Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/398

382 from New York; and though his plight was desperate, like the sturdy Briton that he was he was not willing to give up until the last hope was gone.

Down near Philadelphia had occurred the battle of Brandywine, where the Americans had been defeated with a heavy loss, and already some were comparing the defeats which Washington suffered with the success which apparently was following the efforts of General Gates in the north, few realizing how the great-hearted Washington was simply striving to hold Howe's army where it then was to prevent aid being sent to Burgoyne, ignoring any possible reflection that might be made upon his own seeming failure. On October 4th (1777) had occurred the battle of Germantown, where the carefully made plans of Washington and the success that almost crowned his efforts were thwarted by the action of one of his generals on the field, who had gone into the fight intoxicated.

Still, in spite of defeats, Washington had succeeded in holding Howe near Philadelphia and preventing him from sending or going himself to the aid of his comrade-in-arms in the north, whose plight with every passing day became more desperate. Even a retreat