not by the command, of general Kniphausen, in order to intimidate the populace to relinquish their cause. A cir cumstance which aggravated this piece of cruelty was, that when the officers were made acquainted with the murder, they did not interfere to prevent the corpse from being stripped and burnt, but left it half the day, stripped in part, to be tumbled about by the rude soldiery; and at last it was removed from the house, before it was burned, by the aid of those who were not of the army, Mrs. Caldwell was an amiable woman, of a sweet and even temper, discreet, prudent, benevolent, soft and engaging in her manners, and beloved by all her acquaintance. She left nine promising children.

Mrs. Caldwell's death was soon followed by that of her husband's. In November, 1781, Mr. Caldwell, hearing of the arrival of a young lady at Elizabeth-town, whose family in New York had been peculiarly kind to the American prisoners, rode down to escort her up to town. Having received her into his chair, the centinel observing a little bundle tied in the lady's handkerchief, said it must be seized for the state. Mr. Caldwell instantly left the chair, saying he would deliver it to the commanding officer, who was then present; and as he stepped forward with this view, another soldier impertinently told him to stop, which he immediately did; the soldier notwithstanding, without further provocation, shot him dead on the spot. Such was the untimely fate of Mr. Caldwell. His public discourses were sensible, animated, and persuasive; his manner of delivery agreeable and pathetic. He was a very warm patriot, and greatly distinguished himself in supporting the cause of his suffering country. As a husband, he was kind; as a citizen, given to hospitality. The villain who murdered him was seized and executed.

In July, a French fleet, under Monsieur de Ternay, with a body of land forces, commanded by count de Rochambeau, arrived at Rhode island, to the great joy of the Americans.

This year was also distinguished by the defection of general Arnold. General Washington having some business to transact at Wethersfield, in Connecticut, left Arnold to command the important post of Westpoint, which guards a pass in Hudson's river, about sixty miles from New York. Arnold's conduct in the city of Philadelphia, the preceding winter, had been censured; and the treatment he received in consequence, had given him offence. He determined to take revenge; and for this purpose, entered into a negociation with sir Henry Clin

ton, to deliver Westpoint and the army into the hands of the British. While general Washington was absent, he dismounted the cannon in some of the forts, and took other steps to render the taking of the post easy for the enemy. But by a providential discovery, the whole plan was defeated. Major Andre, aid-de-camp to general Clinton, a brave officer, who had been sent up the river as a spy, to concert the plan of operations with Arnold, was taken, condemned by a court martial, and executed. Arnold made his escape, by getting on board the Vulture, a British vessel, which lay in the river. His conduct stamped him with infamy; and, like all traitors, he was despised by all mankind. General Washington arrived in camp just after Arnold had made his escape, and restored order in the garrison."

After the defeat of general Gates, in Carolina, general Greene was appointed to the command in the southern department. From this period, things in that quarter wore a more favourable aspect. Colonel Tarleton, the active commander of the British legion, was defeated by general Morgan, the intrepid leader of the riflemen.

General Greene, having effected a junction, about the 10th of March, with a continental regiment, and two large bodies of militia, resolved to attack the British troops under lord Cornwallis. The American army marched from the High-rock ford on the 12th of the month, and on the 14th, arrived at Guildford, in North Carolina. Lord Cornwallis, from the information he had received of the motions of the American general, concluded what were his designs. As they approached each other, a few skirmishes ensued between some advanced parties, in which the king's troops had the advantage. On the morning of the 15th, lord Cornwallis marched at day-break to meet the Americans, or to attack them in their camp. About four miles from Guildford, the advanced guard of the British army, commanded by lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, fell in with a corps. of the Americans, consisting of lieutenant-colonel Lee's legion, which he defeated,

The greater part of the country in which the action hap-. pened is a wilderness, with a few cleared fields interspersed. The American army, which was superior to the British in point of numbers, was posted on a rising ground. It was drawn up in three lines: the front line was composed of the North Carolina militia, under the command of generals Butler and Eaton; the second line was of Virginia militia, commanded by generals Stephens and Lawson, forming two brigades; the third line, consisting of two bri

gades, one of Virginia and one of Maryland continental troops, was commanded by general Huger and colonel Williams. Lieutenant-colonel Washington, with the dragoons of the first and third regiments, a detachment of light infantry, composed of continental troops, and a regi ment of riflemen, under colonel Lynch, formed a corps of observation, for the security of their right flank. Lieutenant-colonel Lee, with his legion, a detachment of light infantry, and a corps of riflemen under colonel Campbell, formed a corps of observation for the security of their left flank. The attack was made by lord Cornwallis, in the following order: on the right, the regiment of Bose and the 71st regiment, led by major-general Leslie, and supported by the first battalion of guards; on the left, the 23d and 33d regiments, led by lieutenant-colonel Webster, and supported by the grenadiers and second battalion of guards, commanded by general O'Hara; the yagers and light infantry of the guards remained in a wood, on the left of the guns, and the cavalry in the road, ready to act as circumstances might require.

