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Show Washington Finds Lord How and Hlo, Army In Possession of Boston British Attempt to Occupy the Hills of Charlestown a Costly Venture Washington Wash-ington Finds the New England Militiamen Militia-men Far From 'His Soldierly Ideal, but Further Acquaintance Convinces Him That Ho Has to Deal With Men of Courage and Loyalty. (Copyright, IS96. by Harper fc Brothers, All rights reserved.) (Copyright, 1913. by the McClure Newspaper News-paper Syndicate.; Matters had not stood still before Bos-tun Bos-tun to await a commander sent by congress. con-gress. While Washington waited for his commission com-mission and made ready for his journey there had been fighting done which wa to simplify his task. Genoral William Howe had reached 32oston with reinforcements on Mav 2.", and quite 10,000 troops hold the city, while a strong fleet of men-of-war lay watchfully in the harbor. THE BRITISH HESITATE, There wns no hurry, it seemed, about attacking he 16,000 raw provincial, whose long lines were drawn loosely about the town from Charlestown Neck to Jamaica Plain. Dut commanding hills looked across the water on either hand in Charlestown on the north and In Dorchester Dor-chester on the southeast and It would be well, Howe saw, to secure them, lest they should be occupied by the insurgents. insur-gents. On the morning of June 17, however, while leisurely preparations were amaking in Boston to occupy the hills of Charlestown, it was discovered that the provincials had been beforehand before-hand In the project. There they wore in the clear sun, working diligently at redoubts of their own upon the height. AT A FEARFUL COST. Three thousand men were put across the water to drive them off. Though they mustered only 1700 behind their unfinished un-finished works, three several assaults and the loss of a thousand men was the cost of dislodging them. They withheld their fire till the redcoats red-coats wore within fifty nay, thirty yards of them, and thon poured out a deadly, blazing fire which no man could face and live. They were, ousted only when they failed of powder and despaired de-spaired of reinforcements. Veteran officers who had led the as- aault doclarod tha rgulara of Prance woro not more formidable than these militiamen, whom they hod deaplacfl as raw peasants. There was no desire to 'buy another American position at that price; and Washington had time enough for the complimentary receptions and addresses and the olaborato parade of escort and review that delayed his journey to headquarters. head-quarters. Ho reachod Cambrldgo on July 2, and boro himself with so straightforward and engaging a courtesy in talcing command that tho officers he superseded could not but liks him; Jealousy was disarmed. NOT IDEAL SOLDIERS, But he found neither the preparations nor the spirit of the army to his liking. His soldierly sense of order was shocked by the loose discipline, and his Instinct of command by the froe and easy Insolence of that h-rcgular lovy; and Ills authority grow storn as he labored la-bored to bring the motley host to order and effective organization. "Tho people of this government have obtained a character," his confidential letters declared, "which they by no means deserved their officers, generally speaking, are tho most indifferent kind of people 1 ever saw. I dare say the men would fight very well (If properly of-lived), of-lived), although they are an exceedingly dirty and nasty people. It is among tho most difficult tasks 7 over undertook un-dertook in my life to induce these people peo-ple to believe that there is, or can bo, danger till the 'bayonet is pushed at their breasts. Not that It proccedB from any uncommon prowesa, but rather from an unaccountable kind of stupidity In the lower class of these people, which, be-llcvo be-llcvo me, provails but too generally among the offlcors of the Massachusetts part, of the army, who are nearly of the samo kidney with the private." IMPROVE AN ACQUAINTANCE. Tie had seen Uks demoralization and slackness In the old days at Winoliestor. on the wild frontier, but he had oxnocten to find a better spirit and discipline In the Now England levies. Ills first disgust, however, soon wore off. He was not nlow to 6ce how shrewd and sturdy these uncouth, intractablo plo(v boys and farm era could provo thorn-selves thorn-selves upon occasion. IVtATERiTAL FOR A GOOD ARMY. "I have' a olnccrre pleasure In observing." observ-ing." he wrote to congrcso, "that thoro arc materials for a good army, a great number of able-bodied men, active, zealous in the cause, and of unquestionable unquestion-able courage. Thoro was timo enough and to sparo mi which to learn his army's quality. 'Our Hues of dofenso arc now com-I com-I plctcd." ho could tell Lund Washington i on August 20, "as near ?o at least i as can be wo now wlr.h thorn to come out as soon as they please; but they discover no inclination to quit their own works of defense: and as It is almost Impossible for us to get at them, wo do nothing but. watch each other's motions all day at tho distance of about a mllo. AN IMMENSE CORRESP02TDENCE. He could even turn away from military affairs to advise that "snFnnliiE should no forward with all possible dispatch" on the estato ut home, and to say, "I much , approve of your sowing wheat in clean i uround, although you should be lata in doing it." I Onco -more ho seltlrd to the old familiar famil-iar work, this lime upon a great scale, ! of carrying ; difficult cntorprlnc forward by correspondence. Letters to the con-: con-: t'nontal congress at. Philadelphia, lettero to tho provincial ooncrcssen of tho New England colonics, letters to subordinate 'sometimes insubordinate) officerG at distant dis-tant posts, letters to Intimate friends and influential men ovorywhirc. Betting forth tho needs and situation of the army, advising measures of organization, supplv, and fensc, pointing out mcaiiB that might bo used and mistakes that must bo avoided, commanding, dissuading, guld-ng, guld-ng, forecasting; pourod steadily forth from tnoso busy headquarters, where tho commander-in-chief was alwayo to be found. Intent, deeply employed, calmly im-; im-; peratlvo, never tiring, never hesitatliic, ! never storming, a leader and master of mon and affairs. |