forces he could collect. General Moultrie, with the troops he had brought from Savannah, and some others he had collected since his retreat from thence, had taken possession of all the avenues leading to Charleston, and prepared for a vigorous defence. But all opposition was ineffectual: the British army approached within cannon-shot of Charleston, on the 12th of May, 1779.

406. The town was now summoned to surrender, and the inhabitants would gladly have agreed to observe a neutrality during the rest of the war, and would also have engaged for the province but these terms not being accepted, they prepared for a vigorous defence. It was not in the power of the British commander, to succeed at this time in an attack; his artillery was not of sufficient weight, he had no ships to support him, and he knew that general Lincoln was advancing with a supe rior force; and that he would be inclosed between his forces and those in the town: so that certain destruction awaited him upon the failure of his first attempt upon the town.

407. He therefore prudently resolved to withdraw his forces; and took possession of two islands, called St. James's and St. John's, lying to the southward; where, in a short time, his force was augmented by the arrival of two frigates; with these he determined to make himself master of Port Royal, another island possessed of a good harbor, and many other natural advantages, commanding all the sea-coast from Charleston to Savannah river. This he could not accomplish without opposition from the American general, who attempted to dislodge him from his post on St. John's island; but after an obstinate and unsuccessful attempt, was obliged to retire with considerable loss.

408. The principal occasion of the success of the British, was an armed flotilla, which galled the right flank of the Ame ricans so effectually, that they could only direct their efforts against the strongest part of the lines, which was impregnable to their attacks. This disappointment was followed by the loss of Port Royal, which general Prevost took possession of, and stationed his troops in proper places, waiting the arrival of such reinforcements as were expected for the intended attack upon Charleston.

409. In the mean time, count D'Estaing had put into Boston harbor to refit, and used his utmost efforts to gain the goodwill of the inhabitants. He also published a proclamation to be dispersed through Canada, inviting the people to return to their original friendship with France; declaring that all who

renounced their allegiance to the king of Great Britain, should be protected by the king of France.

410. The Canadians did not think it prudent to relinquish their peace, and depend upon the unsubstantial promises of a courtier, whose means were inadequate to his professions, and whose chief aim was to divide and ruin the British interest in America. The French admiral, as soon as his fleet was refitted, and while admiral Byron's had been shattered by a storm, took that opportunity of sailing to the West Indies.

411. During his operations there, the Americans represented his conduct as totally unserviceable to them; upon which he received orders from Europe to assist the colonies with all possible speed. Agreeably to these insructions, he directed his course towards Georgia, with the avowed design of recovering that province from the British, and to put it, as well as South Carolina, in such a state of defence, as would secure them from any future attack. This, upon a superficial view, appeared easy to be effected, as he knew there was but a small force to oppose him.

412. The British fleet and army at New-York were next to be destroyed, and their total expulsion from America was anticipated as an event at no great distance. Full of these towering hopes, the French admiral arrived off the coast of Georgia, with a fleet of twenty sail of the line and ten frigates.

413. His arrival was so unexpected, that several vessels, laden with provisions, fell into his hands. The Experiment, a 50 gun ship, commanded by Sir James Wallace, was taken after a stout resistance. On the continent, the British troops were divided. General Prevost, with an inconsiderable part, was at Savannah; but the main force was under colonel Maitland, at Port Royal.

414. On appearance of the French fleet, an express was sent by Prevost to colonel Maitland, but it was intercepted by the Americans; so that before he could set out to join the commander-in-chief, the Americans had secured the principal passes by land, while the French effectually blockaded the passage by sea. But taking advantage of creeks and inlets, and marching over-land, he arrived in time to relieve Savannah.

415. D'Estaing had allowed general Prevost twenty-four hours to deliberate whether he would capitulate or not; this interval he made use of in making the best preparations in his power, and during this time colonel Maitland arrived. D'Estaing's summons was now rejected. The garrison consisted of

3000 men of approved valor and experience. The united force of the French and Americans was about ten thousand.

416. The event was answerable to the expectation of the British general: having the advantage of a strong fortification, and excellent engineers, the fire of the allies made little impression; so that D'Estaing resolved to bombard the town, and a battery of nine mortars was erected for that purpose.

417. The allied commanders, from motives of policy, refused general Prevost's request to permit the women and children to retire to a place of safety, and they resolved to make a general assault. This was attempted on the 9th of October, but the assailants were everywhere repulsed with great slaugh ter; 1200 were killed and wounded; among the first was count Pulaski, one of the conspirators against a former king of Poland, and among the latter was D'Estaing himself.

418. This defeat overthrew the sanguine hopes of the French and Americans; after waiting eight days longer, the allied forces retreated; the French to their shipping, and the Americans to Carolina. About this time, Sir George Collier was sent with a fleet, having general Matthews and a body of land forces on board, to Virginia. Their first attempt was against the town of Portsmouth, where the British troops carried off twenty vessels with an immense quantity of provisions, designed for general Washington's army, together with a variety of naval and military stores: at the same time and place were burnt 120 vessels, after which the British returned to New-York elated with their victory.

