Retrospective view of American affairs in the year 1778. Expedition to Bedford, Fair Haven; and to Martha's Vineyard. Admiral Montague difpoffefes the French of the islands of St. Pierre, and Miquelon. Lord Cornwallis, and Gen. Knyphaufen, advance into the enemy's country, on both fides of the North River. Surprize of Baylor's light horfe. Succefs of the expedition to Egg Harbour. Surprize of Pulafki's legion. Cruel depredations by Butler, Brandt, and the favages, on the back frontiers. Destruction of the new fettlement at Wyoming, attended with circumstances of fingular cruelty and barbarity. Col. Clarke's expedition from Virginia, for the reduction of the Canadian towns and fettlements in the Illinois country. Confequences of Clarke's fuccefs. Expedition from Schoharie to the Upper Sufquehanna. Deftruction of the Unadilla and Anaquago fettlements. W E have seen in our laft volume, that the effectual protection which the French fquadron received from their new allies, at Bofton, had Sept. 8th, entirely fruftrated Lord Sept. 8th, Howe's defign of at1778. tacking D'Estaing in that road or harbour. Upon this VOL. XXII, failure of hope with refpect to his primary object, the noble Admiral immediately returned to the fuccour of Rhode Island, which, we have also feen, had been invested, and vigorously attacked, by General Sullivan. And finding that ifland already freed from danger, he proceeded to New York, where, [4] in in confequence of what is underfood by a previous leave of abfence, he refigned the command of the fleet into the hands of Admiral Gambier, and returned to England. Sir Henry Clinton, who had embarked with 4,000 men for the relief of Rhode Island, had two other material objects in view, in one or both of which he might probably have fucceeded, if he had not been detained by contrary winds a few hours beyond his time, or that Sullivan had not been attentive to the danger to which he was exposed, when he found himfelf finally abandoned by the French fleet, and in confequence deferted by the New England volunteers, who compofed the better part of his force. One of these was to cut off Sullivan's retreat to the continent; and the other, which might have been either adopted as principal, or purfued as a fecondary object, was to attack the Americans in their head quarters and principal place of arms at Providence; the deftruction, or effectual difmantling of which, would have removed an eye-fore, and conftant fource of apprehenfion, at leaft, from the immediate vicinity of Rhode Island. Sullivan's timely retreat having fruftrated thefe defigns, Sir Henry Clinton, on his return to New York, difpatched Major General Grey, with the fleet of tranfports and troops, under the convoy of Captain Fanfhawe, of the Carysfort frigate, upon an expedition to the eastward. The first object of this expedition was to exterminate fome nefts of fmall privateers, which abounded in the rivers and creeks adjoining to Buz 3 zards Bay, in that part of New England called the Plymouth Colony; which from their vicinity to Rhode Island and the Sound, greatly infefted the trade of New York, as well as the adjacent coafts of Long Ifland; whilft the nearness of their retreats, with the fmallness of their reffels, and the fhallownefs of their creeks, fecured them in a great measure from all pursuit. This fervice was performed with great effect by the detachment under the command of the Major General. Between fix in the evening, when the Sept. 5th. troops were landed, and twelve, on the following day, the work was completely done; deftroying in their courfe about feventy fail of fhipping, befides a great number of fmall craft. The detachment likewife burnt or destroyed in the fame manner, the magazines, wharfs, ftores, warehouses, rope walks, and veffels on the ftocks, both on the Bedford and Fair Haven fides of the Acushinet river. The tranfports and troops proceeded from Fair Haven to the island called Martha's Vineyard; the inhabitants of which, like thofe of Nantucket, were once celebrated for their enterprize, fkill, and great fuccefs in the fisheries. This ifland, being, however, the reverfe of Nantucket in point of fertility, afforded a confiderable and moft defirable contribution, confifting of 10,000 fheep, and 300 oxen, for the public fervice at New York. In the mean time, Admiral Montague, who commanded on the Newfoundland ftation, no fooner received intelligence that D'Estaing had commenced hoftilities on the coafts coafts of North America, than, in confequence of provifional orders with which he had been furnished for the purpose, he difpatched Commodore Evans, with the Romney and fome frigates, together with a detachment of marines and artillery, to feize on the fmall iflands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which had been allotted to France by the laft treaty of peace, for the purpofe of curing and drying their fifh, and ferving as a ftore-houfe and shelter for the veffels employed in their fishery. As France had been particularly reftricted by the late treaty from fortifying thofe iflands, 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 service 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 state. Upon the return of the troops from the Bedford expedition, and with the contributions raifed 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 privateeers and prizes, and what was still more interefting, 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 Jerfey 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. Kuyphaufen, 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 more 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 af fembled in less than ten days. And even then, if he should 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 ferfeys were in a great meafure 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 coming 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 Sept. 27th. troops, advanced by 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 enelofed them fo effectually, that being placed between two fires, few or none of them could escape. Some deferters from the column on the right, prevented the completion of the scheme. 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 difcovery, 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 Jersey 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 privateers as were in any degree of readinefs, 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 zo miles from the mouth of the river. Their fmaller privateers, and craft of different forts, were carried still 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 fuccessfully overcome thefe difficulties, they difcovered 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 breast work manned, to cover it on an adjoining eminence. But upon a nearer approach it was difcovered, that thefe works were totally deftitute of artillery; and the troops being landed under a well directed cannonade from the gallies and gun boats, the neigh bouring 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 difperfe. 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 deftroyed. And as the trade of New York had suffered 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 houses and fettlements of feveral perfons, who had either been confpicuous by their activity in the rebellion, charged with oppreffion 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 gratify 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 Harbour, afforded an opportunity to enterprizing officers for the performance of new fervice, and that of a more active and fpirited 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 manner |