the most they could suffer would be a temporary want of money, their complaints became loud and uncontrollable. On the 25th of May, two of the regiments broke out into open mutiny; but fortunately the officers were enabled by their active exertions, by alternate entreaty and expostulation, to convince them of the folly and absurdity of resorting to such means for redress, where nothing but time and patience could bring a remedy to their grievances. After a few hours of murmuring, they retired quietly to their

huts.

A few days before this occurrence took place, the Marquis de la Fayette arrived from France, and presented himself at head quarters, much to the joy and consolation of Washington, who had conceived an af fection for him, little short of paternal. The absence of the Marquis had not diminished the ardour which first brought him to our shores, nor lessened his zeal in the cause of American independence. His stay in France had been wholly occupied in endeavours to promote the interests of the United States; nor had they been without success, for he was the bearer of the welcome tidings from the French court, that a fleet and army would soon follow him to America, which his most Christian Majesty had with great prudence and propriety placed entirely under the control of Washington, by making him Lieutenant General of his forces, and Vice-Admiral of the White Flag. The Marquis was received by Congress with the most marked satisfaction, and by the people every where with affectionate respect. On the 19th of May, a committee of Congress, who had been directed personally to inquire into the grievances and distresses of the American army, having reported that the pay

of the soldiers had been suffered to accumulate, without liquidation for several months, they resolved to draw bills of exchange on their two ministers at the courts of France and Spain, for 25,000 dollars each, at 60 days sight, as the speediest means of procuring the money, without which they found it would be difficult to bring the army into the field.

The enemy remained quiet at New York, until the 6th of June, when the four Generals Knyphausen, Robertson, Tryon and Sterling, passed over by night, with their whole force to Elizabethtown Point, in NewJersey. It is difficult to conceive with what design that movement was made by the royal General. If their only object had been, as it was stated, to attack some of Washington's advanced posts, a fourth of the number would have sufficed; or if their object was to drive the American General from Morristown, their subsequent abandonment of that object was still more extraordinary. They reached Elizabethtown, early on the morning of the 7th and advanced, without offering injury to the town or inhabitants, five miles further to Connecticut Farms. General Sterling who commanded the advance was wounded in the knee, by one of Colonel Dayton's guard, whom he had posted to watch the movements of the enemy. Arrived at Connecticut Farms, a small settlement, containing about a dozen houses, and a church, they burnt the whole. At this place there resided, a presbyterian minister, by the name of Caldwell, who had taken a conspicuous part in the cause of freedom, and who had of course incurred the deep displeasure of the royal Generals; supposing, however, that their resentment would be confined to himself, and that his family would be safe, on the enemy's approach, he 43

VOL. II.

hastily withdrew, and left his wife and children to their mercy. Colonel Dayton had previously withdrawn the militia from the place, that there might be no pretext for enormities; but the British soldiers, in the American war, did not wait for pretexts to be cruel. Mrs. Caldwell was shot in the midst of her children, by a villain, who walked up to the window of the room in which she was sitting, and took deliberate aim with his musket. This atrocious act was attempted to be excused, as an accident, as a random shot ; but why should it have been necessary to shoot at all? No opposition was made in the settlement; not a militiaman remained in it; there was no concealed firing from the houses, which has sometimes served as an excuse. No doubt then remains of the murder having been committed by design, but whether the soldier was instigated by his own savage disposition, or the pospect of favour from his superiours, can be known only to the searcher of hearts.

From Connecticut Farms, the enemy, marched on towards Springfield, on the road to which Colonel Dayton, had posted his handful of militia, at a narrow pass, where he disputed the passage for some time with great bravery. General Maxwell with a few continentals, and the militia that collected as the enemy were marching through the country, had posted himself at the bridge near Springfield, where his appearance was so imposing that the enemy halted at sight of him and remained all day upon their arms. General Maxwell's party kept up a firing upon them during the day, but they showed no disposition for action, notwithstanding their great superiority of numbers; and at night returned to Elizabethtown. On the following morning, as soon as the Americans per

seived their flight, they pursued with as much eager. ness and confidence, as if they had been really equal to a contest with them. Some slight skirmishes took place, and the enemy were considerably annoyed all the way to Elizabethtown.

The cause of General Knyphausen's retiring without attacking Springfield, is said to have been the intelligence received that Washington had detached a brigade from Morristown, for the support of Maxwell; but this brigade united to Maxwell's force, would not have made him more than half equal to the royal force, and certainly such intelligence could be no excuse for his remaining idle nearly a whole day,before a force less than the fourth of his own strength. It is more probable that some disagreement occurred among the four Generals, and that the Hessian General was compelled to give up his own opinion to the suggestion of the other three, who were perhaps deceived in their anticipations with regard to the militia of Jersey. These, enraged at the conduct of the enemy at the Farms, had turned out with considerable spirit, and opposed their march at every opportunity. They conducted themselves so well towards the invaders, that Washington complimented them highly in general orders, and took distinguished notice of Colonel Dayton, whose small corps had kept up a continual firing upon the enemy from the moment of their debarkation to their arrival at the bridge opposite Maxwell's brigade.

The royal army remained at Elizabethtown, until the arrival of Sir Henry Clinton from his successful expedition to the South. Instead of recalling them, he gave orders for reinforcements to be sent over, while at the same time, with a view to draw off the attention of the American commander, he embarked a number

of troops on board the shipping, and made such movements as indicated an attempt upon the strong posts of the North River. This had the desired effect upon Washington, for the safety of West Point was of the utmost importance to his future operations, and on the 20th, he moved slowly towards that post with the whole of his army, except about 700 men with the horse, which he left behind, under the command of General Greene. The reinforcements landed on the evening of the 22d June, and on the 23d the enemy again moved from Elizabethtown, towards Springfield. The troops upon which General Greene had to depend for its defence, were so scattered that he had scarcely time to collect them before the enemy appeared, and commenced a cannonade on each side of the town. He had so disposed his force as to secure a retreat in case of necessity: Colonel Angell, with his regiment and one piece of artillery, was posted at the bridge in front of the town at the second bridge "Colonel Shrieve was stationed with his regiment, to cover the retreat of the first; Major Lee, with the dragoons and pickets, and Colonel Ogden's regiment to support them, at Little Bridge, on the Vauxhall road: the remainder of Maxwell's and Stark's brigades were posted on the hills. The enemy advanc ed in two columns, the right by the Vauxhall road, where Lee met them and disputed the passage of the bridge with great bravery, but was compelled at length to retire with his party upon the enemy's fording the river. The left column of the enemy at the same moment, advancing on the main road, began their attack on Colonel Angell, who after an obstinate resistance of forty minutes, during which the action was very severe, was forced back upon Colonel Shrieve, at the