acts, for the growth of tobacco and hemp, and the ma- | in America should be completed. This motion was nufacture of linen in Ireland, and to make a pecuniary negatived, but, on the next day, Lord North gave some grant, in consequence of a message from the throne. information which necessarily prolonged the session. But this boon was not sufficient to satisfy the desires He acquainted the house that the Spanish ambassador, of the Irish people, and possibly had it been a hundred- after delivering a hostile manifesto to the secretary of fold greater, it would not have been deemed sufficient. state, had suddenly quitted London. This manifesto, It has always been the fate of that unhappy country North said, together with a message from the king, to be disturbed by restless spirits-by men who, while would be laid before parliament on the morrow. On they profess to seek the good of the country, seek the 17th, therefore, the message and the manifesto only their own self-interests. On this occasion, many were introduced. In the message, his majesty declared, self-styled "patriots" resolved to follow the example in the most solemn manner, that he had done nothing of the colonists, and a non-importation agreement was to provoke the court of Spain; that his desire to preset on foot in Dublin, Cork, Kilkenny, and other serve peace with that court was uniform and sincere; places; the subscribers pledging themselves neither to and that his conduct towards that power had been import nor to use any British goods which could be guided by the principles of good faith, honour, and ! manufactured in Ireland, till the Irish trade was freed justice. He was the more surprised, he said, at the| from its shackles. In the midst of this ferment, as declaration of Spain, as some of the grievances enumerumours were afloat of a meditated invasion by France, rated in that paper had never come to his knowledge, and Ireland was drained of its troops for the American and as those which had been made known to him had war, the maritime towns demanded protection. Go- been treated with the utmost attention, and put into a vernment was told by the lord-lieutenant, that the ex- course of inquiry and redress. His majesty's message hausted state of the public revenues rendered it concluded by expressing the firmest confidence in the impracticable to embody a militia, whence the people zeal and public spirit of parliament, and the power and were given to understand that they might take mea- resources of the nation. His majesty's declarations sures to protect themselves. This was an ill-omened concerning his conduct towards Spain were fully borne step for ministers to take, when the people of Ireland out by the manifesto, which was a loose rigmarole, in were everywhere displaying the feelings of rebellion. | which scarcely anything else was clear than that war By it the serpent's teeth were sown, and they sprang with Great Britain was fully resolved upon. The opup armed men. The Irish obeyed the call with alac- position in both houses took credit to themselves for rity. Volunteers were embodied, equipped, and dis- having prognosticated, in the spirit of true prophets, ciplined at private expense, on every hand, and Ireland a war with Spain, and taunted ministers with folly and soon exhibited the animating spectacle of a nation in blindness in imagining that such an event would not arms. Ministers appear to have been very early con- take place. Both houses, however, were unanimous in vinced of their error; for when they saw these armed their indignation against Spain, and in their determiassociations in their full strength, they, with the people nation of supporting the war against the Bourbons. of England at large, prognosticated insurrection and Addresses to this effect were agreed to; but Lord John civil war. Still there was little or no disposition dis- Cavendish moved for another address, to be presented played on the part of ministers to disarm the hos- at the same time, praying that his majesty would give tility of the Irish people by redress of grievances. immediate orders for the collecting of his fleets and After the discussion of Irish affairs had ceased in the armies, and to exert the whole national force against commons, the subject was introduced in the Lords by the House of Bourbon. As this motion involved the the Marquess of Rockingham, who moved an address withdrawal of the troops from America, ministers opfor documents which might enable parliament to pur- posed it, and the secretary at war having moved an adsue measures for promoting the common strength, journment, it was immediately carried by two to one. wealth, and commerce of both nations. The mar- In the lords, an amendment to the address, moved by quess, who was well acquainted with the state of Ire- the protesting Earl of Abingdon, was also rejected by land, took a severe review of the revenue, trade, and a large majority; as was also a motion made by the government, since the year 1755, and bitterly inveighed Duke of Richmond, similar in its nature to that made against ministers on the subject of the military asso- in the Commons by Lord John Cavendish. ciations. The necessity for these associations, he said, should have been prevented, or the people should have been legally commissioned to take up arms under officers named by the sovereign-the men who had taken up arms to repel