ligence of the habitual negligence of the garrifon, landed by night about four hundred troops, part of a much larger force which the tempestuousness of the weather had feparated, in a cove at the back of the island. This spirited officer, confiding in his fortune, advanced with his troops, as foon as day-light appeared, to the citadel, which they immediately stormed, and carried with little difficulty; and the surprise being very complete, near seven hundred men, with colonel Cockbourne their commander, were, by a moft humiliating necessity, constrained to furrender themselves prifoners of war. The generofity of M. de Bouillé was on this occafion, as on every other, no less confpicuous than his gallantry, forming a contraft with the conduct of the late captors, very flattering to the feelings of his countrymen. Restitution, so far as circumstances would permit, was immediately made to those unfortunate individuals who had been stripped and plundered of their property; and a declaration published, that the forces of his most christian majesty defended the island only till relieved by the troops of their high mightineffes.

On the continent of America, the war in the central colonies, though conducted by the oppofing commanders in chief, seemed to languish, and affords scarcely any incident worthy of hiftoric regard. Early in the present year it happened that the whole Pennsylvania line in the continental army, from causes of dissatisfaction not well afcertained, at once revolted; and, collecting the artillery, stores, &c. belonging to them, moved in an entire body out of the camp. General Clinton, anxious to improve to the utmost this seeming advantage, immediately paffed over to Staten ifland with a large body of forces, and dispatched messengers to the revolters with almost unlimited offers of pay, pardon, and protection. These propositions were not only rejected with disdain, but the meffengers were actually delivered up by them to congrefs;

and

and having obtained a promise of the redress of grievances, they foon returned to their duty.

An expedition under the conduct of general Arnold and general Philips was foon after this undertaken into Virginia, where they fignalized themselves by laying waste the country, and did much damage to the Americans by the deftruction of an immenfe quantity of provifions, merchandize, and stores depofited in different parts; and a permanent station was established at Portsmouth in order to co-operate with lord Cornwallis, whose transactions to the fouthward were still carried on with fpirit and success. A plan having been formed between the French and American commanders, count Rochambeau and general Wafhington, to invest the posts occupied by general Arnold, a warm engagement took place in the month of March between admiral Arbuthnot and a French squadron under M. Destouches, at the entrance of the Chesapeak, in which the former obtained the advantage, and was left master of the navigation of the bay: and in his dispatches to the admiralty, the naval commander writes, "The count Rochambeau must seek another opportunity of vifiting Virginia-the plan of the REBEL campaign is entirely difconcerted." But the event of the campaign ill correfponded with the confidence of this prediction.

At the conclufion of the year 1780, general Gates, whose recent difasters had obliterated the memory of his former fucceffes, was superseded in his command by general Green; a man who, in military talents, appears to have been inferior to no officer employed in the fervice of the American states during this war. Early in the month of January 1781, lord Cornwallis began his march to NorthCarolina, general Green retiring at his approach beyond the Pedee, having previoufly detached colonel Morgan at the head of the light troops to the westward of the Wateree, to penetrate into South Carolina and watch the motions of the English at Wynnesborough and Camden. Lord Cornwallis,

Cornwallis, not choofing to leave so confiderable a corps in his rear, ordered colonel Tarleton at the head of a fuperior force, and who had been hitherto uniformly fuccessful in all his enterprises, to drive Morgan from his station.

