soafts of North America, than, in confequence of provifional orders with which he had been furnished for the purpose, he dispatched Commodore Evans, with the Romney and fome frigates, together with a detachment of marines and artillery, to feize on the fmall islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which had been allotted to France by the laft treaty of peace, for the purpose of curing and drying their fish, and ferving as a tore-houfe and fhelter for the veffels employed in their fishery.

As France had been particularly restricted by the late treaty from fortifying thofe islands, and equally tied down from any increase of a fmall limited number of troops in them, which were only adapted to the fupport of the civil government, and not to any purposes of defence, against whatever might deferve the name of enemy, this fervice was accordingly performed without difficulty. A capitulation was granted, in confequence of which the Governor, with the inhabitants, and the garrifon, amounting in the whole to about 2,000, were tranfmitted to France; all the accommodations of habitation, trade, and fishery were deftroyed; and the islands thrown back into their original ftate.

Upon the return of the troops from the Bedford expedition, and with the contributions raised at Martha's Vineyard, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton determined upon another to Egg Harbour, on the Jerfey coaft, where the enemy had a number of privateers and prizes, and what was still more interesting, fome very confiderable falt works. To draw away their attention from the objects of this expedition, and

in order alfo to procure forage and fresh provifions for the army, Lord Cornwallis advanced into Jersey with a ftrong body of troops, where he took a pofition between Newbridge, on the Hackinfack, to his left, and the North river, to his right. At the fame time, Lieut. Gen. Knyphaufen, advancing with another divifion of the army on the Weft Chefter fide, took a parallel pofition, his left reaching to the North River, near Wepperham, and his right extending to the Brunx.

It would not be eafy to conceive any fituation mòre favourable for the carrying on of military operations with advantage. The two divifions being only feparated by the North River, could, by the means of their flat boats, unite their whole force on either fide of it within twenty-four hours; whilft, by the command of the Channel, which their marine afforded all the way up to the Highlands, Washington's forces, which were likewife feparated in the fame manner, but much more difperfed, could not have been affembled in less than ten days. And even then, if he fhould quit his ftrong ground in the Highlands, in order to pafs over to the relief of the Jerfeys, he must have fubjected himself to hazard the confequences of a general action, in a country, which from its nature, would have been very unfavourable to him in fuch an event. By this means, the provinces of New York, and the Jerlevs were in a great measure laid open to the army; the neceffary fupplies of forage and provifions were plentifully obtained; and an opportunity was afforded to the well-affected of [4] 2

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coming in for protection or fervice. Such was one, among the numberlefs advantages, which our naval command of the feas and rivers afforded in the course of this war.

Baylor's regiment of light horfe, which had been lately raised in Virginia, and was generally called Mrs. Washington's regiment, became a victim upon this occafion, to the defign of Lord Cornwallis, with the immediate addrefs, and prompt execution, of Major General Grey. This regiment having been detached with fome militia to watch and interrupt the foragers, their vicinity to the North River, in the villages of Old and New Taapan, where they lay, with other circumstances of fituation, and perhaps more than any, their unfoldierly fecurity, and careleffnefs with respect to guards and pofts, induced Lord Cornwallis to form a plan for their furprize in the night. In purfuit of this defign, whilft Gen. Grey, with the light infantry, and fome other troops, advanced by Sept. 27th. night on the left, to furprize the enemy on that fide, a detachment was made from Knyphaufen's corps, on the right, confifting of the 71ft regiment under Col. Campbell, and an American light corps, called the Queen's Rangers, who having paffed the North River, intended to have enclofed them fo effectually, that being placed between two fires, few or none of them could efcape.

Some deferters from the column on the right, prevented the completion of the fcheme. Thefe having at the most critical moment, rouzed the militia who lay in New Taapan, from their trance of fecurity, afforded a clear opportu

nity for their efcape, before the column could come up. But the Major General conducted his divifion, with fo profound a filence, and fuch excellency of order, that they not only cut off a ferjeant's patrole of twelve men, without any noife, but completely furrounded the village of Old Taapan without any discovery, and furprized Baylor's horfe, afleep and naked, in the barns where they lay. A fevere execution took place, and the regiment was entirely ruined.

Capt. Ferguson of the 70th regiment, with about 300 land forces, were detached on the expedition to Little Egg Harbour, on the Jerfey' coaft, under the convoy of Capt. Colins of the Zebra, with two other frigates, befides fome light armed veffels and gallies, which, from their capacity of running into fhallow water, were particularly adapted to the nature of the intended fervice.

The convoy arrived at the place of its deftination about the beginning of October; but as the wind and other circumstances retarded the paffage of the fhips over a bar which lay in their way, and that every thing in fuch an enterprize depended upon expedition, the troops were crowded, as circumftances would admit, into the gallies and fmall craft, which were lightened, by taking out every thing that was not effentially neceffary to the immediate fervice. It seems, that the enemy having received fome intelligence of the defign against them, had fuddenly fent out to fea fuch of their pri vateers as were in any degree of readiness, in order thereby to evade the impending danger. The larger of their remaining veffels,

con

confifting moftly of prizes, were, for their greater fecurity, hauled up the river Mullicus as far as they could go, to a place called Chefnut Neck, which lay about 20 miles from the mouth of the river. Their fmaller privateers, and craft of different forts, were carried ftill farther up into the country.

