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tain, and 55 privates; destroyed 400 tons of hay, and returned without farther loss than one private wounded. Congress have at length determined upon having a permanent army. They ought before to have gotten rid of an error, which the experichce of all mankind has explored, viz. the carrying on a war with militia, or, which is nearly the same, temporary levies. America has been amused almost out of her liberties. The behaviour of the militia upon one and another occasion, has been measonably extolled by men who judge only from the surface, by others who had particular views in misrepresenting, and by visionary men whose credulity easily swallowed every vague story in support of a favorite hypothesis. Some of the first generals in the American service are ready solemnly to declare, that they never were witnesses to a single instance during this contest, that can countenance an opinion of militia or raw troops being fit for the real business of fighting. How little dependence can be had upon new supplies by new levies, the last campaign may serve to show.

By a return on the 6th of August it appeared, that gen. Washington had received from New-Hampshire to Pennsylvania inclusive, no more than 6143; and that the deficiency within the same circuit was 10,397. Rhode-Island was the least deficient in proportion to its numbers, and Pennsylvania the most. Massachusetts had in the army double the number of any ether of the states north of Maryland. What few troops the general had with him, pleased him however by the rapid progress they ,made in military discipline.

The absolute necessity of a large and immediate foreign aid of money for the continuance of the war, came at length under the serious consideration of congress. Gen. Washington was so strongly convinced of its being an object of the utmost importance, that he gave his sentiments upon it to the minister of France in the most explicit manner. The recommendations of Congress for specific articles were not sufficiently operative. On the 9th of December the general said " It is happy for us, that the season will probably compel both armies to continue in a state of inactivity, since ours is so much reduced by discarging the levies which compose a considerable part of it, even before their time of service was expired.. This expedient we were forced to adopt, from the present total want of flour, and the precarious prospect of a supply of that article." Had it not been for a most vigorous step that the American governor, Clinton, ventured to take, the army must have disbanded, for want of bread, as the magazines were exhausted, and transportation by land was impracticable had there been any thing VOL. III.

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to act upon. The governor seized several hundred barrels in the hands of private merchants, which they had purchased up to exchange for other articles. Gen. Washington, while travel ling in the neighbourhood of Pitt's-Town, fell in with a parcel of cattle that were going to be slaughtered and salted. Beside being immensely poor, they were so small, that they would not average 175ib. the nett quarters. Some could not exceed a hundred weight, and others were mere calves. These pass by the head, and the state or states that furnish them, will have the reputation of supplying that number of, merchantable bullocks, when the fact is, that next summer a starving man would scarcely eat the beef they were about to put up, after the salt had extracted the little fat and juices that were in it. The general saw about a hundred, and his information extended to about 800 more of the same kind in the neighbourhood. He directed the commissary to select the best for salting, and to let the other be eaten, as it would be a waste of salt, barrels, and time, to put the same up. Many other instances of a similar imposition to what has been related might be given.*

The generous exertions of the American daughters of liberty in Philadelphia and the neighbourhood, to befriend the conti nental soldiers, are a perfect contrast to it. Mention was made of them in my last letter. Their donations purchased a sufficient quantity of cloth, and their hands made the same into two thousand one hundred and seven shirts, which were delivered to the person appointed to receive them by gen. Washington. Pennsylvania furnished the whole quantity, except seventy-seven, which were the produce of the Jerseys. The daughters of this last state made a further present of three hundred and eighty pair of stockings.+

The board of royal refugees at New-York have for many months back possessed something like a fleet of small privateers and cruisers; by the aid of which they have committed various depredations, and great excesses in different places, from peculiar personal animosity, and thereby have irritated their adversaries to retaliate in like manner. Thus the feelings of humanity have been suspended on both sides; scenes of waste and havock have followed; and a predatory war been carried on, sending neither to subjugation nor reconciliation, but the reverse. While these

have been the operations upon the maratime coasts of the continent, the back-settlements and inland frontiers have been ravaged by the inimical Indians, their tory associates, and a number of

*The general's letter of Dec, 26, 1780,

The general's papers

British

British regulars. The New-York state suffered the most by parties under major Carleton, Sir John Johnson and capt. Brandt. In the beginning of August they burnt more than 50 houses, and 47 barns, the principal part of Canijohary, a fine settlement, about fifty-six miles from Albany. They destroyed 27 houses at Schoharie, and at Norman's Creek 20. In October their irruptions were renewed. Stone-Arabia and Canughsioraga were attacked, and Schoharie afresh; and a great extent of country about the Mohawk river was laid waste. A number of the settlers were killed, and more made prisoners. Sir John Johnson was obliged to fight them repeatedly; but was careful, Indian like, not to stay long enough in any one place, to admit of his "enemy's collecting a sufficient force to bring on a dscisive action. My next will most probably contain an account of depredations in another quarter, as general Arnold sailed from Sandy-Hook on the 21st of December, with a body of troops under his command, on an expedition.

