of that month, a detachment of 1500 men, conducted by the general in perfon, made a movement to the right, in order to discover if there were any poffible means of forcing a paffage. In the mean time the Americans, perceiving the lines weakened by this movement, fell with the utmost fury upon the left and centre of the British army, which, being totally overpowered by numbers, were compelled to retire within their lines: they had fearcely entered them, when the Ame ricans, pursuing with eagerness their fuccefs, ftormed them in different parts with uncommont fierceness, under a heavy fire of artillery, grape fhot, and mufquetry. General Arnold, who commanded the attack, and performed prodigies of valor, being grievously wounded, was obliged to retire; and night at length put an end to the engagement, not however before the German entrenchments had been carried fword in hand, and a lodgement made which left every other quarter dangerously expofed. It was therefore judged abfolutely neceffary to take a new pofition; and, amidst the darkness and horrors of this fatal night, the whole army retreated in deep and filent fadness to the heights in the rear of their former encampment.

On the next day the general continued his retreat to Saratoga, where, on his arrival, he found the paffes already occupied in force by the enemy. The farther fhores of the river were alfo lined with numerous detachments of troops, which, with the affiftance of their batteaux, entirely commanded the navigation; and no hope now remained but in a rapid nocturnal march to Fort Edward, abandoning their artillery and baggage. But while preparations were making for this purpofe, intelligence was received, that the enemy were strongly entrenched oppofite the fords at Fort Edward, and that the high grounds between Fort Edward and Fort George were alfo every where fecured and fortified. The attempt was therefore confidered as hopeless and defperate; and three days fubfiftence only remaining in the camp, the dreadful neceffity became apparent, of propofing to general

Gates

Gates terms of capitulation. After a fhort negotiation, a CONVENTION was concluded, by which it was agreed, that the British army fhould march out of the camp with the honors of war, and then lay down their arms; and be allowed a free embarkation from Boston to Europe, upon condition of their not ferving again in America during the present war. Upon this ever memorable occafion, the generofity of the American commander would not fuffer an individual to leave the camp to witnefs the degrading fpectacle of piling the British arms. Such was the melancholy catastrophe of an army confifting, at its departure from Canada, of above 10,000 men, but now reduced by the fword, by famine, hardfhips, and disease, to little more than half the original number*. The whole plan of this campaign was, as might reasonably be fuppofed from its difaftrous conclufion, most feverely cenfured. A co-operation of the two principal armies under the generals Howe and Burgoyne had been univerfally expected; and fo firmly perfuaded was general Washington that a junction between them was in contemplation, that when the British army at New York had actually embarked on the expedition to the Chesapeak, the American general long perfifted in his opinion that the fleet was deftined to the northward.

On the 30th of July he wrote from Coriel's Ferry, on the Delawar: "Howe's in a manner abandoning Burgoyne is fo unaccountable a matter, that till I am fully affured it is fo, I cannot help cafting my eyes continually behind me." When the English fleet, after touching at the Capes of Delawar,

E e 2

The catastrophe of Saratoga will recall to the recollection of the claffical reader the fate of the Roman army under Aulus in the Jugurthine war, as defcribed by the picturesque and majeftio pencil of SALLUST. "Milites ex hi bernis in expeditionem Aulus evocat-hiere afperâ pervenit ad oppidum Suthul. Jugurtha, cognitâ vanitate atque imperitiâ legati, ipfe per faltuofa loca et tramites exercitum ductare-intempeftivâ nocte de improvifo multitudine Numidarum Auli caftra circumvenit. Milites Romani perculfi tumultu infolito, arma capere alii, alii fe abdere, trepidarecœlum nocte atque nubibus obfcuratum periculum anceps. Dein Jugurtha poftero die cum Aulo in colloquio verba facit, incolumis omnis fub jugum miffurum, uti diebus decem Numidia decederet."

