Great-Britain, made one more effort to avert the horrors of war, by the following declaration of a special committee"That the colonies would not only continue to grant extraordinary aids in time of war, but also, if allowed a free commerce, pay into the sinking fund such a sum annually for one hundred years, as should be more than sufficient in that time, if faithfully applied, to extinguish the whole British debt. Or provided this is not accepted, that to remove the groundless jealousy of Britain, that the colonies aimed at independence, and an abolition of the navigation act, (which in truth they had never intended ;) and also, to avoid all future disputes about the right of making that and other acts for regulating their commerce, for the general benefit, they would enter into a covenant with Britain, that she should fully possess and exercise that right, for one hundred years to come."

Before Congress could act upon this declaration, the restraining acts of Parliament arrived, and closed the door of reconciliation forever.

Congress next resolved, "That in case any agent of the British ministry shall induce the Indian tribes, or any of them, to commit hostilities against these colonies, or to enter into any offensive alliance with the British troops, thereupon the colonies ought to avail themselves of an alliance with such Indian nations as will enter into the same, to oppose such British troops and their Indian allies."

During these proceedings in Congress, General Washington had retired to his seat at Mount Vernon; set his house in order; made preparation for the service, and on the 2d of July, commenced his journey, and actually arrived at head quarters at Cambridge, accompanied by General Lee, and several other gentlemen, just fifteen days from the date of his commission. It is doubted whether Cincinnatus himself, could boast of such dispatch. Should I attempt to describe that marked respect, and at

tention that awaited the general, on his way to Cambridge, that warmth of public feeling that flowed from the hearts of the sons liberty, in their numerous addresses, or the masterly strokes in his dignified replies, my pen would' shrink from the task; suffice it to say, that the people received him with the most cordial unanimity, and this was the universal expression, "Under God Washington must be the savior of his country."*

When the general arrived at head quarters, he received an appropriate address of congratulation from the congress of Massachusetts; to which he returned a dignified reply. The following sentiments may serve as a specimen.

"GENTLEMEN,

"Your kind congratulations upon my appointment, and arrival, demand my warmest acknowledgments, and will ever be held in grateful remembrance. In exchanging the enjoyments of domestic life for the duties of my present honourable, but arduous station, I only emulate the virtue, and public spirit of the whole province of MassachusettsBay, which with a firmness, and patriotism, without example in modern history, has sacrificed all the comforts of social and political life, in support of the rights of mankind, and the welfare of our common country. My highest ambition is to be the happy instrument of vindicating those rights, and to see this devoted province again restored to peace, liberty, and safety.”

His Excellency General Washington proceeded to deliver the commissions to the officers of the army, agreeable to their respective appointments; but when he found that General Thomas had been degraded in his rank, in his appointment, he used his immediate influence with Con

**A deputation from the Massachusetts congress met his excellency at Springfield, and escorted him to camp, at Cambridge.

gress to correct the mistake, and they issued to him a commission of first major-general, in place of General Pomeroy; (then an old man, and not having acted under his commission ;) which healed the breach, and gave satisfaction.

General Green at the head of the officers of his brigade, presented General Washington with a cordial address of congratulation, and declared their devotedness to his exellency's commands. This address made a favourable and a lasting impression upon the mind of the general in chief.

When the commander in chief had entered upon the du ties of his appointment, and examined the returns of the troops, he found himself at the head of an army of 14,500 men, without order, without discipline, without military stores,* (or rather with a very scanty supply,) and desti-` tute of most of the conveniences essential to an encampment.

When the continental generals arrived, and took the command of their respective departments, they entered with zeal and spirit into a joint co-operation with his excellency, to diffuse a spirit of order, cleanliness, activity, discipline, and method, throughout the army; and new efforts, and new energies became universal.

His excellency next reconnoitered the position of the enemy, and found him posted as follows, viz. The main body of the British army was strongly posted on Bunker's Hill, about one mile from Charlestown, and about half a mile in advance of Breed's Hill, the late scene of actioncommanded by his excellency General Howe. This position was covered by a 20 gun ship, which lay near Charlestown ferry, and three floating batteries in the entrance of Mystic river; together with a strong battery on Copp's, or Cope's Hill in Boston, which had greatly annoyed the

* The whole quantity of powder, then at his command, did not average more than nine rounds to a man,

provincials in the late action of Breed's Hill. The other division of the British army was strongly posted at Roxbubury. These two positions, together with the fleet and armed vessels, covered the town of Boston, and the corps de reserve which commanded that station.

General Washington posted his army in three divisions, to watch the motions of the enemy, and check his operations. The first, under the command of General Ward, was strongly posted at Roxbury, and commanded the right. The second was posted at Cambridge under the immediate command of his excellency, and supported the centre, and the third was strongly intrenched upon Prospect Hill, un-. der the command of Major General Lee, and supported the left. All the intermediate points of attack, between Cambridge and Roxbury, or Cambridge and Charlestown,. were strongly guarded by General Putnam and others, who had under their several commands about 3000 men. Thus posted upon this extensive line, General Washington saw himself exposed to an attack from a regular, well appointed British army, in full supply of every thing essential to the service, and calculated to ensure victory, and success; excepting that consciousness of a just, and righteous cause, which fired the breast of every true born son of liberty, that filled the ranks of the American army; which had displayed itself so recently, and so fully at the battle of Bunker's Hill, and which they knew was ready to display itself again upon the first attack.

Thus fortified, thus intrenched under cover of the ardent spirit of patriotism and a righteous cause, the American army nobly surmounted all their embarrassments, and held their enemy in a state of siege. The whole battalion of ride corps, which Congress on the 14th and 22d of June, ordered to be raised in Virginia, and Pennsylvania, were raised, accoutred, and marched to the army; where they were embodied on the 7th of August. Such was the spirit VOL. III.

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of patriotism of the day, that all this had been effected in less than two months; many of the troops marched from 500 to 1000 miles, and all without one cent of advance from the continental treasury.

The next attention of the commander in chief was directed to the supplies of the army, and while he pressed the various committees of safety in the several colonies for such supplies of powder, as could possibly be obtained, and forwarded to the army, he covered his exposed situation by disclosing to the enemy his weakness in that point so freely, as to render it incredible, and lead him to sus'pect a treacherous design to draw him into an engagement, which might prove the ruin of his army. This stratagem prevailed, until a small supply of powder was received from Elizabeth-town, in New-Jersey, and even this was privately conveyed out of that colony, lest the people should have opposed the measure, and reserved the powder for their own exigencies. The army were generally destitute of bayonets, which the state of the country could not readily supply; and barracks with all their pernicious effects on cleanliness, and discipline, were substituted in the American encampments in place of tents, then not to be obtained.

At the head of such an army, thus embarrassed, the general in chief entered upon the arduous duties of his command; the service of many of the troops was to expire in November, and the longest service did not exceed the last of December; and had not patriotism supplied the place of discipline, and the fire of liberty the want of military stores, this army would at least have existed only in name, and the rights and the liberties of America, would have fallen a sacrifice to their enemies at the very threshold of the war.