419. The successful issue of this expedition, encouraged them to undertake another. The Americans had erected two strong forts on Hudson river, the one at Verplank's Neck on the east, and the other at Stony Point on the west side; these were likely to be of the utmost service to us, as they commanded the principal pass called King's ferry, between the northern and southern colonies.

420. The force employed upon this occasion, was divided into two bodies, one against Verplank's Neck, under the command of general Vaughan, the latter by general Patterson; while the shipping was under the direction of Sir George Collier. General Vaughan met with no resistance; his enemy abandoning their works at his approach. But at Stony Point, a vigorous defence was made. The garrison, notwithstanding, was obliged to capitulate upon honorable conditions. General Clinton, desirous to secure the possession of it, removed from

his former situation, and encamped in such a manner, that general Washington could not give any assistance.

421. The Americans revenged themselves of the British, by distressing the trade of New-York, with their numerous privateers; which were chiefly built and harbored in Connecticut. The British, in return, sent 2000 troops, under the command of governor Tryon and general Garth, under a convoy of armed vessels, to make a descent at New-Haven, where they destroyed the batteries that had been erected to oppose them, besides a number of shipping and naval stores; but as the inhabitants did not fire upon the troops from the houses, the buildings of the town were spared.

422. From New-Haven they proceeded to Fairfield, which they reduced to ashes. Norwalk was next attacked, and afterwards Greenfield, a small seaport in the neighborhood, both of which were burned. These successes were so alarming, as well as detrimental to the Americans, that general Washington was determined to drive the enemy from Stony Point. For this purpose general Wayne was sent with a detachment of chosen men, with directions to take it by surprise. After the capture of it by the British, the fortifications had been completed and made very strong; notwithstanding, the Americans passed through a heavy fire of musketry and grape-shot, and in spite of all opposition, obliged the surviving part of the garrison, consisting of 500 men, to surrender themselves prisoners of

war.

423. The Americans did not attempt to retain the possession of Stony Point; but their success in surprising it, encouraged them to make a similar attack on Paulus Hook, a post strongly fortified, opposite to New-York. After having completely surprised the post, major Lee found it impossible to retain it, and made an orderly retreat with about 161 prisoners, among whom were seven officers.

424. Another expedition was next undertaken by the Americans: this was against a post on the river Penobscot, on the borders of Nova Scotia, of which the British had taken possession, and where they had begun to erect a fort which threatened to be very inconvenient to the Americans. The armament destined against it was so expeditiously fitted out, that colonel Maclane, the commanding officer at Penobscot, was obliged to content himself with putting the works, already constructed, in as good a posture of defence as possible. The Americans could not effect a landing without much difficulty, and bringing the guns of the largest vessels to bear upon the shore.

425. As soon as this was done, they erected several batteries, and kept up a brisk fire for the space of a fortnight; after which they proposed to make a general assault; but before this could be effected, Sir George Collier, with a British fleet, was seen sailing up the river to attack them. On this they embarked their artillery and stores, sailing up the river as far as possible, to avoid being taken. But they were so closely pursued, that not a single vessel escaped; thus the American fleet, consisting of 43 small vessels, was destroyed.

426. The soldiers and sailors were obliged to wander through immense deserts, where they suffered much for want of provisions; and to add to their calamities, a quarrel between the seamen and soldiers broke out, concerning the cause of their misfortunes; a violent affray ensued, in which a great number were killed. Thus the arms of France and America being everywhere unsuccessful, the independence of the latter seemed yet to be in danger, notwithstanding the assistance of so powerful an ally.

427. The hopes of the Americans were again revived by the accession of Spain to the confederacy against Great Britain. The eager desire of Spain to humble Great Britain, appeared to have deprived her of that cautious reserve which seems interwoven with the constitution of the Spanish government. They certainly did not consider that by establishing an independent empire so near them, their rich dependencies in South America might imbibe the spirit of liberty, and be animated, by so successful an example, to sever the political tie which united them to Spain.

428. The first act of hostility against Great Britain by the Spaniards, was an invasion of West Florida, in September, 1779. They easily made themselves masters of the whole, as there was little or no opposition; the country being in no state of defence. They next proceeded to the bay of Honduras, where the British logwood-cutters were settled. These, finding themselves too weak to resist, applied to the governor of Jamaica for assistance, who sent them a supply of men, ammunition, and military stores, under captain Dalrymple.

429. Before the arrival of this detachment, the principal settlement, called St. George's Key, had been taken by the Spaniards, and retaken by the British. Captain Dalrymple fell in with a squadron from admiral Parker's fleet, in search of some register-ships richly laden; but they retreated into the harbor of Omoa, under the protection of a fort that was too strong to be attacked on the water-side with safety.