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CAPUT DECIMUM.

Ab exercitu utroque mala perpessa. — Washingtonii elogium. — Bellica Americanorum instrumenta, variis locis, capiunt Britanni. — Hostium mora. — Brunsvicum contendit Washingtonius. — Philadelphia, fortissime resistentibus Americanis, ab hoste expugnata est.


DUM hæc gerebantur, mala plurima exercitus uterque perpessus. Militum Americanorum plures, calceamentis eguêre; pedibusque nudis per aspera incedentes, vestigia cruore multo ac sanguine, ut plurimum, signabantur. Vestes quoque ad frigus arcendum haudquaquam sufficiebam. vixque in exercitu omni unum inveniri poterat tabernaculum tentoriumve; adeo, tamen, duci suo dediti addictique erant, ut hæc tam gravia, tamque intoleranda infortunia animo æquo1 tulerint.

Ad hoc, eorum fiduciam2 optimo jure meruit Washingtonius; et in milites ejus benignitas, affabilitasque sermonis, ad mala, quoque, omnia simul cum militibus subeunda alacritas, virtusque in rebus arduis dubiisque, mirum in modum, militum studia animosque3 in eum accendit. Præliis apud Princetoniam Trentoniamque factis, Annibalis vafritiem, cum Cæsaris virtute conjunxit; hæcque, de qua modò meminimus, victoria, etsi haudquaquam incruenta fuerat, vehementer, tamen, libertatis Americanæ amicos arrexit.

Mense4 Martio, anno Christi millesimo septingentesimo septuagesimo septimo, Dux Howe, quingentos milites, tribuni Bird ductu, 5 munimentorum Americanorum, haud longè 6 à Novo Eboraco distantium, destruendorum causâ, misit. Frustrà Washingtonius, armorum publicorum curatores, 7 ne impedimenta aliudve, ullo loco, quò hostium navibus aditus esset, deponerent, sæpenumerò commonefecerat. At eos serò delicti errorisque pœnituit.

Paulo post, Tryonius, dux Anglicus, cum millibus hominum duobus, Novo Eboraco solvit, Rempublicamque versus Connecticutensem cursum tetendit, ut bellica instrumenta, et apparatum Americanorum ibi deposita, summâque incuriâ custodita, caperet. Hostes, multis vulneribus acceptis et illatis, pluribusque laboribus et difficultatibus summâ virtute, et patientiâ mirâ, superatis, voti compotes tandem facti: multa, tamen, vulnera accepta, dum sese ad naves recipiebant.

Etsi ver jam ferè exactum fuerat, exercitus, tamen, Britannicus in aciem venire, hostesque prælio lacessere, apparatu castrensi deficiente, nequivit. Hæcce hostium mora, ad bellica instrumenta, apparatumque omnem expediendum parandumque, Washingtonio tempus, otiumque, præbuit. Etsi imperio extra ordinem8 a civitatum fœderatarum Americanarum Congressu, voce unâ hones tatus fuerat, continere, 9 tamen, eos, qui nomina jam dederant, 10 quique stipendia jam penè meruerant, 11 difficillimum factu reperit.

Ut, tamen, diutiùs apud exercitum manerent, pauci à præfectis suis ægerrimè inducti; plures, tamen, præ ducis amore, 12 in armis esse, patriamque tueri et defendere haud gravabantur. Magnum, certe, apud populares13 Washingtonii nomen multùm sæpe alias profuit: nunc, autem, quin domum abirent, militiamque omninò detrectarent milites satis feliciter obstitit.

Supplementa pluribus provinciis conscripta14 numerum militum statutum haud exæquaverunt: attamen, dum sese Britanni Novo Eboraco continebant, multis copiis auxiliaribus firmatus Washingtonius. Tunc, demum, castra movit, et haud procul à Brunsvico consedit, castraque est metatus.

Locus, quem castris delegerat, naturâ editus munitusque fuit; aditusque ad Washingtonii castra hostium copiis adeo difficilis, ut hostes, nisi maximo periculo, appropinquare aut accedere minimè poterant. Hinc, 15 Cæsareas tuebatur, hinc, autem, exercitus Britanni motus omnes sedulò servabat. Insidiæ multæ dolique a duce Britanno, ad Washingtonium ex hoc tam commodo tamque idoneo loco eliciendum, incassùm struebantur; 16 quare Philadelphiam copiis maritimis aggredi satius visum: quæ pulcherrima urbs, resistentibus fortissimè Americanis, post pugnam longam cruentamque, tandem expugnata.

1 Æquo, “ patient, ” contented; this adjective often signifies level, even, uniform; hence, when applied to the mind, it may import, unruffled, tranquil, &c.

2 Fiduciam, “ their confidence; ” that is, which they reposed in Washington.

3 Animos, “ their affections. ”

4 Mense, &c., “ in the month of March 1777. General Howe, ” &c.

5 Tribuni Bird ductu, “ under the command of Colonel Bird. ”

6 Hand longe, the place whither this detachment was ordered was Peckskill, about fifty miles from the city of New-York.

7 Armorum, &c., by these officers are here meant, “ the commissaires; ” for arma means not only arms, but also tools, implements, of any kind; Virgil uses arma, in the following line, for the tackle and rigging of a ship.Colligere arma jubet, validisque incumbere remis. ”

8 Extra ordinem, “ extraordinary power, ” or command.

9 Continere, to keep or hold together.

10 Nomina jam dederant, “ who had enlisted as soldiers. ”

11 Quique, &c., “ and who had now almost completed the term of their enlistments: ” see what has been said on the noun stipendium in preceding notes.

12 Prœ ducis amore, “ out of love for their general. ”

13 Populares, &c., his great reputation, at least, with his countrymen

14 Supplementa, &c., “ the recruits raised in several provinces. ”

15 Hinc, “ on the one hand, ” he, (that is, Washington,) protected the Jerseys; hinc, “ on the other hand, ” &c.

16 Incassùm struebantur, “ were in vain laid. ”

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