had deferted their colors, again repaired to the standard of their commander, who foon found himself at the head of a confiderable army, in a condition once more to cross the Delawar; and lord Cornwallis, who was actually at New York in his way to England, found himself under a neceffity of returning to the defence of the Jerfeys. The English general, approaching the American army ftrongly pofted near the town of Trenton, made immediate difpofitions for an attack; but in the dead of night (January 2, 1777) general Washington filently withdrew his troops, leaving fires burning in his camp, and the ufual patroles, in order to deceive the enemy; and by a circuitous march arrived by fun-rife at Prince-town. Here the fourth brigade of British troops, confifting of the feventeenth, fortieth, and fifty-fifth regiments, were posted under the command of colonel Mawhood, who had just begun his march in order to join lord Cornwallis, when he fell in with the vanguard of the American army. Though engaged with a far fuperior force, the colonel, at the head of his own corps, with extraordinary gallantry fought his way through the thickest ranks of the enemy-the other regiments making feparate retreats by different roads: they fuffered how, ever very feverely in this unequal conflict, and were were in a great measure difabled for future fervice. General Washington diftinguished himfelf on this occafion by fingular exertions of perfonal valor. On this difafter, lord Cornwallis, finding himfelf out-manoeuvred by his antagonist, abandoned his camp at Trenton, and retired with precipitation to Brunswic. The licentious ravages of the foldiery, particularly of the German mercenaries, during the time they were in poffeffion of the Jerfeys, had excited the utmoft refentment and deteftation of the inhabitants; and the fortune of war now feeming to turn against them, the whole country rofe in arms; the militia collected in large bodies, and the British troops were every where attacked with fuccefsat Woodbridge, at Elifabethtown, at Newark; and the royal troops retained only the two pofts of Brunfwic and Amboy, both holding an open communication with New York by fea. The difpofitions made by general Howe, and indeed his whole conduct from the commencement to the conclufion of this campaign, were to perfons unfkilled in the military art totally inexplicable, and apparently exhibited a continued feries of the moft egregious errors. It was remarked that the frontier pofts of Trenton, Bordenton, and Burlington, were the weakest in point of numbers in the whole line of canton ments; ments; while the remoter pofts were ftrengthened in proportion to the decrease of the danger. Nor were thefe frontier cantonments fecured from the attacks of the enemy by any works of art, but left without a fingle redoubt or entrenchment, to which, in cafe of a furprife, the troops, until they could be relieved from the other posts, might retreat. The military reputation of general Washington, which was fomewhat impaired by the unfuccessful and problematic operations of the former part of the campaign, was fully recovered and established by the bold and masterly movements which characterized the close of it. In the detail of military events, the civil tranfactions which took place during the fame interval of time muft not be fuffered to escape attention. On the 19th of September (1776), the commiffioners of the crown, lord Howe and the general, caufed a proclamation to be published, promifing in his majesty's name a revifion of all fuch inftructions as might be conftrued to lay an improper restraint on the freedom of legiflation in the colonies, and alfo to concur in the revifal of fuch acts by the operation of which they might think themselves aggrieved. Though it was impoffible to conjecture what was really meant by a promise fo vague, had a declaration of this nature been made with good faith at an earlier period of the difpute, it might doubtlefs have been attended with happy effects; but when a civil war had actually commenced, to indulge the most diftant idea that the Americans would lay down their arms on a mere promife of a revifion of the acts of that government whofe authority they had renounced, was an idle and puerile expectation. In the month of October the inhabitants of the city and ifland of New York, then in the pof feffion of the English, prefented a petition to the commiffioners, figned by nine hundred and fortyfix names, declaring their allegiance to the king, and their acknowledgment of the conftitutional Jupremacy of Great Britain, and praying to be reftored to his majefty's peace and protection. This petition was followed by another of a fimilar kind from Queen's County, in Long Ifland; but the example afforded little encouragement to others, when it was obferved that these petitions were wholly unavailing; nor were they ever reftored to the rights which they had been flattered by the proclamation with the expectation of regaining. On the 30th of November another proclamation was published by the commiffioners, offering a pardon and indemnity to all perfons who fhould within the space of fixty days furrender themselves to any of his majesty's general officers, admirals, &c. and fubfcribe a de a declaration of loyalty and obedience. This proclamation being iffued during the high tide of fuccefs attending the royal arms, very many perfons, timid or treacherous, fubfcribed to the declaration accordingly; but at no time did the congress discover any symptoms of irrefolution. They removed indeed their feffion from Philadelphia to Baltimore in Maryland, where they adopted very vigorous meafures both of offence and defence. They declared the property of the fubjects of Great Britain taken on the high feas to be lawful prize; they refolved upon raising eighty-eight battalions to ferve during the war; they nominated three of their body, of whom Dr. Franklin was one, commiffioners to the court of Versailles, to folicit aid and assistance, and to propose the plan of a treaty of friendship, commerce, and alliance; they enlarged the powers of their general, vefting in him a kind of dictatorial authority for the space of fix months; and they refolved that all bills of credit emitted by congrefs fhould pass current in all tranfactions, and whoever refufed to receive the fame in the common courfe of payment should be deemed an enemy to the liberties of America, and thould be treated accordingly. Such was the ftate of America at the termination of the campaign of 1776, which, though late in its commencement, and fhort in its duration, abounded |