retreat to Saratoga. The army accordingly began to move at nine o'clock at night; and though the movement was within mufket fhot of the enemy, and the army encumbered in the retreat with all its baggage, it was made without lofs. A heavy rain which fell that night, and continued on the enfuing day, though it impeded the progrefs of the army, and increased the difficulties of the march, ferved at the fame time to retard, and in a great meafure to prevent the pursuit of the enemy. In this unhappy neceffity, the hospital with the fick and wounded, was of course, and must have been inevitably abandoned. In this inftance. as well as in every other which occurred in the courfe of thefe tranfactions, General Gates behaved with an attention and humanity, to all thofe whom the fortune of war had thrown into his hands, which does honour to his character.

On the fide of the Americans, the lofs in killed and wounded was great; and it is fuppofed exceeded that of the British. They, however, loft no officer of note; but the Generals Lincoln and Arnold were both dangerously wounded.

From the impediments in the march which we have mentioned, the army did not pafs the fords of the Fish Kill Creek, which lies a little to the northward of Saratoga, until the 10th in the morning. They found a body of the enemy already arrived, and throwing up entrenchments on the heights before them, who retired at their approach over a ford of the Hudfon's river, and there joined a greater force, which was stationed to prevent the paffage of the ȧrmy.— No hope now remained but that of effecting a retreat, at least as far as Fort George, on the way to Canada. For this purpose,

a detachment of artificers under a ftrong escort, was fent forward to repair the bridges, and open the road to Fort Edward. But they were not long departed from the camp, when the fudden appearance of the enemy in great force, on the oppofite heights, with their apparent preparation to pass the Fish Kill, and bring on an immediate engagement, rendered it neceffary to recal the 47th regiment, and Frazer's markfmen, who, with Mackey's provincials, compofed the efcort. The workmen had only commenced the repair of the first bridge, when they were abandoned by their provincial guard, who ran away, and left them to fhift for themfelves, only upon a very flight attack of an inconfiderable party of the enemy. All the force of difcipline, and all the ftubbornness derived from its moft confirmed habits, were now neceffary to fupport even the appearance of refolution.

The farther fhore of the Hudfon's river, was now lined with detachments of the enemy, and the bat. teaux loaded with provifions and neceflaries, which had attended the motions of the army up the river, fince its departure from the neighbourhood of Still Water, were expofed, notwithstanding any protection which could poflibiy be afforded, to the continual fire and attacks of thefe detachments. Many boars were taken, fome retaken, and a number of men loft in the fkirmishes, upon thefe occafions. At length it was found that the provifions could only be preferved by landing and bringing them up the hill to the camp; a labour which was accomplished under a hea vy fire with difficulty and lofs.

In thefe deplorable circumstances, councils of war were held, to confider of the poffibility of a further retreat. The only measure that carried even the ap

pearance

pearance of practicability, hard, difficult, and dangerous as it was, was by a night march to gain Fort Edward, the troops carrying their provifions upon their backs. The impoffibility of repairing the roads and bridges, and of conveying in their prefent fituation the artillery and carriages, were too evident to admit of a question. It was propofed to force the fords at or near Fort Edward.

Whilft preparations were making for carrying this forlorn and defperate refolve into execution, intelligence was received, that the enemy had already with great forefight, provided for every poffible measure, that could be adopted for an efcape, and that this final refort was accordingly cut off. Besides, being strongly entrenched oppofite to the fords which it was intended to pafs, they had a strong camp, and provided with artillery, on the high and rifing grounds, be, tween Fort Edward and Fort George; whilft their parties were every where spread along the opposite fhore of the river, to watch or intercept the motions of the army, and on their own, the enemy's pofts were fo clofe, that they could fcarcely make the fmallest movement without discovery.

Nothing could be more deplorably calamitous, than the ftate and fituation of the army. Worn down by a feries of hard toil, inceffant efforts, and flubborn action; abandoned in their utmoft neceffity and distress by the Indians; weakened by the defertion, or difappointed and difcouraged by the timidity and inefficacy of the Canadians and Provincials; and the regular troops reduced by repeated and heavy loffes, of many of their beft men and most diftinguished officers, to the number of only 3,500 effective fighting men, of whom not quite 2,000 were British. In thefe circumstances,

cumftances, and this state of weakness, without a poffibility of retreat, and their provision juft exhaufted, they were invefted by an army of four times their own number, whose position extended three parts in four of a circle round them; who refufed to fight! from a knowledge of their condition; and who from the nature of the ground could not be attacked in any part.

In this helpless condition, obliged to lie conftantly on their arms, whilft a continued cannonade prevaded all the camp, and even rifle and grape fhot fell in every part of the lines, the Britifh troops retained their contancy, temper, and fortitude, in a wonderful and almost unparalleled manner. As true courage fubmits with great difficulty to defpair, they ftill flastered themfelves with the hope of fuccour from their friends on the New York fide, or, perhaps with not lefs fervent wifhes, of an attack from the enemy; thereby to quit all fcores at once, and either to have an opportunity of dying gallantly, or extricating themfelves with honour. In the mean time, the enemy's force was con. tinually increased by the pouring in of the militia from all parts, who were all eager to partake of the glory, the fpoil, or the pleasure of beholding the degradation of those whom they had fo long dreaded, and whom they unhappily confidered as their molt implacable enemies.

At length, no fuccour appearing, no rational ground of hope of any kind remaining, an exact account of the provifions was taken on the evening of the 13th of October, when it was found that the whole stock in hand, would afford no more than three days bare fubfiftence for the army. A council was immediately called; and the General thinking it

right and juft, in a matter fo momentous to individuals, as well as the whole, to obtain the general opinion and fuffrage of the army, fo far as it could with propriety be collected, invited, befides the generals and field officers, all the captains commanding corps or divifions, to affist at the council. The refult was, an unanimous determination to open a treaty and enter into a convention with General Gates.

Gen. Gates fhewed no marks of arrogance, nor betrayed any figns of being carried away by the prefent extraordinary torrent of fuccefs. The terms were moderate, confidering the ruined ftate and irretrievable circumstances of the army; and that it was already in effect at the enemy's mercy, being equally incapable of fubfifting where it was, and of making its way to a better fituation. The principal difficulty related to a point of military honour, in which the British generals and troops were peremptory, and Gates far from being stiff.

The principal articles of the convention, exclufive of thofe which related to the provifion and accommodation of the army, in its way to Bofton, and during its stay at that place, were, That the army fhould march out of the camp with all the honours of war, and its camp artillery, to a fixed place where they were to depofit their arms: to beallowed a free embarkation and paffage to Europe from Bofton, upon condition of their not ferving again in America, during the prefent war; the army not to be feparared, particularly the men from the officers; roll calling and other duties of regularity to be admitted; the officers to be admitted on parole, and to wear their fide arms; all private property to be facred, and the public delivered upon honour; no baggage to be fearched of

molested;