SULLIVAN HOUSE, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 23
It was at this battle of Long Island that the Hessians won their terrible reputation which was such a bugbear to the colonists. The battle was very disastrous to our arms. It had been badly planned by the commander-in- chief. The defeat of the Americans has been attributed in part to their total want of cavalry. It was wholly owing to negligence on the part of Washing- ton. A single regiment at the proper place on the Jamaica road could have prevented Clinton's advance, and the consequent discomfuure of our army. As it was, heroism availed not. The son of the Irish schoolmaster behaved with the quenchless valor of his race ; but encompassed by red-coats, his men dead or in retreat, there was nothing left for him to do but to surrender. He was discovered secreted in a cornheld. He afterwards said that he actually saw many of the Americans pinned to trees with bayonets. Sullivan was exchanged in a short time, and at the battle of Trenton both he and Putnam had the opportunity to avenge the libel on their names, and the Hessians lost their lions' skins.
He had been created a major-general in 1776, and he now became one ot the prominent leaders of the colonists. He did good service at Princeton, and during the rest of the season protected the lines at Morristown. On August 22d, 1777, he made a descent on Staten Island, the entire success of wiiich was prevented through the misconstruction of his orders. Though the attempt was rash, it was afterwards justified by a court of inquiry, and by a vote of Congress. At the battle of Brandywine he commanded the right wing, an 1 was fully exonerated by Washington from the charge of being responsible i ji the defeat that ensued. At Germantown he defeated the British left, driving Ihem before him for two miles ; but through mistakes on the American left, caused by fog, the victory was changed into a repulse. In 1778, Sullivan commanded in Rhode Island. In August of that year he prepared to attack the British lines at Newport, but was deprived of the cooperation of the French fleet under D'Estaing, and was obliged to raise the siege ; but at Butt's Hill, on the 29th, he repulsed the enemy, and withdrew from the Island with slight loss. In 1779, he was appointed to the command of an expedition against the Indians of the Six Nations. He laid waste their settlements, and inflicted upon them and the tories commanded by Brant and Sir John Newton, a severe defeat near the present site of Elmira in western New York. This last event concluded Sullivan's military operations. His health was shattered by fatigue and exposure, his private fortune was much dmiinished by five years' service in the army, and he felt obliged to resign his commission. Congress accepted it, and granted him a vote of thanks.
But the hero was not allowed to rest. A vexatious question was then pend- ing before Congress relative to the claim of New Hampshire to the territory of Vermont. The two ablest lawyers of the State, John Sullivan and Samuel Livermore, were sent to plead our side of the case. Subsequently the State refused to reimburse him for all the expenses he had undergone, and there was some bad feeling engendered. But New Hampshire could not dispense with the talents of her brilliant son. It continued to bestow its most responsi- ble offices upon him, honors that would have graced no other of its citizens as well as he. He was member of Congress in 1781, and was chairman of the committee that aided in suppressing the meeting of the Pennsylvania troops. For four years, from 1782 to 1786, he was attorney-general of the State. In 1786, 1787, and 1789, he was President of New Hampshire. In the disturb- ances of 1786, he prevented anarchy in the State by his intrepidity and good management, and in 1788 he secured the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Washington appointed him federal judge of New Hampshire, which office he held to his death, which occurred January 23, 1795.
�� �
