XXXIV. 1778. March 1778. CHA P. curfion to New Jersey, and defeated fuperior detachments of Americans with great lofs. Colonel Abercrombie and major Sincoe furprised a portion of the American baggage, and returned to Philadelphia without difafter, though their co-operation was not fo complete as was originally projected. Major Maitland and captain Henry of the navy, destroyed a quantity of stores and forty-four American vessels, which had escaped up the Delaware after the capture of Mud Island. 4th May. 7th May. State of the The THESE unimportant exploits, however gallant and British army. well conducted, were infufficient to atone for the want of fome capital enterprize during the long winter. The army exhibited a contrast of immoderate luxury, and exceffive mifery. Gaming was carried to an unwarrantable extent; and the grave, ftaid inhabitants of Philadelphia, were fhocked and infulted by fome young officers, who introduced into their fober families, females of exceptionable character. vigilance of general Washington, and the extreme feverity with which he punished the peafantry for attempting to bring provifions to market, occafioned continual fcarcity of neceffaries; and the inhabitants, offended by the diffipation of the army, and the preffure of calamity occafioned by their prefence, became inimical to the British government. Individuals avowedly friendly to congrefs were, through negligence, allowed to refide in the city; and by conveying intelligence to the enemy of intended movements, enabled them to impede fupplies, and harass small foraging parties. Condition of GENERAL WASHINGTON in his huts at Valley Forge Washington, experienced, with aggravations, all the difficulties of the preceding winters. He was deftitute of every necessary; disease confumed, and desertion thinned his army; at one period he was reduced to lefs than four thousand men, and his cannon fixed to the ground by the froft: but he made indefatigable exertions to remedy these inconveniences, of which he gives an alarming 1778. alarming picture in one of his letters to congrefs: CHAP. "Our diftrefs for arms and clothing," he fays, " is XXXIV. amazingly great; we have many men now without firelocks, and many coming in, in the fame predicament; and half the army are without fhirts. Our condition for want of the latter, and blankets, is quite painful, of the former very diftreffing. The doctors attribute, in a great degree, the lofs of hundreds of lives to the fcarcity of clothing; and I am certain hundreds have deferted from the fame cause.' In vain experiments were tried to engage the Indians; in vain congrefs iffued requifitions for the inrolment of forces in the different ftates; men could not be induced to encounter the severities of winter, without view of service or probability of relief; and the general did not expect any important acceffion of force till toward June ". The defertion of the troops was countenanced by frequent refignations of officers, of whom upward of two hundred threw up their commiffions in the space of fix months. Nor was this diftreffing April. confequence of the fhort-fighted parfimony of congrefs remedied, till, in compliance with the judicious fuggeftion of their general, they allotted to the officers half-pay for feven years after the war; a bounty which was fubfequently extended to the period of their lives d. of congrefs toward ariny. PARSIMONY was not the only vice of congrefs, Treachery against which general Washington ventured to remonftrate. By the convention at Saratoga, Boston was Burgoyne's defignated as the place where the British troops were to wait for a conveyance home: general Burgoyne applied to congrefs for leave to change this place for Rhode Island, or fome other more convenient port; but the American representatives, recollecting that if these forces were reftored to Great Britain, they a Washington's Letters, vol. ii. p. 280. See alfo a letter from the committes to congrefs, in Stediuan's Hiftory of the American War, vol. i, P. 312. Washington's Letters, vol, ii. p. 262, 274. Idem, p. 252. Ramfay, vol. ii. p. 98. 1778. CHAP. might be rendered ferviceable in garrifons, and an XXXIV. equal number detached to their fhores, not only refused the general's request, but prohibited the embarkation of the captive troops, until a diftinct and explicit ratification of the convention of Saratoga fhould be properly notified by the court of Great Britain to congrefs. This infamous perfidy was palliated by pretended fufpicions that general Burgoyne's men would join the army at New York, and by allegations equally frivolous and falfe, of their having already broken the convention. General Washington remonftrated with force and firmness against this national act of dishonour, which he represented alike injurious to the cause in the breasts of Britons, foreigners, and even their own American adherents; but his reasonings were vain, the unfortunate army was fubjected to great hardfhips and wanton indignities, removed from place to