Britain, in favor of the independence of your United 1778. States. Dutch policy will keep them from it, that they may enjoy the sweets of a neutrality while others are fighting. They may fupply you with a loan; but they will not draw the fword in your behalf. Nothing will bring them to this, unless Britain fhould add to their long catalogue of political errors, that of compelling them to it. LETTER V. Roxbury, Nov. 12, 1778. Ieutenant colonel Ethan Allen was at length exchanged; and congrefs granted him a brevet com-, May miffion of colonel, in reward of his fortitude and zeal in 14. the cause of his country. General Sullivan being fent to command at Providence, gen. Pigot who was at Newport, inferred that there was a defign of attacking Rhode Island whenever an opportunity offered: the latter therefore concluded upon an expedition that might delay or fruftrate the event. Lieut. col. Campbell, with about 500 British and Heffians, was sent off in the night of the 24th, paffed up the river, and landed from the fhips, tenders and boats, before day, between Warren and Poppasquashpoint, At day light they marched in two bodies, one 25. 1778. countably ravished from him, when they appeared within his grafp. In Plymouth, the failure of a complete victory was attributed to Sir Hugh Pallifer; whofe noncompliance with the admiral's fignals has been afcribed by many to the disabled condition of fome of the fhips. in his divifion. The admiral, with wonderful temper, and no lefs prudence, accommodated his conduct to the neceffity of his fituation, and made the public fecurity and interefts the only objects of his direction. He advanced no charge against Pallifer. His public letter was fhort, general, and barren of information. It ftated facts fo far as it went, threw no blame upon any body, and commended the bravery of the officers in general, and of Sir Robert Harland and Sir Hugh Pallifer in particular. But this approbation is to be applied only to the particular circumstances and immediate time of the action: the subsequent tranfactions of the afternoon, were in general thrown into the fhade; and the caufes that prevented a renewal of the engagement left in fuch obfcurity, as has drawn no fmall fhare of cenfure upon Keppel himself. The French fleet returned to Breft confiderably damaged in their hulls; but glorying in an action, wherein they had engaged an equal number of Britifh fhips without the loss of a fingle veffel, as though they had gained a victory. It will be fome time before they are fully repaired, through a scarcity of the neceffary means. The Americans have many friends in Holland, who will be ready to affift them when an opportunity offers but not a la mode de Paris. They have not the fame inducements with the French to venture on a war with Britain, in favor of the independence of your United 1778. States. Dutch policy will keep them from it, that they may enjoy the fweets of a neutrality while others are fighting. They may fupply you with a loan; but they will not draw the fword in your behalf. Nothing will bring them to this, unlefs Britain fhould add to their long catalogue of political errors, that of compelling them to it. LETTER V. Roxbury, Nov. 12, 1778. IIeutenant colonel Ethan Allen was at length exchanged; and congrefs granted him a brevet com-, May miffion of colonel, in reward of his fortitude and zeal in 14. the cause of his country. General Sullivan being fent to command at Providence, gen. Pigot who was at Newport, inferred that there was a defign of attacking Rhode Island whenever an opportunity offered: the latter therefore concluded upon an expedition that might delay or fruftrate the event. Lieut. col. Campbell, with about 500 British and Heffians, was sent off in the night of the 24th, paffed up the river, and landed from the fhips, tenders and boats, before day, between Warren and Poppafquafhpoint. At day light they marched in two bodies, one 25. 1778. for Warren, and the other for the head of Kickemuet river, where they destroyed about feventy flat-bottomed boats, and fet fire to one of the state gallies, which was extinguished without doing much injury. They burnt alfo a quantity of pitch, tar, plank, &c. They then fired the meeting-house at Warren, and seven dwellinghouses; and retreated toward Bristol, where their ships and boats had fallen down to receive them. In Briftol they burnt two and twenty houses, and through mistake the church instead of the meeting houfe. The deftruction of houfes and places of worship was afterward attributed chiefly to the licentioufness of the foldiers, who treated both friends and foes with cruelty, plundering houses and robbing women of their fhoe-buckles, gold rings, and handkerchiefs. They carried off with them a ftate galley. A few days after, a party of 150 men were fent from Newport to burn the faw-mills and contiguous houses at Tiverton. They fired an old mill and old houfe nigh the place of landing; and then proceeded for the town to execute the bufinefs they were fent upon but the bridge leading to it being defended by five and twenty men, they could not cross though they attempted it repeatedly. The advancing feafon will close these small excurfions by bringing forward more capital operations: and for the counter-acting of which, the Americans muft depend much upon fupplies from May France. This reminds me, that on the 28th, a French 50 gun fhip with 350 men, a brig and a fchooner, bringing arms and dry goods, arrived in James river Virginia, from Rochfort. Congrefs the next day, to commemorate the agreeable event which has taken place between France and the United States, refolved that a 28. new continental frigate, built in the Massachusetts, and 1778. lately launched, fhould be called the Alliance. Within three weeks after, the command of her was bestowed upon capt. Peter Landais. In the beginning of June, the Trident arrived in the Delaware with the earl of Carlisle, Mr. Eden and gov. Johnstone, three of the commiffioners for restoring peace between Great Britain and America. On the 9th Sir June Henry Clinton informed gen. Washington of their being 9. at Philadelphia, and requested a paffport for doctor Fergufon, their fecretary, with a letter from them to congrefs. The general declined granting a paffport, which was unanimously approved by congrefs. The refufal made it necessary to forward the letter, with the acts, a copy of their commiffion and other papers by the common intercourfe. They were received by an express from Washington on the 13th, and the letter was read till fome offenfive language against his moft christian majefty offered, on which the further reading of it was fufpended till the 16th; when the reading of that and the other papers was finished. They were referred to a committee, who drew up a letter to be fent by the prefident in answer to the letter and papers from the com miffioners, which was unanimously agreed to by the de legates on the 17th, and was as follows-" I have received the letter from your excellencies of the 9th inftant, with the enclosures, and laid them before congrefs. Nothing but an earnest defire to fpare the fur ther effufion of human blood could have induced them to read a paper containing expreffions fo difrespectful to his most Christian majefty, the good and great ally of these states, or to confider propofitions fo derogatory to |