THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 107 
which followed, the Americans were defeated at the battles of Brooklyn 
and White Plains, driven from New York and obliged to retire across 
the Delaware river, while the English forces overran the Jerseys. At 
the conclusion of this years’ campaign, the fortunes of the rebels were 
at the lowest ebb, and had G-eneral Howe utilised to the fullest extent 
the victories he had won, it is not improbable the war might have been 
brought to a conclusion. 
For the campaign of 1777, a plan was adopted for General Burgoyne 
to move with a force from Canada by the lakes and uuite with one 
under General Howe from New York. The results contemplated 
were : to overcome all resistance in the region between the lakes and 
Albany, to gain undisturbed possession of the river Hudson, thus 
severing the Eastern from the Western States north of New York, and 
to conquer Pennsylvania, whose capital Philadelphia was the metropolis 
of the American states. With these objects in view, about the same 
time in June that Burgoyne moved from St. John’s towards Crown 
Point and Ticonderoga, General Howe left New York and crossed 
over to the Jerseys with the intention of bringing General Washing¬ 
ton to a general engagement, could he draw him from his strongly 
intrenched position at Morris Town. Failing to accomplish this, Howe, 
at the end of the month, returned to New York, and in a few days em¬ 
barked his troops on board the transports, when, after a long delay, 
he sailed for the mouth of the river Delaware, but finding the naviga¬ 
tion obstructed he steered for Chesapeake Bay. It is during this 
voyage that Captain Downman begins to record his experiences as 
follows :— 
DIARY. 
From August 11th , 1777 , to October 25th , 1778 . 
Chapter I. 
The expedition to Chesapeake Bay. The army lands at the head of Elk 
River. Marches towards Philadelphia. Battle of Brandywine . 
Entrance into Philadelphia. Captain Downman takes the frigate 
Delaware. 
On board the Brilliant , at sea, August lltli, 1777, being the 19th 
day since we sailed from Sandy Hook, bound we cannot tell where, 
but as is generally believed to Virginia. We have had nothing but 
contrary winds since our sailing. Our fleet consists of 12 or 13 men- 
of-war and frigates and nearly 300 of other vessels, and about 18,000 
troops commanded by Lord and General Howe. 
