Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and EnrichedSchroeder, John Frederick
History
Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched
Schroeder, John Frederick
Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Washington, George, 1732-1799
Next day (Jan. 2, 1781), General Wayne and Colonels Butter and Stewart,
officers who in a high degree enjoyed the confidence and affection of
the troops, followed the mutineers, but though civilly received,
they could not succeed in adjusting the differences or in restoring
subordination. On the third day the mutineers resumed their march and
in the morning arrived at Princeton. Congress and the Pennsylvania
government, as well as Washington, were much alarmed by this mutiny
fearing the example might be contagious and lead to the dissolution of
the whole army. Therefore a committee of Congress, with President
Reed [1] at their head and some members of the executive council of
Pennsylvania, set out from Philadelphia for the purpose of allaying this
dangerous commotion.
Sir Henry Clinton, who heard of the mutiny on the morning of the 3d
(January 1781), was equally active in endeavoring to turn it to the
advantage of his government. He ordered a large corps to be in readiness
to march on a moment's notice and sent two American spies by way of
Amboy and two by way of Elizabethtown, as agents from himself to treat
with the mutineers. But two of the persons employed were actually spies
on himself and soon disclosed his proposals to the American authorities.
The two real spies on reaching Princeton were seized by the mutineers
and afterwards delivered up to General Wayne who had them tried and
executed on the 10th.
At first the mutineers declined leaving Princeton, but finding their
demands would be substantially complied with they marched to Trenton
on the 9th, and before the 15th (January 1781), the matter was so far
settled that the committee of Congress left Trenton and returned to
Philadelphia. All who had enlisted for three years or during the war
were to be discharged, and in cases where the terms of enlistment could
not be produced the oath of the soldier was to be received as evidence
on the point. They were to receive immediate certificates for the
depreciation on their pay, and their arrears were to be settled as
soon as circumstances would admit. On those terms about one-half of the
Pennsylvania troops obtained their discharge, numbers of them having,
as afterwards appeared, made false declarations concerning the terms of
their enlistment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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