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eighteen twelve pounders, and was followed by two stout schooners, the one mounting fourteen, the other twelve six pounders; a large flat bottomed radeau, with six twenty-four and six twelve pounders. Twenty vessels of less size carried each a brass piece of ordnance, from nine to twenty-four pounders, or howitzers. Several long boats were equipped in the same manner. Besides these, there was a great number of boats and tenders of various sizes, to serve as transports for the troops, baggage, warlike stores, provisions, and arms of every sort.

The whole fleet was commanded by captain Pringle, a sea officer of great experience; it was manned by a select body of seamen, animated with an extreme desire of victory. The land troops encamped in the environs, prepared, as soon as the navigation of the lake should be secured, to fall upon the enemy. Three thousand men occupied Ile aux Noix, and as many were stationed at Fort Saint John, the remainder was distributed either in the vessels or in the neighboring garrisons.

The Americans united all their forces to resist such formidable preparations. Generals Schuyler and Gates were at their head, and Arnold showed himself every where, inspiring the soldiers with that ardent courage for which he was himself distinguished.

As the event of the campaign upon this frontier depended totally upon naval operations, the Americans exerted themselves to the utmost of their power to arm and equip a fleet capable of opposing that of the enemy. But their success little corresponded with their efforts. Besides the want of materials for construction, they had not a sufficiency of other stores, and their seaports were so occupied in the building of privateers and ships for the service of Congress, that few carpenters could be spared. Accordingly, notwithstanding the activity and perseverance of the American generals, their squadron amounted to no more than fifteen vessels of different sizes, two brigs, one corvette, one sloop, three gallies, and eight gondolas. Their largest vessel mounted only twelve six, and four pounders. But that this armament might not want a chief whose intrepidity equalled the danger of the enterprise, the command of it was given to general Arnold. It was expected of him to maintain, upon this new element, the reputation he had acquired upon land. The American army, notwithstanding all the obstacles it had encountered, and the ravages of the smallpox, still amounted to eight or nine thousand men; it was assembled under the cannon of Ticonderoga, after having left a sufficient garrison at Crown Point.

All the dispositions being made on both sides, general Carleton, impatient to conquer, ordered all his naval forces to advance towards Crown Point, intending to attack the enemy there. He had already reached the middle of the lake without having been able to discover him, and was proceeding without any distrust, when all at once the

English perceived the American squadron, which was drawn up with great skill, behind the Island of Valincour, and occupied the passage between the island and the western shore of the lake. This unexpected interview caused a violent agitation on both sides. A fierce engagement immediately ensued. But the wind being unfavorable to the English, they could not display their whole line; the Inflexible, and their other vessels of the largest class, took no part in the action. The brig Carleton, accompanied by several gun boats, assailed the enemy with singular courage and ability. The Americans supported the combat with equal bravery; it lasted above four hours. The wind continuing to be contrary for the English, captain Pringle perceived that he could not hope to obtain advantages with a part of his forces against all those of the enemy, and accordingly gave the signal of retreat; ordering the fleet to be anchored in a line, in presence of the American squadron.

The Americans had lost in the action their largest brig, which took fire and was consumed, as also a gondola which went to the bottom. They considered it as extremely dangerous to await a second engagement in the anchorage they occupied, and consequently determined to retire under the walls of Crown Point, hoping that the artillery of the fortress would counterbalance the superiority of the enemy's force. Fortune seemed inclined to favor this design of general Arnold; and already his vessels, having lost sight of those of the English, sailed rapidly towards their new station; when suddenly the wind became favorable to the enemy, who pursued and came up with them before their arrival at Crown Point. The battle was immediately renewed with greater fury than at first; it continued upwards of two hours. Those vessels in the meanwhile which were most ahead, crowded sail, and passing Crown Point, ran for Ticonderoga. Only two galleys and five gondolas, remained with general Arnold. With these he made a desperate defence; but his second in command, brigadier general Waterburgh, being taken with his vessel, and the others making but a faint resistance, he determined, in order to prevent his people and shipping from falling into the power of the enemy, to run these ashore and set them on fire. He executed his intention with great address. He remained on board the vessel he commanded, and kept her colors flying, till she was on fire. Though he had been unsuccessful on this occasion, the disparity of strength duly considered, he lost no reputation, but rose on the contrary in the estimation of his countrymen. He had, in their opinion, acquitted himself with no less ability in this naval encounter, than he had done at land before. The Americans, having destroyed whatever could not be carried off, evacuated Crown Point and withdrew to Ticonderoga. General Carleton occupied the former immediately, and the rest of his army came soon after to join him there.

