retreated by the road leading from Barron-hill church to Mat son's-ford, and had nearly effected his retreat over the Schuytkill before the enemy were sensible of their error. They then doubled their pace to come up with his rear; but his retreat was so handsome and timely, that the troops were all crossed and formed before they could come near the ford in force. His whole loss was no more than nine men. The American army had early information of the marquis' danger, and were in great anxiety about him, They began firing some of their heaviest artillery, hoping as the wind being fair, the sound would be conveyed to the enemy in such a manner as to excite mistaken apprehension; which they think was the case, as the enemy, af ter the marquis had crossed, made a precipitate march back to Philadelphia, seemingly under an apprehension that they should be pursued and attacked by the whole army. Had gen. Grant marched down at once to Matson's-ford and secured it, the marquis with his select-corps, must have surrendered or been cut to pieces. Their loss would have obliged the rest of the American army to have made an hasty flight, in a most distressing situation, the chief of them being without shoes and stockings, and otherwise badly provided. The orderly manner in which the Americans retreated, and which contributed much to their escaping, is to be ascribed to the improvements made in their discipline, owing greatly to the baron de Steuben, the inspector, general.

LETTER

FRIEND GORDON,

XI.

Rotterdam, June 1, 1778

YOU

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YOU will not be surprised at seeing from whence this is ted; nor be at a loss to account for my removal. The present residence will be more favorable to general intelligence than Great-Britain, as it affords an opportunity of visiting and hearing from Paris without danger. My last year's letter closed with the account of capt. Cunningham's having taken the packet

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for Holland, in the beginning of May 1777. The captain and his crew were committed to prison for some irregularities: and to save appearances were continued there for a short time by the French; but were speedily released from their mock confinement, and permitted to purchase and fit out a much stronger vessel avowedly to infest the British commerce. Mr. Hodge, whom you know, was committed also to the Bastile, at the request of lord Stormont, for having acted publicly as Cunningham's agent, in fitting out the privateer that took the Prince of Orange packet... While in the Bastile he was treated with the utmost politeness and civility; and entertained in the most elegant manner. But the American commissioners being dissatisfied with his confinement and expressing themselves in strong terms upon the subject, he was released, that the harmony between the French and Americans might not suffer an interruption. - Upon some reports tending to discourage the French commerce with the Americans, Mr. de Sartine, minister of the ma rine, assured the several chambers of commerce by a public instrument, signed the 4th of July 1777, and in direct contravention to all the British navigation laws, that the king was determined to afford the fullest protection to their commerce, and would reclaim all ships taken under that pretext. Still the poli cy of Versailles prevented France's being hurried into a rupture. She determined to riske no decisive step, till the issue of the Amé-rican campaign was known, her sailors were returned from the Newfoundland fishery, and her naval equipments were compleated. Therefore when the British ministry made heavy complaints attended with manaces, on account of the many prizes carried into the French ports by the American privateers, and there disposed of, as also of the countenance and protection given to the said privateers, she granted lord Stormont, an order for all of them to depart immediately.

The news of gen. Burgoyne's success at Tyconderoga and advance toward Albany, excited the greatest triumph on the side of administration. The promising prospect of the northern expedition's answering fully the wishes of ministry, enabled them to press France harder than ever; and dictated to the latter greater pliableness and complaisance. Express orders were sent to Nantz, and all the other parts of the kingdom, forbidding the admittance of any American privateers, unless they entered in order to refit, or were driven in by stress of weather or want of provisions, and in either of these cases they were to be gone as soon as possible. "Notwithstanding all this parade, priva teers come in, tarry and take military stores: and their prizes are publicly sold, but as formerly practised after similar com VOL. II. plaints,

plaints, at the mouth of the harbor to people who go off in boats to buy them; and are then brought in and unloaded. Lord Stormont hears of it, flies to court, complains and threat ens afresh: the court storms at and threatens its officers, the officers make their excuses; and the affair is soon hushed up, or terminates in a tedious controversy, by which the wished for time is gained. Before the subject of shipping is dropped, let it be noted that the king's cruisers have taken several American vèssels and privateers and retaken some of their prizes; and will be likely soon to check the progress of American success in naval operations on the European coasts.

