field experienced the fame fate with the Connecticut farms; the whole village, excepting four houses, was reduced to afhes. This conflagration clofed the enterprize. The strength of Greene's fituation, the difficulties of the approach, an ignorance, probably, of the state of his immediate force (which, at that time, amounted only to about a thousand men), and, perhaps, the bold defence made at the bridge, all concurred, in preventing the British officers from attempting the pafs at Short Hills. It is likewife probable, that the day was confidered as being too far advanced, to admit of their profiting properly of any advantage which they might obtain; and that it was deemed too great a hazard, to involve the army during the night in the faftneffes of a dangerous country; and furrounded on every fide by enemies, whofe force, pofition, and diftance, were all equally unknown. The troops were befides without cover or neceffaries; and the keeping of a communication open with Elizabeth Town, might have been not, lefs impracticable than dangerous. Under fome or all of these impreflions, the royal army made a fecond retreat from Springfield, and returned on that evening to Elizabeth Town; they being purfued with great fpirit, and redoubled animofity, by the country militia, who were highly enraged at the conflagration which they had just beheld; but a ftrong and well conducted rear-guard, rendered their efforts in a great meafure ineffective. The royal forces paffed over on the fame night to Staten Island; while Wafhington. continued to be amused for fome days longer, with the appearances of an expedition up the North River, which probably had not been at all intended. Thus ended the thort campaign in the Jerfies. These ineffective attempts, by a force which would once have been deemed capable of fweeping the whole continent before it, fufficiently manifefted, that the practical habits of fervice and danger, without any thing near abfolute perfection in difcipline, will place all troops nearly upon an equality. It was now evident, that the British forces had an enemy little less respectable in the field than themfelves to encounter; and that any difference which yet remained in their favour would be daily leffened. In a word, it was now obvious, that all that fuperiority in arms, which produced fuch effects at the beginning of the contest, was, in a great measure, at an end; and that the events of the war must in the future depend upon fortune, and upon the abilities of the refpective commanders. Such were the unwelcome truths, which if not now first discovered, were at least now fully established. Washington fhewed no fmall degree of exultation in his public orders, upon the great improve · ment in difcipline of the troops and militia, with the happy effects which it had produced, and the greater which he ftill hoped. But he did not augur greater benefits from the perfection or courage of the troops, than from that unequalled ardour, which, he said, at present animated all orders of the people. The matter of fact was, that the whom they had left behind on fhore. In the courfe of that dreadful night, Bridge Town, the capital of the island, was nearly laid level with the earth. The hiftory of the government house will give fome idea of the fate of the other buildings in that town, and of the state of their inhabitants. That building, which, from its unusual ftrength, feemed calculated to brave all the outrages of feasons, was nearly of a circular form, and its walls above three feet in thicknefs. No means were neglected, betimes in the evening, to barricade the doors and windows in such a manner, as fhould render them proof to all outward violence. But before ten o'clock the irrefiftible force of the tempeft burit its way through different parts of the houfe; and having in fome time carried off the roof, and the ruins tumbling on all fides, the governor's family were obliged to fly for refuge to the fouterrains; but they were foon driven from that afylum by the bursting in of the water, which, through the continued torrents of rain that fell, threatened nothing lefs than a deluge. Nothing now remained but an endeavour to gain the fields; an attempt, than which, except their prefent fituation, nothing could appear more dreadful or dangerous. It, however, fo far fucceeded, that they gained fome temporary fhelter, amongst the ruins of the foundation or platform, on which the flag-ftaff had been erected. But thefe, however matly, become fo obedient to the increased violence and aftonishing force of the wind, as to threaten inftant de ftruction to the diftreffed fugitives, who were again compelled to encounter all the open horrors of the tempeft. The governor, and fuch others as had ftrength and recollection enough to keep together, after being frequently blown down, and rolled about in the mire and wet, at length gained a battery, and took fhelter under the gun carriages; where they fat in continual opprehenfion of being crushed to pieces, fo terribly were the cannon