communicated to colonel Harcourt, who inftantly formed a plan for capturing this able officer, ftyled by the British army," the American Palladium.” With fuch addrefs and activity was this project carried into execution, that the general was feized by a party of light horse, conducted by the colonel in the night of the 13th of December 1776, and carried fafely off to the British camp, though several guarded pofts and armed patroles lay in their way. This capture caused great exultation, and the prifoner was confined in the closest manner. An offer being made by the congrefs to exchange fix field officers for the general, it was answered, that general Lee, being a deferter from his majefty's fervice, did not come under the denomination of a prifoner of war, nor was he entitled to the benefits of the cartel; and the menace of retaliation alone prevented their proceeding to the laft extremity against him. Dur ing the royal fucceffes in the Jerfeys, general Clinton, with two brigades of British and two of Heffian troops, with a fquadron of men of war, was detached to the attack of Rhode Ifland-which being in no condition of defence, was abandoned to them without refiftance. It was taken poffeffion of by general Clinton on the very day that general Washington croffed the Delawar.

The affairs of America were now in the opinion of many verging to a crifis; for, though it might reasonably be expected that the firft operations of fo great a force as that now employed by Great Britain would be fuccefsful in a certain degree, it could fcarcely be imagined that such a series of difafters could happen in so fhort a time. But the event of the campaign, though now in appearance brought very nearly to a termination, fhewed in a striking manner the caprice of fortune, and the folly of those who in a hazardous and dangerous war rely on a constant and uninterrupted tide of fuccefs. When general Washington retreated across the Delawar, he trembled for the fate of America; and talked of retiring for fafety with the remains

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of his army to the receffes of the Alleghany mountains, expecting to have been immediately followed by the British forces. For, though the boats were by a timely precaution removed to the Pennsylvanian fhore, the neighbourhood fupplied ample materials, which art and industry might foon have conftructed into rafts and flotillas fufficient for the transportation of the troops. But it was remarked by men of difcernment, that nothing of the vast or decifive appeared in the plans of the English general, and the troops now in the full career of fuccefs were ordered into winter cantonments, forming an extenfive chain from Brunswick to the Delawar, and down the banks of that river for many miles, fo as to compose a front at the end of the line looking over to Pennsylvania. General Washington having perfect information of this difpofition exclaimed in the spirit of a vigilant and fagacious commander, "Now is the time to clip the wings of the enemy while they are so spread."

Very early in the morning of the 26th December (1776), a day purposely selected on the fuppofition that the preceding feftivity might favor the project of furprize, general Washington croffed the Delawar, not without extreme difficulty from the quantity of ice in the river, nine miles above Trenton, and immediately began his march in the midst of a ftorm of snow and hail at the head of his troops, which exceeded not three thousand in number, and reached Trenton by day-break. Here about one thoufand fix hundred men were ftationed, chiefly Heffians, under the command of colonel Rahl, who, being unfufpicious of danger, were thrown into confufion at the first attack. Colonel Rahl himself being mortally wounded, the disorder increased, and, abandoning their artillery, they attempted to make their retreat to Prince-town, but finding this impracticable, and being now overpowered, and nearly furrounded, the three regiments of Rahl, Loffberg, and Knyphausen, laid down their arms, and furren

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dered themfelves prifoners of war; the remainder of the troops escaping with difficulty by way of Bordentown. In the evening general Washington repaffed the Delawar, carrying with him the prisoners, their artillery, and colors, and entered the city of Philadelphia in triumph. The charm was now diffolved; and it being found by experience that the Europeans were not invincible, great numbers of the Americans, who 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 Jerseys.

The English general, approaching the American army strongly posted 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 the 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, confisting of the seventeenth, fortieth, and fifty-fifth, regiments, were pofted under the command of colonel Mawhood, who had just begun his march in order to join lord Cornwallis, when he fell in with the van-guard 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 separate retreats by different roads: they fuffered however very feverely in this unequal conflict, and were in a great measure difabled for future fervice. General Washington distinguished himself on this occafion by fignal exertions of perfonal valor. On this difafter, lord Cornwallis, finding himself out-manœuvred by his antagonist, abandoned his camp at Trenton,

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and retired with precipitation to Brunfwick. The licenti ous 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 rose in arms: the militia collected in large bodies, and the British troops were every where attacked with fuccefs-at Woodbridge, at Elizabeth-town, at Newark; and the royal troops retained only the two post of Brunswick and Amboy, both holding an open communication with New York by fea.In the detail of military operations, the civil tranfactions which took place during the campaign muft not be suffered to escape our attention.

On the 19th September (1776), the commiffioners of the crown, lord Howe and the general, caufed a proclamation to be publifhed, promifing in his majesty's name a revifion of all fuch inftructions as might be construed to lay an improper reftraint on the freedom of legislation in the colonies, and alfo to concur in the revifal of fuch acts by the operation of which they might think themfelves 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 the 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 poffeffion of the English, presented a petition to the commiffioners, figned by nine hundred and forty-fix names, declaring their allegiance to the king, and their acknowledgement of the conftitutional Supremacy of Great Britain; and praying to be restored to

his majesty's peace and protection. This petition was followed by another of a fimilar kind from Queen's county, in Long Island; but the example afforded little encouragement to others, when it was observed that these petitions were wholly unavailing; nor were they ever restored 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 should within the space of fixty days surrender themselves to any of his majesty's general officers, admirals, &c. and fubscribe 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 the declaration accordingly; but at no time did the congrefs difcover any symptoms of irrefolution. They removed indeed their feffion from Philadelphia to Baltimore, in Maryland, where they adopted very vigorous measures both of offence and defence. They declared the property of the subjects of Great Britain taken on the high feas to be lawful prize; they refolved upon raifing eighty-eight battalions to serve during the war; they nominated three of their body, of whom Dr. Franklin was one, commiffioners to the court of Verfailles, to folicit aid and affistance, 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 pafs current in all transactions, and whoever refused to receive the fame in the common course of payment fhould be deemed an enemy to the liberties of America, and fhould 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