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T HE military operations in Pennsylvania, are to be i777. the subjects of our immediate attention. About a fortnight after the German-town battle on the 19th of October, the royal army under the command of Sir William Howe removed to Philadelphia.

Measures being concerted between the general and admiral for clearing the Delaware of its obstructions, the former ordered batteries to be erected on the western or Pennsylvania shore, to affift in dislodging the Americans from Mud-island. He also detached a strong! body of Hessians across the river, who were to march down and reduce the fort at Red-bank, while the ships and batteries on the other fide were to attack Mud-ifland. Count Donop commanded the detachment, confifting of three battalions of grenadiers and the regiment of Mirback, beside light infantry and chasseurs. The AmeVOL. III.

1777 ricans were about 400 under col. Chriftopher Greene of Oct. Rhode Island. When near enough, the count sent a

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flag and demanded a furrender of the fort in the most peremptory terms. The colonel concealed the greatest part of his men, so that the officer with the flag thought the garrifon very small. Greene answered-" I shall defend the fort to the last extremity." Donop attacked the intrenchments, and after, a sharp action carried an extensive outwork, not half completed; but in the body of the redoubt, which afforded a better covering, the defence was equally vigorous and far more fuccefsful. Here indeed the Americans meant to risk the fate of the fort, as they would have the greatest advantage of the assailants. The Count was mortally wounded and taken prifoner. Several of his best officers were killed or difabled; and the Hessians, after a defperate engagement, were repulfed. The second in command being also dangerously wounded, the detachment was brought off by lieut. col. Linsing. It suffered not only in the affault but in the approach to and retreat from the fort, by the fire of the American gallies and floating batteries. The whole loss was probably not less than 4 or 500 men. Congress have fince resolved to prefent col. Greene with an elegant fword. The men of war and frigates deftined for the attack of Mud-island alias Fort Mifflin, were equally unfortunate. The ships could not bring their fire to bear with any great effect upon the works. The extraordinary defences with which the free course of the river had been intercepted, had affected its bed, and altered its known and natural channel. By this mean the Augusta man of war and Merlin floop were grounded so faft, that there was no poffibility of getting them

off. The Augufta while engaged took fire, and the 1777 Merlin was hastily evacuated. The greater part of the officers and crew of the Augusta were faved; but the fecond lieutenant, chaplain, gunner, and no inconfiderable number of the common men perished. Notwithftanding this ill fuccefs, the British commanders profecuted with vigor the business of opening the navigation. Nor were the Americans idle; for they left nothing undone to strengthen their defences.

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General Washington gave the following state of his 29. army," Our whole force by the last returns is 8313 continental troops; and 2717 militia, rank and file, fit for duty: beside the garrison of Mud-ifland amounting to 300 continentals, of Red-bank 350, and a detachment of militia (on the 26th to reinforce it) 300; and the troops on the other fide of Schuylkill 500, making together 1450." Thus it appears, that his whole strength was 12,480 men. Sir W. Howe's probably amounted to more than 10,000 rank and file, present and fit for duty. It had received no increase worth mentioning from among the inhabitants of Pennsylvania or the neighbouring states, though large promifes had been made (by fome fanguine gentlemen who had joined him) that thousands of loyal fubjects would repair to the royal standard as foon as it should make its appearance in Pennsylvania. The American commander in chief certainly supposed, that general Howe's force exceeded his own in number, for, on the 13th of November, he wrote, "The army which I have had under my immediate command has not, at any one time fince gen. Howe's landing at the head of Elk, been equal in point of numbers to his. In afcertaining this, I do not confine myself to conti

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1777 nental troops, but comprehend militia. I was left to fight two battles, in order if possible to fave Philadelphia, with less numbers than composed the army of my antagonist, whilst the world has given us at least double. This, though mortifying in some points of view, I have been obliged to encourage; because next to being strong, it is best to be thought so by the enemy, and to this cause principally, I think, is to be attributed the flow movements of Howe." The cafe was different in the northern department. There the states of New York and New England refolving to crush Burgoyne, continued pouring in their troops till the furrender of his army. Had the same spirit pervaded the people of Pennsylvania and the neighbouring states, Washington might, before the date of his letter, had Howe nearly in the fame fituation with Burgoyne. The Pennsylvania militia were faid to be 30,000, but about 3000 was the highest number brought into the field. In the estimation of fome New England gentlemen, "the peasants of that country are extremely ignorant and brutish. They are a mixture of high and low Dutch, and so exceeding illiterate, that few of them can read, and fcarce any can write. They have no other ideas of liberty or flavery, than as it affects their property; and it is immaterial to them, whether Great Britain or America prevails, fo that they may be exempted from paying their proportion of the expences of the war. Ignorance is the high road to flavery."

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While the British were entirely occupied in possessing the city of Philadelphia, gen. Washington sent off lieut. col. Samuel Smith of the Maryland line, with 200 men, who were to proceed and poffess themselves of Mud-ifland.

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By quick marches he arrived with his party at the lower 1777. ferry, and with difficulty threw himself into the fort, which he found in a wretched condition, without ammunition, provision or stores, garrifoned by about thirty militia. He had with him two excellent officers of ar tillery, to whom he assigned fifty of his best men, who were trained to the guns. The colonel, with commodore Hazlewood and capt. Robinson, a brave naval officer, visited Province-ifland, principally under water, the banks having been cut by order. The colonel pointed out two dry places, where the enemy might erect works, the nearest about 4 or 500 yards from that side of the American works where the defences were only palisades, one gun and two weak block-houses. With great labor he undertook to erect a two gun battery without the fort, so as to make a cross fire on the fpot. He had not finished, before the enemy took poffeffion of the ground he most dreaded; but by a well directed fire from the block-house batteries and gallies, ere they had a gun ready, the Americans wounded the commander, and the party delivered themselves up prifoners. While these were removing, another party came down from the heights, and deceiving major Ballard with offers of fubmiffion, till too near to be prevented, repoffefsed themselves of the battery, from whence they annoyed the garrison very much. Many of the men and officers having fickened through the unhealthiness of the place, the colonel was reinforced by the first Virginia regiment of about 120 men. The enemy having got up part of the chevaux de Frize, brought in their shipping, and made an attack as above related. One American squadron of four gallies behaved well, the others kept aloof, the

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