enveloped by the extremity of the right wing, which fell back upon him when it had discovered that nothing was to be apprehended from the tardy approach of the militia of Maryland and Jersey, he was compelled to surrender with all his party; the English had already rescued their prisoners. This check was the cause that two regiments of the English right wing were enabled to throw themselves into Germantown, and to attack the Americans who had entered it in flank. Unable to sustain the shock, they retired precipitately, leaving a great number of killed and wounded. Lieutenant-colonel Musgrave, to whom belongs the principal honor of this affair, was then relieved from all peril. General Grey, being absolute master of Germantown, flew to the succour of the right wing, which was engaged with the left of the column of Greene. The Americans then took to flight, abandoning to the English throughout the line, a victory of which, in the commencement of the action, they had felt assured.

The principal causes of the failure of this well concerted enterprise, were the extreme haziness of the weather; which was so thick, that the Americans could neither discover the situation nor movements of the British army, nor yet those of their own; the inequality of the ground, which incessantly broke the ranks of their battalions; an inconvenience more serious and difficult to be repaired for new and inexperienced troops, as were most of the Americans, than for the English veterans; and, finally, the unexpected resistance of Musgrave, who found means, in a critical moment, to transform a mere house into an impregnable fortress.

Thus fortune, who at first had appeared disposed to favor one party, suddenly declared herself on the side of their adversaries. Lord Cornwallis, being at Philadelphia, upon intelligence of the attack upon the camp, flew to its succour with a corps of cavalry and the grenadiers; but when he reached the field of battle, the Americans had already left it. They had two hundred men killed in this action; the number of wounded amounted to six hundred; and about four hundred were made prisoners. One of their most lamented losses was that of general Nash, of North Carolina. The loss of the British was little over five hundred in killed and wounded; among the former were brigadier-general Agnew, an officer of rare merit, and colonel Bird. The American army saved all its artillery, and retreated the same day about twenty miles, to Perkyomy Creek.

The Congress expressed in decided terms their approbation, both of the plan of this enterprise and the courage with which it was executed; for which their thanks were given to the general and the army. General Stephens, however, was cashiered for misconduct

on the retreat.

A few days after the battle, the royal army removed from Germantown to Philadelphia. The want of provisions would not have

permitted Howe to follow the enemy into his fastnesses, and he was desirous of cooperating with the naval force in opening the navigation of the Delaware. Washington, having received a small reenforcement of fifteen hundred militia, and a state regiment from Virginia, again advanced a few miles towards the English, and encamped once more at Skippach Creek. Thus, the British general might have seen that he had to grapple with an adversary, who, far from allowing himself to be discouraged by adverse fortune, seemed, on the contrary, to gain by it more formidable energies; who, the moment after defeat, was prepared to resume the offensive; and whose firmness and activity were such, that even the victories obtained by his adversaries only yielded them the effects of defeat. Nor was the taking of Philadelphia attended with those advantages. which were expected from it.

The inhabitants of the country were not in the least intimidated by that event; and the victorious army, surrounded on all sides by enemies, found itself, as it were, immured within the precincts of the city. Washington, posted on the heights of the Schuylkill, maintained a menacing attitude; he employed his cavalry and light troops in scouring the country between the banks of that river and those of the Delaware. He thus repressed the excursions of the English, prevented them from foraging with safety, and deterred the disaffected or the avaricious among the people of the country from conveying provisions to their camp. Moreover, the Congress passed a resolution, subjecting to martial law and to death all those who should furnish the royal troops with provisions, or any other aids whatsoever. Compelled to relinquish the hope of supporting his army from the adjacent country, the British general now applied himself with diligence to the task of removing the obstructions of the Delaware, and opening a free communication with the fleet. The enterprise presented difficulties and dangers of no ordinary magnitude. To succeed in this operation, it was necessary to seize Mud Island, which was defended by Fort Mifflin, and the point of Red Bank, where the Americans had erected Fort Mercer. After the reduction of these two fortresses, the upper chevaux-de-frize might be destroyed.

General Howe, therefore, resolved to attack them both at the same time, in concert with those ships which had been able to pass the lower barrier. Batteries of heavy artillery had been erected on the Pennsylvania side, in front of Mud Island, to assist in dislodging the enemy from that position. The garrison of Fort Mifflin was commanded by colonel Smith, and that of Fort Mercer by colonel Greene, both officers in great esteem among the Americans.

General Howe had arranged for the attack of Fort Mifflin, that while the batteries on the western shore should open their fire upon its right flank, the Vigilant ship of war, passing up the narrow channel which separates Hog Island from the Pennsylvania shore, should

cannonade it in the rear, and the frigates, with the ships Isis and Augusta in front, approaching it by the middle channel, which is considerably wider and deeper. As to Fort Mercer, it was also to be attacked in the rear, on the side of New Jersey, by landing troops on the left bank of the Delaware.

