st　no　settlement；　but　over　a　few　forts　on　the　upper　Mississippi　and　in　the　regions　lying　eastward　to　the　Detroit　River　there　was　that　flicker　of　a　red　flag　which　meant　that　the　Northwest　was　under　British　rule。　George　Rogers　Clark；　like　Washington　a　Virginian　land　surveyor；　was　a　strong；　reckless；　brave　frontiersman。　Early　in　1778　Virginia　gave　him　a　small　sum　of　money；　made　him　a　lieutenant　colonel；　and　authorized　him　to　raise　troops　for　a　western　adventure。　He　had　less　than　two　hundred　men　when　he　appeared　a　little　later　at　Kaskaskia　near　the　Mississippi　in　what　is　now　Illinois　and　captured　the　small　British　garrison；　with　the　friendly　consent　of　the　French　settlers　about　the　fort。　He　did　the　same　thing　at　Cahokia；　farther　up　the　river。　The　French　scattered　through　the　western　country　naturally　sided　with　the　Americans；　fighting　now　in　alliance　with　France。　The　British　sent　out　a　force　from　Detroit　to　try　to　check　the　efforts　of　Clark；　but　in　February；　1779；　the　indomitable　frontiersman　surprised　and　captured　this　force　at　Vincennes　on　the　Wabash。　Thus　did　Clark's　two　hundred　famished　and　ragged　men　take　possession　of　the　Northwest；　and；　when　peace　was　made；　this　vast　domain；　an　empire　in　extent；　fell　to　the　United　States。　Clark's　exploit　is　one　of　the　pregnant　romances　of　history。*
  *　See　Chapters　III　and　IV　in　〃The　Old　Northwest〃　by　Frederic　Austin　Ogg　in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃。
  Perhaps　the　most　sorrowful　phase　of　the　Revolution　was　the　internal　conflict　waged　between　its　friends　and　its　enemies　in　America；　where　neighbor　fought　against　neighbor。　During　this　pitiless　struggle　the　strength　of　the　Loyalists　tended　steadily　to　decline；　and　they　came　at　last　to　be　regarded　everywhere　by　triumphant　revolution　as　a　vile　people　who　should　bear　the　penalties　of　outcasts。　In　this　attitude　towards　them　Boston　had　given　a　lead　which　the　rest　of　the　country　eagerly　followed。　To　coerce　Loyalists　local　committees　sprang　up　everywhere。　It　must　be　said　that　the　Loyalists　gave　abundant　provocation。　They　sneered　at　rebel　officers　of　humble　origin　as　convicts　and　shoeblacks。　There　should　be　some　fine　hanging；　they　promised；　on　the　return　of　the　King's　men　to　Boston。　Early　in　the　Revolution　British　colonial　governors；　like　Lord　Dunmore　of　Virginia；　adopted　the　policy　of　reducing　the　rebels　by　harrying　their　coasts。　Sailors　would　land　at　night　from　ships　and　commit　their　ravages　in　the　light　of　burning　houses。　Soldiers　would　dart　out　beyond　the　British　lines；　burn　a　village；　carry　off　some　Whig　farmers；　and　escape　before　opposing　forces　could　rally。　Governor　Tryon　of　New　York　was　specially　active　in　these　enterprises　and　to　this　day　a　special　odium　attaches　to　his　name。
  For　these　ravages；　and　often　with　justice；　the　Loyalists　were　held　responsible。　The　result　was　a　bitterness　which　fired　even　the　calm　spirit　of　Benjamin　Franklin　and　led　him　when　the　day　came　for　peace　to　declare　that　the　plundering　and　murdering　adherents　of　King　George　were　the　ones　who　should　pay　for　damage　and　not　the　States　which　had　confiscated　Loyalist　property。　Lists　of　Loyalist　names　were　sometimes　posted　and　then　the　persons　concerned　were　likely　to　be　the　victims　of　any　one　disposed　to　mischief。　Sometimes　a　suspected　Loyalist　would　find　an　effigy　hung　on　a　tree　before　his　own　door　with　a　hint　that　next　time　the　figure　might　be　himself。　A　musket　ball　might　come　whizzing　through　his　window。　Many　a　Loyalist　was　stripped；　plunged　in　a　barrel　of　tar；　and　then　rolled　in　feathers；　taken　sometimes　from　his　own　bed。
  Punishment　for　loyalism　was　not；　however；　left　merely　to　chance。　Even　before　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　Congress；　sitting　itself　in　a　city　where　loyalism　was　strong；　urged　the　States　to　act　sternly　in　repressing　Loyalist　opinion。　They　did　not　obey　every　urging　of　Congress　as　eagerly　as　they　responded　to　this　one。　In　practically　every　State　Test　Acts　were　passed　and　no　one　was　safe　who　did　not　carry　a　certificate　that　he　was　free　of　any　suspicion　of　loyalty　to　King　George。　Magistrates　were　paid　a　fee　for　these　certificates　and　thus　had　a　golden　reason　for　insisting　that　Loyalists　should　possess　them。　To　secure　a　certificate　the　holder　must　forswear　allegiance　to　the　King　and　promise　support　to　the　State　at　war　with　him。　An　unguarded　word　even　about　the　value　in　gold　of　the　continental　dollar　might　lead　to　the　adding　of　the　speaker's　name　to　the　list　of　the　proscribed。　Legislatures　passed　bills　denouncing　Loyalists。　The　names　in　Massachusetts　read　like　a　list　of　the　leading　families　of　New　England。　