1600 rebels under Col. Campbell and fix other Colonels: the Major had only with him fome militia and the small remains of his own corps; yet he repulfed the enemy, and every perfon thought the victory secure: but unfortunately, in ad. vancing to reconnoitre the enemy, who were retiring, he fell by a random-hot; which fo alarmed Capt. de Peifter, the next in command, that he immediately hoifted the white flag, that is his white handkerchief. An officer clofe by him, enraged at fuch timidity, made a ftroke at him with his fabre, and almost cut off his hand; nevertheless the furrender went on. Soon after which the rebels hung up Col. Mills, of the militia, and eight others, and the British officers were forced to attend the execution [25.]. Major Ferguson was fecond fon of the Hon. James Ferguson of Pitfour, one of the Lords both of the Seffion and of the Jufticiary, two of the fupreme courts in Scotland; was a lieutenant-colonel by brevet, about thirty-fix years of age, and a bachelor. SIR, Jan. 31. 1781. IT is well known, that the Dutch fishery upon the coafts of Scotland, is profitable to individuals, and highly advantageous to the state. Holland is higher taxed than any nation in Europe; yet fuch are the effects of induftry and fkill, that her people carry their fishing. apparatus many leagues from home, and have established upon the coast of Scotland a monopoly in their own favour. At fo low an ebb are ftock, industry, and skill, in the highlands and iflands, that, were it not for war and emigrations, the people of thefe countries would ab. folutely ftarve: neither local advantages nor bounties have hitherto been able to excite them to a competition with the Dutch. The prefent rupture with Holland feems a proper opportunity to acquire to this country the ufe of the bountiful gifts of Nature. The fuperior genius of Czar Peter, that greatest of all founders! and the laudable perfeverance of his fucceffors, have really wrought political miracles in Ruffia. Ireland was once deftitute of linen, and a linen-manufacture now flou rishes there. The time was when an Englishman was fo rude, that neither could he work up into cloth a fingle fleece of his native wool, nor give an ad ventitious colour to the cloth. These facts carry with them conviction. The Scots, fomewhat like the Athenians of old, excel in arms and in literature; it evidently, therefore, is not Nature that has played the niggard with us. The Scots, fome centuries ago, compofed a national mufic that is still in high repute. They finally prevailed against the unjuft Edward Longshanks. They reduced their priesthood to a fize bearing a due proportion to national wealth and numbers of people. They exiled a foolish fellow of a king, who perfifted in the abfurd attempt of becoming a vaffal to an old bachelor at Rome. They united themfelves with their old enemies, and this union is confeffedly the wifeft national action of either the English or the Scots. — Greece boasts of her Thucidydes, and of her Xenophon; Rome, of her Livy and her Tacitus; Scotland, with as good reason, boafts her Hume. - Nature, evidently, has not played the niggardly stepmother with us; can it, therefore, be supposed, that a Scotfman cannot acquire the method of gilling and of falting a herring as well as a Dutchman! When the Scotch fishery is confidered in a general view, there is never any difference of opinion among political reasoners. The cafe, however, is very different, when the ways and means are difcuffed, by which a flothful and torpid people are to be aroufed to industry. The following hints may poffibly excite attention in others. 1. Naturalize, by act of parliament, all Dutch fifhers who fhall fettle in Scotland. 2. Take off the duty upon coal carried coaftwife to fuch places in Scotland as are the feat of the fishery. 3. The prefent fize and the outfit of veffels intitled to the bounty, are nowife proportioned to the flock of the people: let them fith them as they beft can, and grant the bounty upon the quantum of fifh taken and cured. 4. The money arifing from 'the landtax and the excifes of the maritime highland counties, and of the islands, and the money arising from the rents of the forfeited eftates; thefe fums, if properly employed, in order to encourage the Scotch fishery, would foon, for a temporary indulgence, yield an ample return to the exchequer; and this indulgence might gradually be withdrawn as the infant fifhery advanced in ftrength. ANNUAL REGISTER for 1779. Published in the beginning of Jan. 1781. HISTORY. [42. 351.] Retrospective view of affairs in 1778. WE have feen in our laft volume, that the effectual protection which the French fquadron received from their new allies at Bolton, had entirely fruftrated Lord Howe's defign of attacking D'Eftaing in that road or harbour on the 8th of September 1778 [42. 350.]. Upon this failure of hope with refpect to his primary object, the Noble Admiral immediately returned to the fuccour of Rhode ifland, which we have alfo feen had been invested, and vigorously attacked, by Gen. Sullivan. And finding that ifland already freed from danger, he proceeded to New York; where, in confequence of what is understood by a previous leave of absence, he refigned the command of the fleet into the hands of Adm. Gambier, and returned to England. Sir Henry Clinton, who had embarked with 4000 men for the relief of Rhode ifland, had two other material objects in view; in one or both of which he might probably have fucceeded, if he had not been detained by contrary winds a few hours beyond his time, or that Sullivan had not been attentive to the danger to which he was expofed, when he found himfelf finally abandoned by the French fleet, and in