HISTORY OF VERMONT, 109 



tcaux, provisions, stores, and magazines, feij 

 into the enemy's hands. Bureroyne found 

 340,760 pounds of flour, and 143,830 pounds of 

 salt provisions in their stores ; and a large 

 drove of cattk, which had arrived in the 

 American camp, but a few days before. Their 

 troops were scattered and dispersed ; and St. 

 jCIair, retreating by the road through Rutland, 

 after a very fatiguing march, in which the army 

 suffered severely from bad weather, roods, and 

 want of provisions, with the remains of his bro- 

 ken troops joined Schuyler on the twelfth of 

 July, in a reduced and wretched state. 



TtE whole continent was astonished and 

 alarmed widi this event. General -Washington 

 had been led to believe that the northern army 

 and forts were in such a situation, that at least 

 a very vigorous defence might be made. The 

 New England States, contrary to all their pros- 

 pects and expectations, found the British forces 

 making their way into their country, where they 

 had apprehended but little danger. The voice 

 of complaint and clamor was loud against general 

 St. Clair. He justified hinigelf on the score of 

 not being supplied with the necessary number 

 of men, or the requisite quantity of provisions. 

 He had certainly reason >for these complaints, 

 and he was not in a situation in which there was 

 any prospect that he could make a long or a 

 successful defence. It \yill however be difficult 

 to account for his not calling for the necessary 

 supplies, till the enemy arrived ; and it must be 

 allowed that the evacuation of the forts, if ne- 

 cessary, was very improper] / delayed till the last 

 ji^oiTient, and was then ^^ery ill conducted. Np 



