which would have operated in attack as a fecond flank. The town of Savannah, encompaffed with the remains of an old line of entrenchment, covered their rear. One piece of cannon was planted at the extremity of their line on the right, one on the left, and two pieces occupied the traverse, across the great road, in the center of their line. About 100 paces in front of this traverse, at a critical fpot between two fwamps, a trench was cut across the road, and about 100 yards in front of the trench, a marshy rivulét run almoft parallel the whole extent of their front; and to render the paffage ftill more difficult, they had deftroyed the bridge which led over this brook. Colonel Campbell foon difcovered, by the countenance, as well as the movements of the enemy, that they equally wished and expected that he fhould attack them on the left; and he accordingly omitted no means that could ferve to cherish that opinion, and continue its delufion. For that purpose he ordered the 1ft battalion of the 71ft to draw off and form on the right of the road, and then marching up to the rear of the light infantry, that corps was drawn off ftill more to the right, thereby increafing the jealoufy of the enemy for their left, and impreffing a full idea, that he was in the act of extending his front to that quarter. The happieft effect of this manœuvre, however, was, that the light infantry had thereby got into a hollow ground, by which they were totally covered from the view of the enemy. Fortune, the great friend to enterprize in war, and whofe favours no prudent officer will ever deny, had thrown a negro into the hands VOL. XXII. of the commander, whofe intelligence he turned to the happiest account. This man knew a private path through the wooded swamp on the enemy's right, through which he promised to lead the troops without obfervation or difficulty. To profit the more effectually of this difcovery, it happened that the hollow way into which the light infantry had now fallen, continued winding all round the rear of the army until it joined the morafs and wood in question. Sir James Baird was accordingly directed to pursue the course of the valley with the light infantry, until he arrived at the path pointed out by his guide, by which he would be enabled to turn the enemy's right flank, and by a moderate circuit to fall in upon the rear of that wing. The New-York volunteers, under Colonel Tumbull, were ordered to fupport the light infantry. During the courfe of this movement, the artillery were formed in a field on the left of the road, and concealed from the enemy by a fwell of ground in front, up which it was intended to run them, as foon as the fignal was made for action. From that commanding ground, they could either bear advantageously upon the right of the rebel line, or canonade any body of troops in flank, which they might detach into the wood to retard the progrefs of the light infantry. An Heffian regiment was formed upon the left of the artillerv. During all this time, totally blind to their danger, the enemy continued to amufe themfelves with their caunon, although a fingle fire was not returned; a circunftance, [C] which, which, along with the ftilnefs and immobility of the British troops, might have reasonably excited apprehenfion, diftruft, and watchfulnefs. At length, Colonel Campbell, convinced that the light infantry had got effectually round upon their rear, fuddenly brought forward the cannon, and commanded the line to move brifkly on to the enemy. The well-directed fire of the artillery, the rapid advance of the 71ft regiment, and the forward countenance of the Heffians, fo overpowered the enemy, that they inftantly fell into confufion, and difperfed. In the mean time, the light infantry having arrived at the new barracks, which were full in the way they were making to the rear of the enemy, feil in unexpectedly with a body of the militia of Georgia, who were there ftationed with artillery, to guard the great road from Ogeeche; thefe were foon routed, with the lofs of their cannon, and as Sir James Baird was in full purfuit of the fugitives, in his way to fall upon the main body, the terrified and fcattered troops of the Carolina and Georgia brigades, came running across the plain full in his front. Nothing could exceed the confufion and rout that now ensued, when the light,infantry, with the rapidity peculiar to that corps, threw themfelves in headlong upon the flanks of a flying enemy, already fufficiently broken and confufed. No victory was ever more complete. 