ined。　It　would　be　to　accuse　Howe　of　treason　to　say　that　he　did　not　do　his　best　in　America。　Lack　of　conviction；　however；　affects　action。　Howe　had　no　belief　that　his　country　was　in　the　right　in　the　war　and　this　handicapped　him　as　against　the　passionate　conviction　of　Washington　that　all　was　at　stake　which　made　life　worth　living。
  The　General's　elder　brother；　Lord　Howe；　was　another　Whig　who　had　no　belief　that　the　war　was　just。　He　sat　in　the　House　of　Lords　while　his　brother　sat　in　the　House　of　Commons。　We　rather　wonder　that　the　King　should　have　been　content　to　leave　in　Whig　hands　his　fortunes　in　America　both　by　land　and　sea。　At　any　rate；　here　were　the　Howes　more　eager　to　make　peace　than　to　make　war　and　commanded　to　offer　terms　of　reconciliation。　Lord　Howe　had　an　unpleasant　face；　so　dark　that　he　was　called　〃Black　Dick〃；　he　was　a　silent；　awkward　man；　shy　and　harsh　in　manner。　In　reality；　however；　he　was　kind；　liberal　in　opinion；　sober；　and　beloved　by　those　who　knew　him　best。　His　pacific　temper　towards　America　was　not　due　to　a　dislike　of　war。　He　was　a　fighting　sailor。　Nearly　twenty　years　later；　on　June　1；　1794；　when　he　was　in　command　of　a　fleet　in　touch　with　the　French　enemy；　the　sailors　watched　him　to　find　any　indication　that　the　expected　action　would　take　place。　Then　the　word　went　round：　〃We　shall　have　the　fight　today；　Black　Dick　has　been　smiling。〃　They　had　it；　and　Howe　won　a　victory　which　makes　his　name　famous　in　the　annals　of　the　sea。
  By　the　middle　of　July　the　two　brothers　were　at　New　York。　The　soldier；　having　waited　at　Halifax　since　the　evacuation　of　Boston；　had　arrived；　and　landed　his　army　on　Staten　Island；　on　the　day　before　Congress　made　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　which；　as　now　we　can　see；　ended　finally　any　chance　of　reconciliation。　The　sailor　arrived　nine　days　later。　Lord　Howe　was　wont　to　regret　that　he　had　not　arrived　a　little　earlier；　since　the　concessions　which　he　had　to　offer　might　have　averted　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　In　truth；　however；　he　had　little　to　offer。　Humor　and　imagination　are　useful　gifts　in　carrying　on　human　affairs；　but　George　III　had　neither。　He　saw　no　lack　of　humor　in　now　once　more　offering　full　and　free　pardon　to　a　repentant　Washington　and　his　comrades；　though　John　Adams　was　excepted　by　name*　in　repudiating　the　right　to　exist　of　the　Congress　at　Philadelphia；　and　in　refusing　to　recognize　the　military　rank　of　the　rebel　general　whom　it　had　named：　he　was　to　be　addressed　in　civilian　style　as　〃George　Washington　Esq。〃　The　King　and　his　ministers　had　no　imagination　to　call　up　the　picture　of　high…hearted　men　fighting　for　rights　which　they　held　dear。
  *　Trevelyan；　〃American　Revolution〃；　Part　II；　vol。　I　（New　Ed。；　vol。　II）；　261。
  Lord　Howe　went　so　far　as　to　address　a　letter　to　〃George　Washington　Esq。　&c。　&c。；〃　and　Washington　agreed　to　an　interview　with　the　officer　who　bore　it。　In　imposing　uniform　and　with　the　stateliest　manner；　Washington；　who　had　an　instinct　for　effect；　received　the　envoy。　The　awed　messenger　explained　that　the　symbols　〃　&c。　&c。〃　meant　everything；　including；　of　course；　military　titles；　but　Washington　only　said　smilingly　that　they　might　mean　anything；　including；　of　course；　an　insult；　and　refused　to　take　the　letter。　He　referred　to　Congress；　a　body　which　Howe　could　not　recognize；　the　grave　question　of　the　address　on　an　envelope　and　Congress　agreed　that　the　recognition　of　his　rank　was　necessary。　There　was　nothing　to　do　but　to　go　on　with　the　fight。
  Washington's　army　held　the　city　of　New　York；　at　the　southerly　point　of　Manhattan　Island。　The　Hudson　River；　separating　the　island　from　the　mainland　of　New　Jersey　on　the　west；　is　at　its　mouth　two　miles　wide。　The　northern　and　eastern　sides　of　the　island　are　washed　by　the　Harlem　River；　flowing　out　of　the　Hudson　about　a　dozen　miles　north　of　the　city；　and　broadening　into　the　East　River；　about　a　mile　wide　where　it　separates　New　York　from　Brooklyn　Heights；　on　Long　Island。　Encamped　on　Staten　Island；　on　the　south；　General　Howe　could；　with　the　aid　of　the　fleet；　land　at　any　of　half　a　dozen　vulnerable　points。　Howe　had　the　further　advantage　of　a　much　larger　force。　Washington　had　in　all　some　twenty　thousand　men；　numbers　of　them　serving　for　short　terms　and　therefore　for　the　most　part　badly　drilled。　Howe　had　twenty…five　thousand　well…trained　soldiers；　and　he　could；　in　addition；　draw　men　from　the　fleet；　which　would　give　him　in　all　double　the　force　of　Washington。
