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more than 900 were fit for duty. In this diseased state of the troops, medicines, and everything necessary for the sick, were wanting. The men were also scattered, for want of barracks.

Major-general Thomas, who had been appointed to the command of the American army in Canada, arrived in camp on the 1st of May. He found the troops enfeebled by disease, ill supplied with provisions, and with only a small quantity of ammunition. The river was opening below, and he was well aware, that, as soon as ships could force their way through the ice, the garrison would be reinforced. On the 5th of May, therefore, he resolved to retreat towards Montreal; and, on the evening of the same day, he received certain information that a British fleet was in the river. Next morning some of the ships, by great exertion, and with much danger, pressed through the ice, into the harbour, and landed some troops.

The Americans were preparing to retire; General Carleton marched out to attack them; but, instead of awaiting his approach, they made a precipitate retreat, leaving behind them their sick, baggage, artillery, and military stores. Many of those who were ill of the small-pox escaped from the hospitals, and concealed themselves in the country, where they were kindly entertained by the Canadians, till they recovered and were able to follow their countrymen. General Carleton could not overtake the retreating army; but he took about 100 sick prisoners, whom he treated with his characteristic humanity.

The Americans retreated about forty-five miles, and then halted a few days; but afterwards proceeded to Sorel, in a distressed condition, and encamped there. In this interval, some reinforcements arrived. General Thomas, being seized with the small-pox, died, and was succeeded in the command by General Sullivan.

The British had several military posts in Upper Canada ; and the Americans established one at the Cedars, a point of land projecting into the St. Lawrence, about forty miles above Montreal. The garrison consisted of 400 men, under the command of Colonel Bedell. Captain Foster, with about 600 regulars and Indians, marched from Oswegatchie to attack this post. The American commander having received an intimation, that, if any of the Indians were killed, the garrison would probably be massacred, made but a short and feeble resistance before he surrendered the place.

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OPERATIONS IN UPPER CANADA.

An American party of about 100 men, under Major Sherburne, left Montreal to assist their countrymen at the Cedars. As they approached that place on the day after the surrender, ignorant of the event, they were suddenly and unexpectedly attacked by a body of Indians and Canadians. After defending themselves for some time, the Americans were overpowered, and many of them fell under the tomahawks of the Indians. The rest were made prisoners.

Arnold, who in the month of January had been raised to the rank of brigadier-general, was desirous of recovering the Cedars and of relieving the prisoners there; and, for these purposes, marched towards that place at the head of about 800 men. But, on his approach, Captain Foster gave him notice, that unless he agreed to a cartel, which had already been signed by Major Sherburne and some other officers, the Indians would put all the prisoners to death. In these circumstances, Arnold reluctantly signed the cartel and retired. Congress long hesitated and delayed to sign this agreement.

Before the end of May, the British force in Canada was greatly increased; and including the German mercenaries, was estimated at 13,000 men. This force was widely dispersed ; but Three Rivers, half way between Quebec and Montreal, was the general point of rendezvous. A considerable detachment, under General Frazer, had already arrived there. General Sullivan despatched General Thompson, with a party, to surprise them, but the enterprise failed. Thompson was made prisoner, and his detachment dispersed.

When the British sea and land forces had collected at Three Rivers, they advanced, by land and water, towards the Sorel, General Sullivan having retreated up that river; and General Burgoyne was ordered cautiously to pursue him. On the 15th of June, Arnold quitted Montreal and retired to Crown Point with little loss in the retreat. The American forces were thus completely withdrawn from Canada, and this bold and hazardous invasion was finally terminated. It had cost much suffering and many valuable lives; and produced no advantage to the American cause.

CHAPTER XXVI.

CAMPAIGN OF 1776.

THE spring of 1776 opened with very little prospect of reconciliation between Great Britain and her colonies. No answer was returned to the petition of congress to the king; but intelligence was received that the British had made treaties with the landgrave of Hesse Cassel, and other petty German sovereignties, and hired from them about 17,000 mercenary troops, for the service of the crown in America. These troops known among the colonists by the general name of Hessians, were much dreaded, until after a few thousand of them had been killed or made prisoners. It was also understood, that, in addition to these men, 25,000 British soldiers would be sent over. A part of this force was said to be destined for Charleston, in South Carolina.

On the 2nd of June, 1776, the alarm guns were fired in the vicinity of Charleston, and expresses sent to the militia officers to hasten with their men to the defence of the capital. The order was promptly obeyed; and some continental regiments, from the neighbouring states, also arrived. The whole was under the direction of General Lee, who had been appointed commander of all the forces in the southern states, and had under his direction the continental generals, Armstrong and Howe.

