operations and movements of a fleet, in the confined and uncertain navigation of a river, extremely dangerous.

Upon the reprefentation of Capt. Hammond of the Roebuck, who with fome other fhips of war had arrived in the Delaware before Lord Howe, the General detached two regiments, confifting of three battalions, under Col. Stirling, to diflodge the enemy from Billing's fort. The detachment having croffed the river from Chefter, where the ships lay, performed the fervice effectually without las or oppofition. The enemy, Oct. 1. without waiting to be attacked, as foon as they heard of their approach, immediately fpiked their artillery, fet fire to the barracks, and abandoned the place with the greatest precipitation. The detachment waited to deftroy, or to render unferviceable thofe parts of the works which fronted the river. This fuccefs, with the spirit and perfeverance exhibit ed by the officers and crews of the ships under his command, enabled Capt. Hammond, through great difficulties, and a rigorous oppofition from the marine force of the enemy, to carry the principal object of the expedition into effect, by cutting away and weighing up fo much of th chevaux de frize, as opened a narrow and difficult paffage for fhips through this lower barrier.

Upon the return of the detachments from Jersey, another regiment was fent to meet them at Chefter, in order that they might all together form a fufficient efcort for a large convoy of provifions to the camp. The army ftill lay at Germantown, a very long and confiderable village, about half a dozen miles from Philadelphia, and which stretching on both fides of the great road to the northward, forms a continued street of two miles in length. The line of encamp. ment croffed Germantown at right angles about the centre, the left wing extending on the weft from the town to the Schuylkill. That wing was covered in front by the mounted and difmounted German chaffeurs; a battalion of light infantry, and the Queen's American rangers, were in the front of the right; and the 40th regiment, with another battaon of light infantry, were pofted at the head of the village. Lord Cornwallis lay at Philadelphia with four battalions of grenadiers; and we have already feen that three regiments had been detached on the fide of Chefter.

The enemy were encamped at Skippach creek, about fixteen miles from Germantown. They had received fome reinforcements, and they were not ignorant that the royal army was weakened by the detachments it had made to Philadelphia and Chefter. These circumftances induced an enterprise little expected, and feemingly as little fuited to the general caution, and to the fuppofed genius and difpofition of Washington. Inftead of fhunning as ufual every thing that might lead to an action, the American army quitted its ftrong poft at Skippach creek at fix in the evening, and marched all night to furprise and attack the royal army in its camp at Germantown.

At three o'clock in the morning, Oct. 4. their approach was discovered by the patroles, and the army was immediately called to arms. They began their attack upon the 40th regiment, and the battalion of light infantry by which it was accompanied. Thefe corps, after a vigorous refistance, being at length overpowered by numbers, were pressed and pursued into the village. In this exigence, a measure upon which much of the future fortune of the day depended, was inftantly and happily adopted by Lt. Col. Mufgrave, who threw himself with fix companies of the 40th regiment into a large and strong, ftone house which lay full in the front of the enemy.

By this mafure they were checked in their forward hope and defign of gaining complete and immediate poffeffion of that long town; which among other great and obvious advantages, would have enabled them effectually to separate the right and left wings of the royal army. The Colonel and his brave party, furrounded by a whole brigade, and attacked on every fide with great refolution, defended the house with the most undaunted courage; and though the enemy at length brought cannon up to the affault, he still maintained his poft with equal intrepidity, pouring a dreadful and unceasing fire through the windows, until affairs had taken fuch a turn as afforded him relief.

This was accomplished by Maj.-Gen. Grey, who bringing the front of a great part of the left wing by a timely movement to the village, led on three battalions of the 3d brigade, who attacked the enemy with vigour, and were as bravely fupported and feconded by Brig.

Gen

led by Col. Donop, (who had gained great reputation in various actions of this war), and confifted, befides light infantry and chaffeurs, of three battalions of grenadiers, and the regiment of Mirbach. The American force at Red bank was estimated at about 800 men. Though nothing could exceed the good difpofitions made for these several attacks, nor the exertions of vigour and courage difplayed both by the land and naval face on their different elements, yet this enterprize not only failed of success, but was in every respect unfortunate. Col. Donop, Oct. 22. attacked the enemy's entrenchments with the utmoft gallantry, and after a very sharp action, fceeded in carrying an extenfive outwork; but he found the enemy better covered in the body of the redoubt, and the defence more vigorous than he expected. The brave Colonel was there mortally wounded, and taken prifonr. Several of his beft officers were killed or difabled, and the Heffians, after a desperate engagement, were repulfed with great lofs. Col. Mingerode, the next in command, being likewife dangerously wounded, the detachment was brought off by Lt.-Col. Linfing, having fuffered much in the approach to and retreat from the affault, by the fire of the enemy's galleys and floating batteries. The lofs of the Heffians, whether as to private men or officers, was never particularly authenticated; it was, how ever, known to be very confiderable: probably not less than four or five hunired men.

