molested; all perfons of whatever country, apper-: taining to, or following the camp, to be fully comprehended in the terms of capitulation; and the Canadians to be returned to their own country, liable to its conditions.

General Gates fulfilled all the conditions, fo far as he was, or fhould be concerned in them, with the ut moft punctuality and honour. His humanity and politenefs, in every part of this bufinefs, have beeu much celebrated; without a fingle detraction, fo far as has yet been heard, from the most unfavourable accounts that have been given of his conduct. This was the more praife-worthy, as fome late, as well as former circumftances, had highly enraged the American militia; the army in its laft movements, whether from military neceffity, or the vexation and ill-temper incident to theirfituation, or the joint operation of both, having burnt and destroyed many houfes, and fome of them buildings of great value. The extraordinary and fevere execution which now took place upon the North River, would alfo have afforded too much colour for a different mode of conduct. It is even faid, and we do not find it has been contradicted, that this general paid fo nice an attention to the British military honour, and to the character and feelings of those brave troops who now experienced fo deplorable a reverse of for tune, that he kept his army clofe within their lines, and did not faffer an American foldier to be a witness tothe degrading fpectacle of piling their arms.

The Americans ftate the whole number who laid down their arms, including Canadians, provincials, volunteers regulars, and irregulars, of all forts, at 752 men. In this number is undoubtedly included, though not specified, all the artificers, labourers, and

followers,

followers of the camp. They alfo ftate the number of fick and wounded left in the hospitals at the retreat from the camp near Still Water, to 528 men, and the lofs befides in the army, in killed, wounded, taken, or deferted, from the 6th of July downwards, to 2,933; the total amount of thefe numbers being 9,213 men. By another account, the number is carried above ten thoufand. They also got a fine train of artillery, amounting to 35 pieces of different forts

and fizes.

During thefe unfortunate transactions, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, conducted his expedition up the North river with great fuccefs. He had embarked about 3000 men for that fervice, accompanied by a fuitable naval force, confifting of ships of war, armed gallies, and fmaller veffels, under the conduct of Commodore Hotham. Their first object was the reduction of the forts Montgomery and Clinton, which tho' of confiderable ftrength, being at that time in a very unguarded flate, it was determined to attempt by a coup de main. They were fituated on either fide of a creek, which defcended from the mountains to the North river, and their communication preserved by a bridge. Several neceffary motions being made to mask the real defign, the troops were landed in two divifions, at fuch a distance from their object, as eccafioned a confiderable and difficult march through the mountains; which was however calculated and conducted with such precision, that the two detachments arrived on the opposite fides of the creek, and their feperate attack on the forts, at nearly the fame time. The furprize and terror of the garrifons was increased by the appearance of the ships of war, and the arrival and near fire of the gallies, which approach

Y Y

ed

ed fo clofe as to ftrike the walls with their oars. The affault on both fides of the creek was exceedingly vigorous, and the impetuofity of the troops fo great, that notwithstanding a very confiderable defence, both the forts were carried by ftorm. As the foldiers were much irritated, as well by the fatigue they had undergone, and the oppofition they met, as by the lofs of fome brave and favourite officers, the flaughter of the enemy was confiderable.

Upon the lofs of the forts, the rebels fet fire to two fine new frigates, and to fome other veffels, which with their artillery aud ftores were all confumed. Another fort called Conftitution, was in a day or two after, upon the approach of the combined land and naval force, precipitately fet on fire and abandoned.General Tryon alfo, at the head of a detachment, deftroyed a new and thriving fettlement called Continental Village, which contained barracks for 1500 men, with confiderable ftores. The artillery taken in the three forts, amounted to 67 pieces of different fizes. A large quantity of artillery and other ftores, with ammunition, and provifions, were alfo taken. A large boom and chain, the making of which was fuppofed to have coft 70,000l. and the conftruction of which was confidered as an extraordinary proof of American labour, induftry, and skill, was in part deftroyed, and in part carried away.

Upon the whole, the American lofs in value, was probably greater than upon any other occafion fince the commencement of the war. Their ftrength and attention were drawn away to the northward, and other things must have been neglected, whilst they applied both to the principal object.

Ourlofs in killed and wounded was not great as to number, but some distinguished and much lamented officers

officers fell. Of thefe, befides Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, who commanded the attack on Fort Montgomery, Major Sill, was from the general efteem he had acquired through his many excellent qualities, univerfally regretted. Major Grant of the New York volunteers, and Count Graboufki, a Polifh nobleman, and aid de eamp to General Clinton, were alfo flain in the affault on thefe forts.

The expedition did not end with this fuccefs. Sir James Wallace, with a flying fquadron of light frigates, and General Vaughan, with a confiderable detachment of troops, continued, for feveral days, their excurfion up the river, carrying terror and deftruction wherever they went. At the very time that General Burgoyne was receiving the most favourable conditions for himfelf and a ruined army, the fine village or town of Efopus, at no very great diftance, was reduced to ashes, and not a houfe left ftanding. The extraordinary devaftation which attended every part of this expedition, of the neceffity of which we are not judges, was productive of a pathetic, but fevere letter, from General Gates, then in the height of victory, to General Vaughan.

On the approach of Gates, the troops and veffels retired to New York, having difmantled the forts, and for a time at least, having left the river defencelefs. But that enterprize, though conducted with conducted with fpirit and ability, was of little moment in the general account.

Such was the unfortunate iffue of the northern campaign; the event of an expedition which was undertaken with the most confident hopes, and for fome time pursued with very flattering appearances of fuccefs. It was fuppofed the principal means for the im

mediate

mediate reduction of the colonies; but it has only ferved, in conjunction with other operations, which in the firft inftance have fucceeded better, to demonftrate the difficulties attending the fubjugation of a humerous people at a great diftance, in an extenfive country marked with ftrong lines, and abounding in ftrong natural defences, if the refources of war are not exceedingly deficient, and that the fpirit of the people is in any degree proportioned to their fitua tion. It may now, whatever it was in the beginning, be a matter of doubt, whether any fuperiority of power, of wealth, and of difcipline, will be found to over-balance fuch difficulties.

It would not be eafy at prefent, as many things neceffary to be known have not yet been fully explained, and improper, as the whole is still a fubject of public investigation, to attempt forming any judgment upon the general plan or fyftem of this campaign.The general conduct of the war this year has alrea dy undergone much cenfure; and undoubtedly, the fending of the grand army at fuch a diftance to the fouthward, whilft the inferior was left ftruggling with infurmountable difficulties in the north, when it would feem that their junction or co-operation, would have rendered them greatly fuperior to any force which could have been poffibly brought to oppofe their progrefs, feems, in this view of things, not to be eafily accounted for. It is, however, a fubject, upon which no conclufive opinion can yet be formed.

To conclude this part of the hiftory of the American war it may neceffary to obferve, that the schemes that were devised frustrated themfelves. The appointing of General Burgoyne in the place of Sir G. Carleton threw a damp upon the progrefs of the war upon

the