Charleston was all alive with the bustle of warlike preparation. The citizens, abandoning their usual occupations, employed themselves in putting the town in a respectable state of defence. They pulled down the valuable storehouses on the wharfs, barricaded the streets, and constructed lines of defence along the shore. The troops, amounting to between 5 and 6,000 men, were stationed in the most advantageous positions. The second and third regular regiments of South Carolina, under Colonels Moultrie and Thompson, were posted on Sullivan's Island. A regiment, commanded by Colonel Gadsden, was stationed at Fort Johnson, about three miles below Charleston, on the most northerly point of James' Island, and within point-blank shot of the channel. The rest of the troops were posted at Haddrel's Point, along

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EXPEDITION AGAINST CHARLESTON.

the bay, near the town, and at such other places as were thought most proper. Amidst all this bustle and preparation, lead for bullets was extremely scarce, and the windows of Charleston were stripped of their weights, in order to procure a small supply of that necessary article.

While the Americans were thus busily employed, the British were not idle. About the middle of February, an armament had sailed from the Cove of Cork, under the command of Sir Peter Parker, and Earl Cornwallis, to encourage and support the loyalists in the southern provinces.

But

After a tedious voyage, the greater part of the fleet reached Cape Fear, in North Carolina, on the 3rd of May. General Clinton, who had left Boston in December, took command of the land forces, and issued a proclamation, promising pardon to all the inhabitants who would lay down their arms. this offer produced no effect. Early in June, the armament, consisting of between 40 and 50 vessels, appeared off Charleston, and 36 of the transports passed the bar and anchored about three miles from Sullivan's Island. Some hundreds of the troops landed on Long Island, which lies on the west of Sullivan's Island, and which is separated from it by a narrow channel, often fordable.

On the 10th and 25th of June, two fifty gun ships passed the bar, and the British, having now about 10 ships of war ready for action, prepared to engage. The troops, amounting to 3,000, were under the command of Sir Henry Clinton, the naval force under the admiral, Sir Peter Parker.

On the forenoon of the 28th of June, this fleet advanced against the fort on Sullivan's Island, which was defended by Colonel Moultrie with 344 regular troops and some militia, who voluntered their services on the occasion. The battle commenced with a tremendous discharge of cannon and bombs upon the fort, which was returned slowly, but with deliberate and deadly aim. The contest was carried on during the whole day with unabating fury. All the forces at Charleston stood prepared for battle; and both the troops and the numerous spectators beheld the conflict with alternations of hope and fear, which appeared in their countenances and gestures. They knew not how soon the fort might be silenced or passed by, and an attack made upon themselves; but they were resolved to meet the invaders at the water's edge, to dispute every inch of ground, and to prefer death to slavery.

Three of the British ships were ordered to assail the western

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extremity of the fort, which was in a very unsettled state; but as they proceeded for that purpose, they got entangled with a shoal, called the Middle Ground, ran foul of each other; and one of them remained aground; so that this part of the attack completely failed in the outset.

It had been concerted that, during the attack by the ships, Sir Henry Clinton, with the troops, should pass the narrow channel which separates Long Island from Sullivan's Island, and assail the fort by land; but this the general found impracticable; the channel, usually fordable, having been recently deepened by a long prevalence of easterly winds. If Sir Henry had succeeded in passing the channel, he would have been met at the water's edge, by a strong detachment of riflemen, regulars, and militia, under Colonel Thompson, who were posted at the east end of Sullivan's Island, to oppose any attack made in that quarter.

In the course of the day, the fire of the fort ceased, for a short time, and the British flattered themselves that the guns were abandoned; but the pause was occasioned solely by the want of powder, and when a supply was obtained, the cannonade recommenced as steadily as before. The engagement, which began about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, continued with unabated fury till 7 in the evening, when the fire slackened, and at about 9, entirely ceased on both sides.

During the night, all the ships, except the Acteon, which was aground, hauled off in rather a discomfited plight to the distance of two miles from the island. Next morning, the fort fired a few shots at the Acteon, and she at first returned them; but in a short time her crew set her on fire and abandoned her. A party of Americans boarded the burning vessel, seized her colours, fired some of her guns at Admiral Parker, filled three boats with her sails and stores, and then quitted her. She blew up shortly afterwards. In a few days the whole fleet, with the troops on board, sailed for New York.

In this obstinate engagement the Americans fought with great gallantry, and the loss of the British was very severe. In the course of the engagement, the flag-staff of the fort was shot away; but Sergeant Jasper leaped down upon the beach, snatched up the flag, fastened it to a sponge-staff, and while the ships were incessantly directing their broadsides upon the fort, he mounted the merlon and deliberately replaced the flag. Next day, President Rutledge presented him with a sword, as a testimony of respect for his distinguished valour.