1778. Lovell belonged to the Maffachusetts. Greene who commanded in the attack did himself the highest honor by the judgment and bravery he exhibited. He attended strictly to the action the whole time, watching the movements of the enemy, and where to throw in the neceffary reinforcements. Gen. Sullivan the next morning received advice, that lord Howe had again failed, that a fleet was off Block Inland, and that d'Estaing could not come fo foon as he expected, on which it was concluded to evacuate Rhode Island. The fentries of both armies being within 400 yards of each other, the greatest attention was requifite. To cover the defign Aug. 30. of retreating, a number of tents were brought forward, and pitched in fight of the enemy, and the whole army employed in fortifying the camp. At the fame time the heavy baggage and ftores were falling back and croffing through the bay. At dark the tents were ftruck, the light baggage and troops paffed down, and by twelve o'clock the main army had croffed. It was about that time when the marquis de la Fayette arrived from Bofton. He was most sensibly mortified that he was not in the action. That he might not be out of the way in cafe of one, he had rode from the inland to Boston, near 70 miles diftant, in feven hours, and returned in fix and a half. He got back time enough to bring off the picquets, and other parties, that covered the retreat of the army, which he did in excellent order: not à man was left behind, nor the fmalleft article loft. The honor arifing from fo good a retreat, though great, did not compenfate for the fore difappointment gen. Sullivan met with, when in full expectation of taking Newport. The place must have fallen had not count d'Ef The 1. taing left the harbour; or had he returned after chafing 1778. lord Howe to a confiderable distance. The glory of vanquishing a British squadron, and of obtaining a triumph over a first rate naval officer, and a country against which he had a perfonal animofity (though in profpect only) tempted him as may be thought, into a fituation that proved the ruin of the principal object in view, when he steered from before Sandy Hook for Newport, and agreed upon a co-operation with Sullivan's army. fleet off Block Inland was bound for Rhode Island, and had on board Sir Henry Clinton with about 4000 troops. Sir Henry hoped to have effected a landing, fo as to have made Sullivan's retreat very precarious, but the latter was completed the night before his arrival. The Sept. day after, Lord Howe, who had changed his course upon hearing that d'Eftaing had left Rhode Island, arrived off the entrance of Boston port in the evening. Upon obferving the position of the French fleet, and deeming every attempt against them ineligible, he left the Boston coaft the next morning: but his appearance in and standing up the bay to the entrance of the port, fpread a prodigious alarm. Sir Henry being disappointed, returned for New York; but off New London left the fleet, with directions to gen. Grey to proceed to Bedford and the neighbourhood, where feveral American privateers reforted, and a number of captured fhips lay. They reached the place of deftination on the fifth of September; the troops were immediately landed, and between fix in the evening and twelve the following day, destroyed about 70 fail of fhipping, befide a number of fmall craft. They alfo burnt the magazines, wharfs, ftores, warehouses, veffels on the stocks, all the dwelling 5. 1778. houses at M'Pherson's wharf, and the principal part of the houses at the head of the river, together with the Here let me close our account of military operations, with an extract from gen. Washington's letter of August the 20th, and then attend to the negotiations of the British commiffioners and the acts of congrefs. His excellency thus expreffed himself" It is not a little pleafing, nor lefs wonderful to contemplate, that after two years manoeuvring and undergoing the ftrangeft viciffitudes, that perhaps ever attended any one conteft fince the creation, both armies are brought back to the very point they fet out from, and that what was the offending party in the beginning, is now reduced to the ufe of the fpade and pick-axe for defence. The hand of Providence has been fo confpicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." Governor Johnstone, meaning to avail himself of former connections, endeavoured to commence or renew a private correfpondence, with feveral members of con- 1778. grefs, and other perfons of confideration. In his letters to them he used a freedom with the authority under which he acted, not cuftomary with thofe intrusted with delegated power, and afforded fuch a degree of approbation to the conduct of the Americans in the past refiftance which they had made, as is feldom granted by negotiators to their opponents. In a letter to Joseph Reed efq; of April the 11th, he faid-" The man who can be inftrumental in bringing us all to act once more in harmony, and to unite together the various powers which this conteft has drawn forth, will deferve more from the king and people, from patriotifm, humanity and all the tender ties that are affected by the quarrel and reconciliation, than ever was yet bestowed on human kind." On the 16th of June he wrote to Robert Morris efq;" I believe the men who have conducted the affairs of America uncapable of being influenced by improper motives; but in all fuch tranfactions there is rifk, and I think that whoever ventures fhould be fecured; at the fame time, that honor and emolument fhould naturally follow the fortune of thofe who have steered the veffel in the ftorm, and brought her fafely to port. I think Washington and the prefident have a right to every favor that grateful nations can bestow, if they could once more unite our interest, and spare the miferies and June devaftations of war." On Sunday the 21st of June, 21. Mr. Reed received a written meffage from Mrs. Fergufon, expreffing a defire to fee him on bufinefs, which could not be committed to writing. On his attending in the evening agreeable to her appointment, after fome previous converfation, fhe enlarged upon the great ta July 1778. lents and amiable qualities of gov. Johnstone, and added, that in feveral converfations with her, he had expreffed the most favorable fentiments of Mr. Reed; that it was particularly wifhed to engage his intereft to promote the objects of the British commiffioners, viz. a re-union of the two countries, if confiftent with his principles and judgment; and that in fuch case it could not be deemed unbecoming or improper in the British government to take a favorable notice of fuch conduct; and that in this inftance Mr. Reed might have ten thoufand pounds fterling, and any office in the colonies in his majesty's gift. Mr. Reed finding an answer was expected, replied " I am not worth purchasing, but such as I am the king of Great Britain is not rich enough to do it." However right the principles might be, on which this infinuating scheme of conciliation was adopted, its effects were untoward. On the 9th of July, congrefs ordered-" That all letters received by members of congrefs from any of the British commiffioners or their agents, or from any fubject of the king of Great Britain, of a public nature, be laid before congrefs." The above letters being communicated, and Mr. Reed making a declaration of what has been above related, congrefs refolved that the fame "cannot but be confidered as direct attempts to corrupt and bribe the congrefs-That as congrefs feel, fo they ought to demonftrate, the highest and most pointed indignation against fuch daring and atrocious attempts to corrupt their integrity-And that it is incompatible with the honor of congrefs to 'hold any manner of correfpondence or intercourfe with the faid George Johnstone efq; efpecially to negotiate. with him upon affairs in which the caufe of liberty is 9. Aug. 11. |