minutes the action was general along the whole line. It was at this time a dead calm, with a little haziness in the air, which preventing the fmoke from rifing, occafioned fo thick a darkness, that it was difficult to fee the effect of a very heavy and well-fupported fire on both fides. The British troops either kept up a conftant fire, or made use of bayonets, as opportunities offered and after an obftinate refiftance during three quarters of an hour, threw the Americans into total confufion, and forced them to give way in all quarters. The continental troops appear to have behaved well, but the militia were foon broken, and left the former to oppofe the whole force of the British troops. General Gates did all in his power to rally the militia, but without effect the continentals retreated in fome order, but the rout of the militia was fo great, that the British cavalry are faid to have pursued them to the distance of twenty-two miles from the place where the action happened. The lofs of the Americans was very confiderable: about one thousand prifoners were taken, and more are faid to have been killed and wounded, but the number is not accurately ascertained. Seven pieces of brass cannon, a number of colours, and all the ammunition-waggons of the Americans, were alfo taken. Of the British troops, the killed and wounded amounted to two hundred and thirteen. Among the prifoners taken was Major-general Baron de Kalb, a Pruffian officer in the American fervice, who was mortally wounded, having exhibited great gallantry in the courfe of the action, and received eleven wounds. The British troops by which this great victory was atchieved, did not much exceed two thousand, while the American army is faid to have amounted to fix thousand; of which, however, the greatest part were militia. Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, who had greatly diftinguished himself in this action, was detached the following day, with fome cavalry and light infantry, amounting to about three hundred and fifty men, to attack a corps of Americans under General Sumpter. He executed this fervice with great activity and military addrefs. He procured good information of Sumpter's movements; and by forced and concealed marches came up with and furprised him in the middle of the day on the 18th, near the Catawba fords. He totally deftroyed or difperfed his detachment, which confifted of seven hundred men, killing one hundred and fifty on the spot, and taking two pieces of brafs cannon, three hundred prifoners, and forty-four waggons. Not long after these events, means were found to detach Major General Arnold, who had engaged fo ardently in the caufe of America, and who had exhibited fo much bravery in the fupport of it, from the inte 4 B 2 interests of the congrefs. Major Andrè, Adjutant General to the British army, was a principal agent in this transaction: or, if the overture of joining the King's troops came first from Arnold, this gentleman was the perfon employed to concert the affair with him. More must have been originally comprehended in the fcheme than the mere desertion of the American caufe by Arnold: but whatever defigns had been formed for promoting the views of the British government, they were fruftrated by the apprehending of Major Andrè. He was taken in difguife, after having affumed a falfe name, on the 23d of September, by three American foldiers; to whom he offered confiderable rewards if they would have fuffered him to escape, but without effect. Several papers written by Arnold were found upon him; and when Arnold had learned that Major Andrè was seized, he found means to get on board a barge, and to escape to one of the King's fhips. General Washington referred the cafe of Major Andrè to the examination and decifion of a board of general officers, confifting of Major General Green, Major General Lord Sterling, Major General the Marquis de la Fayette, Major General the Baron de Steuben, two other Major Generals, and eight Brigadier Generals. Major Andrè was examined before them, and the particulars of his case inquired into; and they reported to the American commander in chief, that Mr. Andrè came on fhore from the Vulture floop of War in the night, on an interview with General Arnold, in a private and fecret manner; that he changed his dress within the American lines; and, under a feigned name, and in a disguised habit, paffed the American works at Stoney and Verplank's Points, on the evening of the 22d of September; that he was taken on the morning of the 23d at Tarry-town, he being then on his way for New York and that, when taken, he had in his poffeffion feveral papers which contained intelligence for the enemy. They therefore determined, that he ought to be confidered as a spy from the enemy; and that, agreeable to the law and ufage of nations, he ought to suffer death. Sir Henry Clinton, Lieutenant General Robertson, and the late American general Arnold, all wrote preffing letters to General Washington on the occafion, in order to prevent the decifion of the board of general officers from being put in force: But their applications were ineffectual. Major Andrè was hanged at Tappan, in the province of New York, on the 2d of October. He met his fate with great firmness; but appeared fomewhat hurt that he was not allowed a more military death, for which he had folicited. He was a gentleman of very amiable qualities, had a tafte for literature and the fine arts, and poffeffed many accomplishments. His death, therefore, was regretted even by his ene mies; and the feverity of the determination concerning him was much exclaimed againft in Great Britain. It was, however, generally acknowledged by impartial perfons, that there was nothing in the execution of this unfortunate gentleman but what was perfectly confonant to the rules of war. Arnold was made a brigadier general in the King's fervice, and published an address to the inhabitants of America, dated from New York, October 7, in which he endeavoured to juftify his defertion of their caufe. He faid, that when he first engaged in it, he conceived the rights of his country to be in danger, and duty and honour called him to her defence. A redress of grievances was his only aim and object; and therefore he acquiefced unwillingly in the declaration of independence, because he thought it precipitate. But what now induced him to defert their caufe was the disgust he had conceived at the French alliance, and at the refufal of Congress to comply with the laft terms offered by Great Britain, which he thought equal to all their expectations and to all their wishes. The Americans, however, accounted for the conduct of Arnold in a different manner. They alledged that he had fo involved himself in debts and difficulties by his extravagant manner of living in America, that he had rendered it very inconvenient for him to continue there: that after