goyne was reduced to fo extreme a ftate of diftrefs, that when on the evening of the 13th of October, an inventory of provifions was taken, it was found that no more remained than what were fufficient to ferve for three days; and a council of war being called, it was unanimously determined that there was no method now remaining but to treat with the enemy. In confequence of this, a negociation was opened next day, which speedily termi nated in a capitulation of the whole British army. The number of thofe who furrendered at Saratoga amounted to 5750, the lift of fick and wounded left in the camp when the army retreated to Saratoga, to 528; and the number of those loft by other accidents fince the taking of Ticonderoga, to near 3000. Thirty-five brafs field-pieces, 7000 fland of arms, clothing for an equat number of foldiers, with the tents, military-cheft, &c. conflituted booty on this occafion. Sir Henry Clinton, in the mean time, had failed up the North river, and deftroyed the two forts called Montgomery and Clinton, with fort Conflitution and another place called Continental Village, where were barracks for 2000 men. Seventy large cannon were alfo carried away, befides a number of fmaher artillery, and a great quantity of flores and amunition. On this occafion the iofs of the British was trifling. Another attack was made by Sir James Wallace with fome frigates, and a besy of land forces under General Vaughan. The place which now suffered was named Efopus: the fortifications were defroyed, and the town itfelf was reduced to afhes, as that called Continental Village had been before. But thefe fucceffes, of whatever importance they might be, were now dif regarded by both parties. They ferved only to irritate the Americans, flufhed with their fuccefs; and they were utterly infufficient to raise the fpirits of the British, who were now thrown into the utmoft difmay, On the 16th of March, 1778, Lord North intimated to the house of commons, that a paper had been laid before the King by the French ambasfador, intimating the conclufion of an alliance between the court of France, and the United States of America. The preliminaries of this treaty had been concluded in the end of the year 1777, and a copy of them fent to congrefs, in order to counteract any propofals that might be made in the mean time by the British miniftry. On the 6th of February 1778, the articles were formally figned, to the fatisfaction of the French nation. They were in fubflance as follows: 1. If Great Britain fhould, in confequence of this treaty, proceed to boftilities against France, the two nations fhould mutually affift each other. 2. The main end of the treaty was in an effectual manner to maintain the independence of America. 3. Should thofe places of North America fill fubject to Britain be reduced by the colonies, they should be confederated with them, or fubjected to their jurifdi&tion. 4. Should any of the Weft India iflands be reduced by France, they fhould be deemed its property. 5. No formal treaty with Great Britain fhould be concluded either by France or America without the confent of each other; and it was mutually. engaged that they fhould not lay down their arms till the independence of the States had been formally acknowledged. 6. The contracting parties mutually agreed to invite thofe powers that bad received injuries from Great Britain to join the common caufe. 7. The United States guaranteed to France all the poffeffions in the West Indies which the fhould conquer; and France in her turn guaranteed the abfolute independence of the States, and their fupreme authority over very country they poffelfed, or might acquire during the war. The notification of fuch a treaty was looked on by Great Britain as a declaration of war by France, and adminiftration took meafures accordingly. The Americans, in the mean time, affiduously employed their agents at the courts of Spain, Vienna, Pruffia, and Tufcany, in order, if poffible, to conclude alliances with them, or at leaft to procure an acknowledgment of their independency. As it had been reported that Britain intended to apply for afliftance to Ruffa, the American commiffioners were enjoined to ufe their utmost influence with the German princes to prevent fuch auxiliaries from marching through their territories, and to endeavour to procure the recall of the German troops already fent to America. To France they offered a ceffion of such Weft India islands as fhould be taken by the united strength of France and America; and fhould Britain by their joint endeavours be difpoffeffed of Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Nova Scotia, thefe territories fhould be divided betwixt the two nations, and Great Britain be totally excluded from the fishery. The propofals to the Spanish court were, that in cafe they would think proper to efpoufe their quarrel, the American States fhould allift in reducing Penfacola under the dominion of Spain, provided their fubjects were allowed the free navigation of the river Miffippi, and the ufe of the harbour of Penfacola; and they further offered, that if agreeable to Spain, they would declare war against Portugal, should that power expel the American fhips from its ports. The feafon for action was now approaching; and congrefs was indefatigable in its preparations for a new campaign. Among other methods taken for this purpofe, it was recommended to all the young gentleman of the colonies to form themfelves into bodies of cavalry to ferve at their own expence during the war. General Washington at the fame time, in order to remove all incumbrances from his