of American light-horfe in the aica of the Brandywine. Count Grocchie, another Polifh noble was about the fame time sed on the North River, exhi a greaz intrepidity on the Bri e, and beftowing his laft breath in encomiums on the undilated courage difplayed by the The Partners of his danger, and wil. cies of his fall. It It is to be obferved, that in the battle of the Brandywine, the rebel forces were met in the open field, and with no very great advantage of fituation. A victory was clearly obtained over them; but it was not of that final and decifive kind which the publick had expected as the certain confequence of fuch a meeting. People rarely confider how much trivial and accidental circumstances render all things of this kind extremely uncertain, even with any fuperiority of troops, or goodness of generalship. Notwithstanding the victory of the King's troops, and the precipitate flight of the enemy, the royal army proceeded with caution and circumfpection; and it did not feem unneceffary; for the rebels were not disheartened; and Mr. Washington exerted himself with ability and diligence to repair his defeat. The army was pofted in the neighbourhood of Concord and Afhetown, whilft a detachment was sent to seize on Wilmington, which was made a receptacle for the fick and wounded. Upon a movement towards Goshen, the General received intelligence upon his march, that the enemy had quitted Philadelphia, and were advanced upon the Lancafter road, a few miles above that place. Upon this advice, he took fuch effectual meafures for bringing them to an immediate engagement, that nothing but the event which followed could have fruftrated his defign. An exceffive fall of rain, which overtook both armies upon their march, and which continued without intermiffion for 24 hours, rendered both parties equally and totally incapable of action. In the courfe of a number of movements on both fides which took place for some days after, and in which every measure was inef fectually ufed, to involve the enemy in fimilar circumftances to thofe which they had fo lately and with fuch lofs efcaped, intelligence having been received, that General Wayne, with 1500 men, was lying in the woods upon fome fcheme of enterprize, in the rear; and at no great diftance from the left wing of the army, Major-General Grey was detached at 20th. night, with two regiments, and a body of light infantry, to furprize that corps. That General conducted the enterprize with equal ability and fuccefs; and, perhaps, in emulation of a remarkable action of the late war in Germany, took effectual measures that a fingle fhot fhould not be fired in the courfe of the expedition, and that the execution fhould only be done by the point of the bayonet. In the profecution of this defign, the enemy's out pofts and pickets were completely furprized and forced without noife, about one in the morning, and the troops being guided by the light of their fires, rufhed in upon the encampment, where a fevere and filent execution took place, about 300 being killed or wounded upon the fpot, and a number of prifoners taken; the remainder efcaping by the darknefs of the night, and fome prudent difpofitions made by the officer who commanded the Americans, with the lofs of the greater part of their baggage, arms, and ftores. The victors, in this brifk action, loft only a captain of light infantry and three private men, with about the fame number wounded. a captain was killed. The enemy retreated first to Chester, and on the next day to Philadelphia. The victorious army lay that night on the field of battle, Washington, fo far as we can judge at this distance, feems to have been more out-generalled in this action, than any other fince the beginning of the war. This conclufion is not, however, to be confidered as established; as we are fenfible that it may well be queftioned, from the premises even before us. The defence of fuch a length of river, interfected with fords, and fome at remote distances, was undoubtedly impracticable. If it be afked then why the attempt was made, it may be answered, that his great object was to harrafs, and to interrupt the progrefs of the royal army to Philadelphia, by every poffible means, which did not involve his own in the rifque of a general engagement; that even a fuperior lofs of men, was not to be confidered by him, to whom perhaps it was neceffary to learn, even by a dangerous experiment, the improvement and ftate of his own troops. His choice of a poft on the Brandywine, in preference to thofe more defenfible that were nearer to Philadelphia, has been cenfured; but how far this choice was altogether in his power does not fully appear. And, however deficient he was in point of intelligence, with respect to Lord Cornwallis's movement, he fhewed great ability in his endeavours to remedy that negligence, by the prompt and judicious measures which he took to cover his right. Whatever the merits or demerits were on this fide of the queftion, it must be acknowledged, that the movements of the royal army were judicious and masterly. The prefent unhappy conteft was fo interefting to foreigners, and rendered America fo confpicuous a theatre of action, that it drew bold and enterprizing fpirits, from different parts of Europe, either merely in fearch of glory and rank, or to acquire military experience and improvement. Among the numerous inftances of this nature which might be given, a few are neceffary, and will be fufficient. The Marquis de la Fayette, a young French nobleman, of the first rank, and of large fortune, was fo carried away by this enthufiafm, as to purchase and freight a fhip with military ftores (in which he embarked with feveral of his friends) for the fervice of the Americans; he bore a command, and was wounded in this action. The Baron St. Ovary, another French volunteer, for whofe release the Congrefs fhewed a particular attention, was foon after made a prifoner. De Coudry, a French General, was about this time drowned in the Schuylkill, through his eagernefs to come in time into action. Roche de Fermoy, was a member of the council of war, who had figned the refolution for abandoning Ticonderoga. Pulawfki, a noble Pole, commanded a detachment of American light-horfe in the action of the Brandywine. Count Graboufkie, another Polish nobleman, was about the fame time killed on the North River, exhi biting great intrepidity on the Britifh