federal army. 
99 
supply his army with a considerable quantity 
of provisions on arriving at the lakes, he could 
not attempt to march for many weeks. The 
federal army was generously supplied with fifty 
barrels of pork, as much as the British could 
possibly spare ; notwithstanding which, it did 
not make its appearance till a considerable time 
after the day appointed for the delivery of the 
posts. The federal army is composed almost 
wholly of Irishmen and Germans, that were 
brought over as redemptioners, and enlisted as 
soon as they landed, before they had an op¬ 
portunity of learning what great wages were 
given to labourers in the States. The natives 
of the country are too fond of making money 
to rest satisfied with the pay of a common 
soldier. 
The American prints, until the late treaty 
of amity was ratified, teemed with the most 
gross abuse of the British government, for re¬ 
taining possession of Niagara fort, and the other 
military posts on the lakes, after the indepen¬ 
dence of the States had been acknowledged, 
and peace concluded. It was never taken into 
consideration, that if the British government 
had thought proper to have withdrawn its 
troops from the posts at once, immediately 
after the definitive treaty was signed, the 
works would in all probability have been 
destroyed by the Indians, within whose terri- 
u 2 
