each state for approbation. The principal articles of confederation were the following:

They all and each obligate themselves to contribute for the common defence, and for the maintenance of their liberties.

"Each particular state preserved the exclusive right of regulating its internal government, and of framing laws in all matters, not included in the articles of confederation, and which would not be prejudicial to it.

"No particular state was either to send, or to receive ambassadors, enter into negotiations, contract engagements, form alliances, or make war, except in the case of sudden attack, with any king, prince, or power whatsoever, with out the consent of the United States.

"No individual, holding any magistracy, office, or commission, whatsoever, from the United States, or from any of them, was allowed to accept of any presents, or any of fice or title of any kind whatsoever, from any foreign king, prince, or potentate.

"No assembly was to confer titles of nobility.

"No state was to make alliances or treaties of what kind soever, with another, without the consent of all.

"Each particular state had authority to maintain, in peace as well as war, the number of armed ships and of land troops, judged necessary, by the general assembly of all the states, and no more.

"There shall be a public treasury for the service of the confederation, to be replenished by the particular contribu tions of each state; the same to be proportioned according to the number of inhabitants, of every age, sex, or condition, with the exception of Indians.

"A general congress was to be convoked every year, on the first Monday of November, to be composed of deputies from all the states; it was invested with all the powers that belonged to the sovereigns of other nations." These powers were exactly enumerated.

"Every individual holding any office, and either wages, salary, or emolument whatsoever, was thereby excluded from congress.

"There was to be a council of state composed of one deputy from each province, nominated annually by his colleagues, of the same state, and in case these should not agree, by the general congress." Each state was to have but one vote.

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During the session, as well as the recess of the general congress, the council of state was to be charged with the management of the public affairs of the confederation, always restricting itself, however, within the limits prescribed by the laws, and particularly by the articles of the con

federation itself."

Sec. 52. Fortunately for Washington, about this time he received reinforcements of militia and regular troops, which, together with his previous forces, gave him an army of about 7000 effective men. But this number being soon to be reduced by the retirement of a large body of militia, whose period of enlistment would close with the year, Washington formed the bold resolution of recrossing the Delaware, and of attacking the British at Trenton. This plan was carried into effect on the night of the 25th of December, and on the following day Hessian prisoners to the amount of one thousand were taken by the Americans, with the loss of scarcely a man on their side. This was a brilliant achievement, and served to arouse the desponding hopes of America.

The American troops detached for this service arrived, in the dusk of the evening, at the bank of the river. The passage of the river by the troops and the artillery, it was expected, would be effected before midnight. But this was found to be impracticable. The cold was so intense, and the river so obstructed with floating ice, that the landing of the artillery was not accomplished until four in the morning. An immediate and precipitate march was made towards Trenton, with the hope of reaching it before day. But a thick fog setting in, and a mist, mingled with sleet, so retarded their march, that they did not reach Trenton until eight o'clock, yet, at this late hour, the Hessians had no suspicion of the approach of the enemy.

Sec. 53. Justly elated with the success at Trenton, Washington soon after proceeded to Princeton, where, on the first of January, he attacked

a party of British, of whom upwards of one hundred were killed, and the remainder, amounting to about three hundred, were made prisoners. The loss of the Americans was less than that of the British; but in that number were several valuab officers, and among them the brave General Mercer.

Sec. 54. Soon after the above victories, Washington retired (January 6th, 1777) to winter quarters, at Morristown, where his army were nearly all inoculated with the small pox, that disease having appeared among the troops, and rendering such a measure necessary. The disease proved mortal but in few instances, nor was there a day in which the soldiers could not, if called upon, have fought the enemy

Sec. 55. On the opening of the campaign of 1777, the army of Washington, although congress had offered to recruits bounties in land, and greater wages, amounted to little more than seven thousand men. Towards the latter end of May, Washington quitted his winter encampment at Morristown, and, about the same time, the royal army moved from Brunswick, which they had occupied during the winter. Much shifting of the armies followed, but no definite plan of operation had apparently been settled by either.

Previous to this, however, General Howe sent a detachment of two thousand men, under command of Gen. Tryon, Gen. Agnew, and Sir William Erskine, to destroy some stores and provisions deposited at Danbury, in Connecticut. Meeting with no resistance, they reached Danbury on the^ 26th of April, and destroyed one thousand eight hundred barrels of beef and pork, and eight hundred of flour, two thousand bushels of grain, clothing for a regiment, one hundred hogsheads of rum, and one thousand seven-hundred and ninety tents. Besides the destruction of these articles, the enemy wantonly burned eighteen houses with