  In　such　a　situation　even　the　best　skill　of　Washington　was　likely　only　to　qualify　defeat。　He　was　advised　to　destroy　New　York　and　retire　to　positions　more　tenable。　But　even　if　he　had　so　desired；　Congress；　his　master；　would　not　permit　him　to　burn　the　city；　and　he　had　to　make　plans　to　defend　it。　Brooklyn　Heights　so　commanded　New　York　that　enemy　cannon　planted　there　would　make　the　city　untenable。　Accordingly　Washington　placed　half　his　force　on　Long　Island　to　defend　Brooklyn　Heights　and　in　doing　so　made　the　fundamental　error　of　cutting　his　army　in　two　and　dividing　it　by　an　arm　of　the　sea　in　presence　of　overwhelming　hostile　naval　power。
  On　the　22d　of　August　Howe　ferried　fifteen　thousand　men　across　the　Narrows　to　Long　Island；　in　order　to　attack　the　position　on　Brooklyn　Heights　from　the　rear。　Before　him　lay　wooded　hills　across　which　led　three　roads　converging　at　Brooklyn　Heights　beyond　the　hills。　On　the　east　a　fourth　road　led　round　the　hills。　In　the　dark　of　the　night　of　the　26th　of　August　Howe　set　his　army　in　motion　on　all　these　roads；　in　order　by　daybreak　to　come　to　close　quarters　with　the　Americans　and　drive　them　back　to　the　Heights。　The　movement　succeeded　perfectly。　The　British　made　terrible　use　of　the　bayonet。　By　the　evening　of　the　twenty…seventh　the　Americans；　who　fought　well　against　overwhelming　odds；　had　lost　nearly　two　thousand　men　in　casualties　and　prisoners；　six　field　pieces；　and　twenty…six　heavy　guns。　The　two　chief　commanders；　Sullivan　and　Stirling；　were　among　the　prisoners；　and　what　was　left　of　the　army　had　been　driven　back　to　Brooklyn　Heights。　Howe's　critics　said　that　had　he　pressed　the　attack　further　he　could　have　made　certain　the　capture　of　the　whole　American　force　on　Long　Island。
  Criticism　of　what　might　have　been　is　easy　and　usually　futile。　It　might　be　said　of　Washington；　too；　that　he　should　not　have　kept　an　army　so　far　in　front　of　his　lines　behind　Brooklyn　Heights　facing　a　superior　enemy；　and　with；　for　a　part　of　it；　retreat　possible　only　by　a　single　causeway　across　a　marsh　three　miles　long。　When　he　realized；　on　the　28th　of　August；　what　Howe　had　achieved；　he　increased　the　defenders　of　Brooklyn　Heights　to　ten　thousand　men；　more　than　half　his　army。　This　was　another　cardinal　error。　British　ships　were　near　and　but　for　unfavorable　winds　might　have　sailed　up　to　Brooklyn。　Washington　hoped　and　prayed　that　Howe　would　try　to　carry　Brooklyn　Heights　by　assault。　Then　there　would　have　been　at　least　slaughter　on　the　scale　of　Bunker　Hill。　But　Howe　had　learned　caution。　He　made　no　reckless　attack；　and　soon　Washington　found　that　he　must　move　away　or　face　the　danger　of　losing　every　man　on　Long　Island。
  On　the　night　of　the　29th　of　August　there　was　clear　moonlight；　with　fog　towards　daybreak。　A　British　army　of　twenty…five　thousand　men　was　only　some　six　hundred　yards　from　the　American　lines。　A　few　miles　from　the　shore　lay　at　anchor　a　great　British　fleet　with；　it　is　to　be　presumed；　its　patrols　on　the　alert。　Yet；　during　that　night；　ten　thousand　American　troops　were　marched　down　to　boats　on　the　strand　at　Brooklyn　and；　with　all　their　stores；　were　carried　across　a　mile　of　water　to　New　York。　There　must　have　been　the　splash　of　oars　and　the　grating　of　keels；　orders　given　in　tones　above　a　whisper；　the　complex　sounds　of　moving　bodies　of　men。　It　was　all　done　under　the　eye　of　Washington。　We　can　picture　that　tall　figure　moving　about　on　the　strand　at　Brooklyn；　which　he　was　the　last　to　leave。　Not　a　sound　disturbed　the　slumbers　of　the　British。　An　army　in　retreat　does　not　easily　defend　itself。　Boats　from　the　British　fleet　might　have　brought　panic　to　the　Americans　in　the　darkness　and　the　British　army　should　at　least　have　known　that　they　were　gone。　By　seven　in　the　morning　the　ten　thousand　American　soldiers　were　for　the　time　safe　in　New　York；　and　we　may　suppose　that　the　two　Howes　were　asking　eager　questions　and　wondering　how　it　had　all　happened。
  Washington　had　shown　that　he　knew　when　and　how　to　retire。　Long　Island　was　his　first　battle　and　he　had　lost。　Now　retreat　was　his　first　great　tactical　achievement。　He　could　not　stay　in　New　York　and　so　sent　at　once　the　chief　part　of　the　army；　withdrawn　from　Brooklyn；　to　the　line　of　the　Harlem　River　at　the　north　end　of　the　island。　He　realized　that　his　shore　batteries　could　not　keep　the　British　fleet　from　sailing　up　both　the　East　and　the　Hudson　Rivers　and　from　landing　a　force　on　Manhattan　Island　almost　where　it　liked。　Then　the　city　of　New　York　would　be　surrounded　by　a　hostile　fleet　and　a　hostile　army。　The　Howes　could　have　performed　this　maneuver　as　soon　as　they　had　a　favorable　wind。　There　was；　we　know；　great　confusion　in　New　York；　and　Washington　tells　us　how　his　heart　was　torn　by　the　distress　of　the　inhabitants。　The　British　gave　him　plenty　of　time　to　make　plans；　and　for　a　reason。　We　have　seen　that　Lord　Howe　was　not　only　an　admiral　to　make　war　but　also　an　envoy　to　make　peace。　The　British　victory