October the 5th, the Massachusetts general court adjourned. The last act they passed, was-" An act to incorporate an academy in the town of Andover, by the name of Philips's academy." No business requiring another mecting, they ceased of course. The Wednesday three weeks, the 25th of that month, was the day appointed for the general election, agreeable to the new constitution. It was ushered in by the ringing of bells firing of cannon, and other demonstrations of the public rejoicing. When the two houses were formed, a committee was appointed to examine the returns of the several towns for a governor, though it was before known on whom the choice had fallen. They reported, that his excellency John Hancock, esq. was elected governor by a great majority of votes. A committee of both houses waited upon him to inform him of it, and request his attendance at the council-chamber. After he had gone through all the formalities required to qualify him for his office, the secretary, from the balcony of the state-house, declared to the attending crowds in the street, his excellency John Hancock, esq. governor of the Massachusetts commonwealth, which was repeated by the sheriff of the county of Suffolk. A grand feu-de-joie was given by the militia companies. Thirteen cannon were fired by the artillery, and three vollies by the independent company. The cannon at the Castle and Fort-Hill, and on board the shipping in the harbour were fired upon the occasion. The governor, senate and house of representatives then attended divine service, agreeable to ancient established custom, at the Old Brick Meeting-house. The Rev. Dr. Samuel Cooper delivered a suitable and acceptable dis

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course from the following words in the 30th of Jeremiah "And their congregation shall be established: and their nobles shall be of themselves; and their governor shall proceed out of the midst of them." When service was finished, they proceeded to Faneuil hall, amidst a great concourse of people, where an elegant entertainment was provided, and a large number ofrespectable gentlemen of all orders assembled. In the course of the convivial meeting thirteen toasts were drank, each being accompanied with the firing of a cannon. No gentleman being elected heutenant-governor by the majority of the people, the senate and house on the, 30th, made choice of James Bowdoin, esq. who declined the honor, partly on account of his not be ing chosen by the votes of the freemen, but chiefly because of his continued ill state of health. The next person fixed upon, was the president of the council, Thomas Cushing, esq. who accepted.

On the 18th of December died at Newport, his excellency, Charles Louis de Ternay, knight of St. John of Jerusalem, late. governor of the islands of France and Bourbon, and chief comet mander of the French squadron in the American scas. His re mains were the next day interred in Trinity church-yard of said? town, attended with military honors.

LETTER

TER V..

Rotterdam, December 30, 1780.

FRIEND GORDON,

MY

Y former letter mentioned the sailing of a large Spanish. fleet under Don Joseph Solano. Capt. Mann of the Cer berus frigate falling in with it, and rightly judging of its destination, from the course it steered and other circumstances, considered with great propriety, that the public good, and the im portance of the object should supply the defect of particular or ders, and that the limited design of his cruise, could not compare with the immediate application of the knowledge he had accidentally acquired. The captain therefore instantly proceeded to the West-Indies, to communicate the intelligence to Sir George Rodney, then at Barbadoes. Upon receiving it, Sir George

George used the utmost diligence in putting to sea, in order to intercept the Spanish fleet and convoy before they could join the French, then in Fort-Royal Bay, Martinico. But his views were frustrated through the precaution of the Spanish admiral. Don Solano, apprehensive, though not informed of the danger, instead of proceeding to Fort-Royal Bay, prudently stopped short on his approach to the nearest islands, and dispatched a frigate to inform count de Guichen of his situation, and to require a speedy junction of the fleets where he then was. The French commander sailed directly [June 10.] with eighteen ships of the line, and keeping close to leeward of the islands, joined the Spaniards under Dominique.

The combined fleets amounted to 36 sail of the line, which with their united land forces, formied such an apparent superiority, as nothing in those seas or islands seemed capable of resisting. But the Spanish troops being too much crowded on board their transports, together with the length of the voyage, the change of climåte and diet, and other circumstances, a most mortal and contagious disorder was generated, which first infected their own seamen, at length spread, though not entirely with so fatal an effect, through the French flect and land forces. Beside the great mortality on the passage, the Spaniards landed no less than 1200 sick on their first arrival at Dominique, and a much greater number afterward at Gaudaloupe and Martinico. Thus the spirit of enterprise was damped, and some part of the means taken away. Still the combined forces had a sufficient superiority to enable them to proceed to offensive operations with the prospect of success. Sir George Rodney, on the junction of the enemy's fleets, retired to St. Lucia, where he was equally well situated, either for observing their motions and counteracting, according to his ability, their designs on the other islands, or for self-defence, should they venture upon an attack. But they remained totally inactive in Fort-Royal Bay till the 5th of July, when they put to sea in the night, without making signals or showing lights. Had they improved their opportunity, Jamaica must undoubtedly have fallen; but a misunderstanding between the Spanish and French admirals, rendered their junction and superiority of little importance. Count de Guichen accompanied don Solano as far as St. Domingo, and then left the Spanish fleet to proceed singly to the Havannah, while he with the French, put in at Cape Francois. Here he remained till a large convoy was collected from the French islands, with which he procceded directly for Europe. Sir George Rodney entertaining a mistaken apprehension, either from his own conjecture or from information, that de Guichen was bound to North-America, in order to join adm. Ternay, at Rhode

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