The men of war and frigates deftined for the attack, having made their way with difficulty through the lower barrier, ook every poffible difpofition that the lature and fituation of the river would dmit for the deftruction of the upper works and defences, where they commenced their affault at the fame time hat Col. Donop was engaged at Red Bank. Fortune was not more favourible here than afhore. The ships could not bring their fire to bear with any great effect upon the works. The extraordinary obftructions with which the enemy had interrupted the free courfe of the river, had even affected its bed, and Wrought fome alteration in its known and natural channel. By this means, the Augufta man of war, and Merlin floop, were grounded fo faft at fome diftance from the chevaux-de-frize, that there VOL. XLI.

was no poffibility of getting them off. In this fituation, though the skill and courage of the officers and crews of the feveral veffels, prevented the effect of four fire-fhips which the enemy had sent to deftroy the Augufta, fhe unfortunately took fire in the engagement, which placed the others under a neceffity of retiring with the utmoft expedition, to get beyond the effect of the explosion. In thefe urgent and difficult circumftances, the Merlin was haftily evacuated, and laid in a train of deftruction, and the greater part of the officers and crew of the Augufta faved; but the second lieutenant, chaplain, and gunner, with no inconsiderable number of the common men, unhappily perished.

The ill fuccefs of this enterprize, by no means damped the refolution of the commanders, in prosecution of the abfolutely neceffary work of opening the navigation of the Delaware. New ground was taken, new measures adopted, and every preparation made that could infure fuccefs to the defign. Nor were the enemy idle on their fide. They well understood the great confequence it was of to them to keep the naval force feparated from the army, and to render the communication between them tedious and difficult. They accordingly left nothing undone to ftrengthen their defences.

The officers and feamen of the fleet were inceffantly employed in conveying heavy artillery, provifions, and ftores, up the river, by a difficult channel on the weft fide, to a fmall morafly island, where they erected batteries, which greatly incommoded the enemy's works on Mud ifland. Every thing being prepared for an attack, the Ifs and Somerfet men of war paffed up the eaft channel, Nov. 15. in order to attack the enemy's works in front; feveral frigates drew up against a fort newly erected on the Jerfey fide, near Manto creek, which was fo fituated as to flank the men of war in their ftation; and two armed veffels, mounted with 24 pounders, fuccefsfully made their way through the narrow channel on the western fide at the back of Hogg ifland; a matter of the greateft importance with respect to the fuccefs of the attack, as these two veffels, in concert with the batteries newly erected in Province island, enfiladed the principal works which the enemy had erected on Mud illand.

A heavy fire was fupported on both fdes.

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fides. At length, the vigorous attack made by the Ifis in front, and by the two armed veffels and the batteries in other quarters, fo overpowered the enemy in the fort and works on Mud ifland, that towards evening their artillery was entirely filenced. And they perceiving that measures were taking for forcing their works on the following morning, and being alfo & fible, that, in the prefent ftate of things, they were not defenfible, they fet fire to every thing that was capable of receiving it, and abandoned the place in the night.

The lofs of the enemy in men was faid to be very confiderable; that of the fleet, was more trifling than could have been fuppofed. Their artillery and fome ftores were taken at Mud ifland. In two days after, Lord Cornwallis paffed over with a detachment from Cheater to Billing's Fort, where he was joined by a body of forces juft arrived from New York. They proceeded all together to Red Bank; which the enemy abandoned at their approach, leaving their artillery with a confiderable quantity of cannonball and ftores behind them. The works were demolished.

The enemy's fhipping having now loft all protection on either fide of the river, feveral of their galleys and other armed veffels took the advantage of a favour able night, to pass the batteries of PhiIdelphia, and efcape to places of fecurity farther up. The difcovery of this tranfaction occafioned the fending an of ficer with a party of feamen to man the Delaware frigate lately taken, and lying at Philadelphia, and the taking of fuch other meatures, as rendered the efca ping of the remainder impracticable. Thus environed, the crews abandoned and fet fire to their veffels, which were ali confumed to the amount of seventeen of different forts, including the two floating batteries, and fireflips. With all thefe advantages, the feafon of the year, and other impediments, rendered the clearing of the river, in any confiderable degree, impracticable; fo that the moking or ducovering of fuch a channel as might adinit the paffage of tranfports, and vefiels of caly burden with provifions and neceflaries for the ufe of the army at Philadelphia, was all that could be obtained prefent.