About half an hour after one in the afternoon, the action commenced by a cannonade, which lasted about twenty. minutes; when the British troops advanced in three columns and attacked the North Carolina brigade with great vigour, and soon obliged part of these troops, who behaved very ill, to quit the field; but the Virginia militia kept up a heavy fire for a long time, till, being beaten back, the action became general every where. The American corps under colonels Washington and Lee, did considerable execution. Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton had directions to keep his cavalry compact, and not to charge without positive orders, excepting to protect any of the corps from the most evident danger of being defeated.

The excessive thickness of the woods rendered the British bayonets of little use, and enabled the broken corps of Americans to make frequent stands with an irregular fire. The second battalion of the guards first gained the clear ground near Guildford court-house, and found a corps of continental infantry, superior in number, formed in an open field on the left of the road. Desirous of signalizing themselves, they immediately attacked and soon defeated them, taking two six-pounders; but, as they pursued the Americans into the wood with too much ardour, they were. thrown into confusion, and instantly charged and driven back into the fields by lieutenant-colonel Washington's dragoons, with the loss of the six-pounders they had taken. But the American cavalry were in turn repulsed, and the

two six-pounders again fell into the hands of the British troops. The spirited exertions of general O'Hara and lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, contributed to bring the action to a termination.

The British troops having at length broken the second Maryland regiment, and turned the left flank of the Americans, got into the rear of the Virginia brigade, and appeared to be gaining their right, which would have encircled the whole of the continental troops, when general Greene thought it prudent to retreat. Many of the American militia dispersed in the woods; but the continental troops fell back in good order to the Reedy-fork river, and crossed at the ford, about three miles from the field of aetion. When they had collected their stragglers, they retreated to the iron-works, ten miles distant from Guildford, where they encamped. They lost their artillery, and two waggons laden with ammunition. It was a hardfought battle, and lasted an hour and a half. Of the British troops, the loss, as stated by lord Cornwallis, was 532 killed, wounded, and missing. General Greene, in his account of the action transmitted to the congress, stated the loss of the continental troops to be 329 killed, wounded, and missing; but he made no estimate of the loss of the militia. Of the British, lieutenant-colonel Stuart was killed in the action; and lieutenant-colonel Webster, and captains Schutz, Maynard, and Goodriche, died of their wounds. General O'Hara, general Howard, and lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, were also wounded. Of the Americans, the principal officer killed was major Anderson, of the Maryland line; and generals Stephens and Huger were wounded.

In the spring, Arnold, the deserter, who was made a brigadier-general in the British service, with a small number of troops, sailed for Virginia, and plundered the country. This called the attention of the French fleet to that quarter; and a naval engagement took place between the English and French fleets, in which some of the English ships were much damaged, and one entirely disabled.

After the battle of Guildford, general Greene moved towards South Carolina, to drive the British from their posts in that state. Here lord Rawdon obtained an advantage over the Americans, near Camden. But general Greene more than recovered this disadvantage by the brilliant and successful action at the Eutaw springs, where general Marian distinguished himself, and the brave colonel Washington was wounded and taken prisoner,

Lord Cornwallis, finding general Greene successful in Carolina, marched to Virginia, collected his forces, and fortified himself in York-town. In the mean time, Arnold made an incursion into Connecticut, burnt a part of New London, took fort Griswold by storm, and put the garrison to the sword. The garrison consisted chiefly of men suddenly collected from the little town of Groton, which, by the savage cruelty of the officer who commanded the attack, lost, in one hour, almost all its heads of families. The brave colonel Ledyard, who commanded the fort, was slain with his own sword, after he had surrendered.

The marquis de la Fayette, had been despatched with about 2000 light infantry from the main army, to watch the motions of lord Cornwallis, in Virginia. He proseeuted this expedition with the greatest military ability. Although his force was much inferior to that of the enemy, he obliged them to leave Richmond and Williamsburgh, and to seek protection under their shipping.

On the 30th of August, the French admiral, count de Grasse, with twenty-four ships of the line, anchored inthe Chesapeak. Six days afterwards, admiral Greaves, having been joined by sir Samuel Hood, with a squadron from the West Indies, arrived in the same bay with nineteen sail of the line, and an action immediately commenced. On board the British fleet, ninety were killed and 246 wounded; some of the ships were greatly damaged in the engagement, and the Terrible, of 74 guns, was so much shattered, that it was found necessary to burn her. The loss of the French was never known, but it is evident they had not suffered equally with their enemy, as they remained masters of the Chesapeak.

General Washington had before this time moved the main body of his army, together with the French troops, to the southward; and as soon as he heard of the arrival of the French fleet in the Chesapeak, he made rapid marches to the head of Elk river, where, embarking the troops, soon arrived at York-town, where lord Cornwallis was strongly fortified.

In the mean time, it was determined, in a council of war held at New York, that every exertion of both fleet and army should be made to assist lord Cornwallis, now closely besieged by general Washington. Accordingly, on the 18th of October, sir Henry Clinton himself embarked on board the fleet, and on the 24th, arrived at the entrance of the Chesapeak, where they received the mortifying intelligence, that lord Cornwallis had been obliged to surrender himself and his whole army prison