was satisfied to rest his troops
and postpone further operations until the next season. Meantime the
country took heart, Congress voted troops and supplies, and the army
was recruited and organized on a better basis. "The business of war is
the result of Experience," wrote Wolcott from Congress, with faith
unshaken during the darkest hours of the campaign; and experience was
now put to good profit.

The crisis was passed. Events proved decisive. Hardship and anxiety
were yet to come during succeeding years of the war; but it was the
result of this year's struggle that cleared away misgivings and
confirmed the popular faith in final success. England could do no more
than she had done to conquer America; while America was now more ready
than ever to meet the issue. Independence was established in the
present campaign--in the year of its declaration; and more than to any
others we owe this political privilege to the men who fought from Long
Island to Princeton.

NOTES.

OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE HUDSON.--The following letter from Mr. Duer to the
Secret Committee of the New York Provincial Congress refers to the
defence of the Hudson at Fort Washington:

"WHITE PLAINS, Sunday 21st July, 1776.

"DEAR GENTL:--I have just arrived at this pl