board, which the Americans could fee towards the clofe of the day, induced the latter to make fo precipitate a retreat.

After Charlestown had furrendered to the king's troops, General Clinton iffued two proclamations, and alfo circulated a hand-bill amongst the inhabitants of South Carolina, in order to induce them to return to their allegiance, and to be ready to join the king's troops. It was faid, that the helping hand of every man was wanted to re-establish peace and good government: and that as the commander in chief wished not to draw the king's friends into danger, while any doubt could remain of their fuccefs; fo'now that this was certain, he trufted that one and all would heartily join, and by a general concurrence give effect to such neceffary measures for that purpose as from time to time might be pointed out. Those who had families were to form a militia to remain at home, and occafionally to affemble in their own districts, when required, under officers of their own choofing, for the maintenance of peace and good order. Those who had no families, and who could conveniently be fpared for a time, it was prefumed, would cheerfully assist his Majes, ty's troops in driving their oppreffors, acting under the authority of congrefs, and all the miferies of war, far from that colony. For this purpose it was faid to be neceffary that the young men fhould be ready to affemble when required, and to ferve with the king's troops for any fix months of the enfuing twelve that might be found requifite, under proper regulations. They might choofe officers to each company to command them; and were to be allowed, when on fervice, pay, ammunition, and provifions, in the fame manner as the king's troops, When they joined the army, each man was to be furnished with a certifi cate, declaring that he was only engaged to serve as a militia-man for the time specified; that he was not to be marched beyond North Carolina and Georgia; and that, when the time was out, he was freed from all claims whatever of military fervice, excepting the common and ufual militia-duty where he lived. He would then, it was faid, have paid his debt to his country, and be intitled to enjoy undisturbed that peace, liberty, and property, at home, which he had contributed to fecure. The proclamations and publications of General Clinton appear to have produced fome effect in South Carolina; though they probably operated chicfly upon those who were before not much inclined to the cause of American independence. Two hundred and ten of the inhabitants of Charlestown figned an address to General Clinton and Admiral Arbuthnot, foliciting to be readmitted to the character and condition of British subjects, the inhabitants of that city having been hitherto confidered as prifoners on parole; declaring their disapprobation of the doctrine of

American independence; and expreffing their regret, that after the repeal of those ftatutes which gave rife to the troubles in America, the overtures made by his Majefty's commiffioners had not been regarded by the congrefs. Sir Henry Clinton, in one of the proclamations iffued at this time, declared, that if any perfons should thenceforward appear in arms in order to prevent the establishment of his Majefty's government in that country, or fhould under any pretence or authority whatsoever attempt to compel any other perfon or perfons to do fo, or who fhould hinder or intimidate the king's faithful and loyal fubjects from joining his forces or otherwife performing thofe duties their allegiance required, fuch perfons should be treated with the utmost severity, and their estates be immediately feized in order to be confifcated.

Mean time the ravages of war did not prevent the Americans from paying fome attention to the arts of peace. On the 4th of May an act paffed by the council and house of representatives of Massachusett's Bay for incorporating and establishing a society for the cultivation and promction of the arts and fciences.

Some doubts having arisen in the Congress, towards the close of the preceding year, about the propriety of their affembling in the city of Philadelphia, it was now refolved that they fhould continue to meet there and a committee of three members was appointed, to report a proper place where buildings might be provided for the reception of the congrefs, together with an estimate of the expence of providing fuch buildings and the neceffary offices for the feveral boards. It was alfo refolved by the congrefs, that a monument should be erected to the memory of their late general Richard Montgomery, who fell at Quebec, in teftimony of his fignal and important fervices to the United States of America, with an infcription expressive of his amiable character and heroic atchievements; and that the continental treasurers should be directed to advance a fum not exceeding three hundred pounds to Dr. Franklin to defray the expence; that gentleman being defired to caufe the monument to be executed at Paris, or in fome other part of France. It was likewife refolved by the congrefs, that a court should be established for the trial of all appeals from the court of admiralty of the United States of America, in cafes of capture; to confift of three judges, appointed and commiflioned by congrefs, and who were to take an oath of office; and that the trials in this court fhould be determined by the ufage of nations.

The difficulties of the Congrefs and of the people of America had been greatly increased by the depreciation of their paper-currency. At

the

the time when the colonies engaged in a war with Great Britain, they had no regular civil governments established among them of fufficient energy to enforce the collection of taxes, or to provide funds for the redemption of fuch bills of credit as their neceffities obliged them to iffue. In confequence of this ftate of things, their bills increased in quantity far beyond the fum neceffary for the purpose of a circulating medium and as they wanted at the fame time fpecific funds to reft on for their redemption, they faw their paper-currency daily fink in value. The depreciation continued, by a kind of gradual progreffion, from the year 1777 to 1780: fo that, at the latter period, the continental dollars were pafied, by common confent, in moft parts of America, at the rate of at least 8ths below their nominal value. The impoffibility of keeping up the credit of the currency to any fixed ftandard, occafioned great and almoft infurmountable embarraffiments in afcertaining the value of property, or carrying on trade with any fufficient certainty. Thofe who fold, and those who bought, were left without a rule whereon to form a judgment of their profit or lofs: and every fpecies of commerce or exchange, whether foreign or domeftic, was expofed to numberless and increafing difficulties. The confequences of the depreciation of the paper-currency were alfo felt with peculiar feverity by fuch of the Americans as were engaged in their military fervices," and greatly augmented by their other hardships. The requifitions made by the congrefs to the feveral colonies for fupplies, were alfo far from always being regularly complied with': and their troops were not unfrequently in want of the most common neceffaries; which naturally occafioned complaints and difcontent among them. Some of thefe difficulties, refulting from their circumftances and fituation, perhaps no wifdom could have prevented: but they seem to have arifen in part from the congrefs not being fufficiently acquainted with the principles of finance, and from a defect of fyftem in the departments of their government. The caufe of ne Americans appears alfo to have fuffered fomewhat by their depending too much on temporary enliftments. But the congrefs endeavoured, towards the clofe of the year 1780, to put their army upon a more permanent footing, and to give all the fatisfaction to their officers and foldiers which their circumftances would permit. They appointed a committee for arranging their finances, and made fome new regulations refpecting their war-office and treafury-board, and other public departments.

