1 with great powers; that they should derive the greats eft pleasure from effecting an accomodation; and that he himself wished to have that vifit confidered as maki ing the first advances towards that defirable object.→→ He received for anfwer, among other things, that by what had appeared, their powers were only to grant pardons; that thofe who had committed no offence, nor done any fault, wanted no pardon; and that they were only defending what they deemed their indifput able right. Paterfon was received by Washington in great military state, and the utmoft politenefs was obl ferved on both fides b.com ! ९ It was about this time, and previous to the arrival of the fleet and army at New York, that plots in fa vour of the royal caufe were difcovered in New York and Albany, which occafioned much trouble. Some few were executed, great numbers were confined, and many abandoned their houfes through the influence of their fears. Thefe were purfued as outlaws and enemies to their country. The eftates of thefe unfor tunate people, against whom there were proofs, were feized. In the mean time fome new forms of govern ment were established in all thofe colonies which judg ed the former infufficient for their fituation, and the others made the neceffary alterations to adopt old forms to their new fyftem. The declaration of independency was alfo published in all the colonies, and every where received and accompanied with the greateft teftimonies of joy. This confidence and boldness in the midst of fo untried and dangerous a ftruggle, and at the approach of fo formidable an invafion, made's many conclude that the colonies were either very pi prefamptuous, knew of fome internal ftrength, or had certainty of foreign affiftarce. This might have been a. larming larming to Great Britain, had not her governors been infatuated with the ideas of dominion and arbitrary power, that they could neither perceive what was for their own honour, nor the intereft of their fovereign. It was a long time before all the troops destined for this fervice arrived; the first divifion of the Heffians, with a number of British which attended them, failed directly to Halifax, as Lord Howe had done, being ftill ignorant of the General's departure from that place. By this means the month of Auguft was confiderably advanced before they arrived at New York, and it was of courfe longer befoae any expedition of importance could be undertaken by the commiffioners. They were joined in the mean time by Sir Peter Parker and General Clinton, who had returned with the fquadron and forces from South Carolina, as well as by fome regiments from Florida and the West Indies. When all the forces, except the Heffians, which were expected were arrived, an attempt upon Long Island was refolved, as being moft practicable, and therefore better fitted for the firft effay than New York, because it afforded a greater fcope for difplaying of military skill and experience with advantage it alfo abounded with thofe fupplies which fo great a body of men as were now affembled by fea and land, demanded. Upon the 22d of Auguft, the fleet hav ing taken neceffary meafures for covering the defcent the army was landed without oppofition near Utrecht and Gravefend, on the fouth west end of the island, and not far from the Narrows, where it approaches nearest to Staten Island. At that time General Put nam was encamped with a strong force at Brookland and Brooklyn, at a few miles diftance on the North coaft, where his works covered the breadth of a small peninfulay peninfula, having the Eaft River, which feparated him from New York, on his left; a marfh which extended to Gowan's cave on his right, with the Bay and Governor's Ifland to his back. The armies were feparated by a range of hills covered with wood, which interfect the country from eaft to weft, and are in that part called the Heights of Guana. The direct road to the enemy lay through a village called Flat Bufh, where the hills commenced, and hear whịch was one of the most important paffes. As the army advanced, the north coaft was to the left, the fouth to the right, and Flat Bush was nearly in the centre between both. The land, in that part, is formed narrow by Jamaica Bay in the right, but foon turns wide. General Putnam had detached a good part of his army to occupy the woody hills, and poffefs the paffes; and provided the commanders had been fkilful and vigilant, they could not have eafily paffed. It appears, however, that it was not the plan of the colonifts to attempt any defperate experiment, till once they had exercised their troops in fkirmishes, and taught them the poffibility of conqueft in their turn. They knew that the British troops were brave, and longed for nothing more than an opportunity to fig'nalize themfelves, and put an end to the war by a bold push--Their intereft and fafety both depended much upon fpeedy action. The colonists were as yet raw troops, and wanted experience in war; a fudden attack, and a fignal overthrow, would have difpirited them, and fruftrated all their hopes of defending their country, and gaining their liberty.What was by our troops called cowardice, was in them the greateft prudence, and trueft wisdom.-They induftrioully avoided coming to any general ac " 1 . tion, because it was not yet their intereft to do it.The wearying and harraffing our forces anfwered all the purposes of a general engagement, without flaughter and bloodshed to themselves. Lord Cornwallis, according to orders, marched on immediately with the referve to Flat Bufh, where finding the provincials in poffeffion of the pafs, he complied with his orders in making no attempt upon it. When the whole army was landed, the Hefans under the command of General Heifter, compofed the centre at Flat Bufh. Major-general Grant commanded the left wing which extended to the coaft; and the principal army containing the greatest part of the British forces, under, the command of General Clinton, Earl Percy, and Lord Cornwallis, turned. fhort to the right, and approached to the oppofite. coaft at Flat Land. Had our Generals been going to attack the bravest troops that ever ferved in Flanders or Germany, they could not have been more on their guard than when they were going to attack men they had determined to be cowards and poltroons. When every thing was prepared for forcing the hills, and advancing towards the lines of the provincials, General Clinton at the head of the van of the army, confifting of the light infantry, light horfe, and grenadiers under Lord Cornwallis, with the fourteen field pieces, began in the evening of the 26th as foon as it was dark, to march from Flat Land, and having paffed through the part of the country called the New Lots, they arrived upon the road that croffes the hills from Bedford to Jamaica, where turning to the left towards the former of thefe places, they feized a confiderable pafs, which the Americans had through fome unaccountable" X 1 The main unaccountable negled left unguarded. |