Of Mercer, Warren, Ledyard, Porterfield, And aged Wooster; while their mightiest Gates, 315 with an inscription expressive of his great and eminent services. See Life of W. ii. 400. 410-13; Ramsay, i. 230–235 -240-2-4; Belsham, ii. 155-6; Almon's Parl. Deb. iii. 403-4. an. 1776. 66 314. Mercer, Warren, &c.—" General Mercer was a Scotchman by birth, but from principle and affection had engaged to support the liberties of his adopted country, with a zeal equal to that of any of its native sons. In private life he was amiable, and his character as an officer stood high in the public esteem. He was mortally wounded (in the battle near Princeton, an. 1777,) while gallantly exerting himself to rally his broken troops." See Ramsay, i. 323; and Life of W. ii 625. Of Warren, who was killed at Bunker's Hill, I shall have to speak hereafter. 314. Ledyard,-In the destructive expedition of general Arnold against New-London, fort Griswold, "after a severe conflict of forty minutes, was carried by the assailants.-An officer of the conquering troops inquired on his entering the fort who commanded. Colonel Ledyard answered, I did, but you do now and presented him his sword. The colonel was immediately run through the body and killed." Ramsay, ii. 274-5. See Life of W. iv. 533-4. 314. Porterfield,―This gallant commander, whose bravery had been conspicuous in an early period of the war, at the assault of Quebec, where he was then only a serjeant, received a mortal wound at the battle of Camden. See Life of W. ii. 403; iv. 226-7. 315. aged Wooster;-In the year 1777 a detachment of 2000 British troops under major-general Tryon had succeeded in destroying the town and magazines at Danbury, and were now returning to their ships: general Wooster, then seventy years old, with about 300 men, came up with their rear, and "attacked them with great gallantry. A sharp skirmish ensued, in which he was mortally wounded, and his troops compelled to give way."-" Congress resolved that a monument should be erected to his memory as an acknowledgement of his merit and services." Ramsay, ii. 3; Life of W. iii. 91. 317. Rawdon and Cornwallis-To have conquered such men as Gates and Greene is the highest praise. For a de 'હું Columbia's heart-felt sorrows twice attest. Georgia is ours; and Lincoln's frustrate hopes Have struck proud Charles-town's flag, and all its stores Now grace the triumph of a Clinton's car. 320 While Tarleton, Tryon, Grey, Knyphausen spread scription of the two victories at Camden, which raised the confidence of ministers almost to presumption, the reader may consult Ramsay, ii. 167. 246; Life of W. iv. 576. 231. 319. Georgia is ours; and Lincoln's frustrate hopes-General Lincoln surrendered Charleston to sir Henry Clinton on the 12th of May 1780. See Ramsay, ii. 155-6; Life of W. iv. 204. For the reduction of Georgia, see Life of W. iv. 66-7. 322. Irvin is taken;-General Irvin was wounded and taken in a skirmish between the Pennsylvania militia and the advanced light parties of sir William Howe. Life of W. iii. 331. 322. Sullivan resigns ;-This very able commander "had so freely censured the civil government for having failed to comply with all his demands for military stores, that considerable offence was given to several members of Congress, and still more to the board of war. In consequence of these causes, when, at the close of the campaign, Sullivan complained of ill health, and offered on that account to resign his commission, the endeavours of his friends to obtain a vote requesting him to continue in the service, and permitting him to withdraw from actual duty till his health should be restored, was overruled, and his resignation was accepted. The resolution permitting him to resign was, however, accompanied with one thanking him for his past services." Life of W. iv. 161-2. 323. Tarleton, Tryon, Grey, Knyphausen-To the names of these celebrated generals I might have added those of Vaughan, Mawhood, Matthews, and others; but to recount all the miseries they inflicted upon the Americans, would be to write another history. It is, however, but justice to observe that the German mercenaries, and the royalists, were the chief agents in unnecessary cruelties. For a few of their devastations the reader may consult Life of W. iv. 208. 237. 276; iii. 97. 311. 477 note, 564; iv. 89; Ramsay, ii. 4950.94. Compare the Debates of the House of Lords, Dec. 2, Destruction, woe, and misery around, Like the fam'd plagues of Egypt. Travellers 325 Where Falmouth, Fairfield, Norfolk, Bedford stood, Where too New-London; and the countryman 1777. In the speech of lord Shelburne general Vaughan is very roughly handled. Almon, x. 126. 327. Falmouth,-A town in the northern parts of Massachusetts, was burnt by captain Mowat, Oct. 18, 1775. Ramsay, i. 225; Life of W. ii. 319-20. 