777 tory) to gen. Vaughan. The latter with a flood tids might have reached Albany in four hours: there was no force to have hindered him. When he burnt Livingfton's upper mills, had he proceeded to Albany and burnt the American ftores, Gates, as he himself has declared, must have retreated into New England. The royalifts may juftly remark upon the occafion" Why a delay was made of feven days after Clinton had taken the forts we are ignorant of. The highland forts were taken the 6th of October; fopus was burnt the 13th; figned the 17th. There

1

Burgoyne's convention was

was no force to oppose even open boats on the river why then did not the boats proceed immediately to Albany? Had Clinton gone forward, Burgoyne's army had been faved. Putnam could not have croffed to Albany. The army amused themselves with burning Æfopus, and the houfes of individuals on the river's bank *." While the British were manoeuvring in and about the North River, doing mischief to individuals, without ferving their own caufe in the leaft, gen. Gates had express upon express, urging him to fend down troops to oppose the enemy. On the 14th he wrote to gov. Clinton—“ I have ordered the commanding officer at Fort Schuyler to fend Van Shaack's regiment without delay to Albany-defired brigadier general Gansevoort to repair to that city, and take the command of all the troops that may affemble there--and have fent down the two fopus regiments, the Tryon county militia, and most of the militia of Albany county." But he would not weaken his hold of Burgoyne by any detachment of continentals from his own army, or of New England militia. The

"

See the Loyalift's letters.

New York state militia, that repaired to the governor to 1777 affift the inhabitants, did as much mischief as the enemy, the burning of houses and other buildings excepted. It is too much the cafe of all militia, that when they march to the affiftance of their countrymen against a common enemy, they do the former a great deal of damage. The laxnefs of their difcipline, and their unreasonable claims of indulgences from those whom they are to protect, make them expensive and difagreeable guests.

I

When the convention troops began their march to Bofton, the Americans lined the road and hill on each fide. They expected to have met with many infults while paffing through the centre of them, fuppofed to be between 1 1 and 12,000; but to their great furprise, not even the leaft gefture was made use of by way of infult. When they had marched on, Gates pushed the army forward, with the utmoft expedition, to ftop the cruel career of the British up the North River. Upon the approach of the Americans, Vaughan and Wallace retired to New York.

It will be fome days, before the veffel for France, with the news of Burgoyne's fate, can fail: which admits of my adding to the present letter, deftined to go by that conveyance, fome other matters proper for infertion.

The Rev. Mr. Duché, formerly the chaplain of congrefs, made an attempt, by writing, on the patriotism of gen. Washington; nothing more need be faid of the tranfaction, than what the general has done, in a letter of Oct, the 16th, "To Mr. Duché's ridiculous illiberal performance I made a very short reply by defiring the bearer, Mrs. Fergufon of Graham-park, if she should hereafter by any accident meet with Mr. Duché, to tell him, I should have returned it unopened, if I had had any idea of the contents."

1777

Some perfons in congrefs have been and are manoeuv ring to get gen. Conway promoted, which occafioned the : commander in chief's writing the next day to a confidential friend-" I ask why the youngest brigadier in the service (for I believe Conway is fo) fhould be put over the heads of the eldeft? I am affured they will not ferve under him. I have been a flave to the fervice: I have undergone more than most men are aware of, to harmonize so many discordant parts; but it will be impoffible for me to be of any further fervice, if fuch infuperable difficulties are thrown in my way."

Before the last year's Maffachusetts general court expired, they paffed an act to fupport and enforce the rêgulating act, made in January, under the title of an act to prevent monopoly and oppreffion. By this new act, committees were vefted with moft extraordinary powers,

which," as the act fays, " can only be juftified in cafes wherein the very exiftence of the community is depending." The vanity and folly however of regulating acts has been fo feen and felt, that they have been repealed by the new general court, within these five days.

Boston and Marblehead have been under great difficulties for want of flour and Indian corn; and must have suffered much, had it not been for the state importations. On the 15th of Auguft there was not flour in the capital fufficient for the inhabitants longer than the next day, except what belonged to the ftate. The feaports and neighbouring towns of this ftate have been used to receive their fupplies of flour moftly by water, ! and from the places now in the hands of the British; they are therefore liable to be diftreffed by the operations of the war, though happily exempted from being the feat of it, fince the evacuation of Bofton.

A fecret expedition has been carrying on against 1777Newport, without gen. Washington's having ever been confulted upon it, or knowing from whence or whom it originated. Gen. Spencer was ftationed at Providence, and of course conducted it. The states of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maffachusetts furnished almoft the whole of the troops. The militia, who were called out upon the occafion, readily engaged in the fervice, for they were filled with the expectations of fuccefs, and the hopes of plunder. Every thing went on well for fome time, without the British troops knowing that preparations were making for paffing over to Rhode Island, and attacking them. At length a half-witted fellow, without feeing confequences, of his own head carried over in his boat to the island, a Jew, whom he landed, and who was to go to Newport, and the neighbourhood, and procure all the intelligence he could, and then to return with his information to gen. Spencer. The Jew went to the enemy and acquainted them with the expedition that was going forward. Upon this the British immediately took proper measures for their fecurity. Gen. Spencer however, perfected his preparations. The time and manner for carrying the militia over was fettled. Brigadier Palmer, who headed thofe from the Maffachusetts, had his orders given him; but insteadof executing them with life and spirit, he neglected and difobeyed them. His conduct occafioned a failure of the expedition. Spencer's courage would have led him to have attempted carrying the inland, after this difap pointment, and with a smaller body of troops than were originally to have been employed; but others would not confent to it. The employing of the Connecticut mi

*777

litia in this fervice, contributed greatly to, if not wholly caufed that weakness in the American force stationed on the North River, which occafioned the lofs of the forts Montgomery and Clinton.

A long letter for doctor Fothergill goes by the pre fent opportunity. The writer mentions that the Americans are determined not to part with their independence, and propofes that there fhould be an immediate acknowledgment of it, on the part of Great Britain, and an entering upon a commercial alliance with the United States, before any foreign power interferes. Numbers have been for fome time diffatisfied with the French, because of their not affording more fpeedy, open, and important affiftance. They flatter themselves that the capture of Burgoyne's army will produce a change in the politics of France. An adoption of the above propofal will be the best expedient for over-reaching her in any design of injuring our native country.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

ERRATA.

Page 192, note, read, Chaftellux's. P. 238, L. 4, read, as of little. P. 367, laft line but one, read, the whole lofs of the Americans. - P. 405, 1. 1, read, of aftronomy. P. 477, 1. 28, read, common caufe. P. 532, 1. 4, read, any wife. P. 539, 1. 5, read, cols, Warner, Williams.

The candid reader is requested to correct the above errors, and to excuse others that may have been anobserved.