contrary, was a direct deviation from the truth. Having called on the other members of the cabinet to confirm or contradict thefe affertions, the Duke of Richinond and Lord Keppel declared, that the right honourable gentleman alluded to had undoubtedly differed in opinion from other members of his Majefty's council on fubjects of the utmost importance; and that, finding himself in a minority, he had openly avowed his intention to refign on that account, at a time when the health of the Marquis of Rockingham was in fo flattering a state as to make the event which was fupposed to have given rise to the contest for power, not at all to be apprehended. The fame day, in the House of Commons, Mr. Burke and Lord John Cavendish denied, in the moft direct terms, the truth of the circumstances relative to the grant of Mr. Barré's penfion, as well as their belief of the exiftence of the letter alluded to. The limits within which it is neceffary to confine this volume, have not permitted us to enter into a detail of the proceedings of the Houte of Commons relative to the affairs of the East India Company, The two committees continued to fit during the whole feffion with unremitted diligence and application. Their reports were voluminous beyond example, and univerfally allowed to be drawn up 'with great ability and judgment." On the ground of the reports brought up from the fecret committee, the Lord Advocate of Scotland, their chairman, moved I refolutions. These were di、vided into chales, each of which confifted of three diftinct heads; the two first of a public and gene ral nature; the third, of perfonal culpability. The firft clafs regarded the general fyftem of our government in the eaft, and concluded with a fevere cenfure on the conduct of Mr. Haftings and Mr. Hornby, and a declaration that it was the duty of the directors to take the necessary legal fteps for recalling them. The fecond and third claffes related to the affairs of the Carnatic; and on these a bill of pains and penalties on Sir T. Rumbold, J. Whitehill, and P. Perring, Efqrs. waś brought in. The reports of the felect committee had not advanced to the fame ftate of forwardness. The refolutions moved by their chairman, General Smith, were only ten in number. The three firft were to censure the conduct of Mr. Sullivan the chairman of the court of directors, by whofe neglect of duty in delaying to tranfmit the act for the regulation of the Company, to their fervants in India, the good purposes of the faid act for regulating the judicature, and relieving the three unhappy native judges confined in priton at Calcutta, might be frustrated. The two following were cenfures on the fame Mr. Sullivan, for adminiftering an oath of fecrecy to one of the fecretaries of the Company, reftraining him from giving information to the committee. "The next three related to the appointment of Sir Elijah Impey by Mr. Haftings, to an office held at the will of the governor-general, contrary to the intent of the act of the 13th of his prefent Majesty for the regulation of the Eaft India Company, Company. On thefe refolutions an addrefs to his Majefty was agreed to by the Houfe to recall the faid Sir Elijah Impey. The two laft were for the purpofe of bringing in a new act to afcertain the power of the governor-general and council of Bengal; and to reduce into one act the several acts CHAP. made for the regulation of the Company, and to amend and explain the fame. The King's fpeech at the prorogation, which took place on the 11th of July, turned on the ufual topics, and kept entirely free from any allufion to the politics of the time. IX. Retrospective view of affairs in North America and the West Indies in the year 1781. South Carolina. Battle at the Eutaw Springs. Col. Stuart, with the British forces, retires to Charles-town. Ifland of St. Euftatius furprised and taken by the Marquis de Bouille. Dutch fettlements of Demerary and Effequibo recovered by France. Marquis de Bouille invades the island of St. Christopher, with 8000 men, in the beginning of the year 1782, and is fupported by the Count de Graffe, with a great fleet. Gen. Frafer and the governor, with the few troops on the ifland, retire to Brimftone-hill. Gallant attempt made by Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, with a very inferior force, to fave the island: draws the enemy out to fea, and then feizes the anchorage-ground in Baffeterre road, which they had just quitted. French fleet repeatedly attack the English Squadron, and are repulfed with lofs. Works on Brimftone-hill in no degree anfwerable to the ftrength of the fituation. Gallant defence made by the garrifon. All the attempts made by the Admiral, and by Gen. Prefeot, for the relief of the place, prove ineffectual. The works and buildings on the top of the hill being almost entirely deftroyed, Gen. Frafer and Gov. Shirley are obliged to capitulate, and obtain conditions highly honourable to the garrifon, and advantageous to the island. English Squadron flip their cables, and return to Barbadoes. Nevis and