moved by the storm. The other houfes of the town being much earlier destroyed, the furviving inhabitants were of courfe expofed to the miseries of a longer night of continued danger and horror. Numbers were buried in their houfes; and the dreadful uproar of the tempeft was intermixed with the groans of the dying, the cries of those who were incapable of dragging their maimed and wounded bodies from the ruins, and the fcreams of women and children, whofe fate feemed only to be deferred for greater horrors, whilft they were lamenting, or calling for help to their loft friends. The day-light prefented fuch a fcene of defolation as has feldom been equalled. That beautiful ifland, fo lately glowing in the richeft bloom and verdure of continual fpring, now prefented the image of those broken and dreary polar regions, whofe difmal waftes are buried in eternal winter. The fmaller towns experienced a fimilar ruin with the capital. It was faid, that not one houfe or building in the ifland, however ftrong or sheltered, was exempt from damage; but that, in general, they were levelled to the ground, the planta plantations deftroyed, and the produce of the earth fo totally torn up and difperfed, as not to leave a trace behind. To increafe, the calamity, most of the living stock of the ifland, particularly of the horned kind, perished. And reputable and opulent families were, in common with the most indigent, expofed to the ftill unexhaufted fury of the tempeft, without food, raiment or cover. The lofs of human lives was great, even among the Whites; but including the Blacks, amounted to fonie thousands. The numbers could not, however be accurately eftimated. Befides thofe who fell victims to the violence and inclemency of the weather, and whofe bodies were eafily found, many were entombed in their own houses, and in the ruins of others, who could only be difcovered by time. Many were whirled by the force of the tempeft into the fea; many carried off by the waves, which being driven over their customary mounds invaded the fhore; and perhaps not a fmaller number, by the torrents of fresh water which poured from the clouds. As the firft object of the furvivors, next to the providing of immediate food and thelter, was the guarding againft a peftilence, by the speedy interment of those dead bodies which were eafily found, their number was little attended to in that scene of hurry, diftrefs, and confufion. Perhaps there is not in hiftory a more extraordinary inftance of the united force of the winds and waves, than was fhewn upon this occafion, in the removal of a cannon of twelve pound ball, from the fouth to the north battery: being a diftance of one hundred and forty yards: a circumstance which we should have been afraid of relating upon any lefs authority than that of a public document, tranfmitted to the fecretary of ftate by the governor of the island. It happened moft fortunately, and probably faved Barbadoes from utter ruin, that Gen. Vaughan, with a confiderable body of troops, were then on the island. For befides that the Blacks were in a ratio of four or five to one with refpect to the Whites, they were incumbered with above 800 prifoners of war; who, as well as the worft and most dangerous members of their own community, were all fet at large by the deftruction of the prifons. The general's house being early destroyed, he and his family underwent a full share of the dangers and calamities of the night; his fecretary's thigh was broken, and he did not escape himself without many bruifes. Such are the happy effects of order and difcipline, that although the barracks and hospital were blown down, the lofs sustained by the troops was very inconfiderable; and though the rapine of the negroes during the general confufion, kept pace with the violence of the tempeft, yet the activity of the officers, and the alacrity of the private men, fucceeded fo happily as nearly to fave all the ftores and provisions destined for the fervice of the army and navy. It was no less fortunate, at a time when famine was ftaring the whole ifland in the face, and that the moft dreadful confequences, were to be apprehended from its effect upon the negroes, that the quan the lofs of Charles-Town produced a directly contrary effect to that which might have been naturally expected. For inftead of depreffing and finking the minds of the people, to feek for fecurity by any means, and to fue for peace upon any terms, the lofs being now come home to every man's feelings, and the danger to his door, they were at once awakened to a vigour of exertion, fcarcely to be expected in their circumstances; and which had hardly appeared in the fame degree, fince the first, or at moft, the fecond year of the contest. For in the intermediate time, the firft heat of paffion being over, men who were not actively concerned, were fond of recurring to their wonted ease, and foon refumed their usual habits of life; and the din of war being faintly heard at a diftance, they were contented to contribute to its fupport