CHAPTER XXVIII 



FOTHERGILL'S WORK IN WAR-TIME, 1777 TO 1780 



For ills to conquer ; for the love that fights ; 

 For that strong faith that vanquished axe and flame 

 And gave us Freedom for our heritage ; 

 For peace in strife ; for gain in seeming loss ; 

 For every loss that wrought the greater gain ; 

 We thank thee, Lord ! 



JOHN OXENHAM. 



At length we are in Peace. All wars are follies, very expensive 

 and very mischievous ones. When will mankind be convinced of 

 this, and agree to settle their differences by arbitration ? FRANKLIN, 

 1783- 



I can only hope that in future all who love freedom here will hold 

 converse with all who love freedom there, and that the two nations, 

 separated as they are by the ocean, come, as they are, notwithstanding, 

 of one stock, may be in future time united in soul, and may work 

 together for the advancement of the liberties and the happiness of 

 mankind. JOHN BRIGHT, 1863. 



THE war was a long and terrible struggle. He who 

 would picture it aright must not take his colours altogether 

 from tales set in the period. The novelist is apt to select 

 the more extreme characters, persons of piquant traits, 

 as if they were representative of the age. But letters and 

 records of the time show that, side by side with corruption 

 and folly, there was much sober thought and right living 

 on both sides in this contest, and that it was rather stern 

 duty than impulse and intrigue which governed its course. 

 During the year 1777 things went ill with the Americans. 

 Their army dwindled, food and stores failed them, their 

 paper-money fell to a low value, many amongst their 

 own people were apathetic or hostile, and the outlook of 



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