of country, required the most immediate attention; but to render the impediments to a purfuit utterly infurmountable, the enemy were greatly fuperior in cavalry, as well as in every fpecies of light troops. Such was the penury and miferable state of the country, that the troops were without bread for two days that they continued at Guildford; nor could even forage be procured at a nearer diftance than nine miles. And though this victory was gained at the entrance of the country in which the loyalifts were fuppofed to be numerous, it does not appear, that it was capable of inducing any body of that people, deferving of name or confideration, to join the royal army. Under thefe 18th. circumftances, Lord Cornwallis moved with the army to Bell's Mill, on the Deep River; whither the baggage had been fent before the action; and was obliged to leave 70 of the worst of the wounded behind, at the NewGarden, Quaker Meeting-houfe, with proper affiftance and accommodation, but of neceflity in the power of the enemy. A march of two days brought the army to Bell's Mill, where they continued two more, as well to afford reft to the troops, as to procure fome fcanty fupply of provifions. The neceffities of the army in general, and the diftreffes of the fick and wounded, left the marching towards Wilmington, in order to obtain thofe fupplies and accommodations which were indifpenfably neceffary to both, no longer a matter of choice. They accordingly moved, by fuch eafy marches as fuited the ease and con venience of the wounded, towards Cross-Creek, upon the north-west branch of the Cape Fear River; being the fame, which in its origin, and long after, is known by the name of the Haw. On the way, Lord Cornwallis iffued a proclamation, and used every other poffible means, as well to conciliate the enemies, as to encourage and call forth the friends of the royal caufe, to the taking an active part in its fupport. It does not, however, appear, that his endea vours upon this occafion were attended, even after a very splendid victory, with any greater efect than they had hitherto been, in the course of his long peregrination through different parts of that province. Such was the ftrange and untoward nature of this unhappy war, that victory now, as we have already feen in more than one other inftance, was productive of all the confequences of defeat. The news of this victory in England, for a while, produced the ufual effects upon the minds of the people in general. A very little time and reflection gave rife to other thoughts; and a feries of victories caufed, for the first time, the beginning of a general despair. The fact was, that while the British army aftonished both the old and the new world, by the greatnefs of its exertions and the rapidity of its marches, it had never advanced any nearer even to the conquett of North Carolina. And fuch was the hard fate of the victors, who had gained fo much glory at Guildford, as, in the first place, to abandon a part of their wounded; and, in the fecond, to make a circuitous retreat of 200 [E] 4 miles, miles, before they could find fhel ter or reft. Lord Cornwallis had been taught to expect, from all the information which he received, that Cross-Creek lay in so plentiful a country, that it would be an exiceedingly proper place for affordgng fome days' repofe and refreshment to his troops. But, to his great difappointment, he found, upon his arrival, that this intelligence was of the ufual value, and that neither provifions nor forage were to be procured. This was rendered the more grievous, upon alfo difcovering, that the windings of the river rendered the navigation fo tedious, that the troops could not benefit of that mode of conveyance. At length, the arrival of the army in the neighbourhood of Wilmington, on the 7th of April, put an end for the prefent, to the unceafing toils, and unfpeakable hardfhips, which they had undergone during the three paft months. CHA P. V. Expedition to Virginia under General Arnold. State of grievances which led to the mutiny in the American army. Penfylvania line, after a fcuffie with their officers, march off from the camp, and chufe a ferjeant to be their leader. Meffage, and flag of truce, produce no fatisfactory anfwer from the infurgents, who proceed first to Middle-Brook, and then to Prince Town. Meafures fed by Sir Henry Clinton to profit of this defection. He paffes over to Staten Island, and fends agents to make adcantageous propofals to the mutineers. Propofals for an accommodation, founded on a redrefs of grievances, made by Gen. Reed, and favourably received by the infurgents; who march from Prince-Town to Trenton upon the Delaware, and deliver up the agents from Sir Henry Clinton. Grievances redreffed, and matters finally fettled by a committee of the congrefs. Ravages made by Arnold in Virginia, draw the attention of the French, as well as the Americans, to that