and mulatto children fhall be fervants only till twenty- 1780, eight years of age--that all flaves fhall be registered before the 1ft of November next-that negroes, &c. fhall be tried like other inhabitants-that none shall be deemed flaves but those registered-that flaves carried away, &c. from this ftate, may be brought back and registered and that no negroes or mulattoes, other than infants, fhall be bound for longer than seven years."

The expected fuccour from France arrived at length July in the evening of Monday, July the 10th, at Rhode 10.. Ifland. The chevalier de Ternay commands the fleet, confifting of two fhips of 80 guns, one of 74, four of 64, two frigates of 40, a cutter of 20, an hospital ship, pierced for 64, a bomb fhip and 32 tranfports. The land forces confift of four old regiments, befide the legion de Lauzun, and a battalion of artillery*, amounting to about 6000 men, under the command of lieutenant general count de Rochambeau. The inhabitants of Newport illuminated the town upon the occafion. Gen. Heath was prefent to receive the troops upon their landing, and to put them into poffeffion of the forts and batteries upon the island. On the 24th, a committee 24. from the general affembly of the ftate then fitting in the town, waited on the count with a complimentary addrefs. Rochambeau declared in his anfwer, that he only brought over the van guard of a much greater force destined for their aid; and that he was ordered by the king to affure them, that his whole power fhould be exerted for their fupport. "The French troops," he *The lift is given from the Providence paper of July, published the week after their arrival at Newport; and differs from the English publications, which mention in the lift one 84 and two 74 gun fhips, five frigates and two armed ships,

1780. faid," are under the ftricteft difcipline; and, acting under the orders of gen. Washington, will live with the Americans as their brethren. I am highly fenfible of the marks of respect shown me by the general affembly, and beg leave to affure them, that as brethren, not only my life, but the lives of the troops under my command, are entirely devoted to their fervice." The French admiral was complimented in like manner. Four days before, the American commander in chief ftrongly recommended to the officers of the continental army, in general orders, the wearing of black and white cockades (the ground being of the firft colour, and the relief of the second) as a compliment to, and a fymbol of friendfhip and affection for their allies. The marquis de la Fayette arrived at Newport from head quarters, the fame day that the addreffes were presented to the French commanders; and undoubtedly carried with him the fentiments of gen. Washington on the movements then making on the part of the British. Though admiral Arbuthnot had only four fail of the line at New York, on the 10th, he was within a very few days fo ftrengthened by the arrival of adm. Graves, with fix fhips of the line from Great Britain, that he had no longer any apprehenfions of an attack from the French fquadron.. The British commanders had indeed fo decided a fuperiority of force, that they loft no time in preparing to act offenfively, both by fea and land. Sir H. Clinton embarked about 8000 men, and proceeded to Huntington bay in Long Island, meanwhile the militia from Maffachusetts and Connecticut were ordered to Rhode Island: fo that the French regretted his stopping fhort, and declining to pay them a vifit, as they were well prepared to give him a warm reception.

!

At the fame time gen. Washington defigned availing 1780. himself of Sir Henry's abfence, by attacking New York. He had received confiderable reinforcements, and fuddenly croffed the North River and marched toward Kings-bridge. Sir Henry perceiving what was intended, dropped his expedition to Rhode Island, and failed for July New York on the 31ft, after having lain feveral days in 31. Huntington bay. Gen. Wafhington propofed to gen. Arnold his having a command in the designed attack on New York. The propofal threw him into no fmall confufion; but Washington had no fufpicions raised by it, for though he thought him mercenary, he had not the leaft idea of his being wanting in fidelity. Arnold afterward made his objections to fome of Washington's fuite, and urged his being lame as difqualifying him for activity in field duty. The objections being reported to the commander in chief, Arnold was ordered to proceed 3. to West Point, and take the command of that poft and its dependencies.

We must now attend to an event, which could not be related in chronological order without disturbing the preceding narrative. Gen. Washington being informed, that there was a confiderable number of cattle and horfes on Bergen Neck, detached gen. Wayne, on the 20th of July, with the 1ft and 2d Pennsylvania brigade, four pieces of artillery, and col. Moyland's regiment of dragoons to bring them off. He contemplated alfo the' deftruction of a block-house, which gave fecurity to a body of refugees, who committed depredations on the well affected inhabitants for miles round. Wayne having provided against the enemy's intercepting his retreat, and fent down the cavalry to drive off the ftock, pro

Aug.

1780. ceeded to the block-houfe, which was furrounded with an abbatis and ftockade. He tried the effects of his field pieces; but found them too light to penetrate the logs. The troops being galled the mean while, by a conftant fire from the loop holes of the house, and seeing no chance of making a breach with the cannon, two regiments rufhed through the abbatis to the foot of the stockade, with a view of forcing an entrance, which was impracticable. This intemperate valor occafioned the lofs of 3 officers wounded, 15 non-commiffioned and privates killed, and 46 non-commiffioned and privates wounded. The stock in the mean time was driven off.

Let us now turn our eyes to South Carolina and its neighbourhood: where the British troops spread themfelves, and plundered by system, forming a general ftock, and appointing commiffaries of captures. Spoil thus collected was difpofed of for the benefit of the royal army. The quantity brought to market was fo great, that though it fold uncommonly low, yet the dividend of a major general was upward of four thoufand British guineas. The private plunder of individuals, on their feparate account, was often more than their proportion of the public ftock. Over and above what was fold in Carolina, feveral veffels were fent abroad to market, loaded with rich spoil taken from the inhabitants. Upward of two thousand negroes were fhipped off at one embarkation.

When Charlestown had furrendered, the next object with the British was to fecure the general fubmiffion of the inhabitants. To this end they pofted garrifons in different parts of the country, and marched a large body

of troops over the Santee toward that extremity of the 1780, state, which borders on the most populous fettlements of North Carolina. This caufed an immediate retreat of fome American parties, that had advanced into the upper parts of South Carolina, with the expectation of relieving Charlestown. The total rout or capture of all the fouthern continental troops in the state, together with the univerfal panic occafioned by the furrender of the capital, fufpended for about fix weeks, all military oppofition to the progrefs of the British army.

Sir H. Clinton, a week before the defeat of colonel Buford by Tarleton, had in a proclamation denounced vengeance against thofe of the inhabitants, who should continue, by force of arms, to oppose the re-establish- June ment of British government. On the 1st of June, he and adm. Arbuthnot, as commiffioners for reftoring peace to the revolted colonies, offered, by proclamation, to the inhabitants, with a few exceptions, pardon for past offences, and a reinftatement in the poffeffion of all the rights and immunities they had heretofore enjoyed under a free British government, exempt from taxation, except by their own legislature, as foon as the fituation of the province would admit. These offers, in the prefent fituation of affairs, induced the people in the country to abandon all schemes of further refiftance. The militia to the fouthward of Charlestown fent in a flag to the British commanding officer at Beaufort, and obtained terms fimilar to thofe granted to the inhabitants of the capital. At Camden the inhabitants met the British with a flag, and negotiated for themselves. The people of Ninety Six assembled to deliberate what course they fhould take. Being informed that the British were ad