38 commiffioned officers, 415 non-commiffioned and privates, 48 pieces of cannon, 23 mortars, the fort with its ammunition and ftores, the shipping in the river, a large quantity of provifions, with 5 the capital of Georgia, were all in the poffeffion of the conquerors before dark. Neither the glory of the victory, nor the military renown arifing from the judicious measures, and admirable manoeuvres which led to it, could reflect more honour upon the commander in chief, than every other part of his conduct. His triumph was neither diftained by an unneceffary effufion of blood, nor degraded by prefent or fubfequent cruelty. The moderation, clemency, and humanity of all his conduct, will be confidered ftill the more praiseworthy, when it is recollected, that he was under the immediate imprefiion of fuch peculiar circumftances of irritation and refentment, as had not been experienced by any other British officer, who had borne command during the Ameri can war. The lofs of the Americans in flain was very fmall, confidering the nature of the complete rout they had undergone. Only about fourfcore men fell in the action and purfuit, and about thirty more perifhed in their attempts to escape through the fwamp. The conduct of their commanders requires no obfervation. Every body will fee they knew nothing of their businefs. Although the fugitives fled, and confequently led the purfuit, through the town of Savannah, and that many of the inhabitants were then in the ftreets, yet, fuch was the excellent difcipline obferved, that in the heat of blood, not a fingle perfon fuffered, who had not arms in his hands, and who was not befides in the act either of flight or refiftance. The commander having received fome information, that the fetting of the ca pital pital on fire, in cafe of its lofs, had been once a matter in contemplation with the enemy, took effectual measures to guard against that defign, if ftill intended. No place in fimilar circumstances, ever fuffered fo little by depredation, as the town of Savannah did upon this occafion; even taking into the account, that committed by their own negroes during the darkuefs of the approaching night. A ftrong circumftantial teflimony, that thofe enormities, fo frequently attributed to the licence of the foldiers, fhould with much more juftice be charged to the indefenfible conduct of their fuperiors; whether by a previous relaxation of difcipline, an immediate participation in the guilt, or a no lefs culpable fufferance of the enormity. Through the activity and prompt union of the commanders in chief by land and fea, and the spirit and diligence of their officers, General Howe, with the broken remains of his army, was not only compelled to retreat into South-Carolina, but notwithstanding many impediments in their way, and fome wants not eafily remedied, particularly horses for their artillery, they, within lefs than a fortnight, had recovered the whole province of Georgia (except ing only the town of Sunbury) to the British government. In that time they had reftored tranquillity every where, afforded protection to all who remained in or returned to their houses, established fuch pofts as fecured the whole line of frontier on the fide of South-Carolina, and formed the well-affected, who came in with their rifles and horses, into a corps of light dragoons. In the mean time, Major-General Prevoft found no fmall difficulty in bringing together, from their scattered and remote cantonments, the fmall parties with which he was to make an impreflion on the fide of Florida. The getting forward his artillery, ftores, and provifions, as the enemy were mafters of the navigation in general, both along the coafts, and on the greater waters inland, was no lefs difficult. In these operations, the troops underwent unufual hardships and distresses, which they bore with the most exemplary fortitude and temper; both officers and foldiers having been reduced to live for feveral days folely upon oyfters, and enduring at the fame time the greatest heat and fatigue, without complaint, defpondency, or murmur. The major-general having at length brought forward a few pieces of artillery, fuddenly furrounded the town and fort of Sunbury, on the frontiers of Georgia. The garrifon, confifting of about 200 men, made fome fhew of defence, and gave the commander the trouble of opening trenches. But although they were fupported by fome armed veffels and gallies, yet all hope of relief being now totally cut off by the reduction of the reft of the province, they found it neceffary to furrender at difcretion. This happened juft at the time, when Colonel Campbell, after the fettlement of the interior country, had returned to Savannah, and was preparing to fet out on an expedition for the reduction of Sunbury. The command devolved of courfe to General Prevoft on his arrival at Savannah. CHA P. III. Ifland of Dominica taken by the Marquis de Bouille, governor of Martinico. State of the French fleet at Bofton. Riot between the French and inhabitants. Defperate riot between the French and American failors, in the city and port of Charlestown. M. D'Eftaing fails from Bojlon for the WeftIndies having firft iffued a declaration addreffed to the French Canadians. Admiral Byron's fleet driven off from the coast of New-England by a violent hurricane, which afforded an opportunity for the departure of the French Squadron. British fleet detained at Rhode-Ifland, to repair the damages fuftained in the tempeft. Reinforcement fent from New-York to the West-Indies, under the conduct of Commodore Hotham, and Major-General Grant: narrowly miss falling in with the French fleet: join Admiral Barringten at Barbadoes, and proceed together to the reduction of the island of St. Lucia: troops land, take the French pets in the