elsewhere, Washington sent General Gates to lay the despatches
concerning them before Congress. Scarce had Gates departed on his
mission (May 19th), when Washington himself received a summons to
Philadelphia, to advise with Congress concerning the opening campaign.
He was informed also that Gates, on the 16th of May, had been promoted
to the rank of major-general, and Mifflen to that of brigadier-general,
and a wish was intimated that they might take the command of Boston.

Washington prepared to proceed to Philadelphia. In his parting
instructions to Putnam, who, as the oldest major-general in the city,
would have the command during his absence, Washington informed him of
the intention of the Provincial Congress of New York to seize the
principal tories and disaffected persons in the city and the
surrounding country, especially on Long Island, and authorized him to
afford military aid, if required, to carry the same into execution. He
was also to send Lord Stirling, Colonel Putnam the engineer, and
Colonel Knox, if he could be spared, up to the Highlands, to examine
the state of the forts and garrisons, and report what was necessary to
put them in a posture of defence.

The general, accompanied by Mrs. Washington, departed from New York on
the 21st of May, and they were invited by Mr. Hancock, the President
of Congress, to be his guests during their sojourn at Philadelphia.

Washington, in his conferences with Congress, roundly expressed his
conviction that no accommodation could be effected with Great Britain
on acceptable terms. Ministerialists had declared in Parliament that,
the sword being drawn, the most coercive measures would be persevered
in until there was complete submission. The recent subsidizing of
foreign troops was a part of this policy, and indicated unsparing
hostility. A protracted war, therefore, was inevitable; but it would
be impossible to carry it on successfully with the scanty force
actually embodied, and with transient enlistments of militia.

In consequence of his representations, resolutions were passed in
Congress that soldiers should be enlisted for three years, with a
bounty of ten dollars for each recruit; that the army at New York
should be reinforced until the 1st of December with thirteen thousand
eight hundred militia; that gondolas and fire-rafts should be built to
prevent the men-of-war and enemy's ships from coming into New York
Bay, or the Narrows; and that a flying camp of te