During the remaining winter, and the whole of the fpring, the army under Lord Cornwallis continued much straitened at Brunswick and Amboy, the troops undergoing, with the greateft perfeverance and refolution, the hardships of a moft fevere and unremitting duty, whilft their ranks were thinned by a continued series of skirmishes, which were productive of no real advantage on either fide, other than that of inuring the Americans to military service. In a word, every load of forage which was procured, and every article of provifion, which did not come from New York, was fought or purchased at the price of blood.

The confequences of the late military outrages in the Jerseys were feverely felt in the prefent change of circumftances. As foon as fortune turned, and the means were in their power, the fufferers of all parties, the well difpofed to the royal caufe, as well as the neutrals and wavering, now rofe as a man to revenge their perfonal injuries and particular oppreflions, and being goaded by a keener spur, than any which a public caufe, or general motive, could have excited, became its bitterest and most determined enemies. Thus the whole country, with too few exceptions, became hoftile; thofe who were incapable of arms, acting as fpies, and keeping a continual watch for thofe who bore them; fo that the fmalleft motion could not be made, without its being expofed and difcovered, before it could produce its intended effect. Such were the antoward events, thar in the winter damped the hopes of a victorious army, and nipped the laurels of a foregoing profperous campaign.

We have formerly had occafion to fhew, the bad fuccefs which invariably attended the repeated attempts that had been made, of calling off the attention and force of the fouthern colonies from the fupport of the general alliance to their own immediate defence, by involving them effectually in civil war and domeftic contention, either through the means of the well affected in general, the Regulators and Highland emigrants in the Carolinas, or of the Negroes in Virginia. We have also taken fome fmall notice, of the charges made by the infurgents in fome of thefe provinces against their governors, of endeavouring to bring the favages down to further thofe defigns.

The failure in these attempts, was not fufficient to damp the zeal of the British agents among the Indian nations, nor to render them hopeless of ftill performing fome effential fervice, by engaging these people to make a diverfion, and to attack the fouthern colonies in their back and defenceless parts. The Indians, ever light in act and faith, greedy of prefents, and eager for fpoil, were not difficultly induced, by a proper application of the one, and the hope of the other, concurring with their own natural difpofition, to forget the treaties which they had lately confirmed or renewed with the colonifts, and to engage in the defign.

It was held out to them, that a British army was to land in West Florida, and after penetrating through the Creek, Chickefaw, and Cherokee countries, and being joined by the warriors of those nations, they were jointly to invade the Carolinas and Virginia,

[B] 3

whilst

even into Effex county, where, by feizing Newark, Elizabeth Town, and Woodbridge, they became mafters of the coaft oppofite to Staten Island. Their principal pofts were taken and ftrengthened with fo much judgment, that it was not practicable to diflodge them. The royal army retained only the two polts of Brunswick and Amboy, the one fituated a few miles up the Rariton, the other on a point of land at its mouth, and both holding an open communication with New York by fea.

Thus by a few well concerted and fpirited actions, was Philadelphia faved, Penfylvania freed from danger, the Jerfeys nearly recovered, and a victorious and far fuperior army, reduced to act upon the defenfive, and for feveral months restrained within very narrow and inconvenient limits. Thefe actions, and the sudden recovery from the lowest state of weakness and diftrefs, to become a fórmidable enemy in the field, raifed the character of General Washington, as a commander, very high both in Europe and America; and with his preceding and fubfequent conduct, ferve all together, to give a fanction to that appellation, which is now pretty generally applied to him, of the American Fabius.

Nor was this change of affairs to be attributed to any error in the British Generals, or fault in the troops which they commanded; but depended entirely upon the happy application of a number of powerful and concurring circumtances, which were far beyond their reach or controul. Though many of thefe were foreseen and pointed out, by thofe who from 5

All

Among the principal of thefe may be confidered the vast extent of that continent, with its unusual diftribution into great tracts of cultivated and favage territory; the long extent of fea coaft in front, and the boundless waftes at the back of the inhabited countries, affording refource or fhelter in all circumftances; the numberless inacceffible pofts, and strong natural barriers, formed by the various combinations of woods, mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes. thefe properties and circumftances, with others appertaining to the climates and feafons, may be faid to fight the battles of the inhabitants of fuch countries in a defenfive war. To these may be added others lefs local. The unexpected union, and unknown ftrength of the colonies; the judicious application of that ftrength, by fuiting the defence to the nature, genius, and ability, of the people, as well as to the natural advantages of the country, thereby rendering it a war of pofts, furprizes, and fkirmishes, instead of a war of battles. To all these may be added, the people's not being bridled by strong cities, nor fettered by luxury to thofe which were otherwife, fo that the reduction of a capital had no effect upon the rest of the province, and the army could retain no more territory than what it occupied, which was again loft as foon as it departed to another quarter.

