ashington was retreating
before Lord Cornwallis Colonel Harcourt, who commanded our light-horse,
took prisoner Charles Lee, who had deserted from the British service, in
which he held the rank of colonel, and had gone over to the Americans,
who conferred on him the rank of major-general. Lee was attempting to
join Washington's force with 3000 men, when he was captured, and his
loss seems to have been considered a severe blow to the cause of
the Americans. Washington, indeed, proposed giving six Hessian
field-officers in exchange for him; which was refused, on the ground
that Lee was a deserter from the king's service, and therefore could not
be considered as a prisoner of war, or be exchanged by cartel. Congress
then took up the business, and directed that Washington should inform
General Howe that five Hessian field-officers and Lieutenant-colonel
Archibald Campbell, who had been captured at Boston after Howe had
evacuated that city, should be thrown into confinement, and subjected
to the same treatment which Lee should receive. This would have been no
great hardship; for Lee was merely confined to a commodious house, and
had every accommodation; but shutting their eyes to this well-known
fact, congress threw Campbell into the common gaol of Concord, and
decorated his loathsome dungeon with the ornaments of the gallows
or gibbet. Washington himself represented the iniquity of such a
proceeding, but to no purpose: the chagrin felt at the capture and
retention of Lee forbade the exercise of a manly and liberal feeling.
Congress had soon an opportunity of exhibiting their chagrin in a still
stronger light. General Prescot, commanding-officer on Rhode Island,
had imprudently fixed his headquarters near the western shore, at a
considerable distance from his troops. This was known to Colonel Barton,
an American officer, and he, with several other militia officers
and volunteers, chiefly Rhode Islanders, crossed over by night from
Warwick-neck to Rhode Island, and took General Prescot in his bed,
hurried him to their boats, and sailed away to the main land. It was
announced that Prescot should be hanged if Lee were shot; and they
treated him in the interval with great severity, in order to make
General Howe consent to an exchange, to which he finally agreed.

{GEORGE III. 1777-1778}

BATTLE OF THE BRANDYWINE, ETC.

At length, in the month of June, General Howe took the field. At this
time Washington, who had been gre