fome cannon at Salem, but the people had intelligence of the defign; took up the draw bridge in that town, and prevented the troops from paffing, until the cannon were fecured; fo that the expedition failed.

16. In April, colonel Smith, and major Pitcairn, were fent with a body of troops, to deftroy the military ftores which had been collected at Concord, about twenty miles from Boston. At Lexington the militia were collected on a green, to oppofe the incurfion of the British forces. Thefe were fired on by the British troops, and eight men killed on the fpot.

17. The militia were difperfed, and the troops proceeded to Concord; where they deftroyed a few ftores. But on their return, they were inceffanaly harraffed by the Americans, who, inflamed with juft refentment, red upon them from houfes and fences, and purfued them to Boften.

18. Here was fpilt the first blood in the late war; a war which fevered America from the British empire. Lexington opened the Arft fcene of the great drama, which in its progrefs exhibited the meft illuftrious characters and events, and clofed with a revolution, equally glorious for the actors, and important in its confequences to the human race.

19. This b

battle roufed all America. The militia collected from all quarters, and Bofton was in a few days befieged by twenty thousand men. A ftop was put to all intercourfe between the town and country, and the inhabitants were reduced to great want of provifions.

20. General Gage promised to let the people depart if they would deliver up their arms. The people complied; but when the general had obtained their arms the prefidipus wretch refufed to let the people go.

21. In the mean time a fmall number of men, under the command of colonel Allen, and colonel Easton, without any public orders, furprifed and took the British garrifon at Ti conderoga, without the lofs of a man.

22. In June following, our troops attempted to fortify Bunker's hill, which lies in Charlestown, and but a mile and a half from Boton. They had, during the night, thrown up a finall breaft work, which heltered them from the fire of the British cannon,

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23. But the next morning, the British army was fent to drive them from the hill, and landing under cover of their cannon, they fet fire to Charlestown, which was confumed, and marched to attack our troops in the entrenchments. A fevere engagement enfued, in which the British fuffered a very great lofs both of officers and privates.

24. They were repulfed at first, and thrown into dif order; but they finally carried the fortification with the point of the bayonet. The Americans fuffered a fmall lofs, compared with the British; but the death of the brave general Warren, who fell in the action, a martyr të the cause of his country, was feverely felt and universally lamented.

25. About this time, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington, Efq. a native of Virginia, to the chief command of the American army. This gentleman had been a diftinguifhed and fuccefsful officer in the preceding war, and he feemed deftined by Heaven to be the faviour of his country.

26. He accepted the appointment with a diffidence which was a proof of his prudence and his greatness. He refufed any pay for eight years laborious and arduous fervice, and by his matchlefs fkill, fortitude and perfeverance, conducted America through indefcribable difficulties to independence and peace.

27. While true merit is esteemed, or virtue honored, mankind will never ceafe to revere the memory of this hero; and while gratitude remains in the human breaft, the praifes of WASHINGTON fhall dwell on every Amerian tongue.

28. General Washington, with other officers appointed by Congrefs, arrived at Cambridge, and took command of the American army in July. From this time, the affairs of America began to affume the appearance of regular and general oppofition to the forces of GreatBritain.

29. In autumn a body of troops, under the command of general Montgomery, befieged and took the garrifon. of St. John's, which commands the entrance into Canada. The prifoners amounted to about feven hundred. General Montgomery purfued his fuccefs, and took Montreal and defigned to pufn his vitories to Quebec.

30. A body of troops commanded by Arnold, was ordered to march to Canada, by the river Kennebek, and through the wilderness. After fuffering every hardfhip, and the most diftreffing hunger, they arrived in Canada, and were joined by general Montgomery before Quebec. This city, which was commanded by governor Carleton, was immediately befieged. But there being little hopes of taking the town by a fiege, it was determined to ftorm it.

31. The attack was made on the last day of December, but proved unfuccefsful, and fatal to the brave general, who with his aid, was killed in attempting to fcale the walls.

32. Of the three divifions which attacked the town, one only entered, and that was obliged to furrender to fuperior force. After this defeat, Arnold, who now commanded the troops, continued fome months before Quebec, although his troops fuffered incredibly by cold and ficknefs. But the next fpring, the Americans were obliged to retreat from Canada.

32. About this time the large and flourishing town of Norfolk, in Virginia, was wantonly burnt by order of lord Dunmore, the royal governor.