Such was the issue of the expedition which the Americans had undertaken in Canada, with a view of establishing the theatre of war upon the territory of their enemies, before they could attempt to invade their own. Completely masters of Lake Champlain, the English had now no other obstacle to surmount besides the fortress of Ticonderoga, in order to penetrate into Lake George. If Carleton, rapidly availing himself of his advantage, had pushed forward against the enemy, thrown into confusion by defeat, perhaps he might have seized this important place without difficulty. But he was prevented from doing it by a south wind, which prevailed for several days. The Americans made the best use of this time in preparing and increasing their means of defence. They mounted their cannon, constructed new works, and repaired the old, surrounding them with moats and palisades. The garrison was reenforced with extreme expedition; and conformably to the orders of Washington, the oxen and horses were removed into distant places, that the English might not seize them for provision or draught. Meanwhile, general Carleton had not neglected to detach scouting parties upon the two banks of the lake; and, when the wind permitted, some light vessels were also sent towards Ticonderoga to reconnoitre the force of the enemy and the state of the fortress. All the reports agreed that the fortifications were formidable, and the garrison full of ardor. He reflected, therefore, that the siege must be long, difficult, and sanguinary, and concluded accordingly that the possession of this fortress would not indemnify him for all it might cost. The severe season approached; the want of provisions, the difficulty of direct communications with Canada, and the little hope of success from an expedition in the cold and desert regions which separate the river Hudson from Lake George, rendered the wintering upon this lake extremely perilous. In consequence of these considerations, the English general deemed the reduction of Ticonderoga of little utility in his present circumstances, whereas the command of the lakes secured him a clear passage to return in the spring to the attack of this fortress, without exposing his troops to the hardships of a siege, undertaken in the midst of the rigors of winter. After having taken the advice of a council of war, he renounced the project of an attack, and early in November conducted his army back towards Montreal, leaving his advanced posts in Ile aux Noix. But prior to his retreat, from the singular courtesy and humanity.of his character, he sent to their homes the American officers who had fallen into his power, administering generously to all their wants. He exercised the same liberality towards the common soldiers. The greater part were almost naked; he caused them to be completely clothed, and set them at liberty, after having taken their oath that they would not serve against the armies of the king. General Carleton was blamed for having taken winter quarters; this resolution

was considered as a mark of weakness, and as highly prejudicial to the success of ulterior operations; since if he had immediately made himself master of Ticonderoga, his troops, after having passed the winter in its vicinity, would have been able to enter the field early the following spring. It is probable, in effect, that the war would, in that case, have had a very different result from what it actually had. But the conquest of a place so strong by nature and by art as Ticonderoga, depended on the resistance which the Americans would have made; and certainly their number, the valor they had displayed in the naval actions, the extreme confidence they had in their chiefs, all announced that their defence would have been long and obstinate. Nor should the consideration be omitted of the difficulty of subsistence, and of the communications with Canada. Be this as it may, the retreat of the English general, and his inaction during the winter, had the most happy results for the Americans. The army which had made the campaign under general Lee, was enabled to effect its junction with that of Washington, upon the banks of the Delaware; and a part of the army of Canada itself could take the same direction, under the conduct of general Gates.

It cannot be doubted, however, that the Americans at this time trod upon the brink of precipices; a single reverse might have completed their ruin. Two important provinces, New York and Rhode Island, as well as the greater part of New Jersey, were fallen into the power of the victorious army. And though the arms of Clinton, equally successful, had arrested their course under the walls of Ticonderoga, it was but too probable that on the return of spring he would make a new effort to carry this fortress, and to penetrate to the banks of the Hudson, in order to operate his junction with the army of New York. As to Washington, it was not to be expected that, while inferior himself to his adversary, he would be in a situation to send back to the army of Canada the troops that were enabled by the cessation of hostilities upon the lakes, to come to join him upon the Delaware.

Though he had received, as we have seen, some reenforcements, he was still as far from being able to match the enemy either in the number, spirit, or discipline of his soldiers, as in the quantity and quality of his munitions of every sort. He was also continually subject to that scourge of the American army, desertion, authorised by the expiration of engagements, which incessantly menaced it with an approaching, and almost total dissolution. It was no slight motive of alarm for the most influential members of Congress, to remark the promptitude with which the inhabitants of the conquered provinces, and especially of New York, hastened to change sides and to take advantage of the proffered pardon.

Some individuals were even seen to enrol themselves under the royal standard; it seemed that they were determined to add to

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English civil war, the horrors of American civil war. It was to be feared that their example would prove contagious for the other provinces, and that disaffection would manifest itself on all parts.

The intrigues of governor Tryon, to compass this object, were no longer a secret; for this very purpose he had been appointed brigadier-general, and his manœuvres had already succeeded in many places. On the contrary, the business of recruiting moved very heavily on the part of the Americans, whereas desertion enfeebled their armies from day to day. To so many evils was joined another more fatal still; the bills of credit began to depreciate. The government, however, had no other source of revenue. It was not yet sufficiently confirmed to hazard the imposition of taxes, payable in specie; and this measure would besides have produced only an increase of the evil, by augmenting the discredit of paper; it was therefore much to be apprehended that money, this principal sinew of war, would ere long be totally wanting. The emission of new bills of credit would infallibly accelerate their daily depreciation; and yet it was impossible, by reason of the ever increasing exigencies of the public service, to abstain from continual issues. Already there were not wanting those who refused not only to receive them at a discount, but even at any rate whatever. The present time was painful, and the future appeared still more alarming. It was feared by all, and asserted by many, that the tomb of independence was not far from its cradle; some even openly blamed the Congress for having declared independence, and thereby closed all avenue to an honorable accommodation; before this declaration, they said, we could treat with honor, but since, not without shame, and even becoming the fable of the universe.

Surrounded by obstacles so numerous and so fearful, the Congress lost none of their firmness, and resolved to set fortune at defiance. Far from betraying any symptoms of despair, they manifested greater confidence than ever, and appeared to admit no doubt respecting the eventual success of the great enterprise in which they were engaged. They knew that constancy triumphs over fate. Full of a noble ardor, they preferred the dangers of war to those of peace. The admirable fortitude with which they sustained the assaults of adverse fortune, when a common ruin seemed ready to ingulf them with the cause they supported, must eternally attach to their names the glory of having laid the foundations of a new state. The nations of the earth rendered the homage of their admiration to so much magnanimity.

When at first, the ship of America, impelled by propitious breezes, seemed about to enter the port in safety, the wisdom of the pilots was universally applauded; but in the midst of a tremendous tempest, their intrepidity and their constancy shone with a splendor still more dazzling. The people of Europe felt an increase of affection

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