During

During the remaining winter, and the whole of the fpring, the army under Lord Cornwallis continued much straitened at Brunswick and Amboy, the troops undergoing, with the greatest perfeverance and refolution, the hardships of a moft severe and unremitting duty, whilft their ranks were thinned by a continued feries of fkirmishes, which were productive of no real advantage on either fide, other than that of inuring the Americans to military service. In a word, every load of forage which was procured, and every article of provifion, which did not come from New York, was fought or purchased at the price of blood.

The confequences of the late military outrages in the Jerseys were feverely felt in the prefent change of circumstances. As foon as fortune turned, and the means were in their power, the fufferers of all parties, the well difpofed to the royal caufe, as well as the neutrals and wavering, now rofe as a man to revenge their perfonal injuries and particular oppreflions, and being goaded by a keener fpur, than any which a public caufe, or general motive, could have excited, became its bitterest and most determined enemies. Thus the whole country, with too few exceptions, became hoftile; thofe who were incapable of arms, acting as fpies, and keeping a continual watch for thofe who bore them; fo that the fmalleft motion could not be made, without its being expofed and difcovered, before it could produce its intended effect. Such were the untoward events, thar in the winter damped the hopes of a victorious army, and nipped the laurels of a foregoing profperous campaign.

We have formerly had occafion to fhew, the bad fuccefs which invariably attended the repeated attempts that had been made, of calling off the attention and force of the fouthern colonies from the fupport of the general alliance to their own immediate defence, by involving them effectually in civil war and domestic contention, either through the means of the well affected in general, the Regulators and Highland emigrants in the Carolinas, or of the Negroes in Virginia. We have also taken fome fmall notice, of the charges made by the infurgents in fome of these provinces against their governors, of endeavouring to bring the favages down to further thofe defigns.

The failure in thefe attempts, was not fufficient to damp the zeal of the British agents among the Indian nations, nor to render them hopeless of ftill performing fome effential fervice, by engaging these people to make a diverfion, and to attack the fouthern colonies in their back and defenceless parts. The Indians, ever light in act and faith, greedy of prefents, and eager for fpoil, were not difficultly induced, by a proper application of the one, and the hope of the other, concurring with their own natural difpofition, to forget the treaties which they had lately confirmed or renewed with the colonifts, and to engage in the defign.

It was held out to them, that a British army was to land in West Florida, and after penetrating through the Creek, Chickefaw, and Cherokee countries, and being joined by the warriors of those nations, they were jointly to invade the Carolinas and Virginia,

[B] 3

whilst

whilst another formidable force by fea and land, was to make a powerful impreffion on the coafts, Circular letters to the fame import, were fent by Mr. Stuart, the principal agent for Indian affairs, to the inhabitants of the back fettlements, requiring all the wellaffected, as well as all thofe, who were willing to preferve themselves and their families from the inevitable calamities and destruction of an Indian war, to be in readiness to repair to the royal ftandard, as foon as it was erected in the Cherokee country, and to bring with them their horfes, cattle, and provifions, for all of which they were promifed payment. They were likewife required, for their prefent fecurity, and future dif tinction from the King's enemies, to fubfcribe immediately to written paper, declaratory of their allegiance.

a

The fcheme was fo plaufible, and carried fuch a probability of fuccefs, that it feemed to have had a very extenfive operation upon the difpofition of the Indians, and to have prepared them in a great measure for a general confederacy against the colonies. Even the fix nations, who had before agreed to the obfervance of a strict neutrality, now committed several fmall acts of hoftility, which were afterwards difowned by their elders and chiefs. The Creek Indians, more violent, began the fouthern war with all their ufual barbarity, until finding that the expected fuccours did not arrive, they, with a forefight uncommon among Indians, flopped fuddenly short, and repenting of what they had done, were, in the prefent ftate of affairs, eafily excufed; and being after

wards applied to for affiftance by the Cherokees, returned for answer, that they, the latter, had plucked the thorn out of their foot, and were welcome to keep it.

But the Cherokees fell upon the adjoining colonies with determined fury, carrying, for a part of the fummer, ruin and defolation wherever they came, fcalping and flaughtering the people, and totally deftroying their fettlements. They were foon, however, checked, and feverely experienced, that things were much altered, fince the time of their former warfare upon the fame ground, and that the martial fpirit now prevalent in the colonies, was extended to their remoteft frontiers. They were not only repulfed or defeated in every action, by the neighbouring militia of Virginia and the Carolinas, but purfued into their own country, where their towns were demolished, their corn deftroyed, and their warriors thinned in repeated engagements, until the nation was nearly exterminated, and the wretched furvivors were obliged to fubmit to any terms prefcribed by the victors; whilst the neighbouring nations of Indians were filent and paffive fpectators of their calamities.

Nor was this Indian war more fortunate, with respect to its effect on the well-affected in thofe quar ters; who are not only faid, to a man, to have expreffed the utmost averfion to the authors, and abhorrence of the cruelty of that measure, but that fome of the chief leaders of the tories, avowed a recantation of their former principles, merely upon that account.

It was in the midst of the bustle and danger of the war, and when

the