the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British troops, General Arnold, being invested with the command of that city, had made the house of Mr. Penn, which was the best in the city, his head quarters. This he had furnished in an elegant and expensive manner, and lived in a ftyle far beyond his income. It was manifeft, they faid, that he could at first have no great averfion to the French alliance, because that when M. Gerard, minifter plenipotentiary from the court of France, arrived at Philadelphia in July 1778, General Arnold early and earnestly folicited that minifter, with his whole fuite, to take apartments and bed and board at his house, until a proper houfe could be provided by order of the Congrefs. This offer M. Gerard accepted, and continued with him fome weeks. The French minifter refided upwards of fourteen months in Philadelphia; during which time General Arnold kept up the most friendly and intimate acquaintance with him, and there was a continued interchange of dinners, balls, routes, and concerts: fo that M. Gerard muft have believed, that in General Arnold he had found and left one of the warmest friends the court of France had in America. He was alfo one of the first in congratulating the Chevalier de la Luzerne, the fecond French minifter. About this time complaints and accufations were exhibited against him by the government of Phi ladelphia ladelphia for divers mal-practices; among which charges were, the appropriation of goods and merchandize to his own ufe, which he had feized as British property in Philadelphia in July 1778. It was determined by a court-martial that his conduct was highly reprehenfible; but he was indulgently treated, and was therefore only reprimanded by the commander in chief General Washington. It was in thefe circumftances, the Americans faid, bankrupted in reputation and fortune, loaded with debts, and having a growing and expensive family, that General Arnold firft turned his thoughts towards joining the royal arms. After the defeat of General Gates by Earl Cornwallis, that nobleman exerted himself to the utmoft in extending the progrefs of the British arms, and with considerable effect. But one enterprife, which was conducted by Major Fergufon, proved unfuccefsful. That officer had taken abundant pains to difcipline fome of the tory militia, as they were termed; and with a party of these and some British troops, amounting in the whole about one thousand four hundred men, made incurfions into the country. But on the 7th of October he was attacked by a fuperior body of Americans at a place called King's Mountain, and totally defeated. One hundred and fifty were killed in the action, and eight hundred and ten made prifoners, of which one hundred and fifty were wounded. Fifteen hundred ftands of arms alfo fell into the hands of the Americans, whofe loss was inconfiderable. But the following month Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, who continued to exert his usual activity and bravery, with a party of one hundred and feventy, chiefly cavalry, attacked and defeated General Sumpter, who is faid to have had one thousand men, at a place called Black Stocks. Sumpter was wounded, and about one hundred and twenty of the Americans killed, wounded, or taken. Of the British troops about fifty were killed and wounded. On the 3d of September the Mercury, a congrefs packet, was taken by the Vestal, Captain Keppel, near Newfoundland. On board this packet was Mr. Laurens, late President of the Congrefs, who was bound on an embaffy to Holland. He had thrown his papers overboard, but great part of them were recovered without having received much damage. He was brought to London, and examined before the privy council; in confequence of which he was committed close prifoner to the Tower, on the 6th of October, on a charge of high treafon. His papers were delivered to the miniftry, and continued to facilitate a rupture with Holland, as among them was found the sketch of a treaty of amity and commerce between the republic of Holland and the United States of America. At At the beginning of the year 1781, an affair happened in America, from which expectations were formed by Sir Henry Clinton, that fome confiderable advantage might be derived to the royal caufe. The long continuance of the war, and the difficulties under which the Congress laboured, had prevented their troops from being properly supplied with neceffaries and conveniencies. In confequence of this, on the first of January, the American troops that were hutted at Morris Town, and who formed what was called the Pennfylvania Line, turned out, being in number about one thousand three hundred, and declared, that they would ferve no longer, unless their grievances were redreffed, as they had not received their pay, or been furnished with the necessary cloathing or provifions. It is faid that they were fomewhat inflamed with liquor, in confequence of rum having been diftributed to them more liberally than ufual, New Year's Day being confidered as a kind of feftival. A riot ensued, in which an officer was killed, and four wounded; five, or fix of the infurgents were also wounded. They then collected the artillery, ftores, provifions, and waggons, and marched out of the camp: They paffed by the quarters of General Wayne, who fent a meffage to them, requefting them to defift, or the confequences would prove fatal. They refufed, and proceeded on their march till the evening, when they took poft on an advantageous piece of ground, and elected officers from among themselves. On the fecond, they marched to Middlebrook, and on the third to Princetown, where they fixed their quarters. On that day a flag of truce was fent to them from the officers of the American camp, with a message, defiring to know what were their intentions. Some of them answered, that they had already served longer than the time for which they were enlifted, and would serve no longer; and others, that they would not return, unless their grievances were redreffed. But at the fame time they repeatedly, and in the ftrongest terms, denied being influenced by the leaft difaffection to the American saufe, or having any intentions of deferting to the enemy. Intelligence of this tranfaction was foon conveyed to New York. A large body of British troops were immediately ordered to hold themselves in readiness to move on the shortest notice, it being hoped that the American revolters might be induced to join the royal army. Mesfengers were alfo fent to them from General Clinton, acquainting them that they should directly be taken under the protection of the British government; that they should have a free pardon for all former offences; and that the pay due to them from the Congrefs fhould be faithfully paid them, without any expectation of military fervice, unfs it should be voluntary, upon condition of their laying down their arms |
