ief exposing
himself to the hottest fire of the enemy, in such a manner that regard
for my country obliged me to ride to him and beg him to retire. He, to
gratify me and others, withdrew a short distance; but his anxiety for
the fate of the day soon brought him up again, where he remained till
our troops had retreated."

At great sacrifice of men and money, the British removed the
obstructions from the river, and took possession of Philadelphia.

Dr. Franklin was in Paris when the news reached him, "Howe has taken
Philadelphia." "No," replied Franklin, "Philadelphia has taken Howe."

The sequel proved that Franklin had an eye upon the future.

Although the prospect was gloomy in Pennsylvania, glad tidings came to
Washington from the north. The Americans completely surrounded
Burgoyne's army at Saratoga, so that farther retreat was impossible. On
the 16th of October, 1777, after holding a council of war, Burgoyne
surrendered to General Gates, remarking:

"The fortune of war has made me your prisoner."

"I shall always be ready to testify that it has not been through any
fault of your excellency," Gates replied.

Burgoyne's army was reduced from nine thousand men, to five thousand
seven hundred and fifty-two. These prisoners were allowed a free passage
to Europe, under the irrevocable condition not to serve again in the
British ranks. Seven thousand stand of arms, a large number of tents, a
long train of artillery, and a great quantity of clothing and stores
fell into the hands of the victors.

The celebrated Polish patriot Kosciusko was chief engineer in Gates'
command when Burgoyne was captured.

The British made Philadelphia their winter quarters, where the troops
indulged themselves in almost unrestrained revelry. They forced many
sympathizers with the American cause to vacate their dwellings for the
accommodation of their own number; and many were quartered upon
patriotic families, with the express understanding that failure to
supply their wants would be resented.

Washington went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, about twenty miles
from Philadelphia. The tale of suffering connected with that place
during that long, dreary winter, is known to the world.

Arriving there, many of the troops without blankets or shoes, ragged,
worn out, and desponding, they were exposed to the snows and blasts of
December until they could cut down trees and build their own huts. Two
days after encamping, General Hunting