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By the beginning of November, advices wete received of the Bennington action, the failure of St. Leger's expedition against Fort Stanwix, and Burgoyne's first engagement. These advices overthrew in a great measure, the sanguine expectations that had been formed of speedily reducing the colonies: and were a bad prelude to the meeting of parliament, which took place the 20th of November. The royal speech was in the usual tone, but mentioned an augmentation of the naval force, considering that the armaments in the ports of France and Spain continued. It concluded with a resolution of pursuing the measures in which administration was engaged. When the address of the commons was before the house, the marquis of Granby proposed an amendment, and that his majesty should be requested to adopt measures for accommodating the differences with America, and that a cessation of hostilities should be recommended. It was strenuouly supported by the opposition on the following grounds, that three years war, at an immense expence, with 55,000 land forces, and 100 ships of war, had only left the nation in nearly the same situation as when it began. They had lost Boston and had gained New-York; and every hope of obtaining a revenue from America had been long over. The country gentlemen were unusually blank; they saw not only an end of all their expectations of an American revenue; but found themselves saddled, with the bur den of a war infinitely more ruinous than any other in which the nation had ever been involved. Some of the ministerial party however threw out hints for their consolation, that America when subdued would be taxed. Mr. Hartly mentioned in the debate, that there was one ray of hope left to the British, if they had wisdom to seize the opportunity of opening a treaty with the Ameri cans, while these were discontented with the cool and dilatory proceedings of the court of France. After all that could be ad vanced by opposition, the amendment was rejected by a majority of 243 against 86. The earl of Chatham moved for an amendment in the house of lords. He was for bringing about an accomodation

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dation with the Americans by a treaty, and rested the stress of his argument upon this point, that the house of Bourbon was upon the eve of breaking with us. His motion was rejected by 97 to 28.

When the news of the Saratoga convention reached France, and was communicated to the court of Versailles by the American commissioners, the latter were almost instantly received and publicly treated in that character. The capture of Burgoyne's army convinced the French, that the American opposition to Great Britain was not owing to a faction, a few leading men that had gotten into power, but that the body of the people must be engaged, and that they were numerous, or that they could not have made such an effort as not only to have stopped a conquering army, but to have captivated it. It was therefore determined by a majority of the French court, to take the Americans by the hand, and to acknowledge their independence. They knew that Great Britain could not subdue, though they might distress France; and that if the United States would persevere, these must at length establish their independence in connection with France, though they might be reduced to greatjer difficulties than they had already felt. The marquis de la Fayette's correspondence with his family and friends, undoubtedly proved influential in procuring the determination. His letters were eagerly sought after; and counteracted those prejudices that were raised by several Frenchmen who returned from America in disgust. His sentiments were imbibed from their being frequently confirmed by events. The American cause being now popular in his native country, and the French court having adopted it, they cannot longer resent the early part he took in it, notwithstanding the offence given at the moment by his disobedience and departure..

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Such is the present state of the contest between Great-Britain and the Americans, that it will more than ever suffice to give you few occasional hints upon the parliamentary debates specting it. In one that took place on the second of December, a federal commercial union was talked of by some, as the -only hope left with regard to America; but reprobated by ministry.. Fox moved for laying certain papers before the commonswhile the matter was debating, intelligence was received : that a similar motion had been complied with in the house of lords, by the lords in administration agreeing to it; and yet such was the influence of the ministry in the house of commons, that Mr. Fox's motion was, in a manner which in other seasons would have been deemed incredible, rejected upon a division of 178 to 89,

[Dec.

[Dec. 3.] The succeeding day was marked with the melan choly catastrophe of Burgoyne's expedition; a disclosure which excited no less grief and astonishment in both houses, than dis may on the side of the ministers, who were bitterly reproached upon the occasion. The business relating to the pecuniary sup plies, being finished, and little short of nine millions voted for the service of the ensuing year, by the 10th of December, an adjournment to the 20th of January, was that day moved for on the side of ministry, and after considerable debates, carried in both houses.

Two days after, the American commissioners at Paris, finding all attempts to establish a cartel with lord Stormont, ineffectual, transmitted a letter to lord North, couched in strong terms of complaint, on the subject of the rigorous treatment exercised toward the American prisoners. It contained a particular charge... which has not been publicly refuted, that a number of them-1. were in a state of bondage, on the coasts of Africa and in the a East-Indies, being compelled to submit to that condition, under the menaces of an immediate and ignominious death...

On the 16th of December, Mr. Gerard delivered to the Ame rican commissioners the preliminaries of a treaty between France and America. The same conveyance that brought an account of the Saratoga convention to the commissioners, and the letter to Dr. Fothergill, brought also a letter from the Reve Dr. Cooper, of Boston, to Dr. Franklin, in which was mention ed the opinion given in the one to Dr. Fothergill; before this last was sent to England, care was taken to open and procure a copy of it for the commissioners. Dr. Cooper's letter was long and full, contained much information, and urged that France should step forward at once in the cause of America, or that her opportunity of gaining a connection with the United States might be lost. Dr. Franklin communicated it to the French minister, on whom it had a good effect. A number of circumstances, not publicly known, came at the same time to the know ledge of the doctor; they were well adapted to quicken the court of France, and he improved them to the purpose of showing the importance and necessity of her taking an open and de-a cisive part. The ministry however, were for keeping that part private when taken, as long as convenient to their own nation, and subservient to the general good of both countries.

December the 24th, there was a meeting of merchants at the King's Arms tavern, in Cornhill, for the purpose of raising a sum of money to relieve the distress of the American prisoners. A petition from several of these at Portsmouth prison, sent the 1st 10 of the month, to certain lords and others, was read. The peti