A M E R I C A. 
Thus the affairs of the Americans feemed every where 
going to wreck : even thofe who had been molt fanguine in 
their caufe began to waver. The time, all'o, for which 
the foldiers had enlifted themfelves, was now expired ; and 
tlte bad fuccefs of the preceding campaign had been fo 
very dif'couraging, that no perfcn was willing to engage 
himfelf during the continuance of a war, of which the 
ev'mt feemed to be fo doubtful. In confetiuence of this, 
general Walhington found his army daily decreafmg in 
flrength ; i'o that from 30,000, of whom it confided when 
general Howe landed on Staten I hand, fcarcely a tenth part 
could now be nuiftered. To a did the chief commander as 
much as poffible, general Lee had coilefded a body of 
forces in the north; but on his’way Ibuthward, having 
imprudently taken tip Ills lodging at fome diltance from his 
troops, information was given to colonel Harcourt, who 
happened at that time to be in tire neighboured, and Lee 
was made prifoncr. The lofs of this general was much 
regretted, the more efpecially as he was of fuperior qua¬ 
lify to any prifoncr in the poffe’llion of the cojoaifts. Six 
field-officers were offered in exchange for him, but re- 
fa fed ; and the congrefs was highly irritated at its being 
reported that lie w\$ to be treated as a del'erter, having 
been a half-pay officer in tire Britifh fefvice at the com¬ 
mencement of the war. In confequence of this they iilued 
a proclamation, threatening to retaliate on the prifoners in 
their poil'elTion whatever punilhment fliould be inflicted on 
any of thofe taken by the Britifh; and efpecially, that 
their conduct fhould be regulated by the treatment of ge¬ 
neral Lee. 
In the mean time, they proceeded with the mod inde¬ 
fatigable diligence to recruit their army, and bound their 
foldiers to lea ve for a term /of three years, or during the 
continuance of the war. The army deiigiied for the eu- 
fuing campaign, w as to conlilt of eighty-eight battalions ; 
of w hich, each province was to contribute its quota ; and 
twenty dollars were offered as a bounty to each foldier, 
be Tides an allotment of lands at the end of the war. In 
this allotment it was ftipulated, that each foldicr fliould 
have 100 acres ; an enlign, 150 ; a lieutenant, 200 ; a cap¬ 
tain, 300; a major, 400; a lieutenant-colo'nel, 450; and a 
colonel, 500. No lands were pro mi fed to thofe who in- 
tided only for three years. All officers or foldiers difabled 
tiirough wounds received in the fervice, were to enjoy half¬ 
pay during life. To defray the expence, congrefs bor¬ 
rowed five millions of dollars at five per cent, for pay¬ 
ment of which the United States became furety. At the 
fame time, in order to animate the people to vigorous ex* 
mions, a declaration was publiihed, in which they fet 
forth the neceflity there was for taking proper methods to 
enf’ere fuccefs in their caufe : they endeavoured to palli¬ 
ate, as much as poffible, the misfortunes which had al- 
readv happened; and repreferited the true caufe of the 
pro lent d: lire Is to be the fhort term of enlifiment. 
This declaration, together with the imminent danger of 
Philadelphia, determined the Americans to exert tliern- 
felves to the utmoft, in order to reinforce general Wafh- 
ington’s army ; and they foon received farther encourage¬ 
ment, by an exploit of that general againrt the Heflians. 
As the royal army extended in different cantonments far a 
eoniiderabte length, general Waftiingtbn, perceiving the 
imminent danger to which Philadelphia was expo-fed, re- 
jfolved to make feme attempt on thofe divifions of the 
enemy w hich lay neareft that city. Thefe happened to be 
the Heflians, who lay in three divifions. On the »5th of 
December, fie fet out with an intent to furprife that body 
of the enemy which lay at Trenton. His army was divi¬ 
ded into three battalions, one of which he ordered to evofs- 
the Delaware at Trenton Ferry, a little below the town ; 
the fecoad at a difiance below, at a place called Borden- 
town, whape the fe.cond divilion of Heflians was-placed f 
while lie himfelf with the third, direilmgriiis com He to -a 
terry fome miles above Trenton, intended to have palled 
k at midnight r and attack the Heflians at break of day. 