lawar, again ftood out to fea, general Washington ftill writes under the influence of the perfuafion: "It appears," fays he, "that general Howe has been practising a deep feint to draw our whole force to this point. Countermarch your divifion, and proceed with all poffible expedition to Peek's-kill.” Again, Auguft 3: "The conduct of the enemy is difficult and diftrefling to be understood;" and not till the latter end of the month was the doubt entirely removed. "The Englifh fleet," fays he (Auguft 22), "have entered the Chefapeak; there is not now the leaft danger of Howe's going to New England." It does not however appear, that this cooperation was at any time in the contemplation of Sir William Howe; and the firft intimation that any fupport whatever would be expected from him in favor of the northern expedition, was contained in a letter of lord George Germaine, received by Sir William Howe when actually in the bay of Chesapeak, in which he says, "I truft that, whatever you meditate, it will be executed in time to co-operate with the army ordered to proceed from Canada." The American minifter, as well as the governor of Canada, had been apprized of general Howe's intended march to the Delawar; and could lord George Germaine poffibly imagine, that the purposes of the southern expedition could be answered, and general Howe be able to return in proper time to co-operate with general Burgoyne in the northern? The truth is, that no traces are difcernible of any regular plan for the conduct of the campaign, or of any grand or masterly co-operation of means for the attainment of any precife or determinate object. Vague and general hopes were entertained, that the army under general Burgoyne, with fuch aid as he might eventually derive from the central force at New York, would fuffice for the fubjugation of the northern provinces, and that general Howe would in the mean time accomplish the conqueft of the fouthern. Such were the flattering delufions which, at the diftance of 3000 miles, paffed at the court of St. James's for fober and rational expectancies; and

in the annals of hiftory, Minden and Saratoga will ever remain incontrovertible proofs, that lord George Germaine was as great in the cabinet, as lord George Sackville had been in

the field.

On the 20th of November 1777, the parliament affembled. Previous to this period, the exultation of the court, on the intelligence of the first fucceffes of general Burgoyne, had suffered a fudden and grievous check by the last dispatches of that commander, written after the defeat of the detachments of Baum and Breyman, when the tide of fortune was evidently setting strong against him. The royal fpeech, however, discovered no fymptoms of dejection; no relentings, no forebodings. His majefty expreffed his "confidence, that the spirit and intrepidity of his forces would be attended with important fuccefs; but intimated the neceffity of preparing for fuch farther operations as the contingencies of the war and the OBSTINACY OF THE REBELS might render expedient. He expreffed his determination steadily to purfue the measures in which they were engaged, and his hope that the DELUDED AND UNHAPPY MULTITUDE would finally return to their allegiance."-In the house of commons, the address, which was moved by lord Hyde, was opposed by the marquis of Granby, who brought forward an amendment, in fubftance recommending to his majefty measures of accommodation, and an immediate ceffation of hoftilities, as neceffary for effectuating fo defirable a purpose. This, after a long and vehement difcuffion, was rejected by a majority of 243 to 86. But the debate in the upper house was rendered peculiarly interefting by the prefence of lord Chatham, who himself moved an amendment of fimilar import to that of lord Granby, which he supported with all that energy and eloquence which had formerly pro-. duced fuch mighty effects, and which must now have roused the nation from its death-like torpor, had this been within. the compass of human virtue or human ability. He faid, "It had been ufual on fimilar occafions of public difficulty

and

and distress, for the crown to make application to that house, the great hereditary council of the nation, for advice and affiftance. As it is the right of parliament to give, fo it is the duty of the crown to afk it. But, on this day, and in this extreme momentous exigency, no reliance is reposed on your councils, no advice is afked of parliament; but the crown, from itself, and by itself, declares an unalterable determination to pursue its own preconcerted measures; and what measures, my lords? measures which have produced hitherto nothing but difappointments and defeats. I CANNOT, my lords, I WILL NOT join in congratulation on misfortune and difgrace. This, my lords, is a perilous and tremendous moment; it is not a time for adulation; the fmoothness of flattery cannot fave us in this rugged and awful crifis. It is now neceffary to inftruct the throne in the language of TRUTH. We muft, if poffible, difpel the delufion and darkness which envelop it; and display in its full danger, and genuine colors, the ruin which is brought to our doors. Can ministers still presume to expect support in their infatuation? Can parliament be fo dead to its dignity and duty as to give their fupport to measures thus obtruded and forced upon them? measures, my lords, which have reduced this late flourishing empire to scorn and contempt! But yesterday, and England might have stood against the world; Now, none so poor to do her reverence." The people whom we at first despised as rebels, but whom we now acknowledge as enemies, are abetted against you, fupplied with every military store, their interefts confulted, and their ambaffadors entertained by your inveterate enemy-and our minifters do not, and dare not interpose with dignity or effect. The defperate ftate of our army abroad is in part known. No man more highly esteems and honors the English troops than I do: I know their virtues and their valor; I know they can achieve any thing except impoffibilities; and I know that the conqueft of English America is an impoffibility. You CANNot, my lords, you CANNOT conquer America. What is your

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