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so calculated to awaken fear in the breasts of those engaged in it. The hour of the night, the uncertainty of success, the almost certainty of destruction, would be enough to awaken a panic in the stoutest heart; while the awful destruction that awaited the victims of success would stagger the resolution of the bravest. The darkness of the hour, the unearthly light that gleamed upon the wild scenery around, the roar of artillery, and the groans and shrieks of those perishing in tortures at which humanity shudders, must have made it a scene unrivalled in sublimity and terror. Yet the feelings of that day were of a kind to delight in such an exhibition of vengeance upon the foes to our country. It was a spectacle on which hundreds, and we may say thousands, of the Americans gazed that night with feelings of the deepest interest. And this little band, although they had in a good degree failed in the accomplishment of their plan to destroy the frigates, were received with the warmest acclamations of gratitude on their return from their perilous enterprise.

The attempt, however, was not without its effect. The frigates moved down the river the next day, and joined the English fleet, and left the river for a short time open for the communication of the Americans.

The generation that took part in the struggle for our independence is fast passing away, and with them the memory of events illustrative of their courage and patriotism, which their posterity, in justice to their ancestors and themselves, are bound to save from oblivion. We have often thought that a volume of anecdotes of the times of the revolution might be easily gathered, and would be read with an interest increasing as we recede from the times that produced them. We do not profess to be able to furnish such a desideratum in our history, but we shall with pleasure record every one that comes properly authenticated, that our children and our children's children may know the price at which their independence was purchased.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE ARMY,

ON THE DEPRECIATION OF THE CURRENCY.
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 323.

W.

THE memorial being read in court, was committed to a committee of both Houses, who reported against reconsidering the resolve of the 6th January, respecting Town Bounties and private hires,

given to the soldiers, but that in a final settlement, the continental pay ought to be made good, at the time when the army received it from the public.

This report was rejected by the council, and leave given to the committee from the line to withdraw the memorial, then sent down to the House for concurrence; the House non-concurred with the doings of the Board, after which the vote was put, whether they should accept the report and passed in the negative; which destroyed their whole proceedings, and left the memorial on the table without any effect.

Notwithstanding the foregoing memorial was treated in the above manner, yet as the committee from the line had several matters in charge respecting the settlement which had not been laid before the court and as it seemed now to be the fixed determination of the court's committee to adjust none of the officer's accounts till they had drawn all accounts of supplies from Congress which could be procured, it was therefore agreed once more, to memorialize the assembly in the following manner.

To the Hon. Council and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled.

The committee from the Massachusetts Line of the Army beg leave by this memorial to represent, that in consequence of a resolve of the General Court, passed the 1st October last, your memorialists were appointed to meet a committee of court, for the purpose of adjusting the accounts of the officers and soldiers agreeable to the resolve of the 6th Feb. 1779; that the completion of their business has been protracted to a much greater length than was expected, and as your memorialists are very anxious, to return to camp as soon as possible, they most ardently wish to have it in their power, to make such a report to their constituents as will not only convince them that they are, to receive an adequate reward for past services, but will be a sufficient inducement, for them to persevere with cheerfulness and confidence; that, for this purpose, it is absolutely necessary, to state the accounts of the officers as well as soldiers, that upon application each one may receive the whole balance due, without taking into consideration any accounts &c. supplied by Congress, as they are fully persuaded, there is a sufficient counter balance for those supplies, due to the officers, on account of the depreciation of their continental pay, from the time it became due to the several times of payment, and on account of the depreciation of the money received in lieu of extra rations,

which will fully come within the original contract, referred to by Congress in their resolves; that all advances made the officers since the year 1777, were in consequence of the depreciation of the currency, which ought to be taken into consideration in making good that contract; but as this state has not at present determined to take into consideration the delay of payments, and the deficiency of extra rations of officers, we conceive the adjustment of the officer's accounts upon the plan adopted by the state, ought not to be delayed for any accounts of supplies from Congress which probably will not arrive for a long time, especially as those advances may be taken into consideration in a future settlement, when the original contract shall be made good;

