derstood that the governor of these settlements was the instigator of these ravages.

Colonel Clark, with his party, traversed the desert about 1200 miles, and reached Kaskaskias, at the hour of midnight, in a desperate situation, and destitute of provisions; but being undiscovered, they resolved to strike the fatal blow. They entered the town immediately, and secured the whole, consisting of about 250 houses, with the fort, the governor, and all its inhabitants, without even an alarm, and sent the governor to Virginia, with all his written instructions from Quebec, Montreal, Detroit, and Michilimackinack, for exciting the Indians to war, and offering a bounty on scalps. Colonel Clark administered the oath Lof allegiance to this village, and sent detachments to surprise the other villages, which was done in regular succession, and the oath of allegiance administered, until the whole were subdued to the allegiance of the United States.

This expedition tamed the spirits of these sons of the forest, and rendered them quiet for the future.

A scene of the same stamp of that at Wyoming; but from a very different quarter, is now before us.

Lord Cornwallis detached Gen. Gray with his light infantry, to surprise and cut off the American force on North River, in conjunction with a detachment from Gen. Kniphausen's corps; but the expedition was defeated by some deserters, who gave timely notice of the movement, and Gen. Wayne with his division eluded the attack. Gen. Gray however conducted his movement with such dispatch as to surprise Capt. Baylor's troop of horse, asleep, and naked in their quarters; (September 27th ;) no quarter was the order of the day, and the whole were given up to indiscriminate butchery, and bayonetted in cold blood, begging for mercy.* But again I forbear; these scenes are too black to be dwelt upon.

* Gordon's Revolution, page 406.

Sir Henry Clinton detached Capt. Ferguson with about 300 men, upon an expedition to Little Egg-harbour, under a strong convoy, to destroy the American privateers and shipping; but these being removed, Capt. Ferguson proceeded up to Chesnut Neck, where he destroyed such vessels as were there, together with the whole village, and laid waste the adjacent country, and rejoined the squadron, October 5. On the 15th, the convoy with the troops, moved round to another landing place, not far distant, and landed 250 men under the command of Capt. Ferguson, who advanced into the country in the silence of night, and surprised Count Pulaski's light infantry; killed the Baron de Bose, and Lt. de la Broderic, with 50 privates; these were mostly butchered in cool blood, begging for mercy, under the orders of no quarter, as we have noticed before; but Count Pulaski closed this horrid scene by a sudden charge of his cavalry upon the murderous foe, that put him to flight, and thus saved his infantry.

Capt. Ferguson made a hasty retreat, embarked his party, and returned to New-York.

Let it be remembered that such horrid scenes of barbarous war as are here related amongst christians, ought forever to be chanted in the solemn dirge of Blush Britania.

Admiral Graves arrived at New-York on the 16th of October, in a most shattered condition, by a violent storm, which detained him the remainder of the month in NewYork, to repair the damages of his fleet.

About the first of November he put to sea, and appeared off Boston harbour on a visit to the Count de Estaing; but a violent storm here overtook him, scattered his fleet, destroyed the Somerset of 64 guns, on the shores of Cape Cod, and forced the rest of the fleet into Rhode Island for shel- ! ter.

Count de Estaing had now repaired, and victualed his feet, and returned the numerous civilities he had received

from the citizens of Boston, by giving a public dinner on board his fleet, in the superb stile of his nation; improved the first fair wind, took leave of his friends, and on the 3d of November set sail for the West-Indies.

Lord Howe detached Commodore Hotham on the same day, with a part of the fleet, lying at New-York, and a fleet of transports carrying 5000 British troops, to act against the Count in the West-Indies.

On the 1st of October Col. William Butler, at the head of a Pennsylvania regiment, covered by riflemen, commeneed an expedition from Schoharie, and carried the war afresh into the Susquehannah country; destroyed the Indian villages, and castles, with the other settlements, and after enduring incredible fatigues, and perils, returned on the 16th in safety.

