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the commiffioners until their independence was acknowledged, and the British fleets and armies removed from America. At the fame time, the colonies were warned not to fuffer themselves to be deceived into fecurity by any offers that might be made; but to use their utmost endeavours to fend their quotas with all diligence into the field. The individuals with whom the commiffioners converfed on the fubject of the conciliatory bill, generally returned for answer that the day of reconciliation was paft; and that the haughtiness of Britain had extinguished all filial regard in the breafts of Americans.

About this time alfo Mr. Silas Deane arrived from France with two copies of the treaty of commerce and alliance to be figned by congrefs. Advices of the most agreeable nature were also received from various parts, reprefenting in the moft favourable light the difpofitions of the European powers; all of whom, it was faid, wifhed to fee the independence of America settled upon the most firm and permanent bafis. Confidering the fituation of matters with the colonists at this time, therefore, it is no wonder that the commiffioners found themfelves unable to accomplish the errand on which they came. Their proposals were utterly rejected, themselves treated as fpies, and all intercourfe with them interdicted.

But before any final anfwer could be obtained from congrefs, Sir Henry Clinton had taken the refoluton of evacuating Philadelphia. Accordingly, on the 10th of June, after having made all neceffary preparations, the army marched out of the city and croffed the Delaware before noon with all its baggage and other incumbrances. General Washington, apprised of this defign, had dispatched expreffes into the Jerfeys with orders to collect all the force that could be affembled in order to obftruct the march of the enemy. After various movements on both fides, Sir Henry Clinton, with the royal army, arrived on the 27th of June at a place called Freehold; where, judging that the enemy would attack him, he encamped in a very firong fituation. Here General Washington determined to make an attack as foon as the army had begun its march. The night was spent in making the neceffary preparations, and General Lee with his divifion was ordered to be ready by day-break. But Sir Henry Clinton, juftly apprehending that the chief object of the enemy was the baggage, committed it to the care of General Knyphaufeu, whom he ordered to fet out early in the morning, while he followed with the reft of the army. The attack was accordingly made; but the British general had taken fuch care to arrange his troops properly, and fo effectually supported his forces when engaged with the Americans, that the latter not only made no impreffion, but

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were with difficulty preferved from a total defeat by the advance of General Washington with the whole army. The British troops effected their retreat with the lofs of three hundred men, of whom many died through mere fatigue without any wound. In this action general Lee was charged by General Washington with difobedience and mifconduct in retreating before the British army. He was tried by a court-martial, ' and fentenced to a temporary fufpenfion from his command. After they had arrived at Sandy Hook, a bridge of boats was by Lord Howe's directions thrown from thence over the channel which feparated the ifland from the main land, and the troops were conveyed aboard the fleet after which they failed to New York. After fending fome light detachments to watch the enemy's motions, General Washington marched towards the North River, where a great force had been collected to join him, and where it was now expected that fome very capital operations would take place.

In the mean time, France had fet about her preparations for the asfiftance of the Americans. On the 14th of April Count d'Estaing had failed from Toulon with a ftrong fquadron of fhips of the line and frigates, and arrived on the coast of Virginia in the beginning of July, while the British fleet was employed in conveying the forces from Sandy Hook to New York. It confifted of one fhip of ninety guns, one of eighty, fix of feventy-four, and four of fixty-four, befides several large frigates; and, exclufive of its compliment of failors, had fix thoufand marines and foldiers on board. To oppofe this the British had only fix fhips of fixty-four guns, three of fifty, and two of forty, with some frigates and floops. Notwithstanding this inferiority, however, the British admiral posted himself so advantageously, and showed such fuperior skill, that d'Estaing did not think proper to attack him. He therefore remained at anchor four miles off Sandy Hook till the 22d of July, without effecting any thing more than the capture of fome veffels, which, through ignorance of his arrival, fell into his hands.

The next attempt of the French admiral was, in conjunction with the Americans, on Rhode island. It was propofed that d'Estaing, with the fix thousand troops he had with him, fhould make a defcent on the fouthern part of the ifland, while a body of the Americans should take and destroy all the British fhipping. On the 8th of August the French admiral entered the harbour as was propofed, but found himself unable to do any material damage, Lord Howe, however, inftantly fet fail for Rhode island; and d'Estaing, confiding in his fuperiority, immediately came out of the harbour to attack him. A violent storm parted the two fleets, and did fo much damage that they were rendered totally

unfit for action. The French, however, fuffered moft; and several of their fhips being afterwards attacked fingly by the British, very narrowly escaped being taken. On the 20th of Auguft he returned to Newport in a very shattered condition; and, not thinking himfelf fafe there, failed two days after for Bofton. General Sullivan had landed in the mean time on the northern part of Rhode Island with ten thoufand men. On the 17th of Auguft they began their operations by erecting batteries, and making their approaches to the British lines. But General Pigot, who commanded in Newport, had taken fuch effectual care to fecure himfelf on the land-fide, that without the affiftance of a marine force it was altogether impoffible to attack him with any probability of fuccefs. The conduct of d'Estaing, therefore, in abandoning them when master of the harbour, gave the greatest disgust to the people of New England, and General Sullivan began to think of a retreat. On perceiving his intentions, the garrifon fallied out upon him with fo much vigour, that it was not without difficulty that he effected his retreat. He had not been long gone when Sir Henry Clinton arrived with a body of four thousand men ; which, had it arrived fooner, would have enabled the British commander to have gained a decifive advantage over him, as well as to have deftroyed the town of Providence, which, by its vicinity to Rhode Island, and the enterprises which were continually projected and carried on in that place, kept the inhabitants of Rhode Island in continual alarms.

