HORATIO GATES was a native of England, and was born in seventeen hundred and twenty-eight. Of the place of his birth, the condition of his family, the incidents and prospects of his youth, and his education we are not able to communicate any particulars. There is reason to believe that he entered the army pretty early, and began his career as an ensign or lieutenant, yet, we are told, that he obtained my merit merely, the rank of major, and was aid-du-camp to the British officer, who commanded at the capture of Martinico. At the conclusion of the war in seventeen hundred and forty-eight, he was stationed sometime at Halifax in Nova Scotia. At that period, if the date of his birth be accurate, his age did not exceed twenty years.

He continued in the army, and, probably, in some American garrison during the ensuing seven years of peace. A new war then broke out in Germany, and North America, and Mr. Gates, in quality of captain of foot, attracts our notice in the earliest and most conspicuous scene of that war. He was in the army which accompanied the unfortunate Braddock in the expedition against Fort de Quesne, and, together with the illustrious Washington, was among the few officers, who, on that occasion, escaped with life. He did not escape, however, without a very dangerous wound, which, for a time shut him out from the bloody and perilous scenes of that long and diversified contest. He remained in America to the peace of seventeen hundred and sixtythree, and then returned to his native country with a full earned repu tation, for activity, enterprise, and courage.

At the opening of the American war we find him settled on a farm in Virginia. At what time he laid down the military life, and returned to spend the rest of his days in the new world, we are not informed, but his conduct evinced so perfect an attachment to his new country, and his military reputation was so high, that he was immediately appointed by congress adjutant general, with the rank of brigadier-general, in the new army. General Washington was well acquainted with his merits in his military character, and warmly recommended him to congress on this occasion. They had been fellow-soldiers and sufferers under Braddock.

From this period, he took a very active part in most of the transactions of the war, and his abilities and good fortune placed him in a rank inferior only to Washington, and above any other general. He accompanied the commander in chief to Massachusetts, in July, seven-, teen hundred and seventy-five, and was employed, for sometime, in a subordinate, but highly useful capacity.

The most vulnerable part of the new states, lay in the north. The large territory still in the hands of the British government, in that quarter, whose frontier was well provided with fortresses and garrisons, enabled them to annoy or invade the revolted provinces, on this side, with peculiar advantages. The congress had, therefore, turned an anxious eye towards Canada at the opening of the contest. Being deeply aware of the danger which hovered over them, on this side, they made strenuous exertions to raise up new enemies in Canada by their emissaries and manifestoes, and to gain possession of the strong and important forts upon the lakes and rivers of that frontier by force, or by surprise.

Their arguments and agents were not likely to meet with any success among a people purely French, and whose only grievance was their separation from their mother country. Their enterprises against the posts upon the lakes were more successful. Crownpoint, Ticonderoga, St. John's and Montreal were conquered by celerity and valor, and a formal invasion of Canada attempted, even in the first year of the war, and when a British army was in possession of the principal colonial towns. This enterprise was unsuccessful. The British were soon qualified, by reenforcements, to act offensively, and to advance against the frontier forts recently acquired by the colonial army. Further operations were suspended on that side till a formidable army might be transported from Europe, adequate not only to defence but invasion.

It was a remarkable proof of the confidence reposed in Gates by the new government, that, on the retreat of their forces from Canada, the chief command in this quarter was conferred upon him. This ap

pointment took place in June seventeen hundred and seventy-six, and the new general was found nowise deficient in the courage and vigilance, rendered peculiarly necessary by a declining and unprosperous

cause.

It was unfortunate that the rivalship, and clashing pretensions of the American officers should add to the natural difficulties of their situation. General Schuyler, a most useful and meritorious officer, had hitherto superintended the forts, and garrisons within the limits usually assigned to New-York. As there was now no American troops in Canada, general Gates's command either superseded that of Schuyler, or was quite nugatory. Thence arose bickering and contention. Schuyler, whose merits and services were very great, and generally acknowledged, was degraded by the new appointment to a subordinate station, when he deemed himself rather entitled to additional dignities, He made vehement complaints to congress, and prepared, unless his injuries were properly redressed, to relinquish the service altogether: an alternative by which the common cause would have suffered very heavily.

Congress were unwilling to cancel their commission to Gates, and at the same time were fully sensible of the loss they should incur by the resignation of Schuyler. They laboured, therefore, with much pains to reconcile their adverse pretensions, and by leaving the two officers with jurisdictions in some degree independent of each other, they succeeded imperfectly, in satisfying both. Great credit is due to both these eminent persons, and, especially, candor requires us to say, to general Schuyler, for acquiescing in terms, by which their country continued to be benefited by their services.

From projects of conquests in Canada, the American government had been compelled to give their whole attention to schemes of defence, The communications between Canada and the maritime and Hudson country was chiefly maintained by a chain of lakes and rivers. The intermediate land was overspread with forest and marsh, and nearly impracticable to the ponderous accompaniments, in artillery, ammunition and baggage, of a modern army. The command of the lakes and rivers, therefore, was absolutely necessary, and quite sufficient to repel an invasion. This could only be obtained or held by means of a naval armament, and to provide and equip this was the peculiar province of Schuyler, while Gates was called upon to cooperate in this service to the utmost of his power.

The British commenced the naval preparations on their side with great alacrity and success. But the Americans had every obstacle but the want of zeal, to encounter in preparing for defence. General Gates cooperated cordially with Schuyler, but there was a miserable