fmall guard could have impeded their progrefs. CHAP. The Americans had neglected this precaution from a confidence that no attempt would be 1777. made; the troops paffed, and affailed at the fame moment Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, divided from each other only by a Creek called Poplop's Kill. Colonel Campbell commanded the attack on Fort Montgomery, which, not being ftrongly fortified, was foon taken without any lofs worthy of notice, except that of the brave leader of the divifion.

FORT CLINTON was built on a rocky elevation, and could be approached only over a pafs, between a lake and a precipice, covered with felled trees, and commanded by ten pieces of artillery. It was neceffary to attack both the forts nearly at the fame time, and to delay the attack on Fort Clinton till the engagement at Fort Montgomery fhould be judged to have become ferious. Night rendered the movements of the troops lefs expofed, and they proceeded in total filence, under a tremendous fire, to the foot of the work, where they pushed each other up into the embrafures. After a fhort conflict the rampart was cleared; the Americans, retiring behind the efplanade, fired a laft volley, and laid down their arms. Notwithstanding this provocation, the affailants fhewed a dignified moderation in victory: not a man was flain but thofe who fell in the ftruggle on the ramparts. One hundred and forty British troops were killed and wounded; among the former were captain Stewart, major Skill, and count Grabowsky, a Polish volunteer, who in his laft moments fent his fword to lord Rawdon, as a teftimony that he died in a manner not unworthy the partner of his dangers.

THE

1777. The Americans

fleet.

CHAP. THE Americans had in the river an armed XXXI, force, confifting of two fhips, two gallies, and an armed floop, for the protection of which a maffy boom, confifting of huge rafts of timber burn their connected by cables, and an iron chain weighing upwards of fifty tons, were ftretched across the river from Fort Montgomery to a mount called St. Anthony's Nofe. This bulwark effectually fecured the flips from attack by water; but when the forts were taken, their fafety was at an end. The Captains filently flipped their cables in the dark; but the wind fruftrating their attempt to escape, they fired the veffels with all their fails fet.

Various

detached expeditions.

30th Oct. Burning of Elopus.

Howe's orders.

FORT CONSTITUTION was, immediately on the capture of Forts Montgomery and Clinton, deftroyed by its commandant; and major general Tryon demolished a new fettlement called Continental Village, containing barracks for fifteen hundred men. A flying fquadron, under Sir James Wallace, afcending the river, fucceeded in burning a great number of American veffels. A military detachment, under general Vaughan, landed at Efopus Creek, and after a flight refiftance deftroyed two batteries and an armed galley; the general then continued his march to the town, which he wantonly burned to afhes, with a great collection of ftores and provifions. This expedition did important injury to the American intereft: the troops returned in fafety to New York.

When Sir Henry Clinton was commencing this fpirited undertaking, he wrote to general Howe, imparting his intentions, with his notions of their importance, but without difguifing his opinion that the attempt on the forts was defperate, though it might be tried without endangering

1777.

gence from

dangering New York. Howe, alarmed at the CHAP. vigour difplayed by Washington, in the attack XXXI. on German Town, difcouraged Clinton's project, and ordered him, unlefs fpeedy fuccefs was certain, to defift, and difpatch the troops intended to be fo employed, to his affiftance at Philadelphia. This letter, had it been received in time, would have prevented the execution of Clinton's plan. When he had taken the Clinton's two forts, he was a hundred and thirty-fix miles intellidiftant from Burgoyne: he had, foon after his Burgoyne. departure from New York, received a letter, requesting him to make a diverfion, which the operation he was then engaged in was well calculated to effect; but Burgoyne having yet met with no check, did not folicit aid. The day after the capture of the forts, an officer in difguife 6th Oct. arrived; but he only reprefented, that if Burgoyne did not hear of co-operation by the tenth of October, he should be obliged, by the fear of wanting provifions, to retire to Fort Edward. General Clinton would then have advanced to his relief, but found it impracticable to remove the impediments in the river, and fecure the requifite ftore of provifions within the time. He had already commiffioned general Vaughan to proceed with feventeen hundred men as high as his pilots could carry him, to co-operate with Burgoyne, and even join him. if neceffary. General Vaughan had advanced a hundred miles; he was ftill forty diftant from Albany, and must have traverfed fixty more to reach Burgoyne; but foon after the deftruction of Efopus, he wrote to Sir Henry Clinton 19th. that he could obtain no certain intelligence, though what he did learn, filled him with apprehenfion. Burgoyne's furrender had then already taken

N NG

XXXI.

1777.

CHAP. taken place. Had Clinton endeavoured to move forward, Putnam was in fufficient force to fruftrate the attempt, and Gates's army, flushed with fuccefs, had no immediate operation to occupy them after Burgoyne's furrender. He therefore executed all that was poffible, according to the ftate of his information, and the extent of his force, in making the diverfion, which he expected would have covered the general's retreat to Ticonderoga; but he could not take the forts, penetrate to Albany, and afterwards maintain the communication; and Burgoyne's want of provifions muft have obliged him to furrender without a force fufficient to open the country for fupplies.

d In this chapter, befides the papers published by authority of parliament, the hiftories, and the periodical works, I have confulted the pamphlets of Sir William Howe, general Burgoyne, Mr. Galloway, and many anonymous writers, and have been affifted by highly valuable private information.

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

PRECIS of Letters relative to the interference of France between Ruffia and the Porte.

Lord Stormont, embassador at Paris, to the Secretary of State.

March, 1773.

His long converfation with duc d'Anguillon on Tuefday 30th March. The duke read to him part of a difpatch from M. Durand, dated sd March, dwelt long on the ambitious views of Ruffia, her demands on the Porte, and her aiming to reign defpotically in the North by regulating the government of Sweden, and by attacking that kingdom in concert with Denmark that France could not tamely look on, and fee her moft ancient ally treated in that manner. Muft fupport Sweden, if attacked, being bound thereto by every tie of intereft and honour. Lord Stormont answered, that much depended on the mode of fupporting Sweden, and that there was one particular mode Great Britain could not receive with indifferencethat the king wifhed to avoid whatever could difturb the good harmony, and his lordship hoped France would avoid the only pierre d'achoppement in the way. The duke faid we always backed our friendly profeffions with a declaration which infifted on France giving up her honour, by abandoning her old ally threatened with deftruction, and that France could not do that. On lord Stormont's perceiving that the duke feemed to hope we would not carry things to extremity, his lordship explained fully and clearly, that French fleet in the Baltic, muft draw a British one

thither