On the 17th of January the Americans were discovered posted at a place called the Cowpens, near an open wood, and drawn up in two lines; the first of which confifted of militia only, the fecond of continental infantry and Virginia riflemen; and a chofen body of cavalry was posted as a corps de referve at fome distance in the rear. Colonel Tarleton led on the attack with his usual impetuofity; and the American militia, as colonel Morgan had foreseen, gave way on all quarters. The British then advanced, secure of victory, to the attack of the second line; and the continentals, after an obstinate conflict, retreated towards the cavalry. In the mean time the militia had formed again, agreeably to their previous orders, on the right of the continentals; and the American corps de reserve, perceiving the British troops disordered in the pursuit, now came forward to the attack-the militia and continentals at the fame time vigorously charging with fixed bayonets. Nothing could exceed the astonishment of the British troops at these unexpected charges. The advanced corps immediately fell back, and communicated a general confufion and panic, which all the efforts of colonel Tarleton could not remedy. Such was the precipitate flight of the cavalry, that the officers, in attempting to rally their men, were overborne and carried away with the torrent; and the greatest part of the infantry, perceiving themselves abandoned, threw down their arms and begged for quarter. The cannon, colours, and baggage waggons, with more than 700 prisoners, fell into the hands of the victors. Colonel Morgan received, as he well deferved, the thanks of the congrefs accompanied with a gold medal for this important victory, which left his antagonist deftitute of all confolation, excepting that arifing from the confciousness

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of his own gallant personal exertions; and colonel Tarie ton might exclaim in the language of Francis I. after the fatal defeat of Pavia, " All is loft except our honor!"

Instead of being overwhelmed with their repeated dif afters, the Americans seemed to rife with fresh courage from each misfortune. The affair of Cowpens, which fo foon followed the defeat of major Ferguson, might have fufficed to deter an officer less enterprising than lord Corn wallis from profecuting his bold and hazardous projects. His lordship, who in his public difpatches styled the defeat of Tarleton an unexpected and fevere blow, in the hope of recovering the prisoners captured at the Cowpens, and intercepting the victorious Americans, immediately marched with the greater part of his army by rapid movements in pursuit of colonel Morgan. That officer had croffed the Catawba a few hours only before the arrival of lord Cornwallis on its fouthern banks, where, by heavy rains, he was detained two or three days.

On the ift of February, however, the paffage was found practicable; but colonel Morgan had by this time croffed the Yadkin, and effected his junction with general Green, who, on the 5th, wrote confidentially to a military correfpondent, general Huger, that he was preparing to receive the enemy's attack. "It is," says he, "not improbable, from lord Cornwallis's pushing difpofition and the contempt he has for our army, that he may precipitate himfelf into fome capital misfortune." At length the whole American army, after crossing the Dan into Virginia, fuddenly returned into the province of North Carolina; and with powerful reinforcements took (March 14) a strong pofition near Guildford court-house. At day-break on the 15th, lord Cornwallas advanced to the attack of the Americans, who were formed in three lines ready to receive him. Through the misbehavior of the North Carolina militia, who were pofted in front, the British troops foon forced their way to the second line composed of Virginians, who made

1

made a much better defence, and, when at length thrown into diforder, effected a good retreat. The continental troops, who formed the third line, were last engaged; and here the contest was long and fevere, but the British ultimately carried their point by superiority of numbers and difcipline. The Maryland brigade being broke, an attempt was made to turn the flank of the Americans, and to furround the continental troops; on which general Green drew off the army, and left the field of battle, with the artillery confifting of four field pieces, to the enemy. The Americans retired in good order, and took poft behind a river three miles only from the scene of action.

This was a victory very different from that of Camden, and dearly purchased on the part of the English by the lofs of about 600 veteran troops. Instead of pursuing his advantage, his lordship found himself under the necessity, in order to procure the requifite fupplies for his army, to direct his march towards Willington, fituated near the mouth of Cape-Fear river, a post already occupied by a detachment of British troops, where he arrived on the 7th of April.

General Green, perceiving lord Cornwallis reduced to a state of reluctant inaction, immediately, by a bold and decisive manœuvre, directed his march to the southward, and unexpectedly attacked the important post of Camden. This was gallantly maintained by lord Rawdon; but the furrounding stations of Fort-Motte, Orangeburg, Congarees, and Augusta, being fuccessively forced, his lordship was compelled to evacuate Camden, and retire to the fouth of the Santee. General Green then laid close fiege to the town or township of Ninety-fix, which was confidered as commanding the whole of the back country; and on the approach of lord Rawdon, who had recently received great reinforcements from England, attempted to storm the garrifon; but was repulfed with loss, and retired with his army behind the Saluda. Being advised by divers of