GENERAL CHARLES LEE.

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9. The day of the battle was excessively hot-one of the hottest ever known in the month of June. Fifty-nine of the British soldiers, and several Americans, perished, without a wound, from the combined effects of extreme heat and fatigue, and drinking too much cold water.

10. One anecdote deserves to be remembered here. In the beginning of the battle of Monmouth, as one Molly Pitcher was carrying water from a spring to her husband, who was employed in loading and firing a cannon, the husband was suddenly killed before her eyes. An officer came along and ordered the vacant cannon to be put out of the way. To his great astonishment, however, Molly took her husband's post, and performed faithfully its duties; and Congress, as a reward, gave her half-pay for life.

11. This is not the only instance of female patriotism which occurred during the war of the Revolution. Not long after the battle of Lexington, the females of Bristol county, Pennsylvania, resolved to raise and equip a whole regiment of soldiers at their own expense, and even to arm such as were unable to arm themselves. One of their number presented the colors their own hands had wrought, and made an eloquent address.

CHAPTER CXIII.

PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED. -Life and Character of General Charles Lee.

1. General LEE was very much blamed by Washington for his conduct in the battle of Monmouth, not only at the time, but afterward. Indeed, he was tried by a court-martial, who found him guilty of disobeying orders, misbehaving before the enemy, and treating Washington, his commander-in-chief, with disrespect. His sentence was suspension from the army for one year.

2. General Lee was born in North Wales, and became an officer, a it is said, at the age of eleven years. He served early in America and was with General Abercrombie at his unsuccessful assault on Ticonderoga, where he was wounded. At a period still later thar this he served under General Burgoyne, in Portugal.

3. When the quarrel began to arise between Great Britain and

9. From what cause did many soldiers die? 10. Tell the story of Molly Pitcher. 11 What was done by the women of Bristol county ?

CHAP. CXIII.-What happened respecting General Charles Lee? 2, 8. Give some aocount of him.

America, Lee was on the side of the colonies, and wrote in their favor.

marching through New Jersey to join Washington, as he lay carelessly at a considerable distance from the main body of the army, he was seized by the British, put on horseback, and carried to New York. He was kept a prisoner by the British, and sometimes very ill-treated, till the surrender of Burgoyne, when he was exchanged.

5. His suspension from the army for a year, for his misconduct at Monmouth, finished his career as a military man. He might indeed have again engaged in the war at the end of that time, had he been a true patriot, but such he seems not to have been. He wrote a pamphlet, in which, besides defending his own conduct, he took it upon himself to abuse Washington.

6. There is little doubt that Lee, who was proud, selfish and ambitious, envied Washington, and secretly sought to diminish his influence, in order to elevate himself. Yet he was, for the most part, a good military officer, as well as a fine scholar, and few men in the army had more capacity than he.

7. His abuse of Washington led to a duel with Colonel Laurens, in which the latter received a wound. After this Lee retired to his estate in Virginia, where he lived alone, in a miserable hovel, without windows or plastering, amusing himself with his books and his dogs He died at a public house in Philadelphia, in the year 1782.

What happened to him in 1776? 5. What did he do after his suspension from the ariny? 6. What is supposed to have actuated him in abusing Washington? 7. What of a duel between Lee and Colonel Laurens? How did Lee end his days?

PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.-Events in Rhode Island.

1. ON the first of July, 1778, the very day on which the Britisk troops, in their retreat from Philadelphia, reached New York, Count d'Estaing, with a French fleet of twelve ships of the line, six frigates, and four thousand men, arrived off the coast of the United States, in the hope of attacking the British fleet in the Delaware River or Chesapeake Bay.

2. But he was a little too late to engage them at the south, for they had just sailed for New York. By the advice of Washington, d'Estaing proceeded to the north, to assist in a plan which had been formed for expelling the British from Rhode Island. He arrived, with his fleet, at Newport, July 25th.