fide, and beftowing his laft breath in encomiums on the undaunted courage difplayed by the partners of his danger, and wit nefies of his fall. It is to be observed, that in the battle of the Brandywine, the rebel forces were met in the open field, and with no very great advantage of fituation. A victory was clearly obtained over them; but it was not of that final and decifive kind which the publick had expected as the certain confequence of fuch a meeting. People rarely confider how much trivial and accidental circumstances render all things of this kind extremely uncertain, even with any fuperiority of troops, or goodness of generalship. Notwithstanding the victory of the King's troops, and the precipitate flight of the enemy, the royal army proceeded with caution and circumfpection; and it did not feem unneceffary; for the rebels were not disheartened; and Mr. Washington exerted himself with ability and diligence to repair his defeat. The army was pofted in the neighbourhood of Concord and Afhetown, whilst a detachment was fent to seize on Wilmington, which was made a receptacle for the fick and wounded. Upon a movement towards Goshen, the General received intelligence upon his march, that the enemy had quitted Philadelphia, and were advanced upon the Lancaster road, a few miles above that place. Upon this advice, he took fuch effectual meafures for bringing them to an immediate engagement, that nothing but the event which followed could have fruftrated his defign. An exceffive fall of rain, which overtook both armies upon their march, and which continued without intermiffion for 24 hours, rendered both parties equally and totally incapable of action. In the courfe of a number of movements on both fides which took place for some days after, and in which every measure was ineffectually used, to involve the enemy in fimilar circumstances to those which they had fo lately and with fuch lofs efcaped, intelligence having been received, that General Wayne, with 1500 men, was lying in the woods upon fome fcheme of enterprize, in the rear; and at no great distance from the left wing of the army, Major-General Grey was detached at 20th. night, with two regiments, and a body of light infantry, to furprize that corps. That General conducted the enterprize with equal ability and fuccefs; and, perhaps, in emulation of a remarkable action of the late war in Germany, took effectual measures that a fingle fhot fhould not be fired in the courfe of the expedition, and that the execution fhould only be done by the point of the bayonet. In the profecution of this defign, the enemy's out pofts and pickets were completely furprized and forced without noife, about one in the morning, and the troops being guided by the light of their fires, rufhed in upon the encampment, where a fevere and filent execution took place, about 300 being killed or wounded upon the fpot, and a number of prisoners taken; the remainder efcaping by the darknefs of the night, and fome prudent difpofitions made by the officer who commanded the Americans, with the lofs of the greater part of their baggage, arms, and ftores. The victors, in this brifk action, loft only a captain of light infantry and three private men, with about the fame number wounded. The General, finding that the enemy could not by any means be brought to action, and that they were evidently abandoning even the protection of the capital, rather than hazard that final decifion, made fuch movements and took fuch pofitions as gave him the command of the Schuylkill, and enabled him, at length, to pafs the army over that river without oppofition. There being nothing now to impede his progrefs, the army advanced to German Sept. 26th. Town, and Lord Cornwallis, on the next morning, took poffeffion of Philadelphia. Thus was the rich and flourishing city of Philadelphia, the capital late of the most rifing colony, and attended with the moft fingular circumftances, that hiftory can give any example of, and the feat of that general congrefs of delegates, who difpenfed laws and government to the continent of North America, reduced without oppofition, and confequently without damage. This circumstance was more fortunate than had been expected. For it was generally apprehended, and had been even fpoken of by themselves as a fettled and fixed determination, to deftroy the city, whenever it was found that it could be no longer protected, rather than fuffer it to become a place of arms, and the center of operation to the British fleets and armies. A number of the Quakers, and fome other of the principal inhabitants of Philadelphia, to the amount of more than twenty, who had been justly confidered as ftrongly attached to the royal caufe, and viofently inimical to the prefent ruling powers, had been taken into cuftody upon the immediate danger of an invafion. Thefe gentlemen pofitively refused to give any fecurity in writing, or even verbal atteftation, of attachment, fubmiffion, or allegiance, to the prefent government, or of not holding a correspondence with those whom they reprefented as enemies. They even refufed to confine themfelves to their respective dwellinghouses, and boldly appealing to the laws for redrefs and fecurity to their perfons, ftrongly reproached thofe, who under the pretence of afferting and protecting the liberties of the subject, had involved the whole continent in civil war and contention, and who thus, at the fame time, in the moft arbitrary and tyrannical manner, deprived him of his perfonal liberty, and of every fecurity which he derived from the laws. They were anfwered, that the laws themfelves, and all other confiderations must give way to the public fafety, in cafes of great and imminent danger; that there was no new nor particular hardship in the present meafure, which was juftified by the practice of all ftates in fimilar circumftances; that in England, in its higheft ftate of freedom, and under its happiest governments, the Habeas Corpus law was fuspended in cafes of internal com motion, or the apprehenfion of foreign invafion; that there, fufpicion only was a fufficient ground for fecuring the perfon of the fubject, without regard to rank, quality, or to any fecurity he might propofe to give for his peaceable demeanour; but that their fituation was much more favourable to themfelves, if their incorrigible obftinacy, their dangerous defigns against the ftate, and their mortal |