1778. The condition of the army at Valley-forge, was far Jan. from being the most eligible or respectable; and in case I. the enemy had come out of Philadelphia, and made a Feb. 16. general push, would have been exceeding hazardous. Gen. Washington was compelled by neceffity to employ the troops in making seizures; which excited the greatest uneafiness imaginable among their best and warmest friends, beside spreading disaffection among the people. He ever regrets being forced upon such a measure, and confiders it among his worst misfortunes; as it not only occafions a dreadful alarm, but never fails, even in veteran armies, under the most rigid and exact difcipline; to raise in the foldiery a disposition to licentiqusness, plunder, and robbery. The relief obtained was of no long continuance. He thus defcribed the distresses of the army on the 16th of February" For some days past there has been little less than a famine in camp. Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the foldiery, that they have not; ere this, been excited by their sufferings to a general mutiny and dispersion. This is the second time in the present year, that we have been upon the verge of a dissolution for want of provifion." As to clothing, " he was continually tantalized with accounts from all quarters, of the prodigious quantity that was purchased and forwarded for the use of the army, while none reached them, or fo badly forted as to be totally useless. The poor foldier had a pair of stockings given him without shoes, or a waistcoat without a coat or blanket to his back; and thus he derived little benefit from what he received. Perhaps by Midsummer he may receive thick stockings, shoes, and blankets, which he will contrive 1778. In this to get rid of in the most expeditious manner. Upon a full conviction that the salvation of the cause depended on making provifion for the half pay of the officers, the general communicated his thoughts to some of the congress in the following words-" With far the greatest part of mankind, interest is the governing principle. Almost every man is more or less under its influence. Motives of public virtue may, for a time, or in particular instances, actuate men to the observance of a conduct purely disinterested; but they are not of themfelves sufficient to produce a persevering conformity, to the refined dictates and obligations of social duty. We find it exemplified in the American officers as well as in all other men. At the commencement of the dispute, in the first effusions of their zeal, and looking upon that service to be only temporary, they entered into it without paying any regard to pecuniary or selfish confiderations: but finding its duration to be much longer than they at first suspected, and that instead of deriving any advantage from the hardships and dangers to which they were exposed, they on the contrary were lofers by their patriotifm, and fell far short of a competency to fupply their wants, they have gradually abated in their ardor; and with many an entire disinclination to the service under its present circumstances has taken place. --When an officer's commission is valuable to him, and he fears to lose it, you may then exact obedience from him. It is 1 1 1778. not indeed confiftent with reason or justice, to expect that one set of men should make a facrifice of property, domeftic ease and happiness, and encounter the rigors of the field, the perils and viciffitudes of war, to obtain those blessings which every citizen will enjoy in common with them, without fome adequate compenfation. It must also be a comfortless reflection to any man, that after he may have contributed to fecuring the rights of his country, by the risk of his life and the ruin of his fortune, there will be no provision made for preventing himself and family from sinking into indigence and wretchedness. Nothing would ferve more fully to reanimate their languishing zeal, and interest them thoroughly in the service, than a half pay and pensionary 21. establishment." The general supported his interpofition April in behalf of the officers, by a second letter of April the 21st-" Men may speculate as they will; they may talk of patriotifm; they may draw a few examples from ancient story of great atchievements performed by its influence, but whoever builds upon it, as a fufficient basis for conducting a long and bloody war, will find themselves deceived in the end. We must take the paffions of men as nature has given them, and those principles as a guide which are generally the rule of action. I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of patriotism. I know it exifts, and I know it has done much in the present conteft: but I will venture to affert, that a great and lafting war can never be fupported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a profpect of interest or fome reward. For a time it may of itself push men to action, to bear much, to encounter difficulties, but it will not endure unassisted by interest. Without arrogance, or the smallest deviation from truth, it may 1778 be faid, that no history now extant, can furnish an instance of an army's fuffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done, and bearing them with the fame patience and fortitude. To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie on, without shoes, (so that their marches might be traced by the blood from their feet) and almost as often without provision as with, marching through frost and snow, and at Christmas taking up their winter quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them, till they could be built, and fubmitting to it without a murmur, is a mark of patience and obedience, which, in my opinion, can scarce be paralleled." Within a week after, congress refolved that there should be a provision of half pay for the life of the officers; but then they further refolved, "That nothing contained in the foregoing resolution shall be construed to extend to prevent the United States from redeeming, at any time, the half pay of fuch officers as they judge proper, by paying them a sum equal to fix years half pay." But before these resolves were passed, between two and three hundred officers had resigned their commissions, reckoning from last Auguft. General Washington being defirous of effecting an exchange of prisoners, wrote to congress, on the 7th of March" It may be thought contrary to our interest to go into an exchange, as the enemy would derive more immediate advantage from it than we should: but on principles of genuine extensive policy, independent of the confideration of compaffion and justice, we are under an obligation not to elude it. An event of this kind 1778. is the general wish of the country. I know it to be the wish of the army, and it must be the ardent wish of the unhappy fufferers themselves. Should the exchange be deferred, till the terms of the last refolve of congrefs on the subject are fulfilled, it will be difficult to prevent our being generally accused with a breach of good faith. Speculative minds may confider all our professions as mere professions, or at best, that interest and policy are to be the only arbiters of their validity. I cannot doubt that congress, in preservation of the public faith and my perfonal honor, will remove all impediments, that now oppose themselves to my engagements, and will authorize me, through commiffioners, to settle as extensive and competent a cartel as may appear advantageous and necessary, any resolutions heretofore to the contrary notwithstanding." Congress in a few days removed the impediment, by refolving that he might proceed in the exchange of prifoners without waiting for the fettlement and the discharge of their accounts: but no cartel has been agreed upon. Commissioners were appointed on both fides, and held several meetings, without effecting the business. This led congress to resolve, on the 21st of April-" That congrefs are fincerely defirous of fettling a cartel for the exchange of prifoners, on principles of justice, humanity, and mutual advantage, and agreeable to the customary rules and practice of war among civilized nations, and that they lament the obstacles raised by gen. Howe and his commiffioners during the negotiations held for this defirable purpose." However, partial exchanges of individuals have taken place, and will be continued. When major Otho Williams was exchanged, he fent a letter to American head quar |