CHAPTER THE TWENTY-NINTH✰

1775-1776-1777

Tranfactions in America.-Efforts of general Howe.-State of the American army.-Inactivity of the British army.-Wafbington takes poffeffion of Dorchester Heights.-Evacuation of Bofton.-Severities against loyalifts.-Campaign in Canada. -Exertions of congrefs and of Arnold.-Carleton makes a fally.-Blockade of Quebec raifed.-Action at Trois Rivieres.

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The Americans evacuate Canada.—Great exertions on both fides to prepare naval force.-The American fleet defeated and destroyed.-Proceedings in North Carolina.-Loyalifts defeated. Expedition to Brunswick.-Unfuccefsful attempt on Sullivan's Iland.-Proceedings in congrefs.-Efforts to attain independence.-Publications-Common Senfe.-Congress recommend to feveral colonies to new-model their governments. --Proceedings in Maryland.--Philadelphia.--Virginia.— Declaration of rights.-Difcuffion of independency—it is carried.-Declaration of independency.-Its reception by the people and the army.-British plan of campaign.—Arrival of lord Howe.Attempt to negotiate with Washington.-Refifted on a plea of form.-Further efforts.-Letter to Franklin.Battle of Brooklyn.-Retreat of the Americans to New York. -Renewed negotiation.-Committee of congrefs confer with the British commiffioners.-Treaty terminated.-Declaration of the commiffioners.-Preparations for the attack of New York-Capture of the city-which is fet on fire by American incendiaries.--Battle of White Plains-Capture of Fort Washington.-Successful invafion of New Jersey.-Difpofition of the British troops in winter-quarters.-Expedition to Rhode Ifland.-Capture of general Lee.Exertions of congrefs.Articles of confederation.-Other meafures.-They retire to Baltimore--Miferable fate of the army.--The Heffians Atationed at Trenton furprized by Washington.-Lord Corn

wallis returns to the British army.-Washington furprizes Princeton and recovers the Ferfeys.-General obfervations on the campaign.

GENERAL on event with the

ENERAL HOWE, on being invefted with the CHAP

XXIX.

1775

neral Howe.

alleviating the diftreffes felt by his troops from the want of neceffaries; but his efforts were not attended Efforts of gewith fuccess: the veffels dispatched to the Weft Indies returned with only fcanty fupplies; the horrors of an American winter were augmented by a want of fuel; many of the veffels fent from England with coals were loft or captured, and the timber of buildings was used as a fubftitute.

American

ariny.

THE Americans, however, were in ftill greater State of the distress: unused to fubordination, divided in opinions respecting the ultimate views of their leaders, loathing inactivity, and regretting the lofs of domeftic enjoyment, they looked forward with impatience to the period when the termination of their agreement to ferve fhould enable them to revifit their own roofs. Large companies folicited leave of abfence, which the commanders dared not refuse, left a total difregard of fubordination fhould enfue. Dr. Franklin and two other members, deputed by congrefs to the camp at Cambridge, as a committee to concert with Washington the means of organizing a new force for the enfuing year, found unexpected and difcouraging difficulties. The experience of a year's fervice had cooled the ardour of enterprize, and abated the confident hope of fpeedy fuccefs; the recruiting was flowly effected, and the Connecticut troops, whofe term of service first expired, quitted the army. The acceffion Dec. 1775. of recruits was prevented by fear of the fmall-pox: the whole force under Washington did not, at the close of the year, amount to ten thoufand, but was fhortly

a On their way home feveral were arrefted by the country people, and compelled

CHA P. afterward augmented to about seventeen thousand, by drafts from the militia ".

XXIX.

1776. 17th and

18th Jan.

1776.

ANOTHER Cause of alarm and distress to the befiegers of Boston was derived from the deficiency of military ftores, which no art could palliate, and no Their wants. exertion wholly relieve. The coaft of Africa was deprived of its flock of powder by a judicioufly concerted purchase, and a confiderable quantity was feized on board a veffel near the bar of St. Auguftine. One Hopkins alfo, by a bold and fuccefsful expedition to Providence, one of the Bahama iflands, procured fome valuable artillery; but all these acquifitions were only partial and temporary refources: extenfive fupplies could not be obtained, the manufacture of gunpowder directed by congrefs proceeded with difcouraging tardiness, and, even when individuals were obliged to give up their arms for the public fervice, two thousand of the infantry ftill remained unfupplied.

Inactivity of the British

army.

