relations and friends without shedding a tear, or mani. festing any other of the common signs of grief.

66

A cheerful countenance was scarcely to be seen in the city for six weeks. I recollect once, in entering the house of a poor man, to have met a child of two years old that smiled in my face. I was strangely affected with this sight, (so discordant to my feelings and the state of the city,) before I recollected the age and ignorance of the child. I was confined the next day by an attack of the fever, and was sorry to hear, upon my recovery, that the father and mother of this little creature died a few days after my last visit to them.

"The streets every where discovered marks of the distress that pervaded the city. More than one half the houses were shut up, although not more than one third of the inhabitants had fled into the country. In walking, for many hundred yards, few persons were met, except such as were in quest of a physician, a nurse, a bleeder, or the men who buried the dead. The hearse alone kept up the remembrance of the noise of carriages or carts in the streets. Funeral processions were laid aside. A black man, leading or driving a horse, with a corpse on a pair of chair wheels, with now and then half a dozen relations or friends following at a distance from it, met the eye in most of the streets of the city, at every hour of the day; while the noise of the same wheels passing slowly over the pavements, kept alive anguish and fear in the sick and well, every hour of the night."

95. St. Clair's Defeat, and Wayne's Victory.

In 1790, an Indian war opened on the north-western frontier of the States. Pacific arrangements had been attempted by the president with the hostile tribes in Ohio, without effect. On their failure, Gen. Harmer was sent with about 1400 men to reduce them to terms. In this expedition, Harmer succeeded in destroying a few vil. lages, and a quantity of grain belonging to the Indians;

but in an engagement with them near Chillicothe, he was defeated with considerable loss. Upon the failure of Harmer, Gen. St. Clair was appointed to succeed him. With an army of nearly 1500 men, St. Clair suffered himself to be surprised, with the loss of 630 men killed and missed, and 260 wounded.

"On the 3d of November, 1791, Gen. St. Clair haq reached the vicinity of the Miami villages, with an army of about 1400 strong, regulars and militia, when he was joined by a small force under the command of General Hamtrank.

"In this position Gen. St. Clair concerted measures to advance against the Miami villages; first by constructing a breast-work to cover his baggage, and next by detaching a party of militia to occupy a position about one fourth of a mile in advance of the main army.

"Thus posted, the general contemplated to commence the work of destruction the next morning; but the enemy, alive to their safety, surprised the militia at break of day the next morning; put them to flight, and pursued them with such fury as to drive them back with great disorder upon the main body. Gen. St. Clair beat to arms, and put himself at the head of his troops to cover the flying militia, and repulse the enemy; but all in vain; the action continued, the enemy appeared upon all sides of the American army, and poured in a deadly fire from the surrounding thickets, that strewed the field with heaps of the wounded, the dead, and the dying.

"Such was the fury of the contest, that the savages rushed to the combat, and penetrated even to the mouths of the cannon, regardless of danger and fearless of death; the artillerists were slain, the guns taken, and the enemy penetrated the camp; where General Butler fell, mortally wounded. General St. Clair ordered the charge of the bayonet to be renewed; the order was promptly obeyed by Majors Butler, Clark, and Drake; the enemy were repulsed, the camp was cleared, and the cannon recovered; but such was the destruction by the enemy's fire from the thickets, that General St. Clair ordered Major Clark to charge the enemy in front, and clear the road, that the

army night effect a retreat, and thus be saved from tota. ruin; this order was promptly obeyed, the road was cleared, and the army commenced a flight, which was closely pursued about four miles, when the savages returned to share the spoils of the camp, and left Gen. St. Clair at liberty to pursue his flight to Fort Jefferson, (about thirty miles.) Here he was rejoined by the regiment under Major Hamtrank, and he called a council of war to decide on their future operations; it was resolved to pursue their retreat to Fort Washington, which was accordingly accomplished."*

The Indians still continuing hostile, Gen. Wayne was appointed to succeed Gen. St. Clair. Failing to conclude a treaty, Wayne, with a force of 900 men, on the 20th of August, 1794, attacked a body of 2,000 Indians, on the banks of the Miami. The Indians were totally routed, a great number killed, and their whole country laid waste. "By means of this victory over the Miamis, a general war with the Six Nations, and all the tribes north-west of the Ohio, was prevented."

