favages might be easily furprised in their camp, and driven for ever from the fettlement.

An immediate attack was therefore determined upon the Indians, whofe quarters were about three miles from the fort. Capt. Dalyell commanded about 270 men in this attempt. They fet out between two and three in the morning with all the precautions poffible for fecrecy, for order in their march, and (what is of no fmall weight in all campaigns in America) for preventing their wounded foldiers from falling into the hands of an inhuman enemy.

They were not far from the Indian camp, before unexpectedly they received a fmart fire in their front. Inftantly after, it was renewed upon their rear. They were attacked upon all fides, and their commander fell early in the action. The darkness of the night hindered their feeing the enemy, and the whole party was on the point of falling into an irremediable confufion. The Indians had been early apprifed of their defign; had lined all their hedges, pofted themfelves in fome houfes, well fituated for diftreffing the English in their march, and had taken very proper mcafures, which they purfued with avery proper fpirit. Inftead of furprifing the Indians, our troops were themselves furprifed, furrounded, and in the most imminent danger of a total defeat.

In this emergency, the fecond in command, captain Grant, faw that nothing was left but a retreat. But in order to make this retreat with fuccefs, it was neceffary to make a live y attack upon the enemy's pofts. This was done with oider and refolution. The Indians were driven from the roads, and at

length repulfed every where. The English extricated themselves from this difagreeable affair, and got back to the fort with a loss of only feventy men killed, and about forty men wounded.

Such an engagement in an European war would be confidered as a fkirmish scarce worthy of relation; but in America a great deal is often determined by fuch actions. Weve fcarcely any other kind of engagements with favages. Neither their manner of fighting, nor the fcanty population of their country, will permit the Indians to bring large bodies into the field.

The ill fuccefs of this attempt checked all further offenfive operations on our fide. On the fide of the Indians, no attempts were made to take the fort, in confequence of the advantage they had obtained. Their unfitness for a fiege, the ftrength of the garrifon exceeding three hundred men, and the vigilance which their exposed situation, and the artifices of the enemy had taught our people, had rendered fuch a defign in them altogether defperate.

The theatre of this Indian war is of an immenfe extent; yet the favages, though of fo many dif ferent nations, and disjointed by fuch immenfe tracts of impracticable country, preferved an uncommon degree of concert and connection in their operations. At the fame time that they attempted Detroit,at more than two hundred miles diftance, they invested Fort Pitt. It was originally called Du Quefne; and the reader will recollect that the building of this fort coft the French the greatcft part of North America, as it gave the immediate occafion to the late war. The do

minion of the whole courfe of the Ohio depended upon it. It stands at the juncture of that great river with another called Monongahela. For fo much as regards fituation, Fort Pitt may be confidered as a place of fome strength. But the works had never been well finished, and they had fuffered confiderably by an inundation from the rivers which cover it.

In this condition the Indians furrounded the fort, and cut off all communication from it, even by meffage. Thefe barbarians had no cannon, and were ignorant of the method of attack by trenches, and the ufual forms of a regular approach. But they fupplied, in fome measure, their want of fkill, by their incredible boldness and perfeverance. They hoped to reduce the garrifon by keeping it perpetually harraffed. If they failed in this method, they trusted to make themselves mafters of the place by famine. Regardless of danger, and with a refolution which would have done honour to any troops, they took poft under the banks of the rivers, clofe to the fort, and burying themfelves in holes for days together, they poured in an inceffant ftorm of mufquetry and fire-arrows.

Captain Ecuyer, who commanded there, though weak in men, without engines, and ill fupplicd with every neceffary for fuftaining a fiege, took all the precautions which art and judgment could fuggeft for the repair of the place, and repulfing the enemy. His

men feconded his efforts with refolution. There was no trifling with the danger, when they were attacked by an enemy, whom it was fo difficult to refift, and, at the fame time, fo terrible to fubmit to,

General Amherst, in providing for the fafety of the remote garrifons, did not forget Fort Pitt. He knew that this place muft neceffarily be a principal object of the Indians.. Its fituation fpoke its danger; and no exprefs from thence having been received for a long time, that danger appeared to be preffing. Without delay, therefore, he fent to its relief a large quantity of military ftores and provifions, protected by a powerful escort under the command of colonel Bouquet.

