Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/22

 went on. There was strife for the Hud-son, for the Del-a-ware, and for the Car-o-li-nas.

Great cheer came to Wash-ing-ton and his troops when they heard that a move had been made in Con-gress that our land should say that it "would be free from Eng-lish rule." This was a great act, and has the name of "The Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-pen-dence." As it was made on the Fourth of Ju-ly, that day has been kept as a feast by us since that time.

Dark days came as the small band fought three times more men than they had. The Chief sent up his call to his Friend on high. He must wait, and work, and pray. Those were times "to try men's souls."

The cause was lost at Brook-lyn for want of more troops. Then the A-mer-i-cans fled to Har-lem, nine miles from New York. The Eng-lish swept up the Hud-son and took Fort Wash-ing-ton, which was a sad loss to Wash-ing-ton's ar-my.

The Brit-ish then went to New Jer-sey, at Tren-ton, and Wash-ing-ton, who now had more troops, made a plan to cross the Del-a-ware and find them when they did not know it. This was a great task, for the stream was full of ice.

The Brit-ish had to give up a large part of New Jer-sey at the close of the year, and arms and large guns fell to the A-mer-i-cans, who had great need of them.

A poor camp at Val-ley Forge, when the cold, dark days came, in the year of 1777, was the best that Wash-ing-ton could then give his men. More and more strong faith had to fill all hearts or the cause would not be won.

Just at the time when there was the most need of help