force a fufficient number of hands for the watch of their respective fhips. The mafters and mates of the merchantmen and traders at New York, folicited employment with the greatest earnestnefs; and took their stations at the guns with the common failors. Others hazarded every thing, by putting to fea in light veffels, to watch the motions of the enemy, and perform other neceffary services. One in particular, with a noble difinterestedness and gallantry, which may be compared with any thing known in history, offered to convert his veffel (in which his whole hope and fortune lay) into a fire fhip, to be conducted by himfelf; and fpurned with difdain every propofal of indemnification or re'ward.

ગ

It will afford no furprife, that this fpirit fhould fhine out in the army with equal luftre; and that the light infantry and grenadiers, who had fcarcely recovered the fatigue of a moft toilfome and dangerous march, and with many of the Officers wounds ftill green and fore, fhould, notwithstanding, contend with fuch eagerness, to ferve on board the men of war as marines, that the point of honour obliged to be decided by lots. In a word, the public fpirit, zeal, bravery, and magnanimity, difplayed upon this occafion, would have lamped a character upon a nation that before had none; and - is an honour even to this country. It muft, however, be acknowledged, that the popularity of the noble Commander, and the confidence founded on his great qualities, contributed not a little to thefe exertions.

豐

:was

C

e con

The French fleet continued at anchor in the pofition we have mentioned, and taking in water and provifions, for eleven days, It may be well fuppofed, that as D'Estaing did not profit of the first opportunity that offered, that any attempt made by him, after the exertions on the other fide had taken their full effect, and the judicious defenfive difpofitions made by the British Admiral were completed, would have been not only ineffectual, but probably (notwithstanding the fuperiority of his force) ruinous. Neither the fidence arifing from D'Estaing's hesitation, or from their own courage, was, however, any allay to the mixed paflions of grief and indignation which, now agitated the British feamen. They endured the mortification, for the first time, of feeing a British fleet blocked up and infulted in their own ha bour, and the French flag flying triumphant without; and this was fill more deeply embittered and aggravated, by beholding every day, veffels under English colours (who had ftill been ignorant of the lofs of their ufual protection), captured under their eyes by the enemy. They looked out every hour with the utmoft anxiety, and in the most eager expectation, for the arrival of Byron's fquadron,

་

J

har

D'Estaing's fleet at length appeared under way; and as the wind was favour. July 22. able, and the fpring tides at the highet (the water rifing that afternoon, thirty feet on the bar) it was expected that he intended to carry his long delayed menace into execution; and that that day would have afforded one, of the P] 3 hotteft

the country rendered any further purfuit of the British army fruit lefs, and all attempts to difturb their embarkation at Sandy Hook, equally impracticable and dangerous. He accordingly detached only fome light troops to obferve and attend their motions, and drew off the main body of the army to the borders of the North River. The Americans loft fome officers of name in this action; particularly a Colonel Bonner of Penfylvania, and a Major Dickenson of Vir ginia, both of whom were much regretted.

It appears that General Washington ufed fome very harth and fevere expreffions, in the face of the army, to General Lee, upon meets ing him, on the retreat of his corps, from the place of action; amounting to a direct charge of a difobedience of orders, want of conduct, or want of courage. This produced two paffionate letters from Lee, (who was likewife put under arreft) with an anfwer from Washington, all written on the day or night of the action. A court martial was inftantly demanded, and as instantly ordered; and fo speedily carried into execution, as to be opened at Brunswick on the 4th of July. The charges Jaid againft Lee were, firft, difobedience of orders, in not attack ing the enemy on the 28th of June, agreeable to repeated inftructions. For mifbehaviour before the enemy on the fame day, by making an unneceffary, diforderly, and fhameful retreat, And lastly, for disrespect to the Commander in chief, by the two letters we have mentioned. The refult of the Court, after a trial which lafted to the 12th of Auguft, was the

finding General Lee guilty of the. firft charge. The finding him in part guilty of the fecond, "Of misbehaviour before the enemy, by making an unneceffary, and, in fome few inftances, a diforderly retreat." They alfo found him guilty of difrefpect to the Commander in chief; and sentenced him, to be fufpended from any command in the armies of the United States, for the term of twelve months. It is impoffible for us to enter into the merits of this fentence; in which party might have had a great share. When a difpute had been carried to fo great an height, between an officer on whom the Americans repofed their chief confequence, and one fubordinate and lefs popular, it is not difficult to divine where the blame will be laid.