The colonel, when he had advanced to the remoteft verge of our fettlements, could receive no fort of intelligence of the pofition or motions of the enemy. This is often a very embarraffing circumnance in the conduct of an American campaign. The Indians had better intelligence; and no fooner were they informed of the march of the English reinforcement, than they broke up the fiege of Fort Pitt, and took the route which they knew our army was to march, refolving to take the firft advan tageous opportunity of attacking them. In fo much uncertainty, colonel Bouquet determined very prudently to difengage himfelf of all the ammunition and provifion, except what he judged to be abfolutely neceffary. Being thus difburdened, the English army entered a rough and mountainous country. Before them lay a dangerous defile, called Turtle Creek, feveral miles in length, commanded the whole way by high and craggy hills. This defile, after refreshing the troops, they prepared to pafs in the night, and thereby elude, if poffible, the vigilance of fo alert

an enemy.

While

While the English troops were making the neceffary arrangements, about one in the after5th. of noon, after an harraffing Auguft. march of feventeen miles, and juft as they were preparing to relax from their fatigue, they were fuddenly attacked by the Indians on their advanced guard; which being speedily and firmly fupported, the enemy was beat off, and even purfued to a confiderable diftance. But the flight of these barbarians must often be confidered as a part of the engagement, (if we may use the expreffion) rather than a dereliction of the field. The moment the purfuit ended, they returned with renewed vigour to the attack. Several other parties, who had been in ambush in fome high grounds which lay along the flanks of the army, now started up at once, and falling with a refolution equal to that of their companions, galled our troops with a moft obftinate fire.

It was neceflary to make a general charge with the whole line to diflodge them from these heights. This charge fucceeded; but fill the fuccefs produced no decifive advantage; for as foon as the favages were driven from one poft, they conftantly appeared on another, till by conftant reinforcements they were at length able to furround the whole detachment, and attack the convoy which had been left in

the rear.

This manœuvre obliged the main body to fall back in order to protect it. The action, which grew every moment hotter and hotter, now became general. Our troops were attacked on every fide; the favages fupported their fpirit throughout; but the fteady be

haviour of the English troops, who were not thrown into the leaft confufion by the very discouraging nature of this fervice, in the end prevailed; they repulfed the enemy, and drove them from all their pofts with fixed bayonets.

The engagement ended only with the day, having continued from one, without any intermiffion.

The ground, on which the action ended, was not altogether inconvenient for an encampment. The convoy and the wounded were in the middle, and the troops, difpofed in a circle, encompaffed the whole. In this manner, and with little repofe, they paffed an anxious night, obliged to the ftricteft vigilance by an enterprizing enemy who had furrounded them.

Those who have only experienced the feverities and dangers of a campaign in Europe, can fcarcely form an idea of what is to be done and endured in an American war. To act in a country cultivated and inhabited, where roads are made," magazines are cftablished, and hofpitals provided; where there are good towns to retreat to in cafe of misfortune; or, at the worst, a generous enemy to yield to, from whom no confolation, but the honour of victory, can be wanting; this may be confidered as the exercife of a fpirited and adventurous mind, rather than a rigid conteft where all is at flake, and mutual deftruction the object and as a contention between rivals for glory, rather than a real struggle between fanguinary enemies. But in an American campaign every thing is terrible; the face of the country, the climate, the enemy. There is no refreshment for the healthy,

nor

nor relief for the fick. A vaft unhofpitable defart, unfafe and treacherous, furrounds them, where victories are not decifive, but defeats are ruinous; and fimple death is the least misfortune, which can happen to them. This forms a fervice truely critical, in which all the firmness of the body and the mind is put to the fevereft trial; and all the exertions of courage and addrefs are called out. If the actions of thefe rude campaigns are of lefs dignity, the adventures in them are more interefting to the heart, and more amufing to the imagination, than the events of a regular war.

But to return to the party of English, whom we left in the woods. At the first dawn of light the favages began to declare themfelves, all about the camp, at the distance of about 500 yards; and by fhouting and yelling in the moft horrid manner, quite round that extenfive circumference, endeavoured to strike terror by an oftentation of their numbers, and their ferocity.

