commanded by Lieut. Colonel St. Leger, proceeded by the Mohawk River, and invefted Fort Stanwix, which was commanded by Colonel Gansevoort, a name which ought to be tranfmitted on account of the unfhaken firmness with which he defended the place. A body of Americans advancing to its relief, were defeated by a party of Indians, but several of their most respected warriors fell in the action, which, together with the reftraints which were laid on their savage thirft of blood, gave them a hearty difrelifh of the service. St. Leger, in vain attempted, both by offers of advantageous terms, upon furrender, and by threats of utter extirpation, in cafe of obftinate perfeverance, to gain poffeffion of the place; and the approach of Arnold with a confiderable army, obliged him at length to retire from the fort, the Indians who accompanied him having haftily refolved to return home; but before they separated themselves, they committed depredations upon their allies with impunity. This defection, and the enemy he had to encounter, obliged St. Leger to retire to Canada, and abandon General Burgoynewith the main body of the troops, which were now reduced to 3,500 fighting men, not 2000 of which were British ; the Canadians and Provincials having, in general, deserted. The army thus reduced in numbers, engaged the provincial militia commanded by Major-General Gates, an Englishman, and who had ferved as an officer during the last war. The former remained mafters of the field, and the latter retired in good order *..

The perilous fituation of the northern army being now known at New York, Sir Henry Clinton, with a confiderable body of troops, embarked in armed gallies and fmall veffels, and having fome frigates under the command

* September 19, 1777.

of

of Commodore Hotham, proceeded up Hudfon's River, with a view to gain Albany, and thereby open a communication with Burgoyne. Some forts were taken and deftroyed. Sir James Wallace, with a squadron of small frigates, and General Vaughan, at the head of a body of light troops, fpread terror and deftruction wherever they went; the village of fopus was reduced to afhest, and every principle of humanity feemed to be absorbed in a zeal for extirpating irreclaimable rebels.

Various were the attempts made to convey information to General Burgoyne of the approach of fuccours, but they were in general defeated by the treachery of fome entrufted with the fecret. On the 7th of October, Burgoyne fought a desperate battle with Arnold, but was obliged to retreat into his camp, where he was soon after attacked with great fury, but in this onfet Arnold received a wound, and his troops were foon after repulfed. The combined army now lay a few miles fouth of Saratoga, on the way to Albany; to the latter place it was impracticable to penetrate, but to the former it effected a retreat. The only remaining hope confifted in retiring to Fort Edward, but no more than three days provifion, upon fhort allowance, remained in store, and the camp was invested with an army of 16,000 men, which occupied every pafs. In this extremity a council of war was -called on the 13th of October, composed of the Generals, field officers, and Captains commanding cores, wherein` it was refolved to open a treaty with Major-General Gates, and three days after a convention was figned, whereby it was ftipulated, that the British and Heffian troops fhould march out of the camp with all the honours of war, and their artillery, to a place appointed, where they should de

+ October 16, 1777.

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pofit their arms. They were to be allowed a free embarka kation and paffage from Bofton to Europe, on condition of their not ferving again in America during the war the officers to be admitted on parole, and to wear their fide arms; all private property to remain unmolested, and public ftores of all kinds to be delivered up upon honour,

Whilft the vanquifhed army was employed in the irkfome task of piling their arms, the American General felt as an Englishman; and to alleviate, as much as poffible, the painful fituation of his countrymen, drew off his whole army, so that none of his men were spectators of the transaction. It is truly memorable, that this devoted army, received these honourable terms of capitulation, on the very day when the defenceless town of fopus was wantonly laid in ruins.

Several inftances occur in the hiftory of Europe, during the prefent century, of fimilar misfortunes befalling large bodies of troops. At the battle of Blenheim, 13,000 men, the beft troops in France, laid down their arms without firing a volley. Some years after 14,000 Swedes, commanded by Charles XII. till then invincible, furrendered themselves prifoners at difcretion to an army of Ruffians. The fate of 5000 British troops, under General Stanhope, in New Caftile, in the year 1710, is well known.

The Congrefs, upon various pretences, afterwards refufed to ratify this convention; fo that the troops remained prisoners of war for more than three years; and when they were at length embaiked, not one fixth part of their original numbers were muftered, the far greater part having affimilated themfelves to their conquerors *.

*The army which furrendered amounted to upwards of 5600 men, officers included; the non-effective men at the time of the capitulation, muft therefore have been a very confiderable number.

The

The army under Sir William Howe repofed in comfortable winter quarters at Philadelphia, whilft Washington, now reinforced with 4000 men from the northern army, and a large train of artillery, advanced to Whitemarsh, and foon after removed to Valley-forge, where his troops were obliged to continue during the severities of winter in a hutted camp, twenty-two miles from the capital. Here he entrenched himself in fo ftrong a manner, that Sir William Howe thought it not adviseable to attack him.

It appears that difcipline was much better maintained, whilft the combined army continued in Pennsylvania, than in the Jerfeys, the preceding winter. But though the army was well fupplied with neceffaries, the inhabitants, to the amount of 20,000, were reduced to great diftrefs. The Quakers in England were no fooner informed of the fuffer-ings of their brethren in Philadelphia, than fome hips were immediately freighted with fuch articles as were most wanted for their fupport and relief.

The British Commander had in vain remonstrated for more troops, and imagining that he had loft the confidence of government, folicited his Majefty's permiffion to withdraw from the command, which he immediately obtained. The conduct of this General has been feverely fcrutinized, and every endeavour has been used to attribute to his wilful neglect, the procraftination of the war in America. The Heffian commander was heard to declare, "that if Great Britain had paid her General by the job, and not by the day, the business would have been foon fettled;" but the future events of the war have certainly weakened the force of the attacks upon Sir William Howe. It is much easier to decide upon what ought to be the operations of an army U 4

over

1

over a map, than to effect thofe purposes in the field. General Amherst, in the laft war, was employed two campaigns in driving 5000 French troops out of America; but the nation was then as much difpofed to be pleased, as it has fince been provoked to difcontent. The enemies of Howe readily allow him to poffefs an uncommon fhare of perfonal courage and great profeffional fkill. His habits of diffipation were fuch as military men are more particularly addicted to; they were no lefs predominant in Marshal Saxe, notwithstanding which, he is now confidered as the first General of his age, We are not, at this day, to lay claim to the extraordinary gifts of public spirit.

1

Sir William Howe has been loudly and generally blamed as deserting the northern army, by undertaking his fouthern expedition. His juftification of himself appears forcible, not to fay conclufive. By proceeding to the fouthward, he effected a powerful diverfion in favour of General Burgoyne, by drawing off the main American army. On the other hand, had he advanced up Hudson's River, Washington, with his whole force, would have either cut off his communication with New York, or with the northern army. The cry would then have been, that he had wasted the campaign in accomplishing what would have fucceeded as well without him. By the fall of Ticonderoga, bis affiftance feemed to become unneceffary, as rapid fuccefs was expected to follow. Had he then proceeded with his army to the fuccour of the victorious General, he would, have been thought enviously to have grafped at a share of that glory which would otherwife have been entirely due to the northern Chieftain. Add to this, that his inftructions, inftead of directing fuch a conjunct plan of operations, pointed out Philadelphia as his object.

Among the plans fuggefted in the beginning of the year

....

1777,