pulsed the Americans at Brooklyn. General Washington abandoned the city of New-York in September, leading his force up North river, which he crossed on the thirteenth of November, and had some success in Trenton. Archives-Gazettes-Roman-Dwight-Marshal. CHAPTER III Don Bernard de Galvez.-Don Diego J. Navarro.--Commercial regulations.—Captain Willing-Counties of Ilinois and Washington.Batties of Princeton and Brandywine.-Philadelphia taken.-Battle of Germantown.-Surrender of Burgoyne.-Migrations from the Canary islands-Royal schedule.-Vincennes taken-French treaty.-Philadelphia evacuated-Savannah taken.-Don Diego D. del Potigo.-Migration from Malaga.—War between Great Britain, France and Spain-Galvez's success at Manchac-Baton Rouge and Natchez.-Hurricane-First settlement on Cumberland river.-Mobile taken.-Attack on St. Louis. -Charleston taken.-Don Juan M. de Cagiga. -Siege of Pensacola. By a royal schedule, of the tenth of July, 1776, Unzaga had been directed to surrender, provisionally, the government and intendancy of Louisiana, on his departure for the province of Caraceas, to Don Bernard de Galvez, colonel of the regiment of Louisiana. This gen leman had powerful friends. His uncle, Don Joseph de Galvez, was president of the council of the Indies; and his father, Don Mathias de Galvez, vice-roy of New Spain. He entered on the duties of his office on the first of January, 1777. The ordinary alcades, for this year, were Forstall and the Chevalier de Villiers. Don Diego Joseph Navarro succeeded the Marquis de la Torre, as captain-general of the island of Cuba and province of Louisiana. By a royal schedule of the month of March, the duty of four per cent. on the exportation of colonial produce from Louisiana, was reduced to two. The commerce of the province was encouraged by the permission given to vessels from the French West India Islands to come in ballast to the Mississippi, and take, at New-Orleans or on the plantations, the produce of the country, paying therefor in specie, bills of exchange, or Guinea negroes. The introduction of negroes born, or who had remained some time in the islands, was already considered as dangerous, and had been prohibited. Vessels from Louisiana were also permitted to bring from the island of Cuba, or Campeachy, produce or European goods. Agriculture was also encouraged by an order to the colonial government, to purchase, for the king's account, all the tobacco raised in the colony. This year, several large canoes came from Fort Pitt to New-Orleans, for the purpose of taking the munitions of war which had been collected for the use of the United States, by Oliver Pollock, probably with the aid, but certainly with the knowledge of Galvez. Captain Willing, of Philadelphia, who came in one of these boats, visited the British settlements on the Mississippi, and some of his companions crossed the lakes to Mobile, with the view to induce the inhabitants to raise the striped banner, and join their countrymen in the struggle for freedom. The people of both the Floridas, however, remained stedfast in their attachment to the royal cause. Perhaps those on the Mississippi and in Mobile were deterred by the late tragedy in New-Orleans. The thin and sparse population of both the Floridas, their distance from the provinces engaged in the war, and the consequent difficulty of receiving any assistance from them, influenced the conduct of the inhabitants. The militia of the western part of the state of Virginia, made several very successful incursions into the country to the west of the Ohio, and on the banks of the Mississippi. They possessed themselves of Kaskaskia, and some other posts on that stream. By an act of the legislature, these were afterwards erected into a county called Illinois. A regiment of infantry and a troop of horse were raised for its protection, and placed under the command of Col. Clark. The limits of the former province of Carolina to the west, were fixed, in the charter of Charles the second, on the Pacific ocean. By the treaty between Great Britain and France, the Mississippi was given to North Carolina, as its western limit. By the proclamation of 1763, George the third had forbidden any settlement of white people to the west of the mountains. Nevertheless, a considerable number of emigrants from North Carolina had removed to the banks of the Watauga, one of the branches of the Holston. They had increased to such a degree, that in 1776, their claim to representation in the convention that formed the constitution was admitted. This year, they were formed into a county which had the Mississippi for its western boundary. The erection of that county by the state of North Carolina, and that of the county of Illinois by the state of Virginia, are the first instances of measures taken to extend the execution of the laws of the American states to the banks of the Mississippi. Washington was successful in an attack near Princeton, on the twelfth of January. The British army landed on the banks of Elk river, and repulsed the Americans at Brandywine on the eleventh of September, and soon after entered Philadelphia. The Americans were again unsuccessful at Germantown on the fourth of October; but these misfortunes were in some degree compensated by their success in the north, and the surrender of the British army ander Burgoyne, at Saratoga, on the twentieth. The ordinary alcades for the year 1778, were Navarro and Dufossat. During the month of January, captain Willing made a second visit to New-Orleans. Oliver Pollock now acted openly as the agent of the Americans, with the countenance of Galvez, who now, and at subsequent periods, afforded them an aid of upwards of seventy thousand dollars out of the royal treasury. By this means, the posts occupied by the militia of Virginia on the Mississippi, and the frontier inhabitants of the state of Pennsylvania, were supplied with arms and ammunition. New hands were engaged to row up the boats; and Willing, with most of the men who had come down, about fifty in number, engaged in a predatory excursion against the British planters on the Mississippi. They proceeded to bayou Manchac, where they captured a small vessel which they found at anchor. They went in her to Baton Rouge, stopping on their way at several plantations, where they sat fire to the houses and carried off the slaves. On hearing of their approach, the British planters, on the left bank of the Mississippi, crossed the stream with their slaves and most valuable effects. The inhabitants were so few and so scattered, that they |