That the additional pay of the regimental, brigade, and division staff officers, taken from the line, ought to be made good in the same manner as the pay of their commissions, as this additional pay was not given in consequence of the depreciation of the currency, nor does it make the pay of the regimental staff higher than it was before they were commissioned in the line, and as those offices are very important and necessary to the proper organization and discipline of the army, and require the most constant and close attention to duty in those who fill them. It cannot be expected that any officer will be induced to continue in the staff department, unless he can have an adequate compensation for that extra service;

That the arms which the soldiers purchased of the state, at their enlistments, by having £4 10 deducted from each of their bounties, were considered as the property of the continent, and in consequence of a resolve of Congress, were branded with the United States mark, immediately on their arrival in camp.

We would therefore submit it to this Honorable Court, whether those soldiers ought not to have an adequate compensation for those arms.

We have the honor to be your Honors' most obedient servants,

BOSTON, APRIL 8, 1780.

JOHN POPKIN,
TOBIAS FERNÁLD,
WILLIAM HULL,
SIMON LARNED,
BENJ. HEYWOOD,
JOHN HOMANS,

Commillee.

The above memorial being committed, report was made as follows, viz.

That the committee of this court appointed to settle with the Army, be and hereby are directed to settle and pay the officers,

the balances that may be due to them, any resolve to the contrary notwithstanding.

Further resolved, that the Staff Officers serving in two departments be allowed and paid the depreciation on their additional pay.

And also resolved, that the Soldiers who supplied themselves with arms, either by its being taken out of their bounty or otherwise, be allowed and paid the sum of £4 10 and the depreciation on the same. The above report being read in court, April 11, was not accepted and leave given to withdraw the memorial.

Thus, gentlemen, we have reported every material circumstance which took place in the course of our business, and although the settlement is not completed in such a manner as the line will perhaps think they had a right to expect; yet the committee flatter themselves that nothing has been wanting on their part to bring it to a just and equitable conclusion, and as they have given their dissent in every instance where they were sensible injustice would take place, the way is still open to such further applications as shall be thought expedient.

The committee therefore submit the whole to the impartial consideration of the line, and doubt not of meeting with a reception suitable to their endeavors.

We have the honor to be with the highest respect,

Gentlemen, your most obedient servants,

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I have seen old age in its last decay,

By the winds of eighty winters wasted;
I have seen gay youth in the bloom of May,
With all its brightest prospects blasted;
And I have felt within me then,

A wish to forsake the abodes of men.

We stood, a circle of mourning friends,

For the loss of a dear, fond parent weeping;

She smiles-it is over--the spirit ascends,

But the smile remains, on her pale cheek sleeping;
Till the ties of life shall part forever,

I cannot forget that moment--never!

The sun had gone to his ocean bed,

And the winds in their island caves were reposing;
All was tranquil round as the sleep of the dead,

When twilight came over—yet scarcely disclosing,
A star to the eye-save the bright star of even,
That shone to direct the departed to Heaven!

There is a moment-'tis when we stand

Beside the couch, and watch the pillow
Of one we love, and grasp the hand,

That soon must rest beneath the willow-
There is a moment, we fain would rise,
And follow the loved one to the skies.

ORIGINAL.

JOURNEY FROM CANADA.

No. III.

THE shadows of twilight were settling fast upon the lake that lay stretched out before us, as we stood musing on the grass grown walls of William Henry. Behind us was the forest, still unbroken by the hand of industry, and around us were the mountains that shut in this little spot which had been the scene of so much slaughter and bloodshed. We were seated on the ruined walls of the fort, just by the lake shore, musing on the past and repeopling, in fancy, the scene around us with the gallant troops that once thronged it, when our reverie was broken by the report of a cannon from the village on our left. From the train of thought in which we had been indulging, we could not, for a moment, but believe that the note of war again had broken the silence. But it was a moment only, before our attention was awakened by the deafening echo that was heard across the lake. It was the more surprising, for being so unexpect

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