"In the year after, Wayne concluded, at Greenville, treaties with the hostile Indians north-west of the Ohio; by which peace was established, on terms mutually satisfactory and beneficial. A humane system now commenced for ameliorating their condition. They were, henceforth, protected by the United States from the impositions and incursions of lawless white people; taught the use of the loom; and encouraged in the pursuits of agriculture: measures reflecting high praise on Colonel Hawkins, who was amongst the first to execute the benevolent intentions, originally projected by the humane spirit of General Washington."

96. Difficulties with the French.

In 1797, France wished to involve America in her European wars; but finding her maintaining a steady

Butler's Hist. U. S.

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system of neutrality, she adopted measures highly inju rious to the American commerce, and many vessels were taken and confiscated. The American government sent envoys to France, in order to settle the differences. Before the French government would acknowledge the envoys, money by way of tribute was demanded; this ⚫ was refused. These events were followed by depredations on American commerce, by the citizens of France; which excited general indignation throughout the United States. Civil discord appeared extinct; and this was the general motto: Millions for defence, not a cent for tribute.' The treaty of alliance with France was considered by congress as no longer in force; and farther measures were adopted by congress, for retaliation and defence. A regular provisional army was established, taxes were raised, and additional internal duties laid. General Washington, at the call of congress, left his peaceful abode to command the armies of the United States, while General Hamilton was made second in command. The navy was increased, and reprisals were made on the water. At sea, the French frigate L'Insurgente, of forty guns, was captured after a desperate action, by the frigate Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, commanded by Commodore Truxton. The same officer compelled another frigate of fifty guns to strike her colours; but she afterwards escaped in the night.

"On hearing of these vigorous preparations, the French government indirectly made overtures for a renewal of the negotiations. Mr. Adams promptly met these overtures, and appointed Oliver Ellsworth, chief justice of the United States, Patrick Henry, late governor of Virginia, and William Van Murray, minister at the Hague, envoys to Paris for concluding an honourable peace. They found the directory overthrown, and the government in the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte, who had not partaken in the transactions which had embroiled the two countries With him negotiations were opened, which terminated in an amicable adjustment of all disputes. The provisional army was soon after disbanded by order of congress."

* Willard.

97. Death of Washington.

On the 14th of December, 1799, General Washington expired, at his seat at Mount Vernon, in Virginia, leaving a nation to mourn his loss, and to embalm his memory with their tears.

The disorder of which General Washington died, was an inflammatory affection of the windpipe, occasioned by an exposure to a light rain, while attending, the day be fore, to some improvements on his estate.

The disease at its commencement was violent, and medical skill was applied in vain. Respiration became more contracted and imperfect, until half past eleven o'clock on Saturday night, when, retaining the full possession of his intellect, he expired without a groan.

"The equanimity which attended him through life, did not forsake him on his death-bed. He submitted to the inevitable stroke with the becoming firmness of a man, the calmness of a philosopher, the resignation and confidence of a Christian. When convinced that his disso

lution was near, he requested leave to die without farther interruption; then, undressing himself, went tranquilly to bed, and having placed himself in a suitable attitude, soon after closed his eyes with his own hands, and yielded up his spirit without a struggle."

On the melancholy occasion, the senate addressed to the president a letter, in which they say: "Permit us sir, to mingle our tears with yours. On this occasion i is manly to weep. To lose such a man at such a crisis, is no common calamity to the world. Our country mourns a father. The Almighty Disposer of events has taken from us our greatest benefactor and ornament. It becomes us to submit with reverence to HIM who maketh darkness his pavilion.

"With patriotic pride we review the life of Washington, and compare him with those of other countries who have been pre-eminent in favour. Ancient and modern names are diminished before him. Greatness and guilt have too often been allied; but his fame is whiter than