Engraved for Murrays History of the American War. COMMODORE HOPKINS. Printed for T.Robson, Newcastle upon Tyne. to reduce the fort, fet fire to all their works in the hight and retired. It was never known what lofs the provincials fuftained in the feveral affaults upon this fort; in our accounts their lofs of men is faid to have been confiderable, and certainly they must have fuffered fome lofs; but the whole troops that were in the fort were not equal in number to the half of the flain, on the fide of the royal forces. The lofs of our fleet was not confiderable, confidering the danger it was expofed to, though a great number were wounded, and feveral loft their lives on this occafion. The colonists left fome artillery and ftores, which fell into the hands of our troops. In a few days after Lord Cornwallis paffed over with a detachment from Chefter to Billings-Fort, where he was joined by a body of forces juft arrived from NewYork. They marched all together to Red-Bank, which the provincials abandoned at their approach, leaving their artillery and fome ftores behind them. The American fhipping had now loft all protection on either fide of the river; their gallies and other veffels took the advantage of a favourable night to pass the Barriers of Philadelphia, and escaped to places of fecurity farther up the river. To fecure thefe an officer with a party of feamen was ordered to man the Delaware frigate, which was lately taken and lying at Philadelphia, and to take fuch measures as might prevent the remainder from efcaping. The crews of the American veffels finding themselves furrounded, fet fire to their fhips and left them. About feventeen of different forts, including two floatingbatteries and fire-fhips, were all confumed. After gaining all thefe advantages, the season of the year, and other obftructions, rendered the clearing of the river for any effectual purposes altogether impracti cable Engraved for Murrays History of the American War. COMMODORE HOPKINS. Printed for T.Robson, Newcastle upon Tyne. to reduce the fort, set fire to all their works in the hight and retired. It was never known what lofs the provincials fuftained in the feveral affaults upon this fort; in our accounts their lofs of men is faid to have been confiderable, and certainly they must have fuffered fome lofs; but the whole troops that were in the fort were not equal in number to the half of the flain, on the fide of the royal forces. The lofs of our fleet was not confiderable, confidering the danger it was expofed to, though a great number were wounded, and several loft their lives on this occafion. The colonists left fome artillery and ftores, which fell into the hands of our troops. In a few days after Lord Cornwallis paffed over with a detachment from Chefter to Billings-Fort, where he was joined by a body of forces juft arrived from NewYork. They marched all together to Red-Bank, which the provincials abandoned at their approach, leaving their artillery and fome ftores behind them. The American fhipping had now loft all protec tion on either fide of the river; their gallies and other veffels took the advantage of a favourable night to pass the Barriers of Philadelphia, and escaped to places of fecurity farther up the river. To fecure these an officer with a party of feamen was ordered to man the Delaware frigate, which was lately taken and lying at Philadelphia, and to take such measures as might prevent the remainder from efcaping. The crews of the American veffels finding themselves furrounded, fet fire to their fhips and left them. About feventeen of different forts, including two floatingbatteries and fire-fhips, were all confumed. After gaining all these advantages, the feafon of the year, and other obftructions, rendered the clearing of the river for any effectual purposes altogether impracti Q cable cable, fo that the making or difcovering fuch a channel, as might admit of tranfports or veffels of eafy burden with provifions and neceffaries for the use of the army, was all that could be obtained for the prefent. General Washington was now reinforced with a recruit of 4000 men from the northern army, and advanced within 14 miles of Philadelphia, to a place called White March, where he encamped in a strong fituation, with his right to the Wiffahechon Creek, and his front partly covered by Sandy Run. This movement made General Howe imagine that he intended fome enterprize, and that his late reinforcement would encourage him to hazard a battle for the recovery of Philadelphia. This was not at all his intention; he knew that his movement would fuggeft this idea to General Howe and make him draw out his army to field, which in the middle of winter would harrafs the troops, and diftrefs both the men and officers. The English general imagined that either Wafhington would give him battle, or that if he obferved his ufual caution, there might be fome vulnerable part in his camp, where he might be attacked with fuccefs. For thefe reafons he marched his army on the 4th of December at night, and took poft on Chefnut-hill, on the front of Wafhington's camp on the next morning. Finding that their right afforded no opening for an attack, he changed his ground before day light upon the feventh, and took a new flation, oppofite to their centre and left. A few skirmishes happened, in which the king's troops were the conquerors, who purfued the flying parties almost to their works. The general continued for three days conftantly in their fight, and advanced within a mile of their works; but when he had exa |