army, lightened the baggage as much as poffible, by fubftituting facks and portmanteaus in place of chefts and boxes, and uling pack-borfes inflead of waggons. On the other hand, the British army, expecting to be speedily reinforced by 20,000 men, thought of nothing but concluding the war according to their wishes before the end of the campaign. It was with the utmost concern, as well as indignation, therefore, that they received the news of lord North's conciliatory bill. It was univerfally looked upon as a national difgrace; and fome even tore the cockades from their hats, and trampled them under their feet as a token of their indignation. By the coloniits it was received with indifference. The Britfb commillioners endeavoured to make it as public as poffible; and the congrefs, as formerly, ordered it to be printed in all the newspapers. On this occafion Governor Tryor inclofed feveral copies of the bill to General Washington in a letter, intreating him that he would allow them to be circulated; to which that general returned for answer a copy of a newfpaper in which the bill was printed, with the refolutions of congrefs upon it. Thefe were, That whoever prefumed to make a feparate agreement with Britain fhould be deemed a publie enemy; that the United States could not with any propriety keep corref pondence with the commiffioners until their independence was acknowledged, and the British fleets and armies removed from America. At the fame time, the colonies were warned not to suffer themfelves to be deceived into fecurity by any offers that might be made; but to use their utmolt endeavours to fend their quotas with all diligence into the field. About this time alfo Mr. Silas Deane arrived from France, with two copies of the treaty of commerce and alliance to be figned by congrefs. Advices of the most agreeable nature were alfo received from various parts, reprefenting in the moft favourable light the difpofitions of the European powers; all of whom, it was faid, wifhed to fee the independence of America fettled upon the moft firm and permanent bafis. Confidering the fituation of matters with the colonifts at this time, therefore, it is no wonder that the commiffioners found themselves unable to accomplish the errand on which they came. But before any final anfwer could be obtained from congrefs, Sir Henry Clinton had taken the refolution of evacuating Philadelphia. Accordingly, on the 10th of June, the army marched out of the city and croffed the Delaware before noon with all its baggage and other incumbrances. General Washington, apprifed of this defign, had difpatched expreffes into the Jerfeys with orders to collect all the force that could be affembled in order to obfruct the march of the enemy. After various movements on both fides, Sir Henry Clinton, with the royal army, arrived on the 27th of June, at a place called Freehold; where, judging that the enemy would attack him, he encamped in a very strong fituation. Here General Washington determined to make an attack as foon as the army had begun its march. The night was fpent in making the neceffary preparations, and General Lee with his divifion was ordered to be ready by day-break. The attack was accordingly made; but the British general had taken fuch care to arrange his troops properly, and fo effectually fupported his forces when engaged with the Americans, that the latter were with difficulty preferved from a total defeat by the advance of General Washington with the whole army. The British troops effected their retreat with the lofs of 300 men, of whom many died through mere fatigue, without any wound. In this action General Lee was charged by General Washington with difobedience, of orders and fufpended on the field. In the mean time, France had set about her preparations for the alliitar ce of the Americans. On the 14th of April Count d'Estaing had failed from Toulon with a frong fquadron of fhips of the line and frigates, and arrived on the coaft of Virginia in the beginning of July, while the British fleet was employed in conveying the forces from Sandy-Hook to New-York. It confifted of 12 fhips of the line, befides feveral large frigates; and exclufive of its complement of failors, had 6000 marines and foldiers on board. To oppofe this the British had only fix fhips of 64 guns, three of 50, and two of 40, with fome frigates and floops. Notwithflanding this inferiority, however, the British admiral pofted himself fo advantageoufly, and fhewed fuch fuperior skill, that d'Eftaing did not think proper to attack him. The next attempt of the French admiral was, in conjunction with the Americans, on Rhode Island. It was propofed that d'Estaing, with the 6000 troops he had with him, fhould make a defcent on the fouthern part of the ifland, while the Americans fhould take poffeffion of the north; at the fame time the French fquadron was to enter the harbour of Newport, and take and deftroy all the Britifh fhipping. On the 8th of Auguft the French admiral entered the harbour as was propofed, but found himself unable to do any material damage. Lord Howe, however, inflantly fet fail 1 for Rhode Island; and d'Estaing, confiding in his fuperiority, immediate- The first British expedition was to Buzzard's Bay, on the coaft of NewEngland and neighbourhood of Rhode-Ifland. Here they deftroyed a great number of privateers and merchantmen, magazines, with flore houfes. &c.; whence proceeding to the fertile and populous ifland of Martha's Vineyard, they carried of 10,000 sheep and 300 black cattle. Another expedition took place up the North River, under Lord Cornwallis and