e ject ed ▁in ▁mis fortun es , ▁he ▁tower ed ▁above ▁dist ress , ▁and ▁strugg led ▁with ▁the ▁manifold ▁difficulties ▁to ▁which ▁his ▁situation ▁exposed ▁him , ▁with ▁const ancy ▁and ▁courage . ▁In ▁the ▁memor able ▁year ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁when ▁the ▁whole ▁force ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁British ▁army ▁was ▁directed ▁to ▁the ▁immediate ▁sub j ug ation ▁of ▁this ▁state , ▁he ▁was ▁called ▁to ▁the ▁hel m ▁of ▁government ; ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁jun ct ure ▁which ▁indeed ▁' t ried ▁men ' s ▁sou ls .' ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁avail ▁himself ▁of ▁this ▁opportunity ▁to ▁ret ire ▁in ▁the ▁rear ▁of ▁danger ; ▁but ▁on ▁the ▁contrary , ▁took ▁the ▁field ▁at ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁his ▁coun tr ymen ; ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁ha z ard ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁his ▁fame , ▁and ▁individual ▁fortune , ▁by ▁his ▁decision ▁and ▁magn anim ity , ▁he ▁saved ▁not ▁only ▁his ▁country , ▁but ▁all ▁America , ▁from ▁dis gra ce , ▁if ▁not ▁from ▁total ▁ru in . ▁Of ▁this ▁truly ▁patri otic ▁and ▁hero ic ▁conduct , ▁the ▁ren owned ▁commander ▁in ▁chief , ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁gall ant ▁officers ▁of ▁the ▁combined ▁arm ies ▁employed ▁at ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁York , ▁will ▁bear ▁am ple ▁testim ony ; ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁conduct ▁even ▁contemporary ▁je alous y , ▁env y , ▁and ▁m align ity ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁appro ve , ▁and ▁this , ▁more ▁im partial ▁poster ity ,