An original and authentic journal of occurrences during the late American war, from its commencement to the year 1783

19 September and 7 October 1777

Battles of Saratoga

V AGE.

Miss M‘ Crea murdered by the Indians. Germans defeated at Bennington . British Army crosses Hudson's River . Desperate Attacks made on the British Army . Are obliged retreat . Surrenders at Saratoga . 135

CHAP. X.

wonderful Improvement. Curious Method of Paying the Seamen. Account of Catching the Whales , 5C c. British Troops removed from Pros¬ pect-hill to Rutland County. Congress still re¬ fuses to ratify the Convention of Saratoga. De¬ bates in the House of Lords on the Independence of America. Lord Chatham's Speech on that Subject. His Death . 195

JOURNAL OF THE

9tli. This evening the van arrived at the heights of Saratoga, having endured much hardships on the march, from a heavy rain and bad road ; here it was discovered that a division of the Americans had already arrived, and were employed in throwing up entrenchments on the heights before the British, on whose approach they retired over the ford, and joined a large body there ; who likewise were employed for the same purpose of preventing all retreat.

AMERICAN WAR.

* While the British troops were marching from the heights of Saratoga to the verge of the river, the American drummers and fifers were ordered by General Gates to play “ Yankey Doodle,” while at the same tune his i troops iw«r drawn ui. in a thick part of the wood out of sight of the British army. The arms were piled by order ol the British officers.

16 August 1780

Battle of Camden

CHAP. XIV.

Sir Henry Clinton, with a large Body of Troops sails from New York, and arrives, after much Difficulty, in South Carolina. Charlestown Ca¬ pitulates to the British Forces. Memoirs of Captain Grattan, of the 64 th Regiment. Sir Henry Clinton returns to New York. Lord Corn¬ wallis takes the Command of the Royal Forces in the Southern Provinces. Battle near Camden. Major Ferguson dejeated . . . 293

CHAP. XVII.

General Greene marches back to South Carolina. Surrender of several British Posts. Camden eva¬ cuated. Ninety -Six invested. Surrender of Au¬ gusta. Greene repulsed with loss at Ninety -Six.

CHAPTER XIV.

to New York . Zortf Cornwallis fakes the Command of the Royal Forces in the Southern Provinces. Battle near Camden. Major Ferguson defeated.

AMERICAN WAR

In the account of the battle of Camden, particular mention ought to have been made of the 33d regiment. The services which they rendered on that day, were long the theme of the soldiers and officers present.

15 March 1781

Battle of Guilford Court House

PAGE.

Lord Cornwallis retires from Hillsborough. Ac * tion of Guilford Court House. British Army arrives at Wilmington . 341

JOURNAL OF THE

with his men, and most of the masters and crews of the small vessels which they destroyed. A circum¬ stance which renders this expedition particularly curious, that the colonel and his party returned to Guilford in Connecticut, in twenty-five hours from the time of their departure, having in that short time, not only com¬ pleted the object of their expedition, but traversed by land and water a space not less than ninety miles. However this may be, congress ordered an elegant sword to be pre¬ sented to colonel Meigs for his good conduct in this expedition. About six weeks after the above transaction, another daring enterprise was executed. The circum¬ stance was as follows. The British troops on Rhode Island, were divided into two large encampments, one covering the town, the other subdivided into three parts, and stationed towards the northern extremity of the Island. For the convenience of being as near as possi¬ ble to all those encampments, general Prescot, wh© commanded the troops, slept every night in the middle between them, about five miles distance from each extremity, and about half a mile from the western coast of the Island ; this place be thought secure, by its great distance from the main land, and by means of some ships of war which were stationed along that coast, at no greater distance from it than two miles. However, an American colonel of the name of Burton, accom¬ panied by forty volunteers, passed from Warrick Neck to Rhode Island, a distance of ten miles, by water, eluded the guard ships, and landed about twelve o’clock at night at the opening of a ravine, into which they crept, and proceeded undiscovered to the general’s quarters, and carried off the general, his aid de camp, and the sentinel. The enterprise was conducted with so much silence and address, that no alarm was given, though a guard was at a very little distance from the bouse, until Burton and bis party

CHAP. XVI.

of Guilford Court House . British Army arrives at Wilmington.