327. Fairfield," This flourishing village was reduced to ashes; and many unarmed individuals are alleged to have suffered the most brutal treatment. The effectual services of the militia are attested in the apology made by general Tryon for the wanton destruction of private property, which marked and disgrace his conduct at this place. The village was burnt, he says, to resent the fire of the rebels from their houses, and to mask our retreat." Life of W. iv. 117. 327. Norfolk, was destroyed, Dec. 1775, by lord Dunmore. The whole loss "was estimated at 300,000 pounds sterling.' Ramsay, i. 251. The duke of Richmond thus expresses his indignation at this deed. "We were not only to rob the Americans of their property, and make them slaves to fight our battles, but we made war on them in a manner which would shock the most barbarous nations, by firing their towns, and turning the wretched inhabitants to perish in cold, want and nakedness. Even still more, this barbaric rage was not only directed against our enemies, but against our warmest and most zealous friends This he instanced in the late conflagration of the loyal town of Norfolk, in Virginia, as administration had so frequently called it, which was reduced to ashes by the wanton and unprovoked act of one of our naval cominanders. Such an act was no less inconsistent with every sentiment of humanity, than contrary to every rule of good policy." Almon's Deb. v. 180; and see the duke of Manchester's speech, ib. 189. 327. Bedford-For the destruction of Bedford and Fairhaven by general Grey, see Life of W. iii. 561. Sir Joseph Mawbey, indignant at this "barbarous warfare carrying on against the inhabitants of the North-American sea-coasts, termed it a hellish policy of making war upon old men, women, children, and other innocent and defenceless per sons." Almon's Deb. iii. 286. 328. New-London ;-" The town of New-London, and the Shall point unto their ashes: this last deed Was vengeful Arnold's; Arnold, injur'd chief, 330 To justice, law, and right; and had betray'd, stores contained in it, were consumed by fire, an. 1781. To escape the odium which invariably attends the useless and wanton destruction of private property, this fire was attributed to accident; but all the American accounts unite in declaring it to have been intentional." Life of W. iv. 554; Ramsay, ii. 274. 66 330. Arnold, injur'd chief,-" It is a matter of reproach," says Dr. Ramsay, to the United States, that they brought into public view a man of Arnold's character; but it is to the honour of human nature, that a great revolution and an eight years war produced but one." And yet this man was once an ornament to his profession, and his merits were valued so highly by his country, that he acquired the name of the American Hannibal, and was presented by Congress with a horse properly caparisoned, as a token of their approbation. Such, alas! is the instability of man: it is principle alone, deeply and radically imbibed, that can secure him from the allurements of wealth and pleasure; and lamentable must be the policy of that government which can place its highest trusts in any other hands than those directed by virtue and wisdom. The history of Arnold's desertion, with the lamented fate of the amiable and gallant major André, is too well known to require insertion. See Ramsay, ii. 194-204, and p. 3, i. 235; Life of W. iv. 327. 332, &c. 334. Of three proud veterans-Williams, Vanwert, Paulding, were the names of the three militiamen who so nobly refused major André's tempting offers. The thanks of Congress were voted them, "and a silver medal, with an inscription expressive of their fidelity and patriotism, was directed to be presented to each of them. In addition to this flattering testimony of their worth, and as a further evidence of national gratitude, 200 dollars per annum during life, to be paid in specie, or an equivalent in current money, was voted to each of them." Life of W. iv. 347-8. See Ramsay, ii. 197-8. Columbia's Gibraltar to our power. Arnold! brave, indefatigable chief! 335 Have mark'd for highest honours and rewards; And if our prince Abaddon envy not Let Arnold's title be Apollyon." Instant hell's palace rang with loud acclame. "Apollyon, Apollyon!" was cried ; 350 "Hail our new prince! Apollyon! All hail !" When Satan thus resum'd; " To crown the whole, The Indian war-whoop through the distant north, And south, and west resounds; their hostile files, Led by a Johnston, Butler, and a Brendt, 355 335. Columbia's Gibraltar-Westpoint, a strong and inportant post built for the defence of the North river, was called the Gibraltar of America. This post Arnold had engaged, for a stipulated sum of money, to betray into the hands of the British forces. Ramsay, ii. 194-6. 842. Abaddon" And they (the locusts with tails like scorpions) had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." Revela tion, ix. 11. 355. Johnston, Butler, and a Brendt,-Of the horrible cruelties attendant upon Indian warfare, and the impolicy of using them, I shall have occasion to speak hereafter, and |