England provinces, and the upper part of Connecticut, or to Fort Edward. During thefe advantages on the left, Colonel Hill was detached with the 9th regiment from Skenefborough towards Fort Anne, in order to intercept the fugitives who fled along the Wood Creek, whilft another part of the army was employed in carrying batteaux over the falls, in order to facilitate their movement to diffodge the enemy from that poft. In that expedition, the Colonel was attacked by a body of the enemy, confiting, as he conceived, of fix times the number of his detachment, who finding all their efforts in front ineffectual to force the judicious pofition which he had taken, attempted to furround the regiment. This alarming attempt put him under the neceflity of changing his ground in the heat of action. Nothing less than the most perfe&t difcipline, fupported by the cooleft intrepidity, could have enabled the regiment to execute fo critical a movement in the face of the enemy, and in fuch circumftances. It was however performed wich fuch fteadinefs and effect, that the enemy, after an attack of three hours, were fo totally repulfed, and with fuch lofs, that after fetting fire to Fort Anne, they fled with the utmoft precipitation towards Fort Edward, upon the Hudson's river. The lofs of the royal army, in all this fervice, and in fo many different engagements, fome of which were warm, and feemed liable to lofs, was very fmall. The whole in killed and wounded, not much exceeding two hundred men. Such was the rapid torrent of fuccefs, which fwept every thing away before the northern army in its outfet. It is not to be wondered at, if both officers and private private men were highly elevated with their, fortune, and deemed that and their prowefs to be irrefiftable, if they regarded their enemy with the greatest contempt, confidered their own toils to be nearly at van end, Albany to be already in their hands; and the reduction of the northern provinces to be rather a matter of fome time, than an ardous task full of difficulty and danger. At home, the joy and exultation was extreme; not only at court, but with all thofe who hoped or withed the unqualified fubjugation, and the unconditional fub-miffion of the colonies. The lofs in reputation was greater to the Americans. and capable of more fatal confequences, than even that of ground, or pofts, of artillery, or of men. All the coutemptuous and moft degrading charges which had been made by their enemies, of their wanting the refolution and abilities of men, even in the defence of whatever was dear to them, were now repeated and believed. Thote who' ftill regarded them as men, and who had not yet loft all affection to them as brethren,; who alfo retained hopes that a happy reconciliation upon conltitutional principles, without facrificing the dignity, or the juk authority of government on the one fide, or a derelic tion of the rights of freemen on the other, was not even now impoffible, notwithstanding their favourable difpofitions in general could not help feeling upon this occafion, that the Americans funk not a little in their eftimation. It was not difficult to diffute an opinion, that the war in effect was over; and that any further, refiftance would ferve only to render the terms of their fubmiffion the worse. Such were fome of the immediate effects of the lofs of thofe grand keys of North America, Ticonderago, and the lakes. The The Americans were in this ftile degraded both by the tories and others, who were either lukewarm in the cause of liberty, or from felfish confiderations wished a total reduction of the colonies. But the triumphing of the wicked is fhort; matters were not long in taking a retrogade turn, and all this triumph was changed into forrow and mourning. General Burgoyne continued for fome days with the army partly at Skenefborough, and partly fpread in the adjoining country. They were under the neceffity of waiting for the arrival of tents, baggage, and provifions. In the mean time, no labour was fpared in opening roads by the way of Fort Anne, for advancing against the enemy. Equal industry was used in clearing the Wood Creek from the obftacles of fallen trees, funken stones, and other impediments which had been laid in the way by the enemy, in order to open a paffage for batteaux, for the conveyance of artillery, ftores, provifions, for camp equipage. Nor was lefs diligence ufed at Ticonderago, in the carrying of gun-boats, provifions, veffels, and batteaux, over land into Lake George. These were all laborious works, but the spirit of the army was at that time superior to toil or danger. General Schuyler was at Fort Edward upon the Hudfon's river, where he was endeavouring to collect the militia, and had been joined by St. Clair with the wretched remains of his army, who had taken a round about march of feven days through the woods, in which, from the exceeding badnefs of the weather, with the want of covering, provifions, and all manner of neceffaries, they had suffered the most extreme mifery. Many others of the fugitives had alfo arrived, but fo totally broken down, that they were nearly as deftitute of arms, ammunition, and all the materials of war, as they were of vigour, hope, and fpirit, to use them with effect. Although the direct distance from Fort Anne, where the batteaux navigation on Wood Creek determined, or even from Skenefborough, to Fort Edward, was no greater, than what in England would be confidered as a moderate ride of exercife, yet fuch is the favage face, and impracticable nature of the country, and fuch were the artificial difficulties which the in duftry of the enemy had thrown in the way, that the progrefs of the army thither, was a work of much preparation, time, and labour. It will scarcely be believed in after times, and may now be received with difficulty in any other part of the world, that it coft an active and spirited army, without an enemy in force to impede its progrefs, not many fewer days in paffing. from one part to another of a country, than the dif tance, in a direct line, would heye measured miles, yet fuck, however extraordinary. is the fact.--Befides that the country was a wilderness in almoft every part of the paffage, the enemy had cut large timber trees in fuch a manner, on both fides of the road, as to fall acrofs and lengthways, with their branches interwoyen; fo that the troops had feveral layers of these frequently to remove, in places where they could not poffibly take any other direction. The face of the country was likewise so broken with creeks and marshes, that in that fhort space they had no less than forty bridges to construct, befides others to repair; and one of these was of log-work over a morafs two miles in extent. All these toils and difficulties were encountered and overcome by the troops with their ufual pirit and alacrity, The enemy were too weak, too much much difpirited, and probably too much afraid of the Indians, to add very materially to thefe difficulties.Some fkirmishing and firing there was, however, on every day's march, in which, as ufual, they conftantly came off lofers. It is true, that General Burgoyne might havé adopted another route to Hudfon's river, by which most of thefe particular difficulties would have been avoided. By returning down the South river to Ticonderago, he might again have embarked the army on Lake George, and proceeded to the fort which takes its name, and lies at its head, from whence there is a waggon road to Fort Edward. To this it was objected, and probably with reason, that a retrogade motion in the height of victory, would tend greatly to abate that panic with which the enemy were confounded and overwhelmed; that it would even cool the ardour, and check the animation of the troops, to call them off from the profecution of their fuccefs to a cold and fpiritle fs voyage; and that their expedítion would undoubtedly be checked by the refillance and delay which they muft expect at Fort George; Whereas when the garrifon perceived that the army was marching in a direction, which was likely to cut off their retreat, they would undoubtedly confult their fafety in time by abandoning the post. The enemy abandoned Fort Edward, and retired to Saratoga, at the approach of the royal army, which, from the impediments we have fcen in the march, was not until the end of July. The enthufiafm of the army, as well as of the General, upon their arrival on the Hadfon's river, which had been fo long the object of their hopes and wishes, may be better conceived than defcribed. As the enemy, by previously aban |