invasion, might soon think of employing them in resisting injustice and oppression. To prevent such a consummation, in conclusion, he urged the necessity of redressing the grievances, and of adopting some remedy to the deplorable distresses under which the Irish people were groaning. The Marquess of Rockingham was warmly supported by the Earl of Shelburne; and the only arguments urged against the address by ministers were, the late period of the session, and the necessity of proceeding with caution, and upon minute inquiry and investigation. The result was that there was a kind of compromise between the Marquess of Rockingham and the Earl of Gower, president of the council-the latter pledging himself that a proper plan for the relief of Ireland should be concocted by ministers during the recess, and be ready to be laid before parliament at the opening of the next session. Ireland, therefore, for the preSent, was obliged to put up with a promise. WAR WITH SPAIN. On the 15th of June Mr. Thomas Townshend moved for an address, praying his majesty not to prorogue parliament, until the inquiry into the conduct of affairs DEBATES ON THE MILITIA BILL. On the 21st of June Lord North proposed that the number of the militia should be doubled, and that individuals should be authorised to raise loyal corps to assist in the defence of the kingdom. This was agreed to in the commons; but in the lords the clause enabling the king to double the militia was rejected, thereby leaving the bill a mere skeleton. When it was brought back to the commons thus mutilated, Lord North was taunted by the opposition with having at length, after spreading the spirit of disunion and discord on every hand, seen it enter into the very cabinet itself. In reply, North, with wonderful equanimity of temper, observed, that he could not agree in their lordships' judgment in considering his proposition impracticable; that his own experience as lord-lieutenant of a county induced him to believe that the militia could easily be doubled; but that his experience could not control the opinions of the other house, where there were so many lord-lieutenants of counties. However, he said, he accepted the power of augmenting the home force as crumbs falling from their lordships' table. A debate subsequently occurred on the question which was mooted by a member of opposition, as to whether or no the Militia Bill was a money-bill. It was insisted by some that it was such to all intents and purposes; that no amendment of the lords could be admitted in CHAP. X.] GEORGE III. 1779-1780. BILL FOR THE IMPRESSMENT OF SEAMEN. On the 23rd of June, at a late hour of the night, the attorney-general moved for leave to bring in a bill for manning the navy, by resuming protections granted to certain descriptions of seamen, watermen, and their apprentices, and by taking away the right of habeas corpus from all persons of those classes impressed before the passing of this bill. The late hour at which this motion was made was purposely chosen, in order that the effect of the press-warrants might not be impeded by the disclosure which the newspapers would have made throughout the country, and in order that the fleet, on which the safety of the country depended, might be manned without impediment. The attorneygeneral admitted this, and the opposition could not deny the necessity of dispatch, or that there were no other means of manning the fleet; but they denounced The the bill as a violation of sacred rights, and a treacherous irruption into the dwelling-houses of citizens. bill, however-which was called the "Indemnity Bill," from its retrospective operation- was read twice on the same night, and when the house met again it was passed and sent up to the lords, who agreed to it, after inserting a clause in favour of colliers: it immediately received the royal assent. PARLIAMENT PROROGUED. 133 over shrunk from the unkingly action of fomenting insuch a bill, without a surrender of the most valuable by the example of successful rebellion; and he moreprivileges of the commons; and that, therefore, the were barriers which the King of France and his negobill must be totally rejected. It was decided by a ma-surrection and allying himself with rebels. These tiators had to break down before they could procure jority, however, that it was not a money-bill, and conthe Spanish monarch's aid in their designs. And in sequently it passed. assured Lord Grantham, that he knew nothing of the this they encountered a great difficulty. Charles III. treaty between France and America until it was concluded; and his prime-minister, Count Florida Blanca, declared that he considered the independence of America as no less injurious to Spain than to Great Britain. Many overtures, he afterwards confessed, had been made, but his monarch had uniformly rejected the instances of France to acknowledge the independence of was led to believe that revolution might flourish in the United States. Subsequently, however, Charles III. North America without reaching the south; that the final hour of the British supremacy at sea, and conscquently of the British empire was at hand; and that the united House of Bourborn would then have little else to do than to reach forth their hands and divide the spoils. The Spanish monarch then, with these visionary hopes in view, altered his line of conduct. On tended great anxiety for maintaining his