The detachment, with the lighter armed veffels, proceeded, through a moft difficult paffage, to Chefnut Neck; being obliged to work their way at random through numberless fhoals, without the aid of a pilot, or any knowledge of the channels. Having faccessfully overcome thefe difficulties, they discovered on their arrival, an appearance of refiftance which they could fcarcely have expected; one battery fhewing itself clofe to the water-fide, and another, with a breaft-work manned, to cover it on an adjoining eminence. Bat upon a nearer approach it was discovered, that these works, were totally deftitute of artillery; and the troops being landed under a well-directed cannonade from the gallies and gun-boats, the neighbouring militia, who had undertaken their defence with fmall arms, foon found the task beyond their ability, and were, with little difficulty, and without any lofs, obliged to abandon them and difperle.

The detachment found ten veffels at this place; which were of a confiderable fize, and moftly British prizes. Although thefe were in general valuable, yet the difficulty of the navigation, and the danger of delay, rendered the carrying them off impracticable; they were accordingly fired and destroyed. And as the trade of New York had fuffered greatly from their de

predations, the commanders determined to root out this neft of privateers as effectually as poffible. Under this determination, they deftroyed the fettlements, ftorehouses and works of every fort.

The good will of the officers and troops would have led them to complete the bufinefs, by proceeding up the river, and destroying the remainder of the enemy's fhipping, in their laft retreat, at the Forks, if the difficulties had not appeared too difcouraging, and the danger too imminent to be prudently encountered. The delays which they met with in their return, owing to the ftranding of fome of the veffels, afforded an opportunity to the troops of making fome fuccefsful excurfions into the neighbouring country. In these they deftroyed fome confiderable falt works, as well as the houfes and fettlements of feveral perfons, who had either been confpicuous by their activity in the rebellion, charged with oppreflion and cruelty to the well affected, or who had been concerned in the fitting out of privateers; a fpecies of fervice, however, more calculated to gra tify refentments on one fide, and to excite them on the other, than to produce any effential end with regard to the iffue of the war.

When the troops had rejoined the fquadron, a delay occafioned by contrary winds in Egg Hare bour, afforded an opportunity to enterprizing officers for the performance of new fervice, and that of a more active and spirited nature, than what they had already executed. A French captain, with fome private men, who had deferted from Pulafki's legion, gave fuch an account of the careless [4] 3

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which was reprefented as a coldblood maffacre of naked men, furprized in their fleep; and who, from a reliance on the laws of war and cuftoms of nations, being in full expectation of quarter when they made no refiftance, would not leffen or hazard that fecurity, by even an attempt to lay hold of their arms, or the fmalleft motion of defence. The depofitions of feveral of the foldiers who had been left as dead, or who had otherwife unaccountably escaped, were taken upon oath, authenticated in the ufual forms, and publifhed by authority. Some of the witneffes who appeared upon this occafion, afforded fuch extraordinary intances of the tenacioufnefs of human nature, in fome particular cafes and circumftances, with respect to life, that a recital of the facts as they are ftated, may poffibly be confidered by fome as a matter of phyfical curiofity. Of about a dozen wounded foldiers who appeared to give their evidence, three had received, in a regular gradation, from nine to eleven ftabs each, of bayonets, in the breaft and trunk of the body, befides feveral wounds in other parts. Two others had received, the one five, and the other fix, itabs in the body. It will undoubtedly excite the admiration of whoever confiders the nature of the weapon, and the force which it derives, as well from the weight of the mufket to which it is fixed, as from the manner in which it is ufed, and the ftrength of the operator, that thefe men were not only able to give their teftimony at a confiderable distance of time, but that no

doubt feems then to have been entertained of their recovery.

Although fome tribes of the Indians, particularly of thofe commonly called the Six Nations, had fent congratulations to General Gates on his fuccefs at Saratoga, and feemed to enjoy great fatisfaction in that event, and that others took different opportunities of expreffing fimilar fentiments, yet the prefents which they continually received from England, the induftry of the British agents, and the influence of the great number of American refugees which had taken shelter amongst them, all operating in conjunction upon their own native and unconquerable paffion for rapine, foon led them to contradict in act, their fentiments or profeffions upon that occafion. The fuccefs which attended the fmall expeditions undertaken by individuals of different tribes, under the guidance of the refugees, who knew where to lead them directly to spoil, and how to bring them off without danger, foon fpread the contagion of havock through the adjoining nations, fo that, in a little time, deftruction raged very generally through the new fettlements, on the back of the northern and middle Colonies.

Colonel Butler, whofe name we have feen, as an Indian agent and commander, in the wars on the fide of Canada, and who had great influence with fome of the northern nations of that people, together with one Brandt, an half Indian by blood, a man of defperate courage, but, as it is faid by the Americans, ferocious and cruel beyond example, were the