But, by rcafoaof various impediments, it was eight in.the' 
morning before lie could reach the place of his deflination. 
The enemy did not perceive his approach till they were 
fuddenly attacked. Colonel Ralle, who commanded them, 
did all that could be expected from a- brave and expe¬ 
rienced officer ; but every thing was in flich confuiion, 
that no efforts of valour or (kill could now avail them. 
The colonel himfelf was mortally wounded, his troops 
were entirely broken, their artillery fe zed, and about 1000 
taken prifoners. 
This action, though feeminglv of no very decifive na¬ 
ture, was fufficient, at that time, to turn the fortune of 
war in favour of America. It tended greatly to lefl’eh the 
fear which the provincials had of the Helfians, at the 
fame time that it equally abated the confidence which the 
Britifh had till now put in them. Reinforcements came 
in to general Wafhington’s army from all quarters ; fo that 
lie was foon in a condition, to leave Philadelphia, and’ take 
up his quarters at Trenton. Emboldened by his- fuccefs, 
he determined to make an attempt on a divifion of the* 
Britifh forces Rationed at Maidenhead, a town fiuuued 
half-way between Trenton and Prince-town. This con¬ 
fided of three regiments, under the command of colonel 
Mawhood, an officer of great merit. The ‘troops were 
furprifed on their march; hut,, though they were fepa- 
rately furrounded and attacked by a force vaflly fupe¬ 
rior, they charged the enemy fo refolutely with their 
bayonets, that they effected a retreat. Thefe attempts of 
the Americans, however, with the ho (tile difpclition of 
the people, flievved the impoffibility of maintaining ports- 
fo far advanced in the enemy’s Country ; fo that it was- 
refolved to retreat towards Brunfvvick,. in order to pre¬ 
vent if, with the troops and magazines it contained, from 
falling info the hands of the provincials. General Walh- 
ington omitted no opportunity of recovering what had 
been loll ; and, by dividing his army into (mail parties,- 
which could be reunited on a few hours warning, he in ;t 
manner entirely covered the face- of the country, and re- 
pob’elled'himfblf of all the important places. 
Thus ended the campaign of 1776, with fcarce any real 
advantage.other than the acquifition of the city of New 
York, and of a few fortrofles in its neighbourhood ; where 
the troops were conftra-ined to act with as much circum- 
fpection as if they had been befieged by a victorious ar¬ 
my, inftead of being themfelves the conquerors. 
The army at Now York began, in 1777, to exercife a 
kind of predatory war, by fending out parties to del troy 
magazines, make iricuvfions, and take or deflroy fuch forts- 
as lay oh the banks of rivers, to which their great com¬ 
mand of (hipping- gave them accefs. In this they were 
generally fuccefsful; the provincial magazines at Peek's 
Hill, a place about fifty miles diflant from New York, 
were deiiroyed, the town of Dunbury, in Connecticut, 
burnt, and that of Ridgefield,, it; the fame province, was • 
taken poffieflion of. In returning from, the la(t expedition, 
the Britilh were greatly harallhd by the enemy under ge¬ 
nerals Arnold, Woofler,. and Sullivan; but they made good/ 
their retreat in f’pite of all opposition, with the lofs of only 
170 killed and wounded.. On the American fide the lofs 
was much greater;, general Woorter was killed, and Ar¬ 
nold in the molt imminent danger. On the other hand, 
the Americans deftroyed tire- Lores at Sagg Harbour, in 
long If] and-,, and made prifoners of-all who defended the 
place,. As this method of making war could anfwer but 
little pv.rpofe, and favoured more of the barbarous ineur- 
fio.ns of lavages than of a-war carried on by a civilized 
people, it was refolved to make an attempt on Philadel¬ 
phia. At firlt it was- thought that this could be done 
through the jerfeys; but general Wafliington had received 
fuch large reinforcements, and ported himfelf fb flrongly, 
that it was found -to he impracticable. Many (iratagetnswere 
tried to draw him from this It rung lituation, but without 
fuccefs; fo that it. was found neceifary to- make the attempt, 
‘on Philadelphia .by lea. While the preparations- for this 
expedition were going forward, the American? found means 
to make amends lor tire capture of.genera! Lee by that of 
general 