WHILE fuch was the relative fituation of the opposed armies, it afforded much reafonable ground of furprize, that general Howe should remain pent up in Boston, and make no military effort to relieve the miseries of his own troops, and crush the hopes of the Americans. He was not ignorant of general Washington's alarming diftreffes; and this want of enterprize enabled his opponent to boast of his own exertions and fituation, as unparalleled in the annals of history; he had maintained his poft for fix months without powder; and at the fame time had disbanded one army, and recruited another, within mufket fhot of more than twenty British regiments.

Prudence of In this interval, the American general often felt the Washington. approaches of defpondency, and intimated apprehenfions in refpect to the neceffity of an accommodation with the mother-country"; yet he was never deferted

XXIX.

1776.

by his courage, or by that more rare quality of perfe- CHA P. verance, which preffes forward with manly firmness toward its ultimate object, nor deterred by dangers, or goaded into injudicious exertion by peevish clamours or petulant reproaches. Many of thefe affaults general Washington endured with undisturbed ferenity; it was alleged that vigorous efforts would fucceed in expelling the English from Bofton, and he was accufed of delaying effectual exertion for the fake of prolonging the period of his command. When his army was fuffi- Feb. ciently reinforced to juftify the risk of a decifive mea- poffeflion of fure, a council of war refolved, as the most effectual Dorchefter means of expelling the English before the arrival of Heights. fuccours, to obtain poffeffion of Dorchester Heights.

He takes

GENERAL CLINTON had frequently remonftrated with general Gage, and his fucceffor, on the importance of this poft; but as Bofton was to be evacuated, and a more central pofition affumed, no attention was paid to this object. General Washington, for a feint, commenced a bombardment of the town on other points, which, from the unfkilfulness of his engineers, and the deficiency of powder, excited more derifion than alarm; but the garrifon was fuddenly furprized sth March. by obferving the heights of Dorchefter fortified with lines of defence, of which, on the preceding evening, not the fmallest indications had appeared. This masterly manœuvre was performed in one night, by a 4th March. body of two thoufand men under general Thomas, who carried on their operations with equal zeal and diligence, and with fuch profound filence, as to prevent fufpicion, and enfure fuccefs.

A VIOLENT ftorm and flood prevented an intended attack on the heights, the afcent to which was almost perpendicular, and the enemy, as a means of defence, had chained together hogfheads filled with ftones, intending to roll them down on the heads of the affailants these complicated difficulties, and a remonftrance

XXIX.

1776. Evacuation of Bofton.

CHA P. from the admiral that the ships could no longer remain secure in the road while the enemy retained the heights, occafioned the evacuation of Boston. Nearly a fortnight was spent in preparing for the embarka tion, during which the enemy offered no molestation. The Britith army, together with a great number of refugees, fpeedily arrived at Halifax.

17th Mar.

Severities of

ON taking poffeffion of the town, general WashingWashington. ton confifcated the eftates and effects of emigrants, tried the royalists as public enemies and betrayers of their country, and fequeftered their effects for the public fervice. His entry exhibited all the pomp of victory. The provincial legiflature complimented him with an affectionate addrefs; and congrefs accompanied their vote of thanks with an honorary medal.

Obfervation".

UNDER all circumftances, the retreat from the capital of Maffachufet's Bay was difhonourable and disadvantageous to the British arms. Although it had been refolved to abandon that pofition, yet the dif grace of being compelled to retire was unneceffarily incurred. The credit of enterprize, and fame of atchievement accruing to the enemy, were of the highest importance to a people yet in the rudiments of the military profeffion, doubtful of their own ftrength, rather daring than confident, qualified only for fudden exertion, unimproved by practice, and unreftrained by difcipline. But acquifitions more folid than thefe fpeculative advantages, arose from the precipitate evacuation of Bofton: the barracks were uninjured, the cannon were only in part rendered unfit for immediate fervice, immenfe ftores were left untouched, and not a dwelling was damaged, except thofe which had been confumed for fuel. Thus was Bolton, the cradle of revolution, and the primary

f The ordnance and ftores thus abandoned confifted in 250 pieces of cannon, half of which were ferviceable, 4 thirteen and a half inch mortars, 2,500 chaldrons of fea coal, 25,000 bushels of barley, 600 bushels of cats, 100 jars of oil, and 159 horfes. This large fupply was of the utmost importance to the enemy, who were Labouring under the greatest want both of ftores and provisions.

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