treaties with the first breaking out of a war with France he prefor his brother the King of England, and his utter abGreat Britain, and expressed a compassionate interest horrence of the proceedings of congress against so just and good a prince. He tendered his services as a meland could not submit a quarrel between him and his diator, and when it was hinted that the King of Engown subjects to another prince, he expressed his readiness to mediate in the French part of the quarrel alone, and to reconcile the differences existing between latter proposal it was replied, that it was inconsistent the courts of St. James's and Versailles. To this with national honour to admit the interference of a third power, till the views of France were known; and then Charles expressed his readiness to open the negociation himself, so as to spare both parties the humiliation of making the first step towards a peace. He suggested, that each government should transmit its conditions to Madrid, and that he should be allowed to draw from both a plan for the conclusion of a treaty. To this the British ministers assented, and the conditions they sent were comprised in this one article-that, assuming the right of England to treat with her own colonies independently of foreign intervention, as interference, and withdraw her troops from America, an unquestionable principle, if France would cease her they would readily concur in establishing the harmony On the other hand, the French ministers rewhich had subsisted for fifteen years between the two crowns. quired that England should withdraw her forces from America; that she should acknowledge the independence of the United States; and that the French court should be granted the power of bringing forward additional demands for amending and explaining treaties. Such demands as these could not be conceded, and then the King of Spain offered these three different proposals of his own, as proper to produce a pacificatween England and the colonies for twenty-five years. tion-namely, that there should either be a truce beduring which a peace might be iiegociated, and the separate articles in dispute with France amicably adjusted; or that there should be a truce with France, including the colonies; or that there should be an indefinite truce both with the colonies and with France, to determine only after a year's notice, during which plenipotentiaries of England, France, and America might form a congress at Madrid, with Spain as a fourth party. This latter convention was to be signed by the American agents at Paris, subject to the approval of congress, which France was to pledge herself should be obtained, and in the meantime the colonies were to enjoy freedom of trade and independence, and the British forces were to be either with Several attempts were made to bring about an address against a prorogation, but many members were now gone on their summer rambles, and those who remained were chiefly impatient for repose, whence all these attempts failed. On the 3rd of July, therefore, the king prorogued parliament. In his speech the king returned his warmest thanks to both houses for their great services and their long attendance; and at the same time expressed his entire approbation of all they had done, particularly of their measures respecting Ireland. The events of the war, he said, had not given France cause for triumph, and he trusted that that ambitious power would be compelled to wish that she had not, without provocation or cause of complaint, insulted the honour and invaded the rights of his As regarded the hostility of Spain, he repeated, that no blame could be attached to him. He then complimented the high national feeling of the people by observing, that he considered it as a happy omen of the success of his arms that the increase of difficulties served only to augment the courage and He concluded by remarking, constancy of the nation. that it was impossible to speak of the continuance of the rebellion in North America without concern, and that he had given such unquestionable proofs of his disposition to put an end to those troubles, which led him to hope that the designs of the enemies of Great Britain could not long prevail against the interests of the colonists. crown. THE CAUSES OF THE RUPTURE WITH SPAIN. Although the opposition were correct in their con- drawn from America, or greatly reduced. The British | sailed for Brest where they lay for several months inministers replied, that any such plan seemed to pro-active and useless, and where thousands of them dies ceed on every principle which had been disclaimed, and to contain every term which had been rejected; and they declared, that if compelled to grant such extreme conditions, it would be more consistent with the dignity of the British nation to grant them directly to America, without the intervention of any foreign power. Before this final reply reached Madrid, however, the Spanish monarch threw off the mask, and ordered his ambassador to quit London, leaving the manifesto behind him as a justification of war. This manifesto contained nearly one hundred grievances; and not the least of these was, that Great Britain had insulted Spain by rejecting her mediation-a mediation which was evidently commenced with the one design of inducing a rupture between the two nations. SPANISH ATTEMPT UPON GIBRALTAR. Before the rupture took place between