neighbourhood of the Grand Cul de Sac proceed to Morne Fortune and the Viergie. M. D'Estaing appears in fight, with a vaft fuperiority both of land and marine force: attacks the British Squadron in the Grand Cul de Sac: and is bravely repulfed by Admiral Barrington, twice in the fame day. French land their troops in Choc Bay: attack General Meadows three times in the Viergie; are repulfed every time, and at length defeated with great lofs. Great glory obtained by the British forces, both by jea and land, in thefe fiveral encounters. M. D'Estaing, after ten days longer stay, abandons the island of St. Lucia, without any farther attempt for its recovery. The Chevalier de Micoud, with the principal inhabitants, capitulate befire the French feet is out of fight. GE EORGIA was reduced in the manner we have feen. In other refpects little was done; nor did the feafon permit much to be done in other parts of America. Whilft the war ftagnated there, the lofs of the valuable island of Dominica in the West Indies, opened a new scene of action in that quarter. Complaints and reprefentations had been long and repeatedly made by the Welt-India merchants and planters to adminiflration, of the weak and expofed ftate of those islands, which feemed to be left to the mercy of their powerful European neighbours, without a military force for their defence, or a competent naval fquadron for their protection. Jamaica had been particular in thefe applications. The immenfe British capital neceffarily lodged in that island, rendered it no lefs an object of concern in this country, than its great domeftic property did to the owners of the foil. The great increase of troops, and the unufual military preparations in the French and Spanish fettlements, afforded fufficient room to justify thefe apprehenfions and reprefentations. This bufinefs was alfo frequently. introduced in both Houses of Parliament by the oppofition, who repeatedly warned the minifters of the danger to which our West. India poffeffions were expofed. They They were generally anfwered in this inftance, as in fome others, by a repetition of the well founded confidence repofed in the pacific difp fiion and good intentions of our neighbours. But the fimple matter of fact, undoubtedly was, that our military force and provi. fion by fea and land, were fo completely fwallowed up in the vortex of the American war, and the deBands were till fo inceflant and urgent, that the fources of fupply were conftantly drained and ex haufted, fo that other objects, how ever important, were of neceflity obliged to be committed, in a great meafure, to the blind difpofition of chance and fortune. The island of Dominica was a part of thofe compenfations, acquired by the treaty of Paris, for the expences of a war, very glorious indeed, but very burthen fome. To thefe expences and glo, ries, the whole of the ceflions was not adequate. Confidered independently of this comparative eftimate, Dominica was an acquifition of no inconfiderable importance; and its fituation, lying between Martinico and Guadaloupe, and within view of each, would have rendered it of the utmost imporance in time of war. This circomftance feems to have been fo well understood by government, that it went to a great and unufual expence in fortifying the land, and the works had been lately covered with a numerous artillery, fent for the purpofe from England; but the garriton, if it could deferve to be called by that name, was totally incompetent to the defence of the one, or to the ufe of the other. Neither the importance nor the Sept. 7th. weakness of the island, efcaped the attention of the Marquis de Bouille, Governor-general of Martinice. He accordingly landed with about 2000 men, 1778. under the cover of fome frigates and privateers, about daybreak at Dominica, and proceeded to attack the different batteries and forts by land, as his marine force did by fea. The handful of regu lar troops, amounting only to about a hundred men, together with the militia and inhabitants in general, did all that could be expected against fuch a fuperiority of force, and under fuch circumstances of furprize. But the French having taken thofe detached and halfmanned batteries which lay first in their way, and advanced by noon to attack the little capital of Roseau, by fea and land, which likewise comprehended the principal fortifications of the island, LieutenantGovernor Stuart, with the military officers and council, feeing all defence fruitlefs, thought it neceffary to fave the inhabitants from piander and ruin, by entering into a capitulation. This was foon concluded. The terms were the most moderate that could be conceived; the Marquis de Bouille having nearly agreed, without difcution or reserve, to every condition that was propofed in favour of the inhabitants. Befides the honours of war, and the liberty of retaining their arms, with the fulleft fecurity to their eftates, property of every fort, rights, privileges, and immunities, they were allowed to retain their civil and religious governments in all their parts, with all their laws, cuftoms, ordinances, courts, and ministers of justice, until the con [C] 3 clufion |