impracticable without swimming a deep watery swamp, 1778. were obliged to fue for quarters. The Americans faved three field pieces out of four; but many loft their arms. That part of the army which escaped retreated up the river Savannah to Zubly's ferry, and crossed over into South Carolina *. No place in similar circumstances fuffered less by depredation, than Savannah did upon this occafion. A strong circumstantial teftimony, that those enormities fo frequently attributed to the licentiousness of the foldiers, should with much more justice be charged to the indefenfible conduct of their fuperiors; whether by a previous relaxation of difcipline, an immediate participation in the guilt, or a no less culpable fufferance of the enormity. About the time that the embarkation took place at New York, gen. Prevost marched from East Florida into the fouthern parts of Georgia. The royal troops, in traversing the defert that separates the one from the other, were obliged to live for several days on oysters. After encountering many difficulties, they heard of col. Campbell's arrival and success. They at length appeared before and furrounded the town and fort of Sunbury. The garrifon consisting of about 200 men, made a show of defence, and gave the general the trouble of opening trenches; but all hope of relief being cut off by the fall of the capital, they furrendered at difcretion. The general marched to Savannah, and took the command of the combined forces from New York and St. Auguftine, and confequently of Georgia. Previous to his arrival, a proclamation had been issued to encourage the * Dr. Ramsay's History of the Revolution in South Carolina, vol. i, p. 1-6. 1 1 $778 inhabitants to come in, and submit to the conquerors, with promises of protection on condition, that " with their arms they would support royal government." Numbers fubmitted, but the determined republicans fled up into the western parts of the country, or into South Carolina. The attention of congress and the public has been much engaged about Mr. Silas Deane since his return from France. You will recollect what has been written relative to his recall-p. 38. Congress in August defired him, to give from his memory, a general account of his whole transactions in France, from the time of his first arrival, as well as a particular state of the funds of congress, and the commercial transactions in Europe, especially with Mr. Beaumarchais. They appear not to have been thoroughly fatisfied; and to have had apprehenfions lest there had been a misapplication of the public money. Mr. Deane seems not to have relished his situation; but to have been desirous of changing it by returning to France, or exciting a general resentment against congress. He had not yet accounted for his expenditure of public money; and had carefully left his papers and vouchers behind him, though he had the opportunity of d'Estaing's fleet to procure them a fafe transportation to America. On the 30th of November he addressed a letter to congress, signifying his intentions of returning to France, and pressing to have his affairs brought to fome conclufion. December the ist congress refolved, " that after to-morrow they will meet two hours at least each evening, Saturdays excepted, beginning at fix o'clock, until the present state of their foreign affairs be fully confidered." On the fourth Mr. Deane wrote again to them acquainting them of his having received their notifica- 1778. tion of the resolve, and expressed his thanks; and yet Dec. on the day following he published in the news papers, 5. An address to the free and virtuous citizens of America, dated November, but without any day of the month. The address threw the public into a convulfion, and made them jealously uneasy: for it expressed a neceffity of appealing to them, and communicating that information against which their reprefentatives had fhut their ears;-declared or infinuated that their public fervants, Meffrs. Arthur and William Lee, were deficient in abilities, application and fidelity, and were universally dif gustful to the French nation; intimated a design to lead them into a breach of their national faith and honor, folemnly pledged to their ally ;-reflected upon the integrity of fome leading members in congress ;-and strongly hinted at further important information to be brought forward if there should be occafion. Mr. Deane by publishing his address on the Saturday, secured the advantage of the Sunday for its being more universally read in the city and neighbourhood, while fresh from the press, than it would otherwise have been. In the morning of the day when it appeared, and before congress (as must be fuppofed) were.acquainted with its contents, they affigned Monday evening for bearing him, and ordered his being notified to attend. The intervening space gave the members an opportunity of perusing it, to that when they met on Monday evening at fix o'clock, they refolved, "That Silas Deane efq; report to congress in writing, as soon as may be, his agency of their affairs in Europe, together with any intelligence respecting their foreign affairs which he may judge proper 778. That Mr. Deane be informed, that if he hath any thing to communicate to congress in the interim, of immediate importance, he shall be heard to-morrow evening at fix o'clock." Mr. Deane attending was called in, and the foregoing resolutions were read. Thus were the ears of congress opened to him: but their good disposition was not improved for the communication of that wondrous information which he had threatened to give in his address. The conduct of Mr. Deane in his address to the public, was the fubject of debate in congress; many members were for having no more concern with him at present, but for leaving him to the public as he had appealed to them, till he had done with them and they with him. They judged that the honor of congress bound them to this meafure: but others apprehended that difcontents would arise from a supposed inattention, and were therefore inclined to a different line of conduct. This division of fentiment on what might be supposed the honor of the house, occafioned Mr. Laurens, who Dec. adhered to the former opinion, to resign the chair, on 9. the 9th of December. The next day John Jay efq; was elected president. Such was the clamor rapidly raised, and the torture occasioned through the United States, by Mr. Deane's publication, that Mr. Payne, under the former fignature of Common Sense, endeavoured to allay them in an address to him. This led on to further publications proand con, in which Mr. Payne made a confpicuous figure, and had great advantage, from being secretary to the committee of congress for foreign affairs. They have brought to light several important secrets, and particularly the following-The commiffioners, Meffrs. Frank lin, Arthur Lee and Deane, in their joint letter of Febru-1778. ary 16, 1778, fay, "We hear Mr. Beaumarchais has sent over a person to demand a large fum of money of you on account of arms, ammunition, &c. We think it will be best for you to leave that matter to be fettled here (in France) as there is a mixture of public and private which you cannot fo well develop." [Though Mr. Deane was privy to Mr. Francey's coming, and had even by letter recommended the business he came upon, yet in this joint letter he appears to know no more of the matter than the other two.]-In the spring of 1776, a fubfcription was raised, in France to fend a present to America of two hundred thousand pounds sterling, in money, arms and ammunition. All that the suppliers wanted to know was, through what channel it should be remitted, and Mr. Beaumarchais was fixed upon as their agent. [If this subscription had not the pecuniary support, it undoubtedly had the countenance, of the crown, for the defpotic police of France would otherwise have immediately crushed it.] Mr. Beaumarchais appears to have been employed by the subscribers, to offer the fupplies purchased by their money as a present to America, and a contract was made for the freightage of them: they were fent in the Amphitrite, Seine and Mercury, two years ago. The duplicates of the dispatches of October 6 and 7, 1777, which should have arrived by capt. Folger, but who had received blank papers in their stead, were brought over with the treaty of alliance by Mr. Simeon Deane. These show, that had the dispatches arrived safely, congress would have had a clew to guide them, in fettling with Mr. Francey as Mr. Beaumarchais' agent, and have efcaped paying for the present. |