country. Gen. Washington dispatches the Marquis de la Fayette with forces to its relief. Expedition to the Chesapeak, concerted by M. de Ternay, and the Count Rochambeau, at Rhode Island, for the fame purpose, and to cut off Gen. Arnold's retreat. Admirals Arbuthnot and Graves encounter the French fleet, and overthrow all their defigns in the Chesapeak. Lord Cornwallis's departure to Wilmington, enables Gen. Greene to direct his operations to South Carolina. Situation of Lord Rawdon at Camden. American army appears before that place. Greene attacked in his camp, and defeated. General revolt in the interior country of South Carolina. Difficulties of Lord Rawdon's fituation, notwithstanding his victory. Obliged to abandon Camden, and retire to Nelfon's Ferry, where he paffes the Santee. British pots taken, and general hoftility of the procince. Great havock made by the Generals Phillips and Arnold in Virginia. Extreme difficulties of Lord Cornwallis's fituation at Wilmington. Undertakes a long march to Virginia; arrives at Petersburgh, and receives an account of Gen. Phillips's death. Arrival of three regiments from from Ireland at Charles-Town, enables Lord Rawdon to march to the relief of Ninety-Six. Gen. Greene, having failed in his attempt to take the fort by form, raises the fiege, upon the approach of the British army, and is vigorously, but ineffectually purfued. Works at Ninety Six de ftroyed, and the place abandoned. Lord Rawdon marches to the Comaa rees; is difappointed in the expected junction of Col. Stuart, and narrowly efcapes being furrounded by the enemy, who had intercepted the intelligence of Stuart's failure. He forces his way through Congaree creek, and is joined by Col. Stuart at Orangeburgh. Gen. Greene advances to attack the British army, but retires again in the night. Campaign clofes, and fituation of the hoftile forces during the fickly jeafon Incredible hardShips fuftained, and difficulties furmounted, by the British troops in the two Carolinas. force, upon this expedition, confifted of the Edinburgh regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas, estimated at 600 men; of a mixed American corps, compofed of horse and foot, called the Queen's Rangers, of about the fame number, under the command of Col. Simcoe; of Col. Robinson's provincials, and of a fmall corps of 200 men, which Arnold himself had been able to raise at New York; the whole force amounting to near 1700 men. This expedition being conducted and supported, by fuch a naval force as was fuited to the nature of the fervice, enabled Gen. Arnold, who arrived in the Chesapeak at the opening of the new year, to do infinite mischief on the rivers, and along the coafts of Virginia. In the mean time, the Ameri cans had many internal, as well as external, difficulties and dangers to encounter. We have already taken notice of the well-founded complaints, and the great difcontents which prevailed in the American army. Thefe in a great measure proceeded from the flownefs of feveral of the ftates, in furnishing their respective quotas, whether of men, money, provifions, or cloathing, for the supply of the army. This evil was the more intolerable, from the hopeleffnefs of redrefs; as the nature of their government did not admit of any coercive power, equal to its remedy. But though this was in a great measure beyond the reach of congrefs, they did not efcape much cenfure with refpect to matters which fell immediately within their power as well as cognizance. Their ignorance in finance, and their many errors in the whole economy of the war, were often animadverted on with great fever. rity by their warmeft partizans. It is not indeed eafy to conceive, how a body annually elected, continually changing in almost all its parts, and drawn from countries remote remote from the feat and center of bufinefs, could avoid falling into many. The annual election fecured the fidelity of the deputies; but it neceffarily detracted fomething from the uniformity and fyftem of public bufinefs. The fall of the currency was a grievous blow to the Americans, which perhaps no ability could perfectly prevent or remedy. From hence the grievances and diftreffes of the army equalled, if not exceeded, their complaints and difcontents; and occafioned the refignation of many of their beft officers, as well as the desertion of fome faithful foldiers, who thereby gave up the whole of their long due arrears, and whom nothing lefs could have induced to abandon their colours. To render their condition the more grievous, while the troops were little lefs than literally naked, it was faid, that cloathing for 5000 men had been purchased and paid for in France long before; and that, through fome unaccountable fupineness, another large quantity had lain at Cape François for above eighteen months. But the moft intolerable grievance to the foldiery, was an act of real injuftice, as well as a violation of the public faith; for through the failure of feveral of the ftates in not fending their allotted fupply of new troops, many of the foldiers were compelled to ferve far beyond the term of their enliftment, without being able to obtain any fatiffaction, with refpect to their arrears, or even any hope of a difcharge. Under all thefe circumftances, the mutiny which took place in Washington's army, at the opening of the new year, is much lefs a matter of furprize, than its not having happened earlier, being more general, and much more ruinous in its confequences. 