ground. On Sunday from every appearance there was reason to apprehend an action. About sun-set, after various marches and counter-marches, they halted, and still supposed they would attack us in the night, or early the next morning, but in this -I was mistaken. On Monday afternoon they filed off, and march ed toward Philadelphia. Their loss in skirmishing was not in considerable. I sincerely wish they had made an attack, the is sue would in all probability have been happy for us.. Policy forbad our quitting our posts to attack them."

[Dec. 11.] The American army marched from White Marsh to Sweed's-ford. The want of clothing was so extreme that gen. Washington was under the absolute necessity of granting warrants to different officers to impress what the holders would not wil lingly part with, agreeable to the powers with which congress had invested him. He removed with the troops, on the 19th, to Valley-forge where they hutted about sixteen miles from Philadelphia. When the mode of hutting was first proposed, some treated the idea as ridiculous, few thought it practicable, and all were surprised at the facility with which it was executed, It was certainly a considerable exertion for the remnant of an army, exhausted and worn down, by the severity of a long and rather unsuccessful campaign, to sit down in a wood, and in the latter end of December to begin to build them huts. Through the want of shoes and stockings, and the hard frozen ground, you might have tracked the army from White Marsh to Valley-forge by the blood of their feet. The taking of this position was highly requisite Had the army retired to the towns in the in terior parts of the state, a large tract of fertile country would have been exposed to ravage and ruin; and they must have distressed in a peculiar manner the virtuous citizens from Philadelphia, who had fled thither for refuge.

*

Sir W. Howe has plainly the advantage of the American general, but nothing to boast of; for all the fruits derived from his various manœuvrings and engagements, from the beginning to the close of the campaign, amount to little beside good winter quarters for his army in Philadelphia, while the troops possess no more of the adjacent country than what their arms immediately contmand. Certain persons indeed are permitted to carry pro visions into the city; that so upon their return they may supply the Americans with intelligence. These must submit to spare a little for such purposes, though in the utmost want themselves At one time the army remained quiet for four days together with out bread; on the fifth two regiments refused to do duty upon

1

* General Washington mentioned it to me, when at his table; June 3, 1784.

the

the account; but the prudence and pursuasion of the commander - in chief restored order. To a similar event there was probably an allusion, in the following extract from his letter of the 23d"This brought fourth the only commissary in the purchasing line in this camp, and with him this melancholy alarming truth, that he had not a single hoof of any kindto slaughter, and not more than twenty-five barrels of flour, and could not tell when to expect a- ny. The present commissaries are by no means equal to the ex ecution of the office, or the disaffection of the people is past all belief. The change in that department took place contrary to my judgment, and the consequences thereof were predicted. No man ever had his measures more impeded than I have, by every department of the army. Since the month of July we have had no assistance from the quarter-master-general, and to want of assist ance from this department the commissary-general charges geať part of his deficiency. We have by a field return this day, no less than 2898 men in camp unfit for duty, because they are barefoot and otherwise naked. Our whole strength in continental troops- (including the eastern brigades, which have joined u since the surrender of Burgoyne) exclusive of the Maryland troops sent to Wilmington, is no more than 8200 in camp fit. for duty. Since the fourth our number fit through hardships, particularly on account of blankets (numbers have been, and still are obliged to sit up all night by fires, instead of taking comfortable rest in a common way) have decreased near two thousand men. Upon the ground of safety and policy, I bliged to conceal the true state of the army from public view, and thereby expose myself to detraction and calumny. - Thereis as much to be done in preparing for a campaign, as in the active part of it." Gen. Mifflin in a letter of October the eighth, had represented to congress, that his health was so much impaired, and the probability of a recovery so distant, that he thought it his duty to return to them their commissions to him of major general and quarter-master-general. While the army was suf fering as above related for want of shoes, &c. hogsheads of shoes, stockings and clothing, were at different places, upon the road and in the woods, lying and perishing, for want of teams, and proper management, and money to pay the teamsters.

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Nothing great has happened in the neighbourhood of NewYork, since the return of the troops under general Vaughan from their expedition up the North-River; but it may not displease you to read the following particulars. On the 18th of November, gen. Tryon sent about one hundred men under capt. Emmerick to burn some houses, on Philip's manor, within about four miles of gen. Parsons' guards. They effected if with circumstances of barbarity, stripping the clothing off the women and children and turning them almost naked into the streets in a most severely cold night. The men were made prisoners, and led with halters about their necks, with no other clothes than their shirts and breeches in triumph to the British lines. A few days after Parsons wrote to Tryon upon the occasion, expostulating with him upon the business, and told him, That he could destroy the houses and buildings of col. Philips and those belonging to the Delancey family, each as near their lines as the building destroyed were to his guards; that notwithstanding all their vigilence, the destruction could not be prevented and that it was not fear or want of opportunity, but a sense of the injus tice and savageness of such a line of conduct, that had hitherto saved the buildings. Tryon answered from Kingsbridge on the 23d, and said among other things, "Sir, could I possibly conceive myself accountable to any revolted subjects of the king of Great-Britain, I might answer your letter of yesterday respect ing the conduct of capt. Emmerick's party upon the taking of Peter and Cornelius Vantassel. As much as I abhor every principle of inhumanity or ungenerous conduct, I should, were I in more authority, burn every committee-man's house within my reach, as I deem them the wicked instruments of the continu ed calamities of this country; and in order the sooner to purge the colony of them, I am willing to give twenty silver dollars for every acting committee-man who shall be delivered up to the king's troops." The stinging repartee made to this letter was contained in an expedition undertaken immediately after to Greenwich, about three miles from New-York, where a small party arrived in the evening, advanced to Mr. Oliver Delancy's house secured the sentry, dismissed a few ladies in peace, though rather hastily, made a few men prisoners, burnt the house, occasioned the firing of the alarm guns in New-York, then crossed the river and got safe off.

