ty ships had sailed away
from Charleston, South Carolina, which they had come to capture as
though the doing of it were the pastime of a summer's holiday. Between
them and the town they had found a little island and on it a small
fort built of soft palmetto logs bedded in sand and defended by a few
daring men under the gallant Moultrie. These brave fellows could shoot
cannon as straight as could the North Carolina Whigs their rifles.
Later, even among the hamlets along the frontier, the cheers rang out
when it was learned that Congress had finally approved the Declaration
of Independence, and aid was now expected from France!

Not all the news was encouraging. Washington had known that, unless
granted men and supplies, he could not hold New York against the
British. Congress had insisted that he make the attempt, but gave him
no assistance. He had failed, and barely kept the greater part of the
American army out of British clutches. The king had succeeded in
hiring Hessians, some twenty thousand of them, to fight England's
battles in America, with the promise of all the loot they could
secure. France was very slow in granting aid, uncertain as yet how
much resistance America might be able to make. The attempt to capture
Quebec had failed, and the Americans were chased out of Canada.
Washington had been unable to keep an effective army together as
Congress would provide only for short terms of enlistment, and little
money or supplies for the troops. Men who had shouted for freedom were
now despondent, and some of them were going over to the enemy, which
occupied New York and most of New Jersey and had concluded the war was
about ended.

In September Morgan came back from Quebec, but under parole. He had
been offered great inducements to fight with England, but scorned them
as an insult to his manhood. If he could be released from parole he
would do loyal service for his country. Arnold had fought desperately
around Lake Champlain with the remnants of the troops driven from
Canada, but the odds against him were too great. Washington, alone,
was the nucleus around which the hopes of America centred, but he
could accomplish little except to hold positions between the British
and Philadelphia.

Winter came on and the situation grew worse. Congress became
frightened and made ludicrous haste to vote all sorts of assistance to
Washington, after it was too late for him to use it for striking an
effective blow.

It was evid