A M E R I C A', 
iides a number cf {mailer artillery, and a great quantity of 
{lores and ammunition ; a large boom and chain reaching 
acrols the river from Fort Montgomery to a point of land 
- called St. Anthony’s Hole, which coft no lefs than 70,000!. 
llerling, were partly deftroyed and partly carried away, as 
was allb another boom of little lefs value at Fort Confli- 
tu.tion. Another attack was made by Sir James Wallace, 
with lome frigates, and a body of land-forces under 
general Vaughan. -The place which now differed was 
named Efopus: the fortifications were deflroyed, and the 
town itfelf reduced to alhes, as that called Continental 
Village had been before. But thefe fucceffes, of what¬ 
ever importance they might be, were now disregarded by 
both parties. They ferved only to irritate the Americans, 
flufhed with their fuccefs; and'they were utterly infuffi- 
eient to raife the fpirits of the Britifh, who were now 
thrown into the utmoft difmay. 
On the 16th of March, 5778, lord North acquainted 
the houfe of commons, that a paper had been laid before 
the king by the French ambaifiidor, intimating the con- 
clufion of an-alliance between the court of France and the 
United States of America. The preliminaries of this 
treaty had been Concluded irt the end of the year 1777, 
and a copy of them fent to congrefs, in order to counteract 
any propofals that might be made in the mean time by the 
Britifh lriiniftry. On February 6, 1778, the articles were 
figned, to the great fatisfaftion of the French nation. 
The notification of fuch a treaty as this could not but 
be looked upon as a declaration' of war. On its being an¬ 
nounced to the houfe, every one agreed in an addrefs to 
his majefty, promiling to Hand by him to the utmoft in the 
prefent emergency ; but it was warmly contendecLby the 
members in oppolition, that the prelent miniftry ought to 
be removed on account of their numberlefs blunders and 
mifcarriages in every inftance. Many were of opinion, 
that the only way to extricate the nation from its trouble 
was to acknowledge tiie independency of Amcrica at once, 
and thus we might llill do with a good grace what mu ft 
inevitably be done at laft, after expending much more blood 
and treafure than had yet been lavifhed in this unhappy 
conteft. The minifterial party, however, entertained dif¬ 
ferent ideas. Jnftigated by zeal for the national honour, 
it was determined at once to refent the arrogance of Franee, 
and profecute hoftilities againft America with more vigour 
than ever, fhould the terms now offered them be rejected. 
The Americans, in the mean time, afliduoufly employed 
their agents at the courts of Spain, Vienna, Frtiflia, and 
Tufcany, in order, if poftible, to conclude alliances with 
them, or at lead to procure an acknowledgment of their 
independency. As it had been reported that Britain in¬ 
tended to apply for affiftance to Ruflia, the American com- 
mifiioners were enjoined to ufe their utmoft influence with 
the German princes to prevent fuch auxiliaries from march¬ 
ing through their territories, and to endeavour to procure 
the recal of the German troops already fent to America. 
To France they offered a ceflion of fuch Weft-lndia iflands 
as fhould be taken by the united ftrength of France and 
America; and, fhould Britain by their joint endeavours be 
difpoffelfed of Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Nova 
Scotia, thefe territories lliould be divided betwixt the two 
nations, and Great Britain be totally excluded from the 
fifhery. The propofals to the Spanilh court were, that, in 
cafe they fhould think proper to efpoufe their quarrel, the 
American States fhould aflift in reducing Penfacola under 
the dominion of Spain, provided their fubjeCts were al¬ 
lowed the free navigation of the river Mifiiffippi, and the 
ufe of the harbour of Penfacola; and they further offered, 
that, it agreeable to Spain, they would declare war againft 
Portugal, fhould that power expel the American (hips 
from its ports. 
In the mean time, the troops under general Bur-goyne 
were preparing to embark for Britain, according to the 
convention at Saratoga; but, to their utter furprife, con¬ 
grefs pofitively refufed to allow them to depart, under 
pretence that fome finifter defigus were harboured on the 
4jS ;: 
part of Britain, and that they only wanted an opportunity 
to join the other troops at Philadelphia or New York. 