In the mean time, the British army arrived at the high lands of Navefink, in the neighbourhood of Sandy Hook, on the laft of June; at which latter place, the fleet from the Delaware, under Lord Howe, after being detained in that river by calms, had most fortunately arrived on the preceding day. It had happened in the preceding winter, that the peninfula of Sandy Hook, had been cut off from the continent, and converted to an absolute island, by a violent breach of the sea; a circumftance then of little moment, bút which might now have been attended with the most fatal confequences. By the happy arrival of the fleet, at the inftant when its affiftance was fo critically neceffary, the ability of the noble commander, and the extraordinary ef forts of the feamen, this impediment was speedily removed; a

bridge of boats being completed with fuch expedition, that the whole army was paffed over this new channel on the 5th of July and were afterwards conveyed with eafe to New York; neither army nor navy yet knowing the cir cumstances of danger and ruin in which they had been fo nearly in volved....

For an unexpected enemy had now arrived on the coast of North America, who was to give a new, and a ftrange turn to the circumstances of the war. On the fecond day after the conveyance of the army from Sandy Hook, Lord Howe received intelligence by his craizers, that D'Estaing's fleet had been seen on the coast of Virginia, on the very day that the army had paffed the bridge at Sandy Hook, If D'Estaing had met the tranfports, either in the Delaware, or on the paffage from thence, loaded and encumbered as they were, and convoyed only by two fhips of the line, with a number of frigates, the confequence with refpect to the fleet is obvious. But it may not fo immediately appear, that the fate of the army was fo intimately combined with that of the fleet, that the destruction of the one, would have been the inevitable lofs of the other. For as the army could not then, by any poffible means, have profecuted its way to New York, and would have been enclosed on one fide by the Ame rican army, and on the other by the French fleet, cut off from all fupply of provifion, and deftitute of every refource, a repetition of the Saratoga catastrophe, must have been the certain confequence...

Although this fatal event was prevented by the bad weather, and

unexpected impediments which D'Estaing met with on his voyage; yet, if he had directed his course directly to New York, instead of the Chesapeak or Delaware, things could fcarcely have been better as he would then have come upon the fleet, and army, when they were entangled, either with the laying or paffing of the bridge at Sandy Hook. In either circuma. flance destruction would have been inevitable; and would have been of an amount and magnitude, with respect both to the marine and land fervice, and the confequences hanging upon it, which, perhaps, has not been equalled of late ages. But D'Eftaing's great object was the furprise of the fleet in the De laware, and the confequent enclo fure of the army at Philadelphia, fortunately the winds and weather fruftrated his defign. Upon the whole, it may not be eafy to point out a more fignal or providential deliverance.

The danger, though leffened, was not, however, immediately removed; and it still required the most confummate ability and fortia tude, to render the kindness of for tune effective. On the 4th day after the account was received of his arrival on the coaft, and fubfequent advice of his having an chored at the Delaware being alío received, D'Estaing ap

peared fuddenly, and ra- July 11.

ther unexpectedly, in fight of the British fleet at Sandy Hook. His force was great, and in good con dition, confifting of twelve fhips of the line, and three frigates of fuperior fize. Among the former, were feveral fhips of great force and weight of metal; one carrying go, another 80, and fix carrying [*P] 2

74 guns each; and the fquadron was faid to have no less than eleven thousand men on board. On the other fide, the British fleet under Lord Howe, confifted of fix fixtyfour gun thips, three of fifty, and two of forty guns, with fome frigates and loops. Most of the former had been long on fervice, were accordingly in bad condition, and were also wretchedly manned. If any thing, however, could remedy fuch effential defects, it might have been hoped for, from the fuperior abilities of their Commander, and the excellency of his Officers.