England and Spain, the Spanish ambassador had delicately hinted to our ministers, that, if they would restore the rock of Gibraltar to his monarch, he would consent to remain neutral. This price, however, was deemed too high by our ministers for what must have been, after all, a doubtful neutrality; and hence, after war was declared, the first thoughts of the Spaniards were directed to the siege of that wonderful rock. Before hostilities commenced, indeed, Florida Banca, in order to facilitate this grand object, had entered into a regular treaty with the Emperor of Morocco; he calculating that, by that act, the Moors would be prevented from supplying the garrison of Gibraltar with provisions, as they had hitherto done, and that Ceuta, the other pillar of Hercules on the African coast, belonging to Spain, would be left unmolested by them during the siege. Having done this, a large army was collected at St. Roque, Algeziras, and the Campo near Gibraltar, and immediately after the declaration of war, this force began its laborious operations for the reduction of Gibraltar. But many events demand notice before the results of these operations are recorded, for not a gleam of success attended their operations during this year. FRENCH AND ENGLISH FLEETS IN THE One of the earliest measures after war was declared by Spain, was the junction of the fleets of the house of Bourbon. On a sudden d'Orvilliers sailed out of Brest, with thirty French sail of the line, and being joined by thirty-eight Spanish ships of the line, he made his way for the English coasts. At this time our fleet, which did not exceed thirty-eight sail of the line, was under the command of Admiral Hardy; and while he was cruizing in the soundings, the French and Spaniards appeared off Plymouth. One ship of sixtyfour guns and a number of coasting-vessels were captured by them; but after parading two or three days before Plymouth, they were driven out of the Channel by a strong east wind. The same wind which drove the French and Spaniards out of the Channel had prevented Hardy from entering it; but at length the wind shifted to the westward, and he, in sight of the enemy, then gained its entrance, and England was safe. For, although d'Orvilliers, conscious of his superior strength, wished to engage Hardy out of the Channel, he would not hazard a battle in the narrow sea, where the advantage of numbers would have been lost for want of sea-room, and where the navigation would have been dangerous. Hardy, therefore, having out manœuvred the French admiral, proudly anchored at Spithead ; and soon after the coast was covered with troops, volunteers, and militia, while fresh ships were fitted out, and cruizers at sea were recalled to the channel. Such a formidable front was shown, that the French and Spaniards were compelled to retire. They from a terrible sickness which had broken out among them while laying off the English coast. Added to this misfortune, the Spaniards, who had sent their ships to sea in the hope of achieving high and mighty enterprises, soon found that this naval war with England was to follow the general rule, and to cost them ships and wealth, which they could not well spare. In the course of this year the British captured a large Spanish frigate off the Western Islands, and another off Cape Finisterre; a Spanish register-ship, carrying a considerable treasure from Lima to Cadiz; a rich Manilla ship. said to be the richest taken since the galleon captured by Lord Anson; another plate-ship with 200,000 dollars in specie and a quantity of bullion, &c.; and finally, a great variety of small Spanish craft. At the close of the year, therefore, the Spanish monarch had reason to deplore his rashness in entering into this war. AFFAIRS IN THE WEST INDIES. During the year the transatlantic war was carried on with various success. In the month of January, Viceadmiral Byron arrived at St. Lucie with nine sail of the line, and there joined Rear-admiral Barrington. This compelled the Count d'Estaing to act on the defensive. He took refuge in Martinique, where he remained five months, and nothing could induce him to issue from his safe retreat. While here he was joined by some ships under Count de Grasse, and fresh land-troops also arrived from France. On the other hand, Byron's fleet was also reinforced by some ships under Admiral Rowley. Both fleets, however, remained inactive till Byron sailed away to escort our homeward-bound West India fleet to a certain latitude. The French admiral now detached a small force to St. Vincent, where the Caribs joined the French, and where the English garrison thus assailed capitulated. After this d'Estaing proceeded with his whole fleet and 9000 land-troops to Grenada. Lord Macartney, the governor, had only one hundred and fifty regulars, and about three hundred militia to oppose to him; but he made a brave resistance with this little force, and even repulsed the first assault of nearly 3000 French troops. His lines, however, were stormed, and after Macartney had retired into the fort he was compelled to surrender at discretion. Before he surrendered, however, Admiral Byron, who had returned from escorting the trade, appeared off the island, and attempted its relief. An engagement took place between the British and French fleets, in which some of the English ships were disabled, and the French lost 1200 men killed, and 2000 