into
camp in the morning. The soldiers were drawn up in the road, and men and
women and children who had come to look at Washington were crowded all
about. They saw a tall, splendid, handsome man in a blue coat with buff
facings, and epaulets on his shoulders. As he took off his hat, drew his
shining sword, and raised it in sight of all the people, the cannon
began to thunder, and all the people hurrahed and tossed their hats in
the air.

Of course, he looked very splendid, and they all knew how brave he was,
and thought he would soon put an end to the war.

But it did not happen as they expected, for this was only the beginning,
and the war lasted seven long years.

Fighting is always hard, even if you have plenty of soldiers and plenty
for them to eat; but Washington had very few soldiers, and very little
powder for the guns, and little food for the men to eat.

The soldiers were not in uniform, as ours are to-day; but each was
dressed just as he happened to come from his shop or his farm.

Washington ordered hunting shirts for them, such as he wore when he went
to fight the Indians, for he knew they would look more like soldiers if
all were dressed alike.

Of course many people thought that our men would be beaten, as the war
went on; but Washington never thought so, for he was sure our side was
right.

I hardly know what he would have done, at last, if the French people had
not promised to come over and help us, and to send us money and men and
ships. All the people in the army thanked God when they heard it, and
fired their guns for joy.

A brave young man named Lafayette came with the French soldiers, and he
grew to be Washington's great friend, and fought for us all through the
Revolution.

Many battles were fought in this war, and Washington lost some of them,
and a great many of his men were killed.

You could hardly understand how much trouble he had. In the winter, when
the snow was deep on the ground, he had no houses or huts for his men to
sleep in; his soldiers were ragged and cold by day, and had not blankets
enough to keep them warm by night; their shoes were old and worn, and
they had to wrap cloths around their feet to keep them from freezing.

When they marched to the Delaware River, one cold Christmas night, a
soldier who was sent after them, with a message for Washington, traced
them by their footprints on the snow, all reddened with the blood from
their poor cut feet.

They must ha