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vessels, lying at Coddington Cove, were also set on fire as soon as the burning of the frigates was discovered. The Grand Duke, lying a little to the north of Long Wharf, with several other vessels, was burnt. The Falcon and the Flora, frigates, were sunk; the latter at Fort Walcott Wharf, and they were never afterward able to float her. About a year after the British evacuated the Island, and the Americans took possession, the Flora was floated, fitted for sea, and sent to France. About the same time the frigates were burnt in the harbor and along the shore, the King Fisher, a man-of-war, was burnt in the East Passage.

The French fleet, after lying at anchor for several days, ran up the middle passage, and anchored under Gould Island. They ran up under three topsails, and received the fire of the British batteries as they passed, but returned it with such warmth that they soon silenced the forts. Several shots from the French fleet were unintentionally thrown into the town. As soon as the fleet approached the harbor, the British troops commenced burning the houses about two miles from Newport, commencing at the house formerly owned by the late Geo. Irish, Esq.; they burnt every house on the West road, for the distance of a mile; on the East road about half that distance; and from the West road to the shore. At the same time a party, principally refugees, was employed and sent out through the Island, headed by one William Crosson, who cut and destroyed cart-wheels, wagons, and carriages of all descriptions, grindstones, scythes, axes, hatchets, and every other edged tool they could find, and filled up many of the wells. Crosson's deeds of darkness were perpetrated during the night, and were not confined to the limits of the Island, but often extended as far as Swanzey Neck, Little Compton, and Fall River, plundering the inhabitants of everything he could bring off in his boats, and frequently not even sparing the citizens themselves. In one of his midnight excursions, he seized and brought off a worthy and respectable citizen of Swanzey Neck, by the name of Slade, who died of the small pox on board of the British prison ship in the harbor of Newport. Many others, who had the misfortune to fall into his hands, were never after permitted

to return.

Crosson's character had become so notorious, and public in

dignation so excited, that measures were taken for his apprehension. But securely sheltered under the protecting wing of British power by day, no prospect of his capture appeared, unless it could be effected when engaged in his depredations at night. Accordingly a boat was fitted out at Little Compton called a shaving mill, commanded by Lemuel Bayley of that town, for his capture. Nor was it long before he found himself a prisoner. He was conveyed to Providence under a strong guard, but when he arrived there, such was the public feeling of indignation against him, that with great difficulty the guard could protect him from popular violence. After having been in prison for several months in that town, by some means, supposed to be by the influence of a bribe, he escaped from jail and appeared again in Newport. When the British evacu ated the Island, Crossons went off with them, and probably considered it safe to remain with them, as he never afterward returned to Newport. Dollars and cents, it seems, have always had an unbounded influence with some in the Plantations.— Among the reckless associates of Crosson, was a man by the name of Gouldsborough. He landed his party at Little Compton one evening, near the place where a lad by the name of Taggart, son of Judge William Taggart, senior, and brother of the late Judge Taggart, of Middletown, was stationed as a sentinel. The inhuman Gouldsborough seized and murdered young Taggart on the spot.

A few days previous to this, the British commander had seized and drove within the lines all the stock, cows, oxen, &c., he could find on the Island. Sheep there were none, having all been previously stolen.

The same day (at night) on which the French fleet came in, the British withdrew their troops from the north end of the island, and took up their position on the heights, about two miles from Newport. Their line extended from Coddington's Cove to Easton's Beach; the whole distance being defended by breastworks and redoubts; besides which, they had a line still nearer the town, running from the West of the north mill down to the Gills' farm, formerly the property of Nicholas Easton. On the following morning, the American army landed on the north end of the Island, without opposition, and took possession of the neighboring heights. The army was composed of

militia, continental troops, and volunteers, commanded by Generals Sullivan, Green, Glover, and the Marquis de Lafayette, supposed to number from ten to fifteen thousand men.

On the afternoon of the same day that the Americans landed on the Island, the British fleet of twenty-five sail was discovered standing in for Newport. They came too off Point Judith for the night, but a sudden change of wind favoring the Count the following morning, he stood out to sea with his whole squadron. Lord Howe, after some unsuccessful manoeuvering to get the weather guage of the French fleet, put to sea, followed by Count D'Estaing, and both fleets were soon lost sight of in the distance. The storm which had already commenced, continued to rage with increasing violence for several days, so that no general action was obtained between the fleets. Both, however, were greatly damaged by the storm.