The feafon for action was now approaching; and congrefs 
was indefatigable in its preparations for a new campaign, 
which it was confidently faid would be the laft. Among 
other methods taken for this purpofe, it was recommended 
to all the young gentlemen of the colonies to form them- 
felves into bodies of cavalry to ferve a; their own expence 
during the war. General Wafhington, at the fame time, 
in order to remove all incumbrances from his army, light¬ 
ened the baggage as much as polfible, by fubftituting 
lacks and portmanteaus in place of chefts and boxes, and 
ufing pack-horfes inftead of waggons. On the other hand, 
the Britifh army, expediting to be fpeedily reinforced by 
20,000 men, thought of nothing but concluding the war 
according to their wifhes before the end of the campaign. 
It was with the utmoft concern, as well as indignation, 
therefore, that they received the news of lord North’s 
conciliatory bill. It was. imiverfally looked upon as a na¬ 
tional difgrace; and fame even tore the cockades from 
their hats, and trampled them under their feet as a token 
of their indignation. By the colonifts it was received with 
indifference. The Britiih commiflioners endeavoured to 
make it as public as poftible; and the congrefs, as former¬ 
ly, ordered it to be printed in all the newfpapers. On this 
occafion governor Tryon incloled feveral copies of the hill 
to general Wafhington in a letter, entreating that he would 
allow them to-be circulated ; to which that general return¬ 
ed for anfwer a copy of a newfjpaper in which the bill was 
printed, together with the refolutiohs of congrefs upon it. 
Thefe were, That whoever prefumed to make a feparate 
agreement with Britain fhould be deemed a public enemy ; 
that the United States could not with any propriety keep 
eorrefpondence with the commiflioners until their inde¬ 
pendence was acknowledged, and the Britifh fleets and 
armies removed from America. At the fame time, the 
colonies were warned not to fuffer themfelves to be deceiv¬ 
ed into fecurity by any offers that might be made; but to 
ufe their utmoft endeavours to fend their quotas with all 
diligence into the field. The individuals with "whom the 
commiflioners converfed on the fubjeCt of the conciliatory 
bill, generally returned for anfwer, that the day of recon¬ 
ciliation was paft ; and that the haughtinefs of Britain had 
extinguiftied all filial regard in the breads of the Americans. 
About this time alfo Mr. Silas Deane arrived from 
France with two copies of the treaty of commerce and al¬ 
liance to be figned by congrefs. Advices of the moll 
agreeable nature were alfo received from various parts, re- 
prefenting in the mod favourable light the difpofitions of 
the European powers; all of whom, ir was faid, wiftted to 
fee the independence of America fettled" upon the mod 
firm and permanent balls. Confidering the fituation oi 
matters with the colonifts at this time, therefore, it is no 
wonder that tile commiflioners found themfelves unable to 
accomplifh the errand on which they came. Their pro¬ 
pofals were utterly rejected, themfelves treated as fpies, 
and all intercourfe with them interdicted. 
But, before any final anfwer could be obtained from con¬ 
grefs, Sir Henry Clinton had taken the refolution of eva¬ 
cuating Philadelphia. Accordingly, on-the rothof June, 
after having made all neceflary preparations, the army 
marched out of the city, and crofted the Delaware before 
noon with all its baggage and other incumbrances. Ge¬ 
neral Wafhington^ apprifed of this defign; had difpatched 
exprefles into.the Jerfeys with orders to colled all the for¬ 
ces that could be affembled, to- ob'fti uft the march of the ' 
enemy. After various movements on both (ides, Sir Hen¬ 
ry Clinton, with the royal army, arrived on the 27th of 
June at a place called Freehold; where, judging that the 
enemy would attack him, he encamped in a very ftrong fi¬ 
tuation. Here general Wafhington determined to make an 
attack as focn as the army had again begun its march. The 
night was fpent in making the'fiecefl'ary preparations; and 
general Lee with his divifion was ordered to be ready by 
day-break. But Sir Henry Clinton, juftly apprehending 
1 that 