1781. The Penfylvania line, which was hutted at Morris-Town, in the Jerfies, unable longer to fupprefs their difcontents, turned out to the numJan. 1, ber of about 1300 men, declaring that they would not ferve any longer, unless their grievances were redreffed; particularly with refpect to their pay, cloathing, and provifions, the two first of which they had not received at all, and there were great deficiencies in the account of the laft. The intervention of the officers occafioned a riot, in which one of them was killed, and four wounded; fome of the mutineers were like wife wounded. They then collected the artillery, ftores, provifions, and waggons, appertaining to their divifion, with all of which they marched in good order out of camp. As they paffed General Wayne's quarters, he fent to requeft of them to defift, and to remonftrate with them on the fatal confequences which muft attend their proceeding any farther, His reprefentations produced no effect; they continued their mich until evening, and then ch an ad vantageous piece of their encampment, w caution as if they h enemy's country. elected officers (from body; and appoin major, who had from the British a commander, with title of Major-G following day t Middle-Brook, a to Prince-Town. A meffage was fent to them on the second day from camp, defiring to know their intentions; but this they refufed to receive. A flag of truce was afterwards fent; but no general or fatisfactory answer could be obtained; fome faid, that they had ferved three years against their inclination, and would ferve no longer; whilft others made a full redress of their grievances, the price of return. As foon as Sir Henry Clinton had received intelligence of this defection in the army of the enemy, he left no means untried that could turn it to advantage; and indeed it feemed to lead to confequences of no fmall importance. Three Americans went as agents to the infurgents; and were empowered to make the following propofals to them from the commander in chief, viz. To be taken under the protection of the British government; to have a free pardon for all paft offences; to have the pay due to them from congrefs faithfully paid, without any expectation of military fervice in return, although it would be received if voluntarily offered; and the only conditions required on their fide, were to lay down their arms, and return to their allegiance. It was also recommended to them, to move behind the South River; and an affurance was given, that a body of British troops fhould be in readinefs for their protection, whenever they defired it. The inability of congrefs to fatisfy their juft demands, and the feverity with which they would be treated if they returned to their former fervitude, were points to be strongly urged by the agents; and the in furgents were required to fend perfons to Amboy, to meet others who would be appointed by the general, in order to difcufs and fettle the treaty, and bring matters to a final conclufion. In the mean time, the commander in chief, notwithstanding the feverity of the feafon, paffed over to Staten Island, with a large body of troops, where they were cantoned in fuch a manner, as to be in readiness for moving at the fhorteft notice; while fuch meafures were taken in the naval department, as were neceflary for their immediately paffing over to the continent, whenever circumftances might require their acting. This was as much as Sir Henry Clinton could yet venture to do. If he had attempted more, it would have been liable to have overthrown every hope in the outset. If he had paffed over to the continent, befides exciting a general alarm, it would have been the probable means of throwing the mutineers directly back into the arms of the enemy. The meafures purfued, were thofe only which with fafety and prudence could be ventured upon, until the temper and defigns of the infurgents were farther known: the revolt was properly encouraged, an afylum, with other advantages, were held out, and it was easily feen that greater would be granted. Various other meffages and proposals, but much to the fame effect or tendency with the former, were afterwards fent; though the Jerfey militia had grown fo watchful both of the coafts and the interior roads, that the communication became extremely difficult. After several days' stay at Prince Town, |