The first British expedition was to Buzzard's Bay, on the coast of New England and neighbourhood of Rhode Island. Here they deftroyed a great number of privateers and merchantmen, magazines, with ftorehouses, &c.; whence proceeding to a fertile and populous ifland called Martha's Vineyard, they carried off ten thoufand fheep and three hundred black cattle. Another expedition took place up the North River, under Lord Cornwallis and General Knyphaufen; the principal event of which was the deftruction of a regiment of American cavalry, known by the name of Washington's Light Horfe. A third expedition was directed to Little Egg Harbour in New Jersey, a place noted for privateers, the deftruction of which was its principal intention. It was conducted by Captains Ferguson and Collins, and ended in the deftruction of the enemy's veffels, as well as of the place itself, At the fame time part of another body of American troops, called Pulafki's Legion, was furprized, and a great number of them put to the sword.

The Americans had, in the beginning of the year, projected the conqueft of Weft Florida; and Captain Willing, with a party of refolute men, had made a fuccefsful incurfion into the country. This VOL. I.

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awakened the attention of the British to the fouthern colonies, and an expedition against them was refolved on. Georgia was the place of deftination; and the more effectually to enfure fuccefs, Colonel Campbell, with a fufficient force, under convoy of fome fhips of war, commanded by Commodore Hyde Parker, embarked at New York, while General Prevoft, who commanded in Eaft Florida, was directed to fet out with all the force he could fpare. The armament from New York arrived off the coaft of Georgia in the month of December; and though the enemy were very strongly pofled in an advantageous fituation on the fhore, the British troops made good their landing, and advanced towards Savannah the capital of the province. That very day they defeated the force of the provincials which oppofed them; and took poffeffion of the town with fuch celerity, that the Americans had not time to execute a refolution they had taken of setting it on fire. In ten days the whole province of Georgia was reduced, Sunbury alone excepted; and this was alfo brought under fubjection by General Prevoft in his march northwards. Every method was taken to fecure the tranquillity of the country; and rewards were offered for apprehending committee or affembly men or fuch as they judged moft inimical to the British interefts. On the arrival of General Prevoft, the command of the troops naturally devolved on him as the fenior officer; and the conqueft of Carolina was next projected.

In this attempt there was no finall probability of fuccefs. The country contained a great number of friends to the British government, w who now eagerly embraced the opportunity of declaring themfelves; many of the inhabitants of Georgia had joined the royal ftandard; and there was not in the province any confiderable body of provincial forces capable of oppofing the efforts of regular and well difciplined troops. On the firft news of General Prevoft's approach, the loyalifis affembled in a body, imagining themfelves able to ftand their ground until their allies fhould arrive; but in this they were difappointed. The Americans attacked and defeated them with the lofs of half their number. The remainder retreated into Georgia; and after undergoing many difficulties, at last effected a junction with the British forces.

In the mean time, General Lincoln, with a confiderable body of American troops, had encamped within twenty miles of the town of Savannah; and another strong party had pofted themselves at a place called Briar's Creek, farther up the river of the fame name. Thus the extent of the British government was likely to be circumscribed within very narrow bounds. General Prevoft therefore determined to diflodge the party at Briar's Creek and the latter, trufting to their strong fituation, and being

remifs in their guard, fuffered themfelves to be furprised on the 30th of March 1779; when they were utterly routed, with the lofs of four hundred killed and taken, befides a great number drowned in the river or the fwamps. The whole artillery, ftores, baggage, and almost all the arms, of this unfortunate party were taken, so that they could no more make any ftand; and thus the province of Georgia was once more freed from the enemy, and a communication opened with thofe places in Carolina where the royalifts chiefly refided.

The victory at Briar's Creek proved of confiderable fervice to the British caufe. Great numbers of the loyalifts joined the army, and conderably increased its force. Hence General Prevoft was enabled to ftretch his pofts farther up the river, and to guard all the principal paffes : fo that General Lincoln was reduced to a ftate of inaction; and at laft moved ff towards Augufta, in order to protect the provincial affembly, which was obliged to fit in that place, the capital being now in the hands of the British.

Lincoln had no fooner quitted his poft, than it was judged a proper time by the British general to put in execution the grand scheme which had been meditated againft Carolina. Many difficulties indeed lay in his way. The river Savannah was fo fwelled by the exceffive rains of the feason, that it feemed impaffable; the oppofite fhore, for a great way, was fo full of fwamps and marshes, that no army could march over it without the greatest difficulty; and, to render the paffage ftill more difficult, General Moultrie was left with a confiderable body of troops in order to oppofe the enemy's attempts. But in fpite of every oppofition, the constancy and perfeverance of the British forces at last prevailed. General Moultrie was defeated, and obliged to retire towards Charlestown; and the victorious army, after having waded through the marshes for fome time, at last arrived in an open country, through which they pursued their march with great rapidity towards the capital; while General Lincoln remained in a ftate of fecurity at Augufta, imagining that the obftacles he had left in the way could not be furmounted.

Certain intelligence of the danger to which Charlestown was expofed, however, aroused the American general from his lethargy. A chosen body of infantry, mounted on horseback for the greater expedition, was dif patched before him; while Lincoln himself followed with all the forces he could collect. General Moultrie too, with the troops he had brought from the Savannah, and some others he had collected fince his retreat from thence, had taken poffeffion of all the avenues leading to Charlestown, and prepared for a vigorous defence. But all oppofition proved ineffectual.

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