They had, however, the advantage of being in poffeffion of that port or harbour which is formed by Sandy Hook; the entrance of which is covered by a bar, and from whence the iolet paffes to New York. The expected, and avowed object of D'Estaing, was to force that paffage, and to attack the English fquadron in the harbour. Notwithstanding the utmolt exertions of preparation made by Lord Howe, that the time could poffibly admit; yet, from contrary winds, and other unavoidable incidents, the fhips were not completely arrived in their refpective fituations of defence, nor had there been time to chöfe thofe fituations with the judgment which was afterwards exercifed, when D'Estaing appeared without the Hook. Under thefe circumftances, which, with respect to the effect, might be confidered, in fome degree, as affording the advantages of a furprife, if he had pushed on directly to pass the bar and force the paffage, it would feem, that neither the advantage of fituation, nor any eminence of ability or vir

tue on the other fide, could be capable of counteracting the vast fuperiority of his force. The conflict would have been undoubtedly dreadful and perhaps, in that refpect, might have exceeded any thing known in naval history but the greatest portion of human fpirit, muft require fome adequate degree of ftrength, to render its exertions effective.

A diversity of opinion feems to prevail, on the practicability of the great hips of the French fleet paffing in force through the strait, and over the bar. Some are of opinion that it might have been attempted with prudence. If fo, it may be confidered as a happinefs on all fides, that D'Etaing was not poffeffed of that spirit of enterprize which would have been equal to fo arduous an attempt; that the terror of the British flag was yet in no degree weakened; and that the name of the noble Commander who oppofed him, added fome weight to that effect. D'Eftaing accordingly catt anchor on the Jerfey fide, about four miles without the Hook, and in the vicinity of the small town of Shrewfbury.

The fpirit that was displayed on this occafion, not only in the fleet and army, but through every order and denomination of feamen, was never exceeded, and will not often be equalled. A thousand volunteers were immediately difpatched from the tranfports to the fleet. The remainder of the crews, could not reftrain their indignation at being left behind, and fought every poffible means, by hiding in the boats or otherwife, to escape on board the men of war ; so that the agents could scarcely keep by

force

force a fufficient number of hands for the watch of their respective fhips. The mafters and mates of the merchantmen and traders at New York, folicited employment with the greatest earnestnefs; and took their stations at the guns with the common failors. Others ha zarded every thing, by putting to fea in light veffels, to watch the motions of the enemy, and perform other neceffary services. One in particular, with a noble difinterestedness and gallantry, which may be compared with any thing known in history, offered to convert his veffel (in which his whole hope and fortune lay) into a firefhip, to be conducted by himfelf; and fpurned with difdain every propofal of indemnification or re'ward.

"

It will afford no furprife, that this fpirit fhould fhine out in the army with equal luftre; and that the light infantry and grenadiers, who had carcely recovered the fatigue of a moft toilfome and dangerous march, and with many of the Officers wounds ftill green and fore, fhould, notwithstanding, contend with fuch eagerness, to ferve on board the men of war as marines, that the point of honour was obliged to be decided by lots. In a word, the public fpirit, zeal, bravery, and magnanimity, difplayed upon this occafion, would have flamped a character upon a nation that before had none; and is an honour even to this country. It muft, however, be acknowledged, that the popularity of the noble Commander, and the conofidence founded on his great qualities, contributed not a little to thefe exertions.

The French fleet continued at anchor in, the pofition we have mentioned, and taking in water and provifions, for eleven days. It may be well fuppofed, that as D'Eftaing did not profit of the first opportunity that offered, that any attempt made by him, after the exertions on the other fide had taken their full effect, and the judicious defenfive difpofitions made by the British Admiral were com pleted, would have been not only ineffectual, but probably (notwithstanding the fuperiority of his force) ruinous. Neither the confidence arifing from D'Estaing's hesitation, or from their own courage, was, however, any allay to the mixed paflions of grief, and indignation which, now agitated the British feamen. They endured the mortification, for the first time, of feeing a British fleet blocked up and insulted in their own harbour, and the French flag flying triumphant without; and this was still more deeply embittered and aggravated, by beholding every day, veffels under English colours (who had ftill been ignorant of the lofs of their ufual protection), captured under their eyes by the enemy. They looked out every hour with the utmost anxiety, and in the most eager expectation, for the arrival of Byron's fquadron,

D'Estaing's fleet at length, appeared under way; and as the wind was favour- July 22. able, and the fpring tides at the higheft (the water rifing that afternoon thirty feet on the bar) it was expected that he intended to carry his long delayed menace into execution; and that that day would have afforded one of the hotteft

[*P] 3 ·