Colonel John Butler put himself at the head of a strong party, and revenged this incursion, by entering the state of New-York, and surprising Colonel Alden at CherryValley; an action commenced which lasted 3 hours, Col. Alden was killed; the greatest inhumanities were committed, 50 or 60 men, women, and children, besides soldiers, were killed, or carried into captivity, and even the dead were made the monuments of the most savage barbarities. The party withdrew, and returded to their homes.

Sir Henry Clinton abandoned all further designs of carrying on his operations in the north, and turned his attention to the south. He concerted with Gen. Prescot who commanded in East-Florida, a plan of operations against Georgia. Pending the preparations for this plan, two parties, consisting of regulars, and refugees, entered Georgia from Florida; the one by water and the other by land; the first advanced to Sunbury, and summoned the place; but finding a spirited officer in Col. Mackintosh, who was strongly posted, they abandoned the attempt. The other moved on towards Savannah; but being strong

ly opposed by General Screven, who fell in defence of his country, and by Colonel Elbert, they were constrained to abandon the enterprise, and return, after laying waste the country by fire and sword, destroying, and carrying off the negroes, cattle, &c. and committing the most shocking barbarities.

Colonel Campbell embarked at Sandy-Hook, (November 27th,) with the 71st regiment of foot, two battalions, four of tories, and a detachment of royal artillery; total about 2500, under convoy of Sir Hyde Parker's squadron, and arrived off the mouth of the Savannah, December 29th, where in six days he landed his troops. General Robert Howe, who was posted here with about 800 regulars and militia, who had been worn down with a fruitless expedition into Florida, during the summer, and were now in no condition to meet in the field the force under the command of Colonel Campbell, made a fruitless resist

ance.

Although the American commander had chosen a judicious position to cover the town of Savannah; yet he found himself out-generaled, and was surprised in his camp, and routed, with the loss of more than one half of his army; 48 pieces of cannon, 23 mortars, the fort with all its contents; the shipping in the river, and a large quantity of provisions, together with the capital of Georgia. Flushed with the successes of the day, the British pursued the Americans through the town of Savannah, where the defenceless inhabitants were bayonetted in the streets by the murderous foe; and the army, broken, routed, and destroyed, divided and surrendered at discretion, or fled into South-Carolina.

General Prescot entered the south of Georgia at the time Colonel Campbell sailed from New York, and after experiencing incredible hardships and privations, arrived before Sunbury, which fell into his hands about the time

1

of the fall of Savannah. General Prescot next marched to Savannah, and took the command of the royal army in Georgia, and a proclamation was issued inviting the inhabitants "to lay down their arms and submit to the royal authority, or with their arms support the royal cause."

Congress, at the request of the South-Carolina delegation appointed Gen. Lincoln to the command of the southern department, on the 25th of September; but he did not arrive at Charleston before the 4th of December, where he was joined by Generals Ashe and Rutherford, at the head of about 2000 North-Carolina militia, to act with the troops of South Carolina, and the regulars, in repelling the expected attack from the enemy, who were hovering upon the coast.

On finding that Georgia was the object of the enemy's destination, General Lincoln assembled about 950 men, and marched for Georgia, where he joined the army under Colonel Elbert, as they were passing the Savannah, and on 3d of January he established his head quarters at Purysburg, about 30 miles up the Savannah.

Gen. Lincoln found himself at the head of only 1400 men, and these mostly militia, who were destitute of even the name of discipline; instead of a force of 7000 regular troops, besides the militia of South-Carolina and Georgia, which he had been led to expect, and even this small force was destitute of cannon, arms, tents, camp utensils, and even powder and lead, except in very small quantities. The militia of South-Carolina were in the habit of going and coming, when, and where they pleased, with impunity, being subject, by the laws of the state, to no other punishment than simply a fine. When ordered on duty it was common for them to demand, where are we a going, and how long are we to stay? &c. On the 24th of January they had mostly returned to their homes, and their place