wounded. Night put an end to the action, and although in the course of the day the white flag was seen waving over the capital of Grenada, which was a proof that Lord Macartney had been compelled to surrender, Byron remained on the scene of action, hoping that the enemy would engage him again on the morrow. In the morning, however, he discovered that d'Estaing had gone back to Grenada and Byron bore away to St. Christopher. Great alarm prevailed among our remaining West India Islands, for d'Estaing had boasted that he would capture the whole during the summer; but he soon sailed away to Hispaniola, and then to the coasts of Georgia and Carolina to aid the Americans. OPERATIONS IN GEORGIA. After Lower Georgia had submitted to Colonel Campbell, he resolved to prosecute his success by an advance into Upper Georgia. In this expedition he met with few interruptions. On his approach to Augusta, the second city of the province, the American troops fled from the town, and the inhabitants took the oath of allegiance to the British monarch, and formed themselves into companies for their own defence. Campbell was now not far from a part of North Carolina where the majority of the population were known to be royalists, and he detached Lieutenant-colonel Hammond, with two hundred infantry mounted on horseback, to encourage them to take up arms. The progress of the royal arms in the Southern States was alarming, and the provincials resolved to arrest it. In the month of January, congress despatched General Lincoln to take the command of some regiments raised in North Carolina, and to unite them with the remnant of the army of Georgia. Lincoln took post on the north bank of the river, about fifteen miles above the town of Savannah. He was thus posted and preparing for action when Colonel Campbell made his expedition into Upper Georgia. Soon after this Campbell returned to England, and Augusta was evacuated, as being too distant a post to be supported. Lincoln now marched along the northern bank of the river, with a view of crossing it and reconquering Georgia. In the meantime General Prevost left Savannah, and marched for Charlestown, the capital of South Carolina, in the hope of taking it by surprise. He appeared before that city on the 11th of May, and on the following day it was summoned to surrender. The summons was unheeded, and Prevost having viewed the lines, which could not be forced without a great loss of men, and knowing that the garrison was more numerous than his troops, and that Lincoln was hastening to its relief, retired towards Georgia. He took possession of John's Island, which was separate from the continent by a small inlet of the sea, commonly called Stono River. His intention was to have remained in that island until ammunition should arrive from New York, but discovering that Lincoln was advancing to Lower Georgia, he departed for Savannah, to defend the fortress, leaving Colonel Maitland, with a garrison of eight hundred men, to protect St. John's. An attempt was made by General Lincoln to cut off this force, but his attack was bravely repulsed, and the American general, dispirited by his non-success, attempted no further operations until the arrival of the French fleet under d'Estaing. INEFFECTUAL ATTEMPT OF THE AMERI- It was at the beginning of September that the French fleet arrived off the mouth of the Savannah River. Its appearance was so sudden that an English fifty-gun ship, a small frigate, and two store-ships were surprised, and, after some severe fighting, captured. As soon as d'Estaing arrived, Lincoln directed his march from South Carolina to Savannah. Before his arrival d'Estaing landed about 3000 men at Beaulieu, and marching straight to Savannah, summoned General Prevost to surrender the town to the arms of France. Prevost, who had called in all his detachments and garrisons in Georgia, and had put the town in the best possible state of defence, declined answering a general summons, and requested a suspension of arms for twenty-four hours. Imagining that this period was required to draw up terins of capitulation, d'Estaing granted these terms, fully calculating that, at the expiration of the time, Savannah would be taken without the waste of a single shot. Prevost's motive, however, for requiring so many hours before he gave his answer to the summons was to give Colonel Maitland time to reach the city to aid in its defence. Maitland arrived, after a laborious march, and threw himself into Savannah with his eight hundred veterans, and then Prevost informed d'Estaing that the place would be defended to the last extremity. General Lincoln joined the French on the 16th, and after spending a few days in quarrelling with d'Estaing for not waiting for him, and for not summoning the place in the name of congress, instead of the French king, having made up the quarrel they commenced the siege. Their batteries were ready to open on the 14th of October, and, in the meantime, the beseiged had not been idle. The defences had been daily improved, and two successful scrties were made, in which many of the allies were killed and wounded. The batteries were at length opened: fifty-three large cannon and fourteen mortars kept up an incessant fire upon the town. By this time the besieging army, reinforced by the militia of South Carolina, under Governor Rutledge, amounted to nearly 10,000 men, while General Prevost's