received fuch an impreffion of what they would and could do, which made them more cautious afterwards. Had fome of our boafting heroes at home been in the fituation of General Howe and his officers, they would have been more cautious in talking of American cowardice. The provincials fhewed a great degree of activity and skill in the construction of their works, and of steadinefs and conftancy in defending them, under many great difadvantages. They faid, tho' they had loft a poft, they had almost all the effects of a compleat victory; as they entirely put a stop to the offenfive operations of a large army fent to fubdue them; and which they continued to block up in a narrow town. They now triumphed that their actions had refuted thofe reproaches which had been thrown upon them in England, of being deficient in courage and refolution. The advantages of this engagement did not counterbalance the lofs to the King's troops; for all that could be faid to have been obtained in lieu of 1054 men killed and wounded was 5 pieces of cannon, and 30 wounded men.

The provincials after the action at Bunker's-hill, threw up works upon Winter-hill, on their fide Charlestown neck, fo that the troops were as closely invested in that peninfula, as they had been in Bofton. They were alfo indefatigable in fecuring the most exposed pofts of the lines with redoubts covered with artillery. and advanced their works clofe to the fortification on Boston-neck, where with equal boldness and addrefs they burnt a guard-houfe belonging to the king's troops. As the army was abundantly furnished with all manner of military ftores, and artillery; the troops were not fparing in throwing fhells and maintaining a great cannonade upon

the

the works of the provincials, which had no other effect than to accuftom them to that fort of fervice, and to wear off the dread of thofe noify meffengers of death. The provincials, on the other fide, feemed to be cautious in expending their ammunition.

The melancholy effects of this battle appeared noft manifeft in the ruins of the town of Charlestown, which was now an affecting fpectacle to the ferious and unprejudiced of all parties. It was the first fettlement made in this colony, and was confidered as the mother of Boston; for the town of Boston was first built by a number of emigrants from Charlestown fome fhort time after the year 1630. Charlestown was large, handfome, and well built,-both with regard to its public and private edifices; it was about half as large as Boston, and was capable of being made as ftrong, for it stood upon a peninfula, much in the fame manner as Boston does, and had nearly the fame natural advantages. It was both a market and county town, being the county town of Middlefex, in Maffachufett'sBay. It had a good large church, a market-place in a handfome fquare by the river fide, fupplied with ali neceffary provifions, both of flesh and fish,-and two large ftreets leading down to it, which were both regular and elegant. It carried on the greatest trade of any town in the province, except Boston. It is faid that the two ports cleared out a thoufand veffels annually for foreign trade, exclufive of a vaft number of coafters. Such is the end of human labour, wifdom and industry-and fuch the effects and fatal fruits of civil diffention and difcord! The work of a day will ruin the labour of ages, and lay riches, grandeur, magnificence, and fplendor in ruins.

Ilis Majefty's forces were now in a very ineligible fituation;

fituation; they were deprived of provifions from the country, by two caufes; - they were hedged in by the provincial troops by land, and the colonies had agreed to fend them none by fea. They had nothing but what they had from the fhips, or what they took at the hazard of their lives; and their duty was now doubled, by being both obliged to guard their encampment and defend the town, This evil had one advantage attending it, it enlarged their quarters, and afforded them more room, and more fresh air.They were more dreadfully incommoded in the town during the exceffive heat of the fummer, which was ready to bring on diftempers and crowd the hofpitals: This encampment was therefore a fort of relief for the prefent, tho' it was attended with more fatigue, -Their wants were at the fame time very grievous, their fituation irkfome and degrading: they were in fulted by an enemy whom they had been taught to defpife, and in continual alarm from a people whom they had fufficiently provoked. Their provifions were both falt and bad; and, like other things that are derived from government contracts, were pernicious in their effects, and exorbitant in their price. The heat of the climate, the badnefs of provifions, and confinement, naturally brought on difcafes, and filled the hofpitals. The number of fick and wounded, at a moderate computation, amounted now to 1600. Confidering all circumstances, it was a wonder there were not more in this diftreffed fituation. It was however fortunate, that few, in comparifon of the numbers that were fick, died.

A regiment of light cavalry arrived from Ireland,— which, inftead of affording aid to their friends, were rather a grievance; for they were never able to fet a

foot

foot out of the garrifion, and only helped to confume the provisions which were in the town; by which means both the foldiers and the town's people were more diftreffed. Almost all circumstances concurred to distress and render the troops uneafy; they found from experience that the provincials were not fuch cowards as they had been reprefented, and that it was dangerous to prefume too far upon that hypo thefis, and that many of those things which they needed greatly could not be obtained without encountering a defperate enemy. They were conftantly witneffes of the most daring adventures performed by persons whom they had been told were mean, daftardly poltroons, and who would run at the fight of a grenadier, -They were now not only obliged to risk their lives for fupplies of neceffary food to themselves, but to venture them for fupplies to their horfes; for hay, as well as bread, corn, and flesh, was become an article of very great importance. The hay, fheep, and cattle in the iflands were now as much the reafons of war, as the rights of the British parliament over America; and they were heartily in earnest to fight for their food, who were indifferent about fighting for the dominion of others. The provincials knew the fituation and circumstances of the troops, and understood what neceffity would fuggest to them; having therefore procured a number of whale boats, and being masters of the shore and inlets of the bay, they burnt, deftroyed, and carried away, in fpite of all the fhips of war and armed vessels, thofe neceffary articles which the king's troops ftood moft in need of.These enterprises brought on fundry fkirmishes, and the provincials grew fo daring at length as to burn the light-house, which was built upon an island at the entrance of the

harbour,

harbour, tho' a man of war lay within a mile of them at the time. Some carpenters were fent afterwards, onder the protection of a small party of marines, to ered a temporary light-houfe, when they killed and carried off the whole detachment. All thefe actions were at home reprefented as deeds of cowardice, and we heard nothing from ministerial demagogues, except, coward, rebel, or poltroon. Such is the infatuation of prejudiced minds, when fet upon a favourite project, that they not only will not perceive the truth, but wilfully pervert it. Even when appearances were ftrongly against us, we fill interpreted them in our own favour; from whence the public news became the vehicles of falfhood, mifmformation, and deception. We were promised that in one campaign the war would be ended, the Americans obliged to fub: mit to the will and pleasure of the minifter, and Britain indemnified for all her expences by the wealth of the colonies. So far will blinded mortals proceed, when pride, intereft, and paffion put out their eyes.

While the troops were thus blockaded in Boston, a war of plunder commenced, or in more polite terms, it became prædatory. It was carried on between the fhips of war and the inhabitants in different parts of the coaft. The firft being refufed the provifions and neceffaries which they wanted for themselves or the army, endeavoured to obtain them by force, and in these attempts were frequently oppofed, and fometimes repulfed by the country people. The feizing of fhips according to the new laws, or at the commands of the admiral, was alfo a conti nual fource of animofity, the proprietors naturally hazarding all dangers, in defence, or for the recovery of their property. Thefe contefts brought the ven geance