confequence deserted by the New-England volunteers, who compofed the better part of his force. One of thefe was, to cut off Sullivan's retreat to the continent; and the other, which might have been either adopted as principal, or purfued as a fecondary object, was, to attack the Americans in their head quarters and principal place of arms at Providence; the deftruction, or effectual difmantling of which, would have removed an eye fore, and conftant fource of apprehenfion, at leaft, from the immediate vicinity of Rhode island. Sullivan's timely retreat having fruftrated thefe defigns, Sir Henry Clinton, on his return to New York, difpatched Maj. Gen. Grey, with the fleet of tranfports and troops, under the convoy of Captain Fanshawe, of the Carysfort frigate, upon an expedition to the eaftward. The first object of this expedition was, to exterminate fome nefts of fmall privateers, which abounded in the rivers and creeks adjoining to Buzzard's bay, in that part of New England called the Plymouth colony; which, from their vicinity to Rhode island and the Sound, greatly infefted the trade of New York, as well as the adjacent coafts of Long ifland; whilft the nearness of their retreats, with the smallness of their veffels, and the shallownefs of their creeks, fecured them in a great measure from all purfuit. This fervice was performed with great effect by the detachment under the command of the Major-General. Between fix in the evening of Sept. 5. when the troops were landed, and twelve on the following day, the work was completely done; deftroying in their course about seventy fail of fhipping, befides a great number of fmall craft. The detachment likewife burnt or deftroyed in the fame manner, the magazines, wharfs, ftores, warehouses, rope-walks, and veffels on the ftocks, both on the Bedford and Fair-Haven fides of the Acufhinet river. The tranfports and troops proceeded from Fair-haven to the island called Martha's Vineyard; the inhabitants of which, like thofe of Nantucket, were once celebrated for their enterprise, skill, and great fuccefs in the fisheries. This ifland, being, however, the reverse of Nantucket in point of fertility, afforded a confiderable and most defirable contribution, confifting of 10,000 sheep, and 300 oxen, for the public fervice at New York. In the mean time, Adm. Montague, who commanded on the Newfoundland ftation, no fooner received intelligence that D'Estaing had commenced hoftilities on the coafts of North America, than, in confequence of provifional orders with which he had been furnished for the purpofe, he difpatched Com. Evans, with the Romney and fome frigates, together with a detachment of marines and artillery, to seize on the fmall islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, which had been allotted to France by the laft treaty of peace, for the purpose of curing and drying their fish, and ferving as a ftorehouse and shelter for the veffels employed in their fishery. As France had been particularly reftricted by the late treaty from fortifying thofe iflands, and equally tied down from any increase of a small limited number of troops in them, which were only adapted to the fuppport of the civil govern ment, ment, and not to any purposes of defence, against whatever might deferve, the name of enemy, this fervice was accordingly performed without difficulty. A capitulation was granted; in confequence of which, the Governor, with the inhabitants, and the garrifon, amounting in the whole to about 2000, were transmitted to France; all the accommodations of habitation, trade, and fishery, were destroyed; and the iflands thrown back into their original state. Upon the return of the troops from the Bedford expedition, and with the contributions raised at Martha's Vineyard, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton determined upon another to Egg harbour, on the Jerfey coaft, where the enemy had a number of privateers ånd prizes, and, what was ftill more interesting, fome very confiderable falt-works. To draw a way their attention from the objects of this expedition, and in order alfo to procure forage and freth provifions for the army, Lord Cornwallis advanced into Jerfey with a strong body of troops; where he took a pofition between Newbridge on the Hackinfack to his left, and the North river to his right. At the fame time Lt-Gen. Knyphaufen, advancing with another divifion of the army on the Weft-Chefter fide, took a parallel pofition, his left reaching to the North river, near Wapperham, and his right extending to the Brunx. It would not be eafy to conceive any fituation more favourable for the carry ing on of military operations with advantage. The two divifions being only feparated by the North river, could, by the means of their flat boats, unite their whole force on either fide of it within twenty-four hours; whilft, by the command of the channel, which their marine afforded all the way up to the highlands, Washington's forces, which were likewise separated in the same manner, but much more dispersed, could not have been affembled in less than ten days. And even then, if he fhould quit his ftrong ground in the highlands, in order to pass over to the relief of the Jerfeys, he must have subjected himself to hazard the confequences of a general action, in a country, which, from its nature, would have been very unfavourable to him in fuch an event. By this means the provinces of New York and the Jerfeys were in a great measure laid open to the army; the neceffary fupplies of forage and pro vifions were plentifully obtained; and an opportunity was afforded to the well-affected of coming in for protection or fervice. Such was one among the numberlefs advantages which our