After this alarming preparative, they attacked our forces, and, under the favour of an inceffant fire, made feveral bold efforts to penetrate into the camp. They were repulfed in every attempt, but by no means difcouraged from new ones. Our troops, continually victorious, were continually in danger. They were befides extremely fatigued with a long march, and with the equally long action, of the preceding day; and they were diftreffed to the laft degree by a total want of water, much more intolerable than the enemy's fire.

Tied to their convoy, they could not lofe fight of it for a moment,

without expofing, not only that interefting object, but their wounded men, to fall a prey to the favages, who preffed them on every fide. To move was impracticable. Many of the horfes were loft, and many of the drivers, ftupefied by their fears, hid themfelves in the bushes, and were incapable of hearing or obeying orders.

Their fituation became extremely critical and perplexing, having experienced that the moft lively efforts made no impreffion upon an enemy, who always gave way when preffed; but who, the moment the purfuit was over, returned with as much alacrity as ever to the attack. Befieged rather than engaged; attacked without interruption, and without decifion; able neither to advance nor to retreat, they faw before them the moft melancholy prospect of crumbling away by degrees, and entirely perifhing without revenge or honour, in the midft of those dreadful defarts. The fate of Braddock was every moment before their eyes; but they were more ably conducted.

The commander was fenfible that every thing depended upon bringing the favages to a clofe engagement, and to ftand their ground when attacked. Their audacioufnefs, which had increafed with their fuccefs, feemed favourable to this defign. He endeavoured, therefore, to increase their confidence as much as poffible.

For that purpofe he contrived the following ftratagem. Our troops were pofted on an eminence, and formed a circle round their convoy from the preceding night, which order they still retained. Colonel Bouquet

Bouquet gave directions, that two companies of his troops, who had been pofted in the moft advanced fituations, fhould fall within the circle; the troops on the right and left immediately opened their files, and filled up the vacant fpace, that they might feem to cover their retreat. Another company of light infantry, with one of grenadiers, were ordered to fupport the two firft companies, who moved on the feigned retreat, and were intended to begin the real attack. The difpofitions were well made, and the plan executed without the leaft confufion.

The favages gave entirely into the fnare. The thin line of troops, which took poffeffion of the ground which the two companies of light foot had left, being brought in nearer to the center of the circle, the barbarians miftook thofe motions for a retreat, abandoned the woods which covered them, hurried headlong on, and advancing with the most daring intrepidity, galled the English troops with their heavy fire. But at the very moment, when certain of fuccefs, they thought themselves mafters of the camp, the two firft companies made a fudden turn, and fallying out from a part of the hill, which could not be observed, fell furioufly upon their right flank.

The favages, though they found themselves difappointed and expofed, preferved their recollection, and refolutely returned the fire which they had received. Then it was the fuperiority of combined ftrength and difcipline appeared. On the fecond charge they could no longer fuftain the irrefiftible fhock of the regular troops, who rufhing upon them, killed many and put the rest to fight.

At the inftant when the favages betook themselves to flight, the other two companies, which had been ordered to fupport the first, had placed themfelves juft in their front, and gave them their full fire. This accomplished their defeat. The four companies, now united, did not give them time to look behind them, but purfued the enemy, till they were totally difperfed.

The other bodies of the favages attempted nothing. They were kept in awe during the engagement by the reft of the British troops, who were fo pofted as to be ready to fall on them upon the leaft motion. Having been witneffes to the defeat of their companions, without any effort to fupport or affift them, they at length followed their example, and fled.

This judicious and fuccefsful manoeuvre refcued the party from the most imminent danger. The victory fecured the field, and cleared all the adjacent woods. But ftill the march was fo difficult, and the army had fuffered fo much, and fo many horses were loft, that before they were able to proceed they were reluctantly obliged to deftroy almoft their whole convoy of provifions, and confequently to give up one of the principal objects of their expedition. Being lightened by this facrifice, they proceeded about two miles further, and encamped in a place called Bushy Run. After fuch fatigues on their part, and after the fevere correction they had given the favages in the preceding action, it was natural that they fhould expect to enjoy fome reft. But they had hardly fixed

their