whole force did not exceed a fourth part of that number. The batteries played upon the town for five days, during which time no visible impression was made upon the works, and but little injury was done to the houses. In the midst of this firing, indeed, Prevost had contrived to mount nearly one hundred guns, and all the open or weak parts of the town were strengthened with impalements, traverses, abattis, and redoubts, the last being constructed of green spongy wood and trunks of trees, with the interstices filled up with mud and sand. Perceiving that he made no progress, d'Estaing became impatient and alarmed, for he feared that while he was taking Savannah, the British fleet in the West Indies might capture all the French islands. His officers also suggested that if the British fleet were to follow them to the Savannah River, the effect might be fatal while so many were employed in the siege; and that if they remained at the stormy season of the year upon that insecure coast, the fleet might be scattered by storms, and destroyed piecemeal by the British ships. Under these circumstances, contrary to the advice of General Lincoln, the count resolved to try the effects of an assault by storm, and on the morning of the 9th of October he made the rash attempt. Before daybreak, after a heavy cannonade and bombardment, and an unsuccessful attempt to set fire to the abattis, the French and Americans, to the number of 5000, advanced to the right of the British lines. They advanced in two columns; one being led by d'Estaing and Lincoln, and the other by Count Dillon, an Irishman in the service of France. The column under Dillon, mistaking its way, became entangled in a morass near the fortress, and exposed to its fire; and while great numbers were slain, the rest were unable to form. The other column advanced against a redoubt, but as soon as it was discovered, the allies became exposed to a continual blaze of musketry from its guns, and to a murderous cross-fire from the adjoining batteries, which mowed down whole ranks, and threw the head of the column into confusion. Other men were urged on to fill up the gaps; and the column at length got to the foot of the redoubt. Here the conflict became more dreadful than ever. For a few minutes the French and American standards were planted on the parapet, but they were soon hurled from thence. The fire of the redoubt and the batteries being aided by a well-posted armed brig flanking the right of the British lines, made the whole column stagger and reel like drunken men; and Colonel Maitland, seizing the critical moment, issued forth with a mixed corps of grenadiers and marines, and charged them at the point of the bayonet. This charge decided the contest. The French and Americans were driven far beyond the ditch, leaving behind them about nine hundred killed and wounded; while, on the part of the English, there were only fifty-five killed, wounded, and missing. D'Estaing himself was wounded, as were also several French officers of rank, and the Polish Count Pulawski here finished his career. The issue of this battle determined the siege: the allies immediately separated, the provincials retiring to their homes, and the French setting sail for the West Indies. D'Estaing had scarcely embarked when his fleet was dispersed by a storm; and while some reached their destination, the rest, with the count himself, sailed for France. BRITISH INCURSIONS INTO VIRGINIA. During the operations in Georgia, the British fleet under Sir George Collier, who had succeeded Admiral Gambier, had been attacking Virginia, in which attack he was aided by a detachment of soldiers under Ge land side of that fort. This detachment did not appear in time; for when Clinton discovered this reverse he sent a detachment up the river, in transports, to assist the garrison, and their arrival occurred almost simultaneously. On the arrival of the transports, the Ame ricans gave up their brief siege of Fort Lafayette, and retreated, as did those likewise who had retaken Stoneypoint. Clinton himself had followed the transports in full force, hoping that Washington would quit his position to defend Stoney-point; but when he found that his hope was fallacious he returned to New York. neral Matthews. Their first attempt was an expedition | tachment appear from the ranks of Washington on the to the Chesapeak, where they demolished Fort Nelson, the grand defence of the American dock-yard at Gosport; and a similar scene of destruction was exhibited at the town of Suffolk, Kempe's Landing, Tanner's Creek, and other places in the lower part of the district. At the same time, the "Otter" sloop, and the privateers sailing far up the bay, took a great number of prizes, and burned, or caused the Americans themselves to burn, a great number of vessels. In the end, indeed, scarcely any American craft were left floating on these waters. The last exploit of this expedition was to demolish the fort and destroy the navy-yard of | Portsmouth; when Collier and Matthews returned to New York, after an absence of only twenty-four days. CAPTURE OF STONEY-POINT AND VERPLANKS. A few days after the arrival of Collier and Matthews at New York, another detachment, under General Vaughan, and accompanied by Sir Henry Clinton himself, proceeded up the Hudson against Verplanks-neck, and Stoney-point, where Washington's people were erecting fortifications. A