Engraved for Murrays History of the American War.

HUGH Earl PERCY.

Printed for T.Rebsen Newcastle upon Tyne.

to fupport the operations of the Colonel. This reinforcement was just arrived as the fatigued troops returned to Lexington. This fresh affiftance was the more acceptable and feasonable, as the troops are faid to have run fhort of all kinds of ammunition; but suppose that had not been the cafe, it was impoffible for them to have efcaped being cut off, or being taken, in the journey of fifteen miles they had to make before they arrived at Boston.

This powerful fupport gave them a breathing, and the cannon was of great fervice to them. These kept the purfuers at some distance, as they had no ordnance of the fame kind to answer them. But when the troops refumed their march, the attack became more fierce and violent; the country affembled on all fides, and attacked the forces with the utmoft fury. Many were killed in the retreat by people that watched the approach of the troops behind walls, hedges, and ditches, and the danger encreased until fun-fetting, when they arrived at Charlestown in a most shattered and fatigued fituation. All things confidered, both officers and men, who did not fall by the way, made an exceeding swift and expeditious march back to BofWhat on this occafion was exceedingly fingular was, the troops accused the provincials of cruelty, and upbraided them with cowardice; though their behaviour to their prifoners fhewed the accufation to be false, and the 'defeating the king's troops fhewed their affertion of cowardice to be unjuft. It had long been the tone of military men, that the colonists were cowards and would not fight, but they began now to experience to their coft, that they had been greatly miftaken. Courage is a thing that may be acquired more ways than one; and is not confined to those who make war a profession. When men are perfuaded

of

of the juftness of their caufe, and are endowed with equal bodily ftrength, a little practice in arms will render them as courageous as others; and in proportion as they purfue the ideas of juftice and true liberty, their courage will be more fteady, rational, and deliberate. People often mistake madness and fury for courage, when, through the heat of paffion, they rifk their lives for what neither their reafon nor confcience can approve; and often neceflity paffes under the fame appellation; when men are obliged, by the force of command, to venture their lives one way, otherwife they will be taken from them in another. Neither of thefe deferve the name of true courage, for both of them may be found in other animals as well as in man. Juftice.is the foundation of courage; all other exertions of force is violence and madnefs.

There are

fome fpecies of courage like that of the gentleman who faid he would chearfully go to hell, provided he could obtain the ruin of a clafs of people he greatly abhorred. This was daring courage, and wrought up to a great pitch.

This unfortunate beginning of the American war was not attended with fo great lofs of men on either fide as might have been expected from the length, irregularity, and variety of the engagement. This must be attributed to the provincials having few men at first, and to their afterwards being kept at a distance by the cannon of the king's troops. His majefty's forces, as is natural to fuppofe, fuffered most upon this occafion; though it is not eafy to afcertain the number of killed and wounded in this unfortunate expedition. According to the nearest and beft calculation that has yet been given, of the king's troops there were killed, wounded, and taken, 273. Of thefe 65 were killed, 2 lieutenants, and above 20 private men were taken prifoner's

prifogers; and Colonel Smith, with another licutenantcolonel, and feveral officers were wounded, According to the provincial accounts, which gave the names and places of abode of thofe who fell on their fide, their lofs in killed and wounded, including thofe that were killed in the morning at Lexington, amounted only to about 60, of which near two-thirds were killed.

By the best accounts, there were near 2000 of the best troops in his majesty's fervice, that were at this time ftationed at Bofton, employed in this expedition. The event proved to a demonftration, how ill informed many people at home were, who affirmed, that 500 men would force their way through the whole contihent of America, and the fight of a grenadier would be fufficient to put the whole American army to flight. Such idle and unguarded affertions, even after this unfortunate expedition, were frequently uttered by the friends of the government, as they called themfelves; and the cowardice of the provincials was ftill infilted on, by perfons who either through ignorance or prejudice, were difpofed to perfift in their mistake.

After this expedition was over, each party charged the other with the moft inhuman acts of cruelty. This has always been common in civil wars, and on fuch occafions it is not eafy to afcertain the exact point of truth on either fide, Sometimes the worst part of the charge is too true, which is no argument in favour of the purity of human nature. On this occafion both parties were no doubt ready to give ftrong colourings to the conduct and tranfactions of each other, and to exaggerate their actions and their criminality. The colonists were charged by the king's troops of being guilty of the moft fhocking barbarity to the foldiers that fell into their hands; whereas, fome

officers