place according to the caprice of congress, and notwithstanding tfie most explicit and candid offers and affurances, the terms of the convention were never complied with. Drafts of the conci liatory bills fent to congrefs. FEELING the neceffity of embracing the earliest moment to counteract the views of France in her late treaty with America, the British ministry, before the paffing of the conciliatory bills, tranfmitted drafts to America, that the ratification of congrefs to the French treaty might not be obtained by furprife, while the country was yet ignorant of the terms on which an accommodation with the parent-state might be obtained. Sir William Howe circulated copies; general Washington alfo tranfmitted fome to congrefs, with expreffions of apprehenfion that the measure might be 21ft April. fuccefsful in detaching adherents from their caufe'. Their refolution. In purfuance of his recommendation, the reprefentative body appointed a committee to investigate the bills, who without hesitation rejected the propofals. The report of the committee, which was produced in See Washington's Letters, vol. ii. p. 266, f Idem, p. 266. a fm XXXIV. 1778. a fingle day, was more than ordinarily petulant and c HA P. virulent; the bills were analyfed, and declared to originate in difhoneft views, and to prove only the weakness of Great Britain: and it was decreed, that any individual, or body of men, making separate or partial conventions with commiffioners under the crown of Great Britain, ought to be treated as open enemies. No conference or treaty could be held with the commiffioners, unless as a preliminary, they either withdrew the fleets and armies, or, in exprefs terms acknowledged the independence of America. These refolutions were accompanied with an exhortation to the colonies, to complete their quotas of men; and followed by a promife of pardon under ftrict re- 23d April. ftrictions, to those who had appeared in arms against them. measure. THESE proceedings fully verified the predictions, Effects that the minister's ductility would not be attended of this with the defired effect, and that he did not, like the fpear of Achilles, poffefs the power of healing the wound he had himself inflicted". The American friends of Great Britain attempting to circulate these propofitions, enabled their opponents to affert, that, inftead of feeking peace by the ordinary modes of negotiation with powers legitimately constituted, government aimed at an undue influence over the people, and hoped to obtain by their impatient clamours, that which the fagacity of their rulers would withhold. SHORTLY after thefe refolutions had paffed, Simeon Deane arrived, and notified the accomplishment of the treaty with France. The expectation of this event had long animated the Americans, and influenced the decifion of congrefs. The probability of a war between Great Britain and France, had long been maintained', and congrefs afferted that the British cabinet propofed the conciliatory bills only in confequence of their See the refolutions in Almon's Reinembrancer, vol. vi. p. 163, G3 alarm 28 May. Arrival of the French treaty. XXXIV. CHA P. alarm at fuch a juncture. The hesitation of the French court in ratifying the treaty, did not permit them to be too confident, but they knew they could always retract refolutions formed before the propofition to the house of commons had been fanctioned with all the legislative forms. 1778. 4th May. Its effect. La Fayette's expedition to Barren Hill. THE Confirmation of the French alliance was received with unbounded joy, as the test and guaranty of American independence. Congress made a partial publication of the treaty, afcribing the most noble and difinterested views to the French king, who would rank among the greatest heroes of history, and whofe example would decide the rest of Europe. Spain and Germany would join without delay: Ruffia and Denmark were not adverse to them; and the king of Pruffia had declared to their envoy, that he would be the fecond power in Europe, to acknowledge their independence. La Fayette, who flattered himself that his remonftrances had confiderably influenced the decifion of his court, communicated the event with childish transport, to the fedate general of the Americans; the brigades were affembled, the chaplains offered up public thanks to Almighty God, and delivered difcourfes fuitable to the occafion. A feu de joie was fired, and, on a signal given, the air refounded with " Long live the king of France." LA FAYETTE, from the moment of joining the American army, impatiently defired to be intrusted with fome diftinguished command. His continued folicitations occafioned confiderable embarraffinent to the American general; on the prefent occafion, it was judged neceffary to indulge him with the defired opportunity of difplaying his fuppofed military know19th May. ledge. General Washington therefore detached him, with nearly three thoufand men, to take poft on Barren Hill, feven miles advanced from the camp of |