The Languedoc, of ninety guns, commanded by Count D'Estaing, had neither mast nor bowsprit standing, and several others were in a similar situation. The American troops encamped on the north part of the Island, sufferred not less than the ships. Such was the violence of the tempest, attended with a powerful rain, that by the night of the 12th, not a tent or marquee remained standing. Many horses and several of the soldiers perished by the severity of the storm, and the whole army was in the most wretched and deplorable condition. And in addition to their own personal sufferings, the greater part of their ammunition was either destroyed or greatly damaged by the storm. The 14th, the storm having subsided, and the day be ing serene and warm, the American army spent in drying their clothes, &c., and in making ready for their future operations. On the following morning, they took up their line of march in three several divisions; one on the East road, one on the West, and the third through the centre of the Island, and pos sessed themselves of the heights, about one and a half miles from the British lines. General Sullivan quartered about five miles from Newport, at what is now called the Gibbs Farm. General Lafayette quartered on the East side of the Island, at what was then called the Bowler Garden Farm, about the same distance from Newport. General Green quartered on the farm now owned by the heirs of the late Colonel Richard K. Ran dolph, of Newport.

The British had thrown up a large fort, the remains of which are still visible, a little to the north and east of the residence of the late George Irish, Esq., and directly opposite on Honyman's Hill. At a distance of little more than a mile, the Americans had thrown up a fort and other works, and by the 20th, they had opened two four-gun batteries, and by the 23d had mounted seventeen pieces of heavy artillery, two ten-inch mortars, and three five and a half inch howitzers.

From these works, on either side, was kept up a continual cannonading by day, and throwing of bombs by night, by which many were killed on both sides. An amusing circumstance is related of the discharge of a cannon from the battery at Hony. man's Hill. A large dinner party had assembled at the Dudley Farm, now occupied by Edward Van Zandt, Esq., when just as the guests were about to seat themselves at the table, a ball passed through the hall, and the company fled precipitately out of the house, with the loss of their dinner.

GREAT SNOW STORM.

On the night of the 22d of December, 1778, a snow storm commenced with a severity never before experienced by the oldest inhabitants, for the quantity of snow which fell, as also for the severity of the cold.

In Newport, all the sentinels of the British army who were stationed in the exterior lines, that were not called in before night, were found after the storm, frozen to death at their posts; many soldiers perished in buildings where they had no fire, and many perished in endeavoring to find their quarters during the snow storm. The storm was afterwards known as the "Hessian storm," from the great number of soldiers of that nation who perished.

No tidings were received, and nothing was known of the disabled and wrecked condition of the fleets, until about a week after the storm, when the French fleet were seen at a distance, standing for Newport.

At 7 o'clock, P. M., the Marquis de Lafayette, and other

officers, went on board to consult with the French officers, on measures for the vigorous and successful prosecution of the expedition, and prevail with them immediately to enter the harbor. But their efforts were without success, and about 12 at night they left the ships and returned on shore. The conduct of the Count, in refusing a compliance with the request of the American officers, when conquest appeared so easy, and victory so sure, was most severely censured. But when it is considered that his instructions were positive from the Court of France, in case of disaster, and that his officers unanimously signed a protest against entering the harbor in their disabled condition, this censure at least in a very great degree, must appear to be unmerited and severe.

We have never been able to discover that any very important aid was furnished by the French fleet, while in the waters of Newport. There was, we grant, a show of resistance, but the efficiency in prosecuting the line of defence, failed. Far be it from us, however, to undervalue the aid received from the French. İt decided the contest. "It cost her more than three hundred millions of dollars," and hurried her into a revolution, more exhausting than any other state in the tide of time.

The chief object of the treaties of 1778, was the establisment of the Liberty, Sovereignty, and Independence of the United States in the war of the Revolution. It was a dark and gloomy period with the Colonies, when France offered her assistance. The hopes which had been kindled by early successes, were almost extinguished by recent and successive disasters. It was at this painful moment that allied armies, fresh, vigorous, and wellappointed, cooperating with a gallant fleet, met the invader, and his surrender at Yorktown, opened the way to peace, sovereignty, and independence.

The militia raised for this expedition, were drafted only for three weeks; one-half of which were on service, and the remainder were to hold themselves in readiness, to succeed them at the expiration of that time, if called for. Within twenty-four hours after the French fleet sailed for Boston, between two and three thousand volunteers from Boston and other parts of New. England, left the army and returned home. And many of the militia whose term of service had now expired, returned, while those who were to succeed them, came on with reluctance, and

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