Notwithstanding the disadvantages under which they laboured, the Americans feemed to entertain no doubts but that they fhould be able to maintain their independency. The 4th of July was celebrated this

year

year at Philadelphia with fome pomp, as the anniversary of American independence. A commencement for conferring degrees in the arts was held the fame day, in the hall of the univerfity there; at which the prefident and members of the congrefs attended, and other persons in public offices. The Chevalier De la Lucerne, minifter plenipotentiary from the French king to the United States, was also present on the occafion. A charge was publicly addreffed by the provost of the university to the students; in which he faid, that he could not but congratulate them" on that aufpicious day, which, amidst the confufions and defolations of war, beheld learning beginning to revive; and animated them with the pleafing profpect of feeing the facred lamp of science burning with a ftill brighter flame, and scattering its invigorating rays over the unexplored deferts of that extenfive continent, until the whole world fhould be involved in the united blaze of knowledge, liberty, and religion. When he stretched his views forward (he faid), and furveyed the rifing glories of America, the enriching confequences of their determined ftruggle for liberty, the extenfive fields of intellectual improvement and useful invention, in fcience and arts, in agriculture and commerce, in religion and government, through which the unfettered mind would range, with increasing delight, ia queft of the undiscovered treafure which yet lay concealed in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms of that new world; or in the other fertile fources of knowledge with which it abounded. His heart fwelled with the pleafing profpect, that the fons of that inftitution would diftinguish themselves, in the different walks of life, by their literary contributions to the embellishment and increase of human happiness."

On the 10th of July, M. Ternay, with a fleet confifting of feven ships of the line, befides frigates, and a large body of French troops, commanded by Count de Rochambeau, arrived at Rhode Island; and the following day fix thousand men were landed there. A committee from the general affembly of Rhode Island; was appointed to congratulate the French general on his arrival: whereupon he returned an anfwer, in which he informed them, that the king his master had sent him to the affiftance of his good and faithful allies the United States of America. At prefent, he said he only brought over the vanguard of a much greater force deftined for their aid; and the king had ordered him to affure them, that his whole power should be exerted for their fupport. He added, that the French troops were under the strictest difcipline; and, acting under the orders of General Washington, would live with the Americans as their brethren. 4 B

VOL. I.

A fcheme

A scheme was foon formed, of making a combined attack with Eng lifh fhips and troops, under the command of Sir Henry Clinton and Admiral Arbuthnot, against the French fleet and troops at Rhode Island. Accordingly a confiderable part of the troops at New York were embarked for that purpose. General Washington having received information of this, paffed the North River, by a very rapid movment, and, with an army increased to twelve thousand men, proceeded with celerity towards King's Bridge, in order to attack New York; but learning that the British general had changed his intentions, and dif embarked his troops on the 31ft of the month, General Wathington recroffed the river and returned to his former ftation. Sir Henry Clinton and the admiral had agreed to relinquish their defign of attacking the French and Americans at Rhode Island as impracticable for the prefent.

An unfuccefsful attempt was alfo made about this time in the Jerfeys by General Knyphausen, with seven thousand British troops under his command, to furprife the advanced pofts of General Washington's army. They proceeded very rapidly towards Springfield, meeting with little oppofition till they came to the bridge there, which was very gallantly defended by one hundred and feventy of the continental troops, for fifteen minutes, against the British army: but they were at length obliged to give up fo unequal a conteft, with the lofs of thirty-feven men. After fecuring this pass, the British troops marched into the place, and fet fire to moft of the houfes. They alfo committed fome other depredations in the Jerfeys; but gained no laurels there, being obliged to return about the beginning of July without effecting any thing material.

But in South Carolina the royal arms were attended with more fuccefs. Earl Cornwallis, who commanded the British troops there, obtained a very fignal victory over General Gates on the 16th of Auguft. The action began at break of day, in a fituation very advantageous for the British troops, but very unfavourable to the Americans. The latter were much more numerous; but the ground on which both armies stood was narrowed by swamps on the right and left, fo that the Americans could not properly avail themselves of their fuperior numbers. There feems to have been fome want of generalfhip in Gates, in fuffering himself to be furprised in fo difadvantageous a pofition: but this circumftance was partly the effect of accident; for both armies fet out with a defign of attacking each other precisely at the fame time, at ten the preceding evening, and met together before day-light at the place where the action happened. The attack was made by the British troops with great vigour, and in a few