to arise, as if by magic, vast bodies of citizens, 'serving 1779. at their own charges, choosing their own officers, trained to great expertness, and obeying with remarkable regularity. No gentleman, no nobleman could show his face in the country, who did not fall in with the prevailing difpofition. Men of confiderable fortunes served in the ranks. All this business was accomplished without any fort of confufion or diforder; while the peace of the country, and obedience to the laws, were never more prevalent. The number of trained volunteers is supposed to be about 50,000: they are admirably appointed. Government faw these proceedings with astonishment. They wished to regulate this new and unexpected force, and to bring it to act under the authority of the crown; but after a few feeble attempts, it was thought best to concur in a measure that could not be prevented. The Irish patriots having thus provided for the defence of the kingdom against foreign enemies, began to look toward their own rights; and in general disclaimed the authority of the British parliament over them, and condemned its interference in their affairs. On the 12th of October, the Irish parliament met. Upon a motion for the address, in answer to the speech of the lord lieutenant, an amendment was moved and carried in the house of commons, which occafioned the infertion of the following words in their address to the throne-" We beg leave humbly to represent to your majesty, that it is not by temporary expedients, but by a free trade alone, that this nation is now to be saved from impending ruin." The address from the lords contained fimilar expreffions. Thus it appears, that a free and unlimited commerce with the whole world is the fine qua non, with the patriots 1779. of Ireland, from which they mean not to depart. The prevailing unanimity in political fentiments among the Irish, has been greatly forwarded by their parliament's having before followed the humane example of the British legislature in relaxing the penal restrictions of the laws against the English Roman catholics. The addresses were carried up to the lord lieutenant, with great parade, amid the acclamations of the people. The duke of Leinster, who commanded the Dublin volunteers, escorted the speaker in person upon the occafion, while the streets were lined on both fides from the parliament house to the castle, by that corps drawn up in their arms and uniforms. That nobleman had before moved for the thanks of the lords to the volunteer companies through the kingdom, which was carried with only one dissenting voice. The present letter closes with mentioning, that the Spaniards have, for fome months back, invested Gibraltar both by land and fea; but the garrison seems to be under no apprehenfions. B LETTER X. Roxbury, Jan. 27, 1780. EFORE we enter upon a relation of the expedi tions against Penobscot and the Mohawks, let me mention, that in the beginning of August, gen. Wash ington, to fecure himself the more effectually from an 1779 attack by the enemy, while weakened through the abfence of the detachment under gen. Sullivan, gave to a double spy, in order to be communicated, the following exaggerated account of his strength" Fit for duty 17,010, exclufive of the troops under Sullivan, gen. Gates to the eastward, and col. Hazens-the total number much greater beside these, the new levies, 2000 from Maffachusetts those from Connecticut and other states coming in daily-a plan fixed, by which the whole strength can be drawn together in a few hours upon any great emergency." 16 Colonel Francis M'Lean was sent from Halifax to establish a post at Penobscot, in the easternmost part of the Massachusetts state. His arrival gave an alarm to June the government at Boston, and vigorous measures were agreed upon for preventing its establishment. The state was to have the whole honor of the expected success; and therefore Gates, who was at Providence, was neither confulted nor applied to for continental troops. Gen. Lovel was to command the militia, with a small number of state regulars, destined for the service; while capt. Saltonstall, who commanded the Warren continental frigate, acted as commodore to the whole fleet, confifting of near 20 fail, including armed state vessels and privateers, beside 24 transports. An embargo for 40 days was laid by the general court on all shipping, that a full fupply of feamen might be the more easily procured. When the armament was ready for failing, it lay wind bound in Nantasket road for fome days. By July the 25th of July, it appeared off Penobscot. Colonel 250 M'Lean had gained information of its failing from Boston $779. four days before. His intended fort was incapable of affording any good defence. Two of the bastions were untouched; the remaining two with the curtains, were in no part above 4 or 5 feet high and 12 thick; the ditch in most parts not more than 3 feet deep: there was no platform laid, nor any artillery mounted. When July the troops had landed, instead of being put upon vigorous service, the general contented himself with fummoning the colonel to surrender, which being refused, they were employed two days in erecting a battery at about 750 yards distant from the fort. The colonel improved this opportunity, and what followed during an ineffectual cannonading, for finishing and strengthening his works, till he was out of all apprehenfion from being stormed; which he was informed by a deferter, on the Aug. 12th of August, was to be in a day or two. Colonel M'Lean, with his garrison, to their astonishment, difcovered that the Americans had totally abandoned their camp and works in the night, and had reimbarked. The cause of this mysterious event was foon evident by the appearance of Sir George Collier in the Raisonable, attended with five frigates. While Sir George lay at Sandy Hook, he gained information, on or before the 28th of July, from a Boston paper, as it is confidently afferted, of the expedition against Penobscot. He failed for the relief of the place on the 3d of August. It was not the intention of the Massachusetts government, that gen. Lovel should spend much time against it; on the contrary, the speedy reduction of the place was expected. The business being lengthened out, application was made to gen. Gates for a continental regiment; but before it could reach half way to Penobscot, Sir G. 14. Collier entered and proceeded up the bay. By eleven 17794 o'clock in the morning, the American fleet presented themselves to his view, drawn up feemingly with the design of difputing the passage; their resolution however soon failed, and an ignominious flight took place. Sir George destroyed and took, including two which were captured on his passage, 19 armed vessels; beside the transports, and some provision vessels: The expedition against the fort was so wretchedly conducted, as to do no credit either to the general or commodore. The army and failors had to explore a great part of their way back by land, through thick woods and defert waftes. The Oneidas, and a few others of the fix confederated Indian nations, frequently called the Mohawks, were friendly to the Americans: the rest, through the power of presents, with the influence of Sir John Johnson and some others, who had interest among them, departed from the neutrality they had engaged to observe, and diftinguished themselves in that cruel and deftructive war, which was carried on against the back fettlements. Their conduct gave rise to that plan of an expedition into their country, which has been already mentioned p. 235. When it was to be carried into execution, there were to be only two divisions, the main one under gen. Sullivan, and the other under gen. James Clinton, which was to go by the Mohawk river. When Sullivan was preparing to proceed, he presented to congress a most expensive and extravagant list of enumerated articles, in which was a large number of eggs. He made his detachment equal to 7000 rations per day. Congress were so disgusted with the great demand, and some of |