blockade of Quebec, notwithstanding the dif aftrous iffue of general Montgomery's attempt, was continued through the winter with aftonishing refolution by colonel Arnold, who was afterwards fuperfeded by general Sullivan. Early in the fpring, before the Americans could be joined by their expected reinforcements, a naval armament from Great Britain, confifting of the Ifis of 54 guns, accompanied by the Surprise frigate and the Martin floop, forced their paffage through the ice before the navigation of the St. Laurence was deemed practicable. General Carleton, animated no lefs than ftrengthened by the welcome and feasonable fuccours they brought, immediately marched out in force in order to attack the American camp; but the befiegers, weakened by hardship and disease, and now altogether defpairing of fuccefs, had already begun their retreat, abandoning their baggage, artillery, and ftores, and directing their march towards Sorel, which they reached in a few days in a very ill condition. Towards the end of May, all the reinforcements being now arrived from England, a very great force was collected in Canada, the general rendezvous of which was appointed at Trois Rivières, half way between Montreal and Quebec, about ninety miles from each. General Burgoyne, who was fecond in command, had orders to

purfue

purfue the continental army up the Sorel to St. John's. This poft was now abandoned by the Americans, who retreated in confufion to Ifle aux Noix, and from thence to Crown Point. Montreal and Chamblée had been alfo previ→ ously evacuated, and the garrisons with difficulty avoided being entirely cut off. Still the Americans were masters of Lake Champlain, and the greatest exertions were made by the generals Carleton and Burgoyne to construct a number of veffels of fufficient force to give them that fuperiority which was effential to the fuccefs of the expedition now meditated to the fouthward; and, till this purpose was effected, military ope rations were entirely fufpended in the province of Canada.

A ftrong fquadron, commanded by fir Peter Parker, with about 3000 land forces on board, failed from Cork in the month of February, on an expedition to the middle or fouthern colonies. The departure of this fleet was delayed by a fingular circumftance. The lord lieutenant of Ireland, lord Harcourt, doubting his power to permit the troops to leave the kingdom, a clause expressly authorifing him fo to do was inferted in a bill then pending in the parliament of Ireland. When the bill came to England, the claufe was ftruck out with indignation, as imply ing an undue limitation of the prerogative. But

VOL. II.

the

the lord lieutenant, conceiving himself pledged by the king's word folemnly given to the Irish parliament, refused to permit the troops to embark without leave of the legiflature; and a new clause was haftily inferted in another bill, which was tranfmitted and paffed, though not without great refentment against the lord lieutenant, who, on his arrival in England fame time afterwards, met at court with a very indifferent re ception.

On the 3d of May, 1776, admiral fir Peter Parker anchored off Cape Fear, where he was joined by general Clinton; and finding that nothing could be attempted with probability of fuccefs in Virginia, it was determined to try the event of an attack on the city of Charlestown, the capital of South Carolina; and in the beginning of June the whole fleet anchored off Charlestown bar. Prior to their arrival the city had been put into a proper pofture of defence; and works were erected on Sullivan's Island, mounted with thirty pieces of cannon, in a very advantageous fituation for annoying fhips in their approach to the town. The militia of the province were now collected in great numbers for the defence of the metropolis, aided by feveral continental regiments, and the whole were commanded by general Lee, who had traversed the whole extent of the continent with wonderful

expedition, in order to put himself at their head.

On the 28th of June, the Bristol and Experiment, each of 50 guns, fupported by feveral fmaller fhips, had with fome difficulty croffed the bar, and advanced to the attack of the fort on Sullivan's Ifland, conftructed entirely of the palmetto, a foft and fpungy wood, in which a ball entering is buried, and makes no extended fracture. A moft furious cannonade now began from the fhipping, which was returned with equal fury and much more effect from the fort. The fhips were almost torn to pieces, and the flaughter was dreadful. During the conflict, the feamen looked frequently and impatiently to fee the land forces advance from Long Ifland, where they had fome time before effected a landing, to Sullivan's Ifland, from which it is feparated by a creek, in general fordable, but at this time, through a long continuance of eafterly winds, deep and dangerous to attempt. The firing did not ceafe till evening, when the hips flipped their cables, and withdrew from the fcene of action, after an engagement supported on both sides with uncommon fpirit and vigor. The Acteon, of 28 guns, having run aground, was abandoned and fet on fire. Captain Morris, of the Bristol, after difplaying heroic valor, received a wound which proved mortal. Captain Scott,

Q2

Scott, of the Experiment, and lord William Campbell, late governor of the colony, who now with great gallantry ferved as a volunteer on board the fleet, were also dangerously wounded, with more than 200 men of the crews of thefe two fhips only. Colonel Moultrie, the commandant of the fort, merits diftinguished mention, for the fkill and cool determined valor with which he conducted his defence. The defign on Charlestown was, after this difafter, abandoned; and fir Peter Parker immediately fet fail for New York.

It being now thoroughly afcertained that the utmost lenity which America had to expect from Britain was pardon upon unconditional fubmiffion, the minds of the generality of men throughout the continent were by this time fully prepared for a formal declaration of independency. North Carolina and Pennfylvania, which had long opposed this measure, now, fignified their concurrence. Maryland alone still difcovered fymptoms of reluctance. General Lee, in a letter written at this time to a perfon of diftinction in that colony, in terms very characteristic of his ardent and fiery difpofition, fays, " I know pot whether, in the whole courfe of my life, I ever read any thing which fo much moved my pity and indignation as the late declaration of the convention of Maryland. They declare,

they