New-York reminds me of the American prisoners confined in that city, and Philadelphia. In the course of letters that passed between generals Howe and Washington, the former alluded to the cases of royal prisoners of war being injuriously and unjusti fiably loaded with irons. The latter, in one of November the 14th, says "If there is a single instance of a prisoner of war being in irons, I am ignorant of it, nor can I find on the most minute inquiry, that there is the least foundation for the charge. I wish you to particularize the cases you allude to, that relief may be had, if the complaints are well-founded. Now we are upon the subject of grievances, I am constrained to observe that f

have a variety of accounts, not only from prisoners who have made their escape, but from persons who have left Philadelphia, that our private soldiers in your hands, are treated in a manner shocking to humanity, and that many ny of them must have perished through hungerhad it not been for the charitable contributions of the inhabitants. It is added in aggravation, that this treatment is to oblige them to inlist in the corps you are raising. I must also remonstrate against the cruel treatment and confinement of our officers. This I am informed is not only the case of those in Philadelphia but of many in New-York. Many of the cruelties exercised toward prisoners are said to proceed from inhumanity of Mr. Cunningham, provost marshall, without your knowledge or approbation. I transmit the depositions of two persons of reputati on who are come from Philadelphia, respecting the treatment they received. I will not comment upon the subject. It is too painful." Howe particularized by saying " Major Stockdon, and other officers of the New-Jersey volunteers, were put in irons at Princeton. The major and captain of that regiment were marched out of that place, under guard and hand-cuffed together." Washington rejoined-" When major Stockdon was first captured, I believe that he and one or two officers taken with him, suffered the treatment which you mention. This was without my privity or consent; as soon as I was apprised of it, relief was ordered. But surely this event, which happened so long ago, will not authorise the charges in your letter of the 6th."

On the 10th of December, all the American officers were removed from the ships back to Long-Island, from whence they had been taken and carried on board. The inhabitants received them in again, upon Mr. Lewis Pintard's engaging to pay for them at the rate of two hard dollars per week. There was 250. of them. He acted for Mr. Boudinot. Had he not engaged, their former board not having been paid for, they would have been returned to the ships. All the privates there have been clothed by him. He observed, when informing his principal of these particulars-"The privates should have a little fresh beef, especially the convalescents, who on leaving the hospitals are put to salt meat, and relapse immediately; the consequence of which is, they are dying very fast. I advise sending in weekly a quantity of fresh provision for their consumption."

The board of war had a conference with Mr. Boudinot, the commissary general of prisoners, at York-town on the 21st of December, and after having carefully examined the evidences produced by him, agreed upon reporting, beside other matters -"That there are about 900 privates, and 300 officers in the city of New-York, and about 500 privates and 50 officers in VOL. II.

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Philadelphia-That the privates in New-York have been erowded all summer in sugar-houses, and the officers boarded on Long-Island, except about 30, who have been confined in the provost guard and in the most loathsome jails: - That since the beginning of October all these prisoners, both officers and pri vates, have been confined in prison-ships, or the provost: That the privates in Philadelphia have been kept in two public jails, and the officers in the state-house:- That, from the best evi dence which the nature of the subject will admit of, the general allowance of prisoners at most does not exceed four ounces of meat, and as much bread (often so damaged as not to be eatable) per day, and often much less, though the professed allowance is from eight to ten ounces:-That it has been a common practice with the enemy, on a prisoner's being first captured, to keep him three, four, or even five days without a morsel of provisions of any kind, and then to tempt him to inlist to save his life:ق That there are numerous instances of prisoners of war perishing in all the agonies of hunger from their severe treatment: -That being generally stript of what clothes they have when taken, they have suffered greatly for the want thereof during their confinement." This ill-treatment of the American prisoners, though it shortens the lives of numbers, tends only to lengthen the war, by irritating the people at large, among whom it is quick ly reported.

Let us now quit the military for the civil department, though with respect to dates we must be retrograde.

On Wednesday, October the 29th, Mr. President Hancock closed the business of the morning by taking leave of congress in the following speech-" Gentlemen, Friday last completed two years and five months since you did me the honor of elect ing me to fill this chair. As I could never flatter myself your choice proceeded from any idea of my abilities, but rather from a partial opinion of my attachment to the liberties of America, I felt myself under the strongest obligations to discharge the duties of the office, and I accepted the appointment with the firmest resolution to go through the business annexed to it in the best manner I was able. Every argument conspired to make me ex ert myself, and I endeavored by industry and attention to make up for every other deficiency. As to my conduct both in and out of congress in the execution of your business, it is improper for me to say any thing. You are the best judges. But I think I shall be forgiven, if I say I have spared no pains, expence, or labour, to gratify your wishes, and to accomplish the views of congress. My health being much impaired, I find some relaxation absolutely necessary, after such constant application; I