3. In the mean time, the American army, to the number of ten

CHAP. CXIV.-1. What of Count d'Estaing? 2. Where did he sall, and for what purpose?

thousand men, under Generals Sullivan and Greene, had been collected together at or near Providence. Here General Sullivan and Count d'Estaing laid a plan together to take Newport; but, just before they were ready for the onset, a British fleet appeared in sight, and d'Estaing sailed out to make an attack.

4. A violent storm came on, which scattered both fleets, and so crippled the French as to prevent an engagement. Meanwhile, General Sullivan, in expectation of the arrival of the French fleet, and nable to wait longer, crossed on the 9th of August to Rhode Island, with nine thousand men, and on the 14th besieged Newport.

5. The French fleet at length made its appearance, but, instead of coming to the aid of General Sullivan, sailed to Boston, to refit. This was a sad disappointment to the Americans, and General Sullivan found it expedient, on the 28th of August, to raise the siege, and retire to his first position, at the north end of the island.

6. The British troops, about six thousand strong, taking advantage of his retreat, went out against him the next day, and a long and severe battle ensued. The British, after having lost about two hundred and sixty men, retreated. The American loss was considerable, but not so great as that of the British.

7. The next day, a brisk cannonading was kept up on both sides, but there was no sharp conflict. At this juncture General Sullivan received a letter from Washington, informing him that a large body of British troops had just left New York, probably for the relief of Newport; upon which it was determined to retreat from the island.

8. The retreat was conducted with great skill, and was accomplished during the night of the 30th of August. It was, undoubtedly, a lucky escape; for Sir Henry Clinton, with four thousand men, arrived next day, and a little longer stay on the island would probably have been fatal. General Sullivan's troops were chiefly raw recruits and militia, not yet inured to war.

9. The British troops from New York, not being wanted at Rhode Island, proceeded along the coast of Massachusetts to New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard. Their avowed object was to seize the American privateers, which were known to be in the habit of resorting to New Bedford; but they did not scruple to burn stores, houses, mills, barns, etc. At Fair Haven they received a repulse, and were glad to retreat.

8. Where was the American army assembled? 4. What effect had the storm on the two fleets? What did General Sullivan do? 5. How did the French fleet disappoint the Americans? 6. What did the British troops then do? 7 What did General Sullivan hear from Washington? What was determined? 8. What of the retreat? Why was their escape a fortunate one? 9. How did the British troops now occupy themselves? What happened at Fair Haven?

TRUMBULL, THE ARTIST.

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CHAPTER CXV.

PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.-Trum bull, the Artist.

1. ONE excellent young officer, who was very active in the American

COLONEL TRUMBULL.

army, under General Sullivan, during this period of the war in Rhode Island, deserves something more than a mere passing notice. The person referred to was Major John Trumbull, of Connecticut; afterwards Colonel Trumbull, the celebrated painter.

2. Young Trumbull was first introduced to the army as an adjutant of militia, under General Spencer, of Connecticut, a relation of Governor Trum bull, his father. It was soon after the battle of Lexington. The regiment to which he belonged being attached to Gen

eral Thomas's division of the army, was stationed at Roxbury. 3. Here they were sometimes annoyed by the fire of the enemy; this was especially the fact on the day of the battle of Bunker's Hil. Hearing the firing that day, General Spencer's regiment was drawn up in full view of the British troops, posted on the Neck; upon which the latter opened a fire on them. Most of the balls passed over their heads; one of them, however, came so near a soldier standing by Trumbull, that, without being touched by it, he fell.

4. Trumbull thought the soldier was only frightened, and bade him get up; but he said he was not able, and that he should die. The soldiers took him to the surgeon, but there was no wound, nor the slightest bruise. And yet he died. The heart and large vessels near it were full of thick, dark blood. He was evidently killed by the force --the wind, as it is called-of the ball.

CHAP. CXV.-1. What of John Trumbull? 2. How was he first introduced into the army? Where was he stationed? 3. Describe the situation of the troops on the Nook 4. What of the soldier and the cannon-ball?