by opening their purfes, without much tormenting their minds in the contemplation of an odious fubject. And as the bitterness of contention was allayed, and the traces of paft grievance or injury faded on the memory, fo the fpirit of enterprize had proportionally flackened; particularly in thofe colonies where it was not kept alive by immediate hoftility. Many concurring caufes and circumftances ferved to increase and fupport that spirit which now appeared among the Americans. The very lofs of Charles-Town became a ground of hope, and an incitement to vigour, from the wide feparation which it had caufed of the British forces, and the confequent incapacity of their divided armies to fupport each ether. But the expectation of a ftrong naval and military force from France, by the aid of which, they hoped to retaliate on New York for the lofs of CharlesTown, and even to clear the continent entirely of the British forces, could not but have had a much greater effect. In the mean time, their principal leaders, as well as the Congrefs, omitted no means to encourage and to profit of the rifing fpirit, and to cherish in the people the moft fanguine hopes. Letters were written by a committee of that body, which were ftrengthened and enforced by thofe from the commander in chief, General Reed, and fome other popular commanders, to the different executive governments, to the people at large, and to particular colonies, ftimulating them by every motive to the speedy furnishing their respective quotas. The difgrace of appearing contemptible in the eyes of their great ally, and the mifchief and ruin which muft be the confequence, of their being incapable to benefit of his intentions in their favour, were ftrongly urged. And the people were paffionately called upon, not to fuffer the curfe of another campaign to reft upon America! The eyes of all Europe were upon them; and their future independence, fortune, and happiness, as they faid, depended upon their prefent exertion. These remonftrances produced a confiderable effect upon the different governments, and feemed to operate no lefs upon individuals. Many arts were used to keep up the fpirit. Large fubfcriptions were made by private [B] 2 perfons perfons for giving energy to the public fervice. The ladies in Philadelphia firft fet the example to their own fex, and were diftinguished by the fums, which they gave themselves, and procured from their male acquaintance, to be applied as gratuities in particular inftances, and as a general augmentation to the pay of the private foldiers of the army. The example was foon followed, in their own, and in other provinces. " It could fcarcely be expected, in the midft of all the confufion and danger of an uncommonly deAructive war, raging no lefs in the bowels, than in the extremities of a country, that arts, or learning, thofe happy concomitants of eafe and fecurity, fhould at all be thought of, or almoft remembered. It is to the honour of the Americans, that it was under this preffure of circumftances, and amidst all the anxiety of the prefent feafon, that the council and affembly of Maffachusetts Bay, fitting at Bofton, in the beginning of the month of May, established, by a public law, a new and learned fociety, to be entitled, "The Ame"rican Academy of Arts and "Sciences." The act, after enumerating feveral particular objects of their purfuit, adds, " and, in "fine, to cultivate every art and "fcience, which might tend to "advance the intereft, honour, attended a commencement for the conferring of degrees in the univerfity of that city. In the public charge delivered by the provoft upon that occafion to the students, he gave the reins to a warm imagination, and wandered far in the paths of fpeculation; painting the rifing glories of America in arts and letters, as well as in commerce and arms. Notwithstanding the apparent penury and misfortune of the times, a bank was inftituted, during the prefent fummer, in Philadelphia; and the fcheme was fo well fupported by the principal men of the province, that the allotted capital, of 300,000l. Fenfylvania currency, to be paid in hard money, was fubfcribed in a few days. The public fervice was, however, the principal, if not the only object of this bank. They were to receive the congrefs money, that is to fay, the amount of the taxes, and the fupplies remitted by the other colonies; and they were, on the other hand, to anfwer the public demands, and particularly to furnish the supplies for the army, in the most prompt and efficacious manner; and for the procuring of fufficient refources of cath, they were enabled to pafs notes, and to, borrow money at 6 per cent. intereft. To turn, however, this bank to any confiderable advantage, a much greater ftability in government, and a much greater care in their finances, is undoubtedly neceffary. Previous to the arrival of the French fuccours, the Marquis de la Fayette, who had been fo much diftinguished by the early part which he took in the American caufe, long before his court had thrown |