34. General Gage went to England in September, and was fucceeded in the command by general Howe.

35. Falmouth, a confiderable town in the province of Maine, in Maffachusetts, fhared the fate of Norfolk; being laid in afhes by order of the British admiral.

36. The British king entered into treaties with fome of the German princes for about feventeen thousand men, who were to be fent to America the next year, to affift in fubduing the colonies. The British parliament alfo paffed an act, forbidding all intercourfe with America; and while they repealed the Bofton port and fifhery bills, they declared all American property on the high feas, forfeited to the

captors.

37. This act induced Congrefs to change the mode of carrying on the war; and measures were taken to annoy the enemy in Boston. For this purpose batteries were opened on feveral hills, from whence hot and bombs were thrown into the town. But the batteries which were opened on Dorchester point had the beft effect, and foon obliged general Howe to abandon the town. In

"March, 1776, the British troops embarked for Halifax, and general Washington entered the town in triumph.

38. In the enfuing fummer, a fmall fquadron of fhips, commanded by Sir Peter Parker, and a body of troops, under the generals Clinton and Cornwallis, attempted to ake Charleftown, the capital of South Carolina, The fhips made a violent attack upon the fort on Sullivan's Inland, but were repulfed with great lofs, and the expedion was abandoned.

39. In July, Congrefs publifhed their declaration of independence, which forever feparated America from Great-Britain. This great event took place two hundred and eighty-four years after the firft difcovery of America by Columbus; one hundred and feventy from the firft effectual fettlement in Virginia; and one hundred and fifty-fix from the firft fettlement in Plymouth in Malfachuletts, which were the earliest English fettlements in America.

40. Juft after this declaration, general Howe, with a powerful force, arrived near New-York; and landed the troops upon Staten Island. General Washington was in New-York with about thirteen thousand men, encamped either in the city or the neighbouring fortifications.

41. The operations of the British began by the action on Long Ifland in the month of Auguft. The Americans were defeated, and general Sullivan and Lord Stirling, with a large body of men, were made prifoners. The night after the engagement, a retreat was ordered and executed with fuch filence, that the Americans left the island without alarming their enemies, and without lofs.

42. In September, the city of New-York was abandoned by the American army, and taken by the English.

43. In November, fort Washington, on York-land, was taken, and more than two thoufand men made prifoners. Fort Lee, oppofite to Fort Washington, on the Jerfey fhore, was foon after taken, but the garrifon efcaped.

44. About the fame time, General Clinton was fent with a body of troops to take poffeffion of Rhode-lfland, and fucceeded. In addition to all thefe loffes and defeats, the American army fuffered by defertion, and more by fickness, which was epidemic, and very mortal.

45. The northern army at Ticonderoga, was in a difagreeable fituation, particularly after the battle on, lake Champlain, in which the American force, confifting of a few light veffels, under the command of Arnold and General Waterbury, was totally difperfed.

46. But general Tarleton, instead of parfuing his victory, landed, at Crown Point, reconnoitered our pefts at Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, and returned to win ter quarters in Canada.

47. At the clofe of this year, the American army was dwindled to a handful of men; and general Lee was taken prifoner in New-Jersey. Far from being difcouraged at thefe loffes, Congrefs took meafures to raife and eftablifh an army.

48. In this critical fituation, general Washington fuprited and took a large body of Heffians, who were cantoned at Trenton, and foon after another body of the British troops at Princeton.

49. The addrefs in planning and executing thefe enterprites, reflected the highest honor on the commander, and the fuccefs revived the defponding hopes of America. The lofs of general Mercer, a gallant officer, at Princeton, was the principal circumftance that allayed the joys of victory,

50. The following year (1777) was diftinguished by very memorable events in favour of America. On the opening ef the campaign, governor Tryon was fent with a body of troops to deftroy the ftores at Danbury, in Connecticut. This plan was executed, and the town moftly burnt. The enemy fuffered in their retreat, and the Americans loft general Woofter, a brave and experienced officer.

Lt. General Prefoot was taken from his quarters on Rhode land, by the addrefs and enterprife of colonel Barston, and conveyed prifoner to the continent.

52. General Burgoyne, who commanded the northern British army, took poffeffion of Ticonderoga, which had been abandoned by the Americans. He pufhed his fucceff es, crofled Lake George, and encamped upon the banks of the Hudfon, near Saratoga.

53. His progrefs, however, was checked by the defeat of Colonel Baum, near Bennington, in which the undif ciplined militia of Vermont, under General Stark, dif