The　〃Black　List〃　of　Pennsylvania　contained　four　hundred　and　ninety　names　of　Loyalists　charged　with　treason；　and　Philadelphia　had　the　grim　experience　of　seeing　two　Loyalists　led　to　the　scaffold　with　ropes　around　their　necks　and　hanged。　Most　of　the　persecuted　Loyalists　lost　all　their　property　and　remained　exiles　from　their　former　homes。　The　self…appointed　committees　took　in　hand　the　task　of　disciplining　those　who　did　not　fly；　and　the　rabble　often　pushed　matters　to　brutal　extremes。　When　we　remember　that　Washington　himself　regarded　Tories　as　the　vilest　of　mankind　and　unfit　to　live；　we　can　imagine　the　spirit　of　mobs；　which　had　sometimes　the　further　incentive　of　greed　for　Loyalist　property。　Loyalists　had　the　experience　of　what　we　now　call　boycotting　when　they　could　not　buy　or　sell　in　the　shops　and　were　forced　to　see　their　own　shops　plundered。　Mills　would　not　grind　their　corn。　Their　cattle　were　maimed　and　poisoned。　They　could　not　secure　payment　of　debts　due　to　them　or；　if　payment　was　made；　they　received　it　in　the　debased　continental　currency　at　its　face　value。　They　might　not　sue　in　a　court　of　law；　nor　sell　their　property；　nor　make　a　will。　It　was　a　felony　for　them　to　keep　arms。　No　Loyalist　might　hold　office；　or　practice　law　or　medicine；　or　keep　a　school。
  Some　Loyalists　were　deported　to　the　wilderness　in　the　back　country。　Many　took　refuge　within　the　British　lines；　especially　at　New　York。　Many　Loyalists　created　homes　elsewhere。　Some　went　to　England　only　to　find　melancholy　disillusion　of　hope　that　a　grateful　motherland　would　understand　and　reward　their　sacrifices。　Large　numbers　found　their　way　to　Nova　Scotia　and　to　Canada；　north　of　the　Great　Lakes；　and　there　played　a　part　in　laying　the　foundation　of　the　Dominion　of　today。　The　city　of　Toronto　with　a　population　of　half　a　million　is　rooted　in　the　Loyalist　traditions　of　its　Tory　founders。　Simcoe；　the　first　Governor　of　Upper　Canada；　who　made　Toronto　his　capital；　was　one　of　the　most　enterprising　of　the　officers　who　served　with　Cornwallis　in　the　South　and　surrendered　with　him　at　Yorktown。
  The　State　of　New　York　acquired　from　the　forfeited　lands　of　Loyalists　a　sum　approaching　four　million　dollars；　a　great　amount　in　those　days。　Other　States　profited　in　a　similar　way。　Every　Loyalist　whose　property　was　seized　had　a　direct　and　personal　grievance。　He　could　join　the　British　army　and　fight　against　his　oppressors；　and　this　he　did：　New　York　furnished　about　fifteen　thousand　men　to　fight　on　the　British　side。　Plundered　himself；　he　could　plunder　his　enemies；　and　this　too　he　did　both　by　land　and　sea。　In　the　autumn　of　1778　ships　manned　chiefly　by　Loyalist　refugees　were　terrorizing　the　coast　from　Massachusetts　to　New　Jersey。　They　plundered　Martha's　Vineyard；　burned　some　lesser　towns；　such　as　New　Bedford；　and　showed　no　quarter　to　small　parties　of　American　troops　whom　they　managed　to　intercept。
  What　happened　on　the　coast　happened　also　in　the　interior。　At　Wyoming　in　the　northeastern　part　of　Pennsylvania；　in　July；　1778；　during　a　raid　of　Loyalists；　aided　by　Indians；　there　was　a　brutal　massacre；　the　horrors　of　which　long　served　to　inspire　hate　for　the　British。　A　little　later　in　the　same　year　similar　events　took　place　at　Cherry　Valley；　in　central　New　York。　Burning　houses；　the　dead　bodies　not　only　of　men　but　of　women　and　children　scalped　by　the　savage　allies　of　the　Loyalists；　desolation　and　ruin　in　scenes　once　peaceful　and　happy　such　horrors　American　patriotism　learned　to　associate　with　the　Loyalists。　These　in　their　turn　remembered　the　slow　martyrdom　of　their　lives　as　social　outcasts；　the　threats　and　plunder　which　in　the　end　forced　them　to　fly；　the　hardships；　starvation；　and　death　to　their　loved　ones　which　were　wont　to　follow。　The　conflict　is　perhaps　the　most　tragic　and　irreconcilable　in　the　whole　story　of　the　Revolution。
  CHAPTER　X。　FRANCE　TO　THE　RESCUE
  During　1778　and　1779　French　effort　had　failed。　Now　France　resolved　to　do　something　decisive。　She　never　sent　across　the　sea　the　eight　thousand　men　promised　to　La　Fayette　but　by　the　spring　of　1780　about　this　number　were　gathered　at　Brest　to　find　that　transport　was　inadequate。　The　leader　was　a　French　noble；　the　Comte　de　Rochambeau；　an　old　campaigner；　now　in　his　fifty…fifth　year；　who　had　fought　against　England　before　in　the　Seven　Years'　War　and　had　then　been　opposed　by　Clinton；　Cornwallis；　and　Lord　George　Germain。　He　was　a　sound　and　prudent　soldier　who　shares　with　La　Fayette　the　chief　glory　of　the　French　service　in　America。　Rochambeau　had　fought　at　the　second　battle　of　Minden；　where　the　father　of　La　Fayette　had　fallen；　and　he　had　for　the　ardent　young　Frenchman　the　amiable　regard　of　a　father　and　sometimes　rebuked　his　impulsiveness　in　that　spirit。　He　studied　the　problem　in　America　with　the　i