naval command of the feas and rivers afforded in the course of this war. Baylor's regiment of light horse, which had been lately raised in Virginia, and was generally called Mrs Wafhington's regiment, became a victim upon this occation to the defign of Lord Cornwallis, with the immediate addrefs, and prompt execution, of Maj. Gen. Grey. This regiment having been detached with fome militia to watch and interrupt the foragers, their vicinity to the North river, in the villages of Old and New Taapan, where they lay, with other circumftances of fituation, and, perhaps more than any, their unfoldierly fecurity, and careleffuefs with refpect to guards and pofts, induced Lord Cornwallis to form a plan for their furprife in the night. In pur fuit of this defign, whilft Gen, Grey, with the light infantry, and some other troops, advanced by night, Sept. 27. on the left, to furprife the enemy on that fide, a detachment was made from Knyphaufen's corps, on the right, confifting of the 71ft regiment under Col. Campbell, and an American light corps, called the Queen's rangers; who, having paffed the North river, intended to have inclosed them fo effectually, that, being placed between two fires, few or none of them could efcape. Some deferters from the column on the right prevented the completion of the fcheme. Thefe having, at the most critical moment, roufed the militia who lay in New Taapan from their trance of fecurity, afforded a clear opportunity for their efcape before the column could But the Major-General concome up. ducted his division with fo profound a filence, and such excellency of order, that they not only cut off a serjeant's patrole of twelve men, without any noise, but completely surrounded the village of Old Taapan without any discovery, and furprifed Baylor's horfe, asleep and naked, in the barns where they lay. A fevere execution took place, and the regiment was entirely ruined. Capt. Ferguson of the 70th regiment, with about 300 land-forces, were detached on the expedition to Little-Egg harbour, on the Jersey coaft, under the convoy of Capt. Collins of the Zebra, with with two other frigates, befides fome light-armed veffels and gallies, which, from their capacity of running into fhallow water, were particularly adapted to the nature of the intended fervice. The convoy arrived at the place of its deftination about the beginning of Octo ber; but as the wind and other circumftances retarded the passage of the ships over a bar which lay in their way, and that every thing in fuch an enterprife depended upon expedition, the troops were crowded, as circumstances would admit, into the gallies and fmall craft, which were lightened, by taking out every thing that was not effentially neceffary to the immediate fervice. It feems that the enemy, having received fome intelligence of the defign against them, had fuddenly fent out to fta fuch of their privateers as were in any degree of readinefs, in order thereby to evade the impending danger. The larger of their remaining veffels, confifting moftly of prizes, were, for their greater fecurity, hauled up the river Mullicus as far as they could go, to a place called Chefnut Neck, which lay about twenty miles from the mouth of the river. Their fmaller privateers, and craft of different forts, were carried still farther up into the country. The detachment, with the lighter armed veffels, proceeded, through a moft difficult paffage, to Chefnut Neck; being obliged to work their way at random through numberlefs fhoals, without the aid of a pilot, or any knowledge of the channels. Having fuccefsfully overcome thefe difficulties, they difcovered on their arrival an appearance of refiftance, which they could scarcely have expected; one battery fhewing itself close to the waterfide, and another with a breaft-work manned, to cover it on an adjoining eminence. But upon a nearer approach, it was discovered, that these works were totally deftitute of artillery; and the troops being landed under a well-directed cannonade from the gallies and gunboats, the neighbouring militia, who had undertaken their defence with fmall arms, foon found the task beyond their ability, and were, with little difficulty, and with out any lofs, obliged to abandon them, and difperfe. The detachment found ten veffels at this place, which were of a confiderable fize, and moftly British prizes. Although these were in general valuable, yet the VOL. XLIII, difficulty of the navigation, and the danger of delay, rendered the carrying them off impracticable. They were accordingly fired, and deftroyed. And as the trade of New York had fuffered greatly from their depredations, the commanders determined to root out this neft of privateers as effectually as poffible. Under this determination, they deftroyed the fettlements, storehouses, and works of every fort. The good-will of the officers and troops would have led them to complete the bufinefs, by proceeding up the river, and deftroying the remainder of the enemy's fhipping, in their last retreat, at the Forks, if the difficulties had not appeared too discouraging, and the danger too imminent, to be prudently encountered. The delays which they met with in their return, owing to the stranding of fome of the veffels, afforded an opportunity to the troops of making fome fuccefsful excurfions into the neighbouring country. In these they destroyed fome confiderable falt-works, as well as the houses and settlements of several perfons, who had either been confpicuous by their activity in the rebellion, charged with oppreffion and cruelty to the well affected, or who had been concerned in the fitting out of privateers: A fpecies of fervice, however, more calculated to gratify refentments