Adams
Lot 77
THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCEThe Petition: a poem,wrote at New York in December last, addressed to His Excellency General Sir William Howe, Single sheet folio, printed on one side, in two columns (previously folded), c.1777, 375 x 232mmHeading paragraph captioned ‘The Editor states this “Jeu d’Espirit” has circulated in manuscript copies through the American army; and is “too good to be confined to the mere circle of his (the author’s) acquaintance” and “that its fame has reached this country”. Howe is praised: “Well knowing the valour and conduct which lead us/ and how soon we follow, when you are to lead us/Long Island, New York and Great Washington’s Fort.”The Americans are denigrated:“Their famed constitiution- their dernier resort”“Their fring’d rifle warriors, how we did scorn/as a parcel of rags set on posts in the corn!”“But now we’ve such stocks of them coop’d up in jail/ The whole congress money, coud not be their bail.”Married for 18 months, twelve of them away in the army, his young wife, through stress, lost their child. With the analogy of war he describes to the General how this will be rectified, if his request for home leave be granted.In order to open manly attack- When we meet face to face we shall soon come to battle - And then I know how to gain full satisfaction As the body's drive back in the heart of the action!I've a breach and a breast-work, then next to subdueWith a close cover'd way, and a sap to make tooAll round the deep ditch, there's chevauz de frizeAt Flat Bush * there's not such a cluster of trees- I've tools to entrench with, and make my approaches-I'll not ask grenadiers or light infantry there For the motions can't flank it, as brave as they'reNor army dragoons on my plan enlarge*A Pass on long Island, attacked the 27th of August Sir William Howe, succeeded as 5th Viscount in the Irish peerage, appointed commander-in-chief, North America 1775 and recalled 1778, married Frances, 4th daughter of William Connolly of Castletown and Lady Anne Wentworth
