Page images
PDF
EPUB

held back in the full confidence of its being ufhered in with the particulars of fome great and decifive fuccefs. Those which came to hand, after a tedious feafon of expectation, bore a very different complexion. The infuperable difficulties that neceffarily fufpended the operations of an army in fuch a country, and under fuch circumftances, were now practi cally difcovered. The double defeat of Baum and Breyman, by a fuppofed broken and ruined militia, in an attempt to remove or to leffen fome of those difficul ties, was ftill more difpiriting, and not in any degree cured by the hopes which the General expreffed of fupport and affiftance from the co-operation of Sir William Howe's army; both as it marked a defpondency of fuccefs from their own force, and that the minifters knew the impoffibility of his receiving any fupport from that quarter. But, as if it had been to crown the climax of ill news and ill fortune, the fame difpatches were accompanied with others from Sir Guy Carleton, which brought an account of the failure of the expedition to Fort Stanwix, the bold and unexpected attack of the rebels on the fide of Ticonderago, and of a still more unexpected and extraordinary event in a short sketch of the defperate and doubtful action which was fought on the 19th of September, between General Burgoyne and Arnold; which, naked as it was of circumstances, feemed to fhew the latter to be the affailant, by the mention of his returning to his camp, when darkness had put an end to the combat.

[ocr errors]

Although the knowledge of thefe events feemed to open a view to fome of the fucceeding misfortunes, and even feemed to prefage a part of these fevere hardships and calamities which befel the northern ar

[blocks in formation]

my, it was ftill hoped by thofe who were moft fanguine in their expectations, that the General being fo near Albany, could not fail in making his march good to that place; and that then being fecurely lodged, he would have an opportunity of concerting matters with Sir Henry Clinton, and of their jointly or feparately diftreffing the northern colonies; or if the feafon and other circumstances did not favour that defign, they might determine upon the propriety of maintaining the poft at Albany, during the winter ; or of advancing to New York, if it was thought more eligible. In the worft cafe that could happen, it was never doubted but they would be able to make good a retreat to Canada. So great was the faith of the ministry and their fanguinary fupporters, in the omnipotence of this army, that they judged it impoffible for any force the Americans could fend against them to conquer them; and thofe who hinted the fmallest fufpicion of thefe troops'not being invincible, were ready to become the objects of the feverest ridicule. Many for a good while had prognofticated the difafter which befel this army, and freely declared their fentiments ; but their moft rational conjectures were interpreted as proceeding from difaffection to the government, and a spirit of rebellion. Many of the old Jacobites, who had now by means of a fecret influence worked themselves into power, or by means of their friends, had flipt into places offinecure, began to fpeak of rebellion in a new ftile, and throw the fcandal of it upon the best friends of the British constitution. Some of them even proceeded fo far as to affirm that the revolution was itself a rebellion, and that the colo nifts were no less rebels for pleading their rights from that conftitution,

The

The heroifm of the Frazers, and other chiefs who had made had made but an indifferent figure at Cullo den was now extoled to the skies, and the Scotch Highlanders under their command were represented as the most invincible troops in the world. The colonists were set forth in all the ridiculous attitudes of rebellion, cowardice, and infignificance; fo one would have thought that instead of fending fuch irrefiftable troops to fubdue them, that the very draughts of our army might have ferved for that purpofe. There is. always an inconfiftency in the language and conduct of men when they are under the influence of preju. dice, and ruled by their pride and paffions; and of all the characters in fociety, there are none fo ready to give way to these unreasonable affections, as thofe who are inclined to the luft of dominion and arbitrary power. The nobleft exertions of the human mind, and the pureft principles of freedom and liberty are an eye-fore to men affected with the luft of domina. tion.

Amidst the various contefts and debates in parlia ment, and the difputes at home concerning the American war, the news of the convention at Saratoga, and the furrender of General Burgoyne's whole army threw a confiderable damp upon the confidence of the ministry, and almost confounded those who had exceeded all bounds in their extravagance of boafting. While parliament were hotly difputing concerning the measures to be adopted for carrying on the war, and all rational propofals for an accomodation were lejected by a dead majority, upon the third of Decem, ber, the difmal news of the furrender of the whole northern army arrived, and the firft certain accounts thereof were difclofed by the minifter who had the

honour

honour of directing it. The aftonishment of all could not exceed the confufion of the minifters; they were thunder-ftruck at the tidings, and a guilty confufion overfpread their countenances. Altho' not convinced of their error, nor converted from principles which are a difgrace to human nature, they almoft gnashed their teeth for pain, and were reduced to feel the agonies of condemnation. Though the lofs of fo many brave men and citizens was much to be lamented, yet the indignation of the people, and the ignorance, wick ednefs, and folly of the contrivers of that unjust and horrid war, carried off a great degree of the forrow which many felt at the lofs and difgrace of our army. As our troops were taken prifoners of war, fome thought it more fortunate than if they had been killed in battle, in a caufe, the orthodoxy of which had never yet been fully demonftrated by the most fanguine advocates thereof.

It may easily be fuppofed that thofe who had been from the beginning against that bloody and unreafonable war, would be ready to let the miniftry hear of the folly and weakness of their measures. The minifter's declaration in the Houfe of Commons concerning the convention of Saratoga,brought forth the feverest as well as the most juft and equitable charges against him. The principle and policy of the war were arraigned, and the incapacity of the miniftry to carry it on, fuppofe it had been just, was painted in the strongest colours. The whole plan of the expedition was condemned in the ftrongest terms; it was declared an abfurd, inconfiftent and impracticable scheme, and which the chief of a tribe of favages would have been ashamed to acknowledge. The hero of this fcheme was told that they did not judge him from events, but had warned him

ef.

of the fatal confequences of his plan before this event had happened. That they had been laughed at for warning him of what had happened, and told that they were speaking by prophecy. They asked him if he was now fatisfied with the truth of their prophecies and predictions. They affirmed that ignorance had stamped every step of the expedition, but it was the ignorance of the minister, and not of the general; a minifter that would venture fitting in his closet, not only to direct the general operations, but all the particular movements of a war carried on in the interior defarts of America, and at the distance of three thoufand miles.

The northern expedition was perhaps as ill-contriv. ed and unfuccefsfully executed, as any that is recorded in history. The pretended defign of it was to form a junction between Sir William Howe and General Burgoyne, through woods and defarts, rivers and lakes; where many large veffels were to be built, many extenfive woods to be cut through, and roads continu. ally impaffable, to be levelled, mended, and repaired. This measure might have been effected by fea in lefs than a month, without much danger, and at a more moderate expence. But the ignorance, and ftupidity of the contriver of this expedition is beyond all parallel in history; for at the very time that he intended that the two armies fhould join, he ordered the one army to march from New York to the fouthward, and commanded the northern army from Canada to follow it. This was a ftrange method for these two bodies to meet in any center, to march in the fame line of direction after each other; but this minifter, who ever fince his fervice in the laft war had formed ideas of military operations, different from all others

of

« PreviousContinue »