Montferrat follow the fortune of St. Christopher. preparations by France and Spain for the invasion of Jamaica. Admiral Sir George Rodney arrives with a strong reinforcement from England, and takes the command of the fleet. Fails in his defign of intercepting the French convoy from Breft. Puts into St. Lucia to refit, and to watch the motions of the enemy. Objects, and respective force of the commanders on both fides. Perilous ftate of the English affairs in the Weft Indies. M. de Graffe proceeds with his fleet and a great convoy from Fort Royal, in order to form a junction with the French and Spanish forces at Hifpaniola. Is immediately purfued by Sir George Rodney. Partial engagement between the French fleet and the van of the English, on the 9th of April. Great fea-fight on the 12th, which lafts from fun-rife to fun-fet. Gallantry difplayed on both fides. French fleet entirely routed. Count de Graffe taken in the Ville de Paris. Four other ships of Formidable The the the line taken, and one funk. Various particulars of the action Cefar, one of the French prizes, blown up on the night of the battle Admiral Sir Samuel Hood detached with a fquadron, in pursuit of the enemy. Takes two French fhips of the line and two frigate. in the Mona paffage. Sir George Rodney proceeds with the Coun de Graffe and the prizes to Jamaica. Confequences of the lat victory. Honours to the fuccessful commanders. Lord Rodney returns to England, and is fucceeded by Admiral Pigot. Inactivity of the oppofite armies in North America, confirmed by the refolutions of parliament, and by the fubfequent negociations for peace. T1 HE natural boundaries which ferved in fome degree to reftrain hoftility, and to throw South Carolina into two great allotments, which were refpectively held by the Royal and the American forces, could no longer produce their effect than while equal ftrength or mutual weaknefs prevented the operation of either party. The calm which attended and fucceeded the new partition arrangement made by Lord Rawdon a little before his departure from that province, accordingly lafted no longer than until General Greene had received inch reinforcements from without, and had ufed fuch internal means, in forming and difciplining the ftate troops and militia of the two Carolinas, as he fuppofed would enable him to act with effect. As foon as these ends were attained, he marched with his forces from the high hills of Santee, in order to pass the Congaree River, and to attack Col. Stewart who commanded the Britifli forces then in the field. That officer was pofted at a Col. Thompson's, near M-Cord's Ferry, on the Congaree; his troops were fickly, bread was, fcarce, and a fupply of provifion was then on its way to join him. Upon this movement of the enemy he judged it neceflary for the fecurity of his convoy, and probably other reafons, to fall back about forty miles to a place called the Eutaw Springs, which lie about fixty miles north of Charles Town. Greene, however, ftill purfued his defign of attacking him, to which he was now farther ftimulated by understanding that Col. Stewart intended to establish a ftrong and permanent poft at the Eutaws (for which the place was admirably qualified) to serve as a rampart on that fide, to a new and more contracted line of frontier. The former had paffed the river at Howel's Ferry; and upon coming to this determination, he fent back his baggage and ftores to that place, and purfuing his march until he arrived within feven miles of the Eutaws, encamped in the evening at a plantation called Bardwell; from whence he proceeded early the next morning to attack the royal forces. General Greene's order of battle feems to have been rather peculiar an obfervation by no means intended to arraign his judgment. His first line confifted only of two battalions of South Carolina, and two battalions of North Carolina militia; whilft his great strength was placed in the fecond, which was compofed of three brigades of Continental troops, including two battalions battalions of Virginians, two of Marylanders, and three of North Carolinians. Col. Lee, with his legion, covered one flank, and Henderson, with the ftate troops of South Carolina, the other. 'Col. Washington, with his cavalry, and the state troops of Delaware, under a captain, formed a corps de referve. Brig.-Gen. Marion commanded the first line; and Sumner the North Carolina troops. No certain eftimate can, be formed of the amount of the American forces. The English accounts ftate them at about 4000. Greene himself gives no clue; but loufely obferves, that they were much inferior to the enemy in number; and in his published letter, feems ftudioufly to reprefent the battalions in general as being very fmall." The first line advanced with two threepounders, and the fecond with two fix-pounders. 