General Knyphaufen; the principal event of which was the deftruction of a regiment of American cavalry known by the name of Washington's Light Horse. A third expedition was directed to Little Egg Harbour in New-Jerfey, a place noted for privateers, the deftruction of which was its principal intention. It ended in the deftruction of the veffels, there as well as of the place itself. At the fame time part of another body of American troops, called Pulafki's Legion, was furprised, and a great number of them put to the sword. The Americans had in the beginring of the year projected the conqueft of Weft-Florida; one Captain Willing with a party of refolute men, had made a fuccefsful incurfion into the country. This awakened the attention of the British to the fouthern colonies, and an expedition againft them was refolved on. Georgia was the place of deftination; and the more effectually to enfure fuccefs, Colonel Campbell, with a fufficient force, under convoy of fore fhips of war, commanded by Commodore Hyde Parker, embarked at New York, while General Prevoft, who commanded in Eaft Florida, was directed to fet out with all the force he could fpare. The armament from New York arrived off the coast of Georgia in the month of December; and though the enemy were very ftrongly posted in an advantageous fituation on the fhore, the British troops made good their landing, and advanced towards Savannah the capital of the province. That very day they defeated the force of the provincials which opposed them; and took poffeffion of the town. In ten days the whole province of Georgia was reduced, Sunbuury alone excepted; and this was alfo brought under fubjection by General Prevoft in his march northward. Every proper method was taken to fecure the tranquility of the country and rewards were offered for apprehending committee and affembly men, or such as they judged moft inimical to the Britifh interefts. No. 23. In this attempt there was no fmall probability of fuccefs. The country contained a great number of friends of governinent, who now eagerly embraced the opportunity of declaring themfelves; many of the inhabitants of Georgia had joined the royal ftandard; and there was not in the province any confiderable body of provincial forces capable of oppofing the efforts of regular and well-difciplined troops. On the first news of General Prevoft's approach, the loyalills affembled in a body, imagining themselves able to fland their ground until their allies should arrive; but in this they were disappointed. The Americans attacked and defeated them with the lofs of half their number. The remainder retreated and after undergoing many difficulties, at laft effected a junction with the Brtitfh forces. In the mean time, General Lincoln, with a confiderable body of American troops, had encampted within about twenty miles of Savannah ; and another ftrong party had pofted themselves at a place called Briar's Creek. Thus the extent of the British government was likely to be circumfcribed within very narrow bounds. General Prevoft therefore determined to dislodge the party at Briar's Creek and the latter, trufted on their ftrong fituation, and being remifs in their guard, fuffered themselves to be furprised on the thirtieth of March 1779; when they were utterly routed with the lofs of four hundred killed and taken, and of all their whole artillery, flores, baggage, and almost all the arms, and thus the province of Georgia feemed for the prefent to be entirely fubjected to British power. The victory at Briar's Creek proved of confiderable fervice to the British caufe. Great numbers of the loyalifls joined his army. Hence he was enabled to fretch his posts further up the river, and to guard all the princi pal paffes: fo that general Lincoln was reduced to a flate of inaction; and at laft moved towards Augufta, in order to proteft the provincial, affembly, which was obliged to fit in that place, the capital being now in the hands of the British. Lincoln had no fooner quitted his poft, than it was judged a proper time by the British general to put in execution the grand fcheme which had been meditated againft Carolina. Many difficulties indeed lay in his way. The river Savannah was fo fwelled by exceffive rains, that it seemed impaffable; the oppofite shore was fo full of fwamps and marshes, that no army could march over it without the greatest difficulty; and to render the paffage ftill more difficult, General Moultrie was left with a confiderable body of troops in order to oppofe the enemy's attempts. But in fpite of all thefe difficulties. General Moultrie was defeated, and obliged to retire towards Charlestown; and the victorious army at last arrived in an open country, through which they purfued their march with great rapidity towards the capital; while General Lincoln remained in a state of fecurity at Augufta, vainly imagining that the obstacles he had left in the way could not be furmounted. Certain intelligence of the danger to which Charlestown was expofed, at laf arroufed the American General from his lethargy. A chofen body of Infantry, mounted on horfeback for the greater expedition, was dispatched before him; while Lincoln himself followed with all the force he could collect. General Moultrie too, with the troops he had brought from the Savannah, and fome others he had collected fince his retreat from thence, had taken paffeffion of all the avenues leading to Charlestown, and prepa ed for a vigorous defence. But all oppofition proved ineffectual. The Amer cans were defeated in every encounter; and retreated continually allowed Vol. IV. N |