Gen. Washington being : inforced by 4000 men from the hortan army, ad. vanced within fourteen miles of Phila

delphia, to a place called White Marfa, where he encamped in a very ftrong pofition, with his right to the Wiffahichon creek, and the front partly covered by Sandy Run. As this movement feemed to indicate a difpofition to adventure, Gen. Howe was not without hopes, that the late reinforcement would encourage them to hazard a battle for the recovery of Philadelphia. If fuch was their in tention, he was determined that they fhould not cool in it, for want of an op portunity of bringing it into action; ori they ftill adhered to their ufual system caution and defence, it was ftill reason ably to be hoped, that upon a close it fpection of their fituation, fome part their camp would be found fo vulnerabl as to admit of a fuccessful impreffion,

Upon thefe grounds the General march ed the army from Philadelphia on 4th of December at night, and took på on Cheffaut hill, in the front of the nemy's right, on the next mornin Finding that their right afforded no pening for an attack, he changed ground before day on the 7th, and to a new position oppofite to their cent and left. Some skirmishes happene in which the enemy were conftantly feated, and their flying parties parfu home almoft to their works. The G neral at length, after continuing abo three days conftantly in their fight, vancing within a mile of their lines, a examining their works with the clo attention, finding that nothing cou provoke or entice them to action, a that their camp was in every part ina ceffible, gave up the profecution of defign which was evidently fruitie The army alfo fuffered greatly from feverity of the weather, both officers a foldiers being totally deftitute of te and field equipage.

The General accordingly began march to Philadelphia on the afterno of the 8th, in full view of the enco without being pursued, or in the fma eft degree incommoded on his return. the feafon was now too far advanced to admit of any other attention tha what related to the accommodation the army, a grand detachment was fe out to procure forage for the winter which was fuccesfully performed. It the mean time, Washington remove his camp from White Mad to a Forge, upon the Schuylkill, about fif teen or fixteen miles from Philadelphia

in a very ftrong, and confequently fecure position. Nothing could afford a ftronger proof, to whoever confiders the nature and difpofition of thofe people, of the unbounded influence on the minds both of his officers and men which that General poffeffed, than his being able, not only to keep them together, but to fubmit to the incommodities and diftreffes incident to living in a hutted camp, du ring the fevere winter of that climate, and where all his fupplies of provifion and ftores must come from a great ditance, at much expence, and no fmall hazard. It was also a proof, with many cthers, of the general ftrong difpofition of America, to fuffer all things rather than fubmit to force.

Such was the iffue of the campaign upon the Delaware: A campaign which affords much room for the moft ferious reflection. The British arms were crowned with the most brilliant fuccefs. Two very confiderable victories were obtained. la all leffer actions, bating the affair at Red Bank, they were equally triumphant. Yet with all this tide of fuccefs, all the fruit derived from our victories at the clofe of the campaign, amounted to no more than fimply a good winter-lodring for our army in the city of Philadelphia; whilft the troops poffeffed no more of the adjacent country than what they immediately commanded with their arms. It was ftill more difcouraging, that the enemy had given repeated proofs, that Lowever be might engage them when he thought it to his advantage, it was impoffible for the royal army to bring him to action against his confent. This gave occafion to much uneafinefs in England; where the news of the first fucceffes had caufed the greateft exultation; which was now fucceeded with very gloomy reflections on the peculiar and fatal circumftances, which, from the nature of the country, and other co-operating canfes, bad diftinguifhed this war, from all others in which we had ever been concerned; and in which victory and defeat were nearly productive of the fame confequences.

Icription painted on a board, and nailed on a tree near Horfpam, in Suffex.

Shaving's Dun. here for a Penny each Purflon Likewife Children carefully Edicated in Reading Righting, and Account at this house by me JAMES MORFOOT.

We, and the reft of our brethren in Scotland, have, for a long feries of years, endeavoured, by our inoffenfive and dutiful conduct, to approve ourselves harmleis and useful fubjects of the British empire; and were ready to embrace, with pleasure, every opportunity of ferving our country, though at the expence of our lives and fortunes. Encouraged by the spirit of humanity and toleration which we had reafon to believe diftinguished an enlightened and liberal age, and having immediately in our view the late relaxation of the penal laws againft our fellowfubjects the Roman Catholics of England, we ventured to hope, that the fame indulgence might, at least in some respect, be fhown to us; and we flattered ourfelves, that our loyal and fubmiffive be haviour upon that occafion, and our wiliingness to have our relief poftponed whey the bill was brought in for the relief of the Roman-Catholics of England, did, in fome degree, intitle us to it.

Confcious of the justice of our hopes, and of the innocence of our conduct, we beheld with concern, that the very circumfiance of our humility and duty in poftponing our relief, instead of reconciling the minds of fome mistaken perfons to us, was made ufe of to cxalperate the lower people into difpofitions of great violence. The public papus were filled R 2

with