66 Sept. 8th, 1781. In each were victors, and vanquished by turns; chance and accidental conjunction frequently varying the fortune of the fight. It is impoffible to reconcile the Englifh and American accounts, they differ fo totally in almost every part of the relation. Both fides claimed the victory, and both had fome ground for the claim; both fides held out the higheft praifes to their officers and men for the eminent fervices which they per formed, and the extraordinary valour they difplayed; and the praife was undoubtedly, in the highest degree, merited on both. contradictions which appear on the oppofite accounts are not to be entirely attributed to defigned mifreprefentation on either fide. The nature of the ground contracted the sphere of observation within a very narrow compass: and report is feldom to be relied on as the bafis of truth. confequences must therefore be confidered as the beft explanation of the action. The The the morning march, Colonel Wafh ington, with the troops. that covered the flanks, It admits of no doubt that the formed an advanced guard, and conflict was exceedingly fevere, about four miles from the Eutaws and abounded with inftances of the fell in with Major Coffin, with a higheft gallantry on both fides. detached party of horfe and light The Americans were now inured infantry, who, after fome firing, to arms and danger; and the profell back to the British main vincial militia, who alone led on body; which, by the American the attack in the first line, not only accounts, was drawn up to receive fought with all the fpirit, but with them, between two and three all the perfeverance of old and miles in the front of their camp. well-tried foldiers. The bayonet, The action commenced at nine in which had fo long been dreadful the morning, and lafted four hours to the Americans, feems now to without intermiffion. As the have become their favourite weabattle was fought in the woods, pon. General Greene particuand the conflict obftinately main- larly attributes the victory (which tained on both fides, it was fub- he claims as indifputable) to the ject to much viciffitude';: fo that fierce and irreftistible attack of the different wings and parties on Virginia and Maryland troops, who, who, he says, rushed on through a hot cannonade and a fhower of bullets to charge the enemy with the bayonet. It would feem upon the whole, though not acknowledged on our fide, that the royal troops were driven back, through a continued feries of hard fighting, and with the lofs of two pieces of cannon, as far as their camp. That there, as brave and experienced foldiers, ftill poffeffing their judgment and faculties in the height of tumult and the extremity of danger, they at once perceived, and as inftantly feized, the advantages which the ftrong ground they were then on afforded. A large and ftrong brick-house, of three stories, with its adjoining offices and inclosures, was immediately occupied by a large party; another lodged themfelves in an almost impenetrable coppice of rugged underwood, called in that country Black Jack; while a third took poffeffion of a pallifadoed garden. Thus covered in front, their flanks were well fecured by a deep ravine, and other difficulties of ground. Here then the engagement was renewed with fresh vigour, and with greater feverity than before. The Americans brought up the two pieces of cannon they had taken, along with their own fixpounders, to attack the brickhoufe; while Col. Washington, with the greatest gallantry, made repeated attempts to form the coppice. All their efforts on both fides were ineffectual. The fire from the one was too fevere to be long endured; and Washington was wounded and taken prisoner, in his laft attack upon the coppice. for ac The Americans, after a fore lofs, were obliged to retreat; having, in the eagernefs of attack, pufhed their guns too close to the brick-houfe, their artillery-men and officers were not only de ftroyed, but the fire was fo intolerable, that they could neither bring off the cannon nor the wounded which were within its command. Gen. Greene knowledges, that he found it neceffary, in order to fpare the effufion of blood, to draw his troops out of reach of the English fire; but his fubfequent retreat of feven miles to his camp at Bardwell's, he attributes entirely to the want of water; a want (if real) undoubtedly of fuch a nature, as could not but be feverely felt through the course of so long a march, fo hot a day, and fo fevere an action. Thefe circumftances afforded fair ground to the British commander whereon to reft his claim of victory. But others were not equally concurrent; and his fituation and force did not admit that the confequences of the action fhould fupport the claim with effect. It was certainly a great and moft gallant recovery; fuch as is not often equalled in fimilar circumftances; and in which the officers and troops had a higher claim to honour than the moft complete victory might have afforded in other inftances. Greene boafts that he took 500 prifoners (including in that number 70 wounded, whom, he says, the royal forces left behind them on their retreat the following day); that he left a ftrong picquet on the field of battle; that he collected at his wounded, excepting those who lay |