as of congress. As the royal army extended in different ntonments for a great way, general Washington saw the cessity of making an attempt on some of those divisions ich lay nearest to Philadelphia. These happened to be e Hessians, who lay in three divisions, the last only twenmiles from that city. On the twenty-fifth of December, ving collected as considerable a force as he could, he set at with an intent to surprize that body of the enemy which y at Trenton.

His army was divided into three bodies; one of which e ordered to cross the Delaware at Trenton ferry, a little elow the town: the second at a distance below, at a place alled Bordentown, where the second division of Hessians was placed; while he himself with the third, directed his ourse to a ferry some miles above Trenton, which he inended to have passed at midnight, and make the attack at break of day; but various impediments so far obstructed his plans, that it was eight in the morning before he reached the place of his destination. The entry however, did not perceive his approach till they were suddenly attacked. Colonel Rahl, their commander, did all that could be expected from a brave and experienced officer; but every thing was in such confusion, that no efforts of valour or skill, could now retrieve matters. The colonel himself was mortally wounded, his troops were entirely broken, their artillery seized, and about one thousand taken prison

ers.

After this gallant exploit, general Washington returned into Pennsylvania.

This action though to appearance of no very decisive nature, was what turned the fortune of war in favour of America. It lessened the apprehensions which the Americans had of the Hessians, at the same time that it equally abated the confidence which the British had till now put in them; it also raised the desponding hopes of the Americans, and gave a new spring to all their operations. Reinforcements now came in from all quarters, and general Washington soon found himself in a condition once more to repass the Delaware, and take up his quarters in Trenton, where he was emboldened to take his station, notwithstanding that accounts were received of the enemy's rapid advance towards him under lord Cornwalis, who

the evening of his arrival, the little town of Trenton con tained the two hostile armies, separated only by a smal creek, which was fordable in many places.

This was indeed the crisis of the American revolution and had his lordship made an immediate attack, in pur suance of what is reported to have been the advice of Si William Erskine, general Washington's defeat would hav been inevitable; but a night's delay turned the fortune o the way and produced an enterprize, the magnitude and glory of which, can only be equalled by its success.

A council of war having been called, general Washing ton stated the calamitous situation to which his army was reduced, and after hearing the various opinions of his offi cers, finally proposed a circuitous march to Princeton, as the means of avoiding, at once, the imputation of a retreat and the danger of a battle, with forces so inferior and in a situation so ineligible. The idea was unanimously approгed, and as soon as it was dark, the necessary measures were effected forccomplishing it. A line of fires were kindled which served to give light to the Americans, while it obscured them from the observation of the enemy: the weather, which had been for some time warm and foggy, suddenly changed to a hard frost; and rendered the road, which had been deep and heavy, smooth and firm as a pavement. The Americans considered this as a providential interposition in their favour.

At break of day general Washington was discovered by a party of British troops consisting of three regiments, under the command of colonel Mawhood, near Princeton, on their march to Trenton. With these the centre of the Americans engaged, and after killing sixty, wounding many, and taking three hundred prisoners, obliged the rest to make a precipitate retreat, some towards Trenton, and others to Brunswick. The loss of the Americans, as to number, was inconsiderable, but the fall of general Mercer was sensibly felt.

The British, astonished and discouraged at the success and spirit of these repeated enterprizes, abandoned both Trenton and Princeton, and retreated to Brunswick; while the Americans in triumph retired to Morristown: General Washington, however, omitted no opportunity in rehall parties, which could be called into general aca few hours notice, he in a manner almost entirely I the country with it, and took possession of the mportant places.

s ended the campaign_of 1776, with no other real age to the British, than the acquisition of New York, ew fortresses in the neighbourhood, where the troops constrained to act with as much circumspection, as had been besieged by a victorious army, instead of themselves the conquerors.

e British in New York began in 1777, to carry on a f predatory war, by sending out parties to destroy zines, make incursions, and take or destroy such forts on the banks of rivers accessible to their shipping; s they were generally successful: the provincial maes at Peek's kill, a place about fifty miles distant from York, were destroyed; the town of Danbury in Concut was burnt, and that of Ridgefield in the same prowas taken possession of. The British, however, as were returning from this last expedition, were harasy generals Arnold, Wooster, and Sullivan; but they : good their retreat, in spite of all opposition, with the of only seventy killed and wounded. On the Ameri ide the loss was much greater: general Wooster was 1, and Arnold was in the most imminent danger. On ther hand the Americans destroyed the stores at Sagg our, in the east end of Long Island, and made prisonof all who defended the place.

