n proved too much for the British.
Howe being prevented by Washington from crossing New Jersey with his
army, undertook an expedition by sea. He sailed up Chesapeake Bay,
marched northward with 18,000 men to Brandywine Creek, and there met
Washington with 11,000, on the eleventh of September. The British held
the field, but Washington retreated slowly, disputing every foot of
ground, and it was not until the twenty-sixth of September that Howe
entered Philadelphia. Washington attacked the British encampment at
Germantown at daybreak on the fourth of October, and attempted to drive
the British into the Schuyikill River. One American battalion fired into
another by mistake, and this unhappy accident probably saved the British
from another Trenton on a larger scale. Howe was unable to send any
assistance to Burgoyne until it was too late to save that commander.

Burgoyne found his progress stopped by the intrenchments of the Americans
under General Gates, at Bemis Heights, nine miles south of Saratoga, and
he endeavored to extricate himself from his perilous position by
fighting. Two battles were fought on nearly the same ground, on September
19, and October 7. The first was indecisive; the second resulted in so
complete a rout for the British that, leaving his sick and wounded to the
compassion of Gates, Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga. There finding his
provisions giving out, and that there was no chance for escape, he
capitulated with his entire army, October 17, 1777.

* * *

The Congress had, by common consent, represented national sovereignty
from the beginning of the war, but it was not until November 15, 1777,
that articles of confederation were approved by the Congress, and
submitted to the States. This compact, entitled "Articles of
Confederation and Perpetual Union," was but little more than a treaty of
mutual friendship on the part of the several States, and was not
sanctioned by all of them until near the close of the Revolution. It was
too weak to be effective in time of peace, and hardly necessary in time
of war, when the common danger gave sufficient assurance of fidelity to
the common cause. However, the Articles of Confederation undoubtedly
promoted confidence in the stability of the government where that
confidence was most needed, in the European cabinets adverse to British
dominion in America.

The surrender of Burgoyne gave to the American cause a status whi