advancing, without their packs, to support him. The limits of this work will not permit me to give the particulars of this memorable action in detail, suffice it to say, the doubtful movements of Gen. Lee deranged the plans of the general in chief, caused the failure of the action, and defeated the operations of the day: they caused also a court martial upon Gen. Lee, which deprived him of his command. The American troops lay on their arms through the night, impatient for the attack the next morning, but the British general took the alarm, withdrew his troops in the night, and thus made his escape, to the inexpressible disappointment of Gen. Washington.

Sir Henry Clinton retired by forced marches to SandyHook, where he was met by the fleet under Lord Howe, on the 5th of July, and from thence embarked his army for New-York.

Sir Henry Clinton lost, in the affair at Monmouth, from 4 to 500 men, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, together with Lt. Col. Moncton, a brave officer, whose death was greatly lamented.

Gen. Washington lost about half of that number, together with Lt. Col. Bonner, and Maj. Dickinson, two brave officers, whose loss was severely felt by the American army.

The extreme heat of the weather, rendered a pursuit by forced marches, through a deep sandy country, impracticable; Gen. Washington therefore detached a strong party of light troops to watch the motions of the enemy, and drew off his main army to the North River.

On the 8th of July Count De Estaing entered the capes of the Delaware, with the Toulon fleet, after a passage of 87 days; Lord Howe had been gone only ten days, and Sir Henry Clinton had evacuated Philadelphia only one month before, and was now embarking his army at SandyHook for New-York.

This special providence needs no comment.

The French fleet was about double the force of the English, both in number of ships, and weight of metal.

Count De Estaing landed Mr. Gerard, French minister to the United States, who was most cordially and respectfully received by Congress, and on the 9th set sail for Sandy-Hook, where he arrived on the 11th, and blockaded the English squadron in the harbour.

Count De Estaing made all possible efforts to attack the English fleet in the harbour, but found it impracticable to cross the bar with his heavy ships, and on the 22d he set sail for Newport, agreeable to advice from Gen. Washington, to co-operate with Gens. Greene and Sullivan, in destroying the British fleet and army at Rhode-Island.

Admiral Byron's fleet arrived at Sandy Hook a few days after the departure of the French fleet, in a very broken, sickly, dismasted, distressed situation; the provision ships from Cork arrived also, and entered the harbour of NewYork in safety, to the inexpressible joy of the British army, who were in great want of supplies.

Count de Estaing arrived off Point Judith on the 29th of July, and such was the joy upon the occasion, that it diffused the fire, spirit, and zeal of 1775 and 6, throughout New-England. Volunteers by thousands flocked to the American standard, at Providence and Tiverton, to serve against Newport, under the command of General Greene, who had been detached by General Washington for that service.

General Washington detached the Marquis Lay Fayette, with 2000 men, to co-operate in the reduction of RhodeIsland, who joined General Sullivan at this time, whose force now consisted of about 10,000 men.

Sir Robert Pigot, who commanded at Newport, had been reinforced with five battalions, which rendered his force

about 6000 strong. Thus balanced, the parties commenced their operations.:

The Count De Estaing entered the harbour of Newport with his fleet on the 8th of August, without opposition from the enemy's fleet; this General Pigot had ordered to be destroyed on the 5th, (consisting of four frigates, with several smaller vessels,) to prevent their falling into the hands of the French.

On the 9th, at eight in the morning, General Sullivan began to cross over with his army, from Tiverton, upon learning that the enemy had abandoned their works upon the north end of the island. At two in the afternoon, Lord Howe appeared off Point Judith, with a fleet of 25 sail, where he anchored for the night.

On the 10th, Count De Estaing, eager to meet the British fleet, took advantage of the wind, and put to sea. The two fleets manoeuvered through the day without coming to action. On the 11th a violent gale sprang up, which continued through the 12th and 13th, and parted the fleets, dismasted the French admiral's ship, and destroyed her rudder, and greatly damaged several others. On the 14th the gale abated, and close, and severe actions commenced between several single ships of the two fleets, in which both were much damaged; but nothing decisive took place. The count now having collected six of his fleet, covered his disabled ships; and thus secured his fleet, and stood in for Newport, and came to anchor. General Greene and the Marquis La Fayette went on board the admiral's ship, and pressed him to enter the harbour again, and complete the enterprise; but the fleet was so shattered with the storm, and the officers, generally, were so averse, that the count concluded to sail for Boston.

The troops under General Sullivan, gained the north end of the island, and advanced down upon the enemy's lines, ready to co-operate with the French fleet, and commence

the attack; but their sufferings in the storm were so severe, that the troops were in a deplorable state.

On the 14th the army lay exposed to an attack from General Pigot, which must have proved ruinous, had he known their situation.

On the 15th the American army had recovered their misfortunes, and were again prepared to act in concert with the fleet, and anxiously awaited their movements, when to their grief and astonishment, they saw them weigh, and stand off for Boston, on the 24th. The mortification of General Sullivan was greater than the pride of an American soldier could sustain, and he expressed himself unguardedly in his general orders upon the occasion.

On the 26th, Count De Estaing wrote to Congress from Boston, and explained his movements, to the satisfaction of that honourable body.

General Sullivan saw himself abandoned by most of the volunteers, who had joined him, and his army reduced to a standard below that of the enemy; saw also the necessity of abandoning the enterprise, and securing his retreat, as fast as possible.

On the 25th, Gen. Sullivan sent off his heavy cannon, and on the 27 and 28th, he had prepared the way for withdrawing his troops to the north end of the island, which he ef fected on the 29th; at this time Gen. Pigot, having discovered that Gen. Sullivan had withdrawn his army, mov ed with his whole force to intercept his retreat.

The advance guard of the British was soon engaged with: the rear of the Americans, which brought on a severe action, that continued through the day, with a severe loss upon both sides; but nothing decisive. The next day Gen. Sullivan learnt that Lord Howe was again at sea, and that the French fleet were not expected to return to Newport; he concluded to evacuate the island as soon as possible.

Great address became necessary to effect such a movement in the presence of an enemy, flushed with the deliverance they had so recently experienced, and the flattering prospects before them. But Gen. Lincoln, by the assistauce and advice of Gen. Greene, effected this, in presence of such an enemy, whose sentries were not more than 400 yards distant from the American sentries, and on the morning of the 1st of September, the retreat was completed without the loss of a man, or any part of his artillery, or baggage.

The same day Sir Henry Clinton arrived off Newport, on board the fleet under Lord Howe, with 4000 troops, to cut off the retreat of Gen. Sullivan, and destroy the American army; but learning the departure of the French to Boston, and the retreat of the American army, he sailed for Boston, and appeared off the mouth of the harbour on the 3d of September, where he discovered the position of the French fleet, strongly posted, and by him considered as impregnable. Sir Henry returned the next day to New-York, and left the fleet, to destroy the American privateers and shipping in the harbour of Bedford, which they accomplished on the 5th, to the number of 70 sail, besides small craft, ware-houses, stores, dwelling houses, and vessels on the stocks, together with the magazine, to the amount of 21,000l. sterling.

The fleet next made an attack upon Martha's Vineyard, destroyed all the vessels, and carried off the arms of the militia; the public money; three hundred oxen, and ten thousand sheep, which served as a supply of fresh to the army and navy, at New-York.

The following extract from a letter of Gen. Washington, shall close this chapter..

"It is not a little pleasing, nor less wonderful to contemplate, that after two years manoeuvering, and undergoing the