division of the army landed on the eastern side of the river on Verplank's-neck, while the commander-in-chief proceeded to the western side against Stoney-point. Both these posts, which commanded the Hudson, and by means of which Washington had kept up his communication between the middle and northern colonies, were captured, with the loss of only one man wounded. At Fort Lafayette, which was the main defence of Verplanks-point, all the garrison surrendered as prisoners of war; but, at Stoney-point, the garrison fled at the approach of the British troops. Sir Henry Clinton left considerable garrisons at these places, and then returned to New York. BRITISH EXPEDITION AGAINST General Clinton, soon after his return to New York, proposed inflicting a severe chastisement on the Connecticut people, and tempting Washington down from the highlands to defend the sea-coast. For this purpose a detachment of land-troops under Major-general Tryon, supported by Admiral Collier, advanced on Connecticut. They first attacked Newhaven, where they destroyed the artillery, ammunition, and stores, with all the vessels in the harbour. Fairfield was next attacked, and having encountered a severe opposition by the inhabitants, when the place was captured it was reduced to ashes. The same fate awaited Norwalk and Greenfield; and Tryon then intended to make a descent at New London, the great rendezvous for the Connecticut privateers. As the militia of this state, however, were by this time joined by some regular troops detached from Washington's army, he deemed it expedient to return towards New York to obtain reinforcements. The fleet fell back, therefore, on Long Island, to wait for an additional supply of troops and ammunition. In this expedition much spoils were captured. BRITISH GARRISON SURPRISED AT The successful enterprise of General Wayne was followed by a similar enterprise against a British garri. son at Paulus-hook on the Jersey coast. This was conducted by General Lee, who, on the 17th of July, fell suddenly upon that garrison, and killed about thirty and captured one hundred and sixty prisoners. The Americans, however, were speedily expelled from Paulus-hook, without having destroyed either the barracks or artillery. Their retreat was as disgraceful as their attack had been spirited and well conducted. AMERICAN DISASTER AT PENOBSCOT. During the month of June, General Francis Maclean, who commanded the British troops in Nova Scotia, proceeded with a detachment of six hundred and fifty men in transports, conveyed by three sloops of war, to the Bay of Penobscot, in order to form a settlement, and to establish a post which might serve the double purpose of checking the incursions of the people of Massachusets Bay into Nova Scotia; and to obtain ship-timber for the use of the king's yards at Halifax and other ports in America. He had already commenced the construction of a fort on the Penobscot River, when a hostile armament, consisting of 3000 troops, which had been fitted out by the executive government of Massachusets, appeared in the bay to thwart his designs. Being prevented from entering the harbour by the presence of the three English sloops of war, which were anchored right across the mouth; on the night of the 28th of June, the American troops climbed up some steep precipices on the opposite side of that tongue of land; dragged up some artillery, and erected a battery within a few hundred yards of the unfinished fort. But Maclean was prepared for this maneuvre. He had filled up his bastions with logs of timber; had carried a sort of chevaux-de-frise round the fort; and had constructed platoons and mounted his artillery. He, therefore, returned fire for fire, and the American troops being chiefly militia, or undisciplined recruits, soon grew weary of the business, and longed to return. They were commanded by General Lovel, who perceiving that he could not effect his object with such lovers of home, applied to General Gates for a reinforcement of regular troops: A regiment was sent by Gates; but before this force arrived Sir George Collier came to the assistance of Maclean with a squadron and some land-troops; and the Americans, leaving their works, ran to their ships, embarked, and endea voured to make for Boston harbour. But this was Low impracticable. Two of the largest vessels, in endea vouring to gain the open sea, were intercepted, and Washington, roused by these disasters, undertook one was captured; while the other ran on shore and operations which not only prevented Clinton from rein- was blown up by her own crew. The other American forcing Tryon, but compelled him to recall the whole ships entered the mouth of the Penobscot River, where of that devastating expedition. Before the garrison they were abandoned by the Americans, both soldiers could put Stoney-point in any defensive order, he dis- and sailors, who landed and fled for their lives. Nearly patched General Wayne to fall upon it by night, and all the ships were captured or destroyed by the British the troops left there by Clinton were all either killed or sailors, who were close in their wake; while the fugi taken prisoners. Wayne opened a fire across the river tives who had landed in a wild country, had to traverse upon Fort Lafavette, expecting to see another strong de-a pathless desert for upwards of a hundred miles, before STONEY-POINT RE-CAPTURED, BUT DE- |