on one fide, and to excite them on the other, than to produce any effential end with regard to the iffue of the war. When the troops had rejoined the fquadron, a delay occafioned by contrary winds in Egg harbour, afforded an op portunity to enterprifing officers for the performance of new fervice, and that of a more active and fpirited nature than what they had already executed. A French captain, with fome private men, who had deferted from Pulafki's legion, gave fuch an account of the careless manner in which three troops of horse, and as many companies of infantry, all belonging to that corps, were cantoned at only a few miles diftance, that the commanding officers by fea and land judged it a fufficient ground for undertaking an expedition to furprife and beat up their quarters. The advantage of conveying the troops by water to within a fmall distance of their destination, together with the information given by the deferters of an unguarded bridge, which lay a little. on their fide of the fcene of action, the poffeffion E poffeffion of which would ferve, in cafe of neceffity, effectually to cover the retreat back to their veffels, added much to the apparent eligibility of the defign. The deferters fpoke truth in this instance; and the fuccefs was accordingly anfwerable to the expectation. 250 men were imbarked; who, after rowing ten miles, were landed long before day light, within a mile of the bridge and defile we have mentioned. Thefe being feized without difcovery, and a proper guard left to fecure the poffeffion, the reft of the detachment pushed forward, and fo completely furprifed Pulafki's light infantry in the houfes where they lay, as nearly to cut them to pieces without refiftance. The victors numbered above fifty dead bodies. Several officers, and among them the Baron de Bofe, a lieutenant-colonel, with a captain and an adjutant, perished in this flaughter. Capt. Ferguson obferves in his report, that it being a night attack, little quarter could be given; fo that only five prisoners were taken. Though fome attempt was made by Pulafki's horfe, and the remains of his infantry, to harass the detachment on their retreat, the good countenance which they kept, and the poffeffion of the bridge, rendered it totally ineffectual. Civil wars are unhappily distinguished from all others by a degree of rancour in their profecution, which does not exist in the hoftilities of diftinct nations, and abfolute ftrangers. They are of courfe fruitful in circumstances grievous to humanity. In fuch cafes, the moft trifling occafions, the most vague and abfurd ru mours, will irritate the multitude in all armies to acts of great rigour and cruelty. An account given by the deferters, that Pulaski had iffued public orders, forbidding his corps to grant any quarter to the British troops, afforded a new edge to the fury of the foldiers, and fhut up their bofons against every feeling of pity or remorse *. This tale, totally unfup ported, as it thould feem, by any former, concurrent, or fubfequent cir * [Like reports were alledged to have been the caufe of feverities by the King's troops in 1746; the falfay of which reports the Lord Balmerino thought of fuch importance to afcertain, as to make him afk an interview on the fubject with his fellowfufferer Lord Kilmarnock [8. 422, 425. mediately before their execution on Towerhill.] cumftance, might well be attributed to the malice of the deferters; and perhaps, on all fuch occafions, it were better not to credit too haftily those reports which urge to acts of unusual feverity, by charging a like intention to the enemy. This and the former expedition afforded an opportunity for a renewal of thofe complaints which the Americans had fʊ loudly and repeatedly made, of the inhumanities and cruelties exercifed by fome corps of the British troops, as well as by their auxiliaries. A number of real or fuppofed facts were now particularly fupplied by the furprife of Baylor's regiment, which was reprefented as a coldblood maffacre of naked men, surprised in their fleep, and who, from a reliance on the laws of war, and customs of nations, being in full expectation of quarter when they made no refiftance, would not leffen or hazard that fecurity, by even an attempt to lay hold of their arms, or the fmalleft motion of defence. The depofitions of feveral of the foldiers who had been left as dead, or who had otherwife unaccountably escaped, were taken upon oath, authenticated in the ufual forms, and published by authority. Some of the witneffes who appeared upon this occafion afforded fuch extraordinary inftances of the tenaciousness of human nature, in fome particular cases and circumftances, with respect to life, that a recital of the facts as they are ftated may poffibly be confidered by fome as a matter of phyfical curiofity. Of about a dozen wounded foldiers who appeared to give their evidence, three had received, in a regular gradation, from nine to eleven ftabs each, of bayonets, in the breaft and trunk of the body, befides several wounds in other parts. Two others had received, the one five, and the other fix, ftabs in the body. It will undoubtedly excite the admiration of whoever confiders the nature of the weapon, and the force which it derives, as well from the weight of the mufket to which it is fixed, as from the manner in which it is used, and the ftrength of the operator, that thefe ftimony at a confiderable ditance of men were not only able to give their te time, but that no doubt feems then to have been entertained of their recovery. Although fome tribes of the Indians, particularly of thofe commonly called the Six Nations, had fent congratulations to Gen. Gates on his fuccefs at Sara toga, |