s this method of making war answered no essential pur, it was resolved to make an attempt on Philadelphia. as first proposed to pass through the Jerseys to that : but the impolitic conduct of the British in countenan ; the devastation of their plundering parties, had created versal abhorrence, and the large reinforcements which joined general Washington, who had posted himself so ngly, that it was concluded to be impracticable. Many tagems were used to draw him from his secure situa 1, but without success; it was therefore determined to ke the attempt by sea.

While the preparations were going forward for this enters, much in the same manner as general Lee had bee The month of July was far advanced before the pref rations for the expedition against Philadelphia were con pleated, and it was the twenty-third before the fleet was al to sail from Sandy Hook. The force employed in this e pedition consisted of thirty-six battalions of British al Hessians, a regiment of light-horse, and a body of loyalis raised at New York. The remainder of the forces, co sisting of seventeen battalions, and another body of ligh horse, were stationed at New York under Sir ir Henry Cii ton; and seven battalions were stationed at Rhode Islan

After sailing about a week, they arrived at the mouth the Delaware; but there having received certain intel gence that the navigation of the river was so obstructe that it would be impossible to force a passage, it was r solved to proceed farther southward to Chesapeak ba! from whence the distance to Philadelphia was not ver great, and where the provincial army would find less ad vantage from the nature of the country, than in the Jen seys.

The navigation from the Delaware to the Chesapea took up the best part of the month of August, and that up the bay was difficult and tedious. At last, having saile up the river Elk as far as possible, the troops were lande without opposition, and moved forward towards Philadel phia.

On the news of their arrival in the Chesapeak, genera Washington left the Jerseys, and fled to the relief of the city; and, in the beginning of September, met the roya army at Brandywine creek, about mid-way between the head of Elk and Philadelphia. General Washington practised his former method of skirmishing with, and harass ing the army on its march. But as this was found insuffi cient to stop its course, he retired to that side of the creek next to Philadelphia, with an intent to dispute the passage A general engagement commenced on the eleventh of September, in which the Americans were defcated; and, per haps, the night saved them from total destruction. The Provincials lost, in this engagement, about one thousand killed and wounded, besides four hundred taken prisoners. The loss of this battle proved the loss of Philadelphia. about sixty miles from Philadelphia. But though he not prevent the loss of Philadelphia, he still adhered original plan of distressing the royal party, by laying shes, and cutting off detached parties; but in this he ot so successful as formerly; and one of his own denents, which lay in ambush in the woods, were thems surprised, and entirely defeated, with the loss of three red killed and wounded; besides seventy or eighty prisoners, and all their arms and baggage. eneral Howe finding that the Americans would not ure another battle, even for the sake of their capital, peaceable possession of it on the twenty sixth of Sepber. His first care was to cut off by strong batteries, communication between the upper and lower parts of river; which was executed, notwithstanding the option of some American armed vessels; one of which, ying thirty-six guns was taken. His next task was to na communication with the sea; and this was a work o small difficulty. A vast number of batteries and forts been erected, and machines formed like chevaux de e, (from whence they took their name) had been sunk The river, to prevent its navigation.

As the fleet had been sent round to the Delaware in er to co-operate with the army, this work, however Ficult, was effected; nor did the provincials give much position, well knowing, that all places of this kind were v untenable. General Washington, however, took adntage of the royal army being divided, to attack the mp of the principal division of it, that lay at Germanvn, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia. In this he et with very little success; for though he reached the ace of destination by three o'clock in the morning, the troles had time to call the troops to arms. The Amerins, notwithstanding, made a very resolute attack; but ere received with so much bravery, that they were comElled to abandon the attempt, and retreat in great disorer; with the advantage of carrying off their cannon, nough pursued a considerable way, after having upwards

two hundred killed, five hundred wounded, and four undred made prisoners: among whom were fifty-four