According to these dispositions, the English put themselves in motion on the evening of the twenty-first of October. Colonel Donop, a German officer, who had distinguished himself in the course of this campaign, passed the Delaware from Philadelphia, with a strong detachment of Hessians, at Cooper's Ferry. Then marching down upon the Jersey shore, along the bank of the river, he arrived at a late hour the following day, in the rear of Red Bank. The fortifications consisted of extensive outer works, within which was a strong palisaded intrenchment, well furnished with artillery. Donop attacked the fort with the utmost gallantry. The Americans, after a slight resistance in the outer intrenchment, finding their number too small to man it sufficiently, withdrew into the body of the redoubt, where they made a vigorous defence.

Their intrepidity and the want of scaling ladders baffled all the efforts of the Hessians. Colonel Donop was mortally wounded and taken prisoner. Several of his best officers were killed or disabled; colonel Mingerode himself, the second in command, received a dangerous wound. The Hessians were then severely repulsed; and lieutenant-colonel Linsing drew them off with precipitation; but even in their retreat they suffered extremely by the fire of the enemy's gallies and floating batteries. The loss of the Hessians was estimated at not less than four or five hundred men. Donop expired of his wounds the next day. The Americans owed much of their success to the Chevalier du Plessis, a French officer, who directed the artillery with great ability and valor. The vanquished returned to Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the ships had advanced, in order to be in readiness to attack Mud Island. After having made their way with difficulty through the lower barrier, the Augusta man of war, several frigates and other smaller vessels, waited above it for the tide; the moment the flood set in, they proceeded towards their destined stations. But a strong northerly wind prevented the Vigilant from taking the post assigned her between Hog Island and the Pennsylvania shore. Moreover, the obstructions which the Americans had sunk in the bed of the river, had, in some degree, altered its natural channel. By this means the Augusta and Merlin were grounded so fast, at some distance from the chevaux-de-frize, that there was no possibility of getting them off. The frigates, however, reached their stations and commenced a cannonade upon Fort Mifflin, while the batteries on shore were also opened upon the garrison. The Americans defended themselves with spirit, and night soon put an end to

the engagement. Early next morning the English renewed the attack, not that in the present state of things they expected to reduce the fort, but in the hope that, under cover of their fire, the two ships which were grounded might be got off. Notwithstanding their efforts, the Augusta took fire and blew up; the Merlin, which could not be removed, was hastily evacuated and laid in a train of destruction. The frigates, despairing of success, and fearing the effect of the explosion, retired with the utmost expedition. The Congress voted their thanks and a sword to colonels Greene and Smith, for having so gallantly defended the two forts.

The ill success of these two attacks did not, however, discourage the British commanders; and such was the importance of opening the navigation of the Delaware, as well to secure the arrival of stores and supplies as to obtain a free communication with the fleet, that they resolved to leave no means unessayed for the attainment of this object.

Fort Mifflin was placed at the lower end of Mud Island, having its principal fortifications in front, for the purpose of repelling ships coming up the river. At the opposite extremity, no attack being expected, as the naval means of the British in Philadelphia were too feeble to excite alarm, the fort was surrounded only by a wet ditch. This part, however, was flanked by a blockhouse at each of its angles, one of which had been much damaged in the late attack. A little above Mud Island is another small morassy island called Province Island; this the English had occupied in order to be able to batter Fort Mifflin in its rear, and weakest part. They were incessantly employed in conveying thither heavy artillery, provisions, and stores, by a difficult channel, near the west bank of the river, behind Hog Island. They also erected fortifications, in the most suitable plares. The Americans perceived distinctly that when the enemy should have completed his works in this island, their position in Mud Island would no longer be tenable.

Washington would have desired, by a sudden expedition, to dislodge the English from Province Island, but as Howe had thrown a bridge over the Schuylkill, he might, while the Americans were attempting this stroke, have fallen upon their rear and cut off their retreat. If the American general marched with all his army to cover it, he exposed himself to a general battle, which he wished to avoid. It appeared to him imprudent, to put so much at hazard, after the late unfortunate actions. He felt the greater repugnance to embrace adventurous counsels, as he was already apprised of the successes obtained by the northern army; in consequence of which, a great part of the troops employed against Burgoyne, might be drawn to reenforce his own. He abstained, therefore, from undertaking the enterprise against Province Island, hoping however that the courage of the defenders of Fort Mifflin, and the succours that might be sent them secretly, would suffice to prolong their resistance.

But every thing being prepared on the side of the English, they executed their attack the fifteenth of November. All the ships being arrived at their posts, opened a furious cannonade. The Americans answered it, at first, with no less vigor from the fort, from the batteries of New Jersey, and from the gallies which were stationed near that shore. But at length, the works being battered down and the ditches filled up with their ruins, their situation became critical.

They perceived the English were taking measures for storming the body of the fortress the following morning, and being sensible that, in the present state of things, it was not defensible, having sent off their stores, they set fire to every thing that was capable of receiving it, and evacuated the place in the night. They withdrew to Red Bank. The next day the English took possession of the

fort.

It still remained to dislodge the soldiers of Congress from Red Bank, before the obstructions of the Delaware could be entirely removed. This operation was of absolute necessity; for, although some vessels of easy burthen, being loaded with provisions from the country about Chester, where the inhabitants were well affected to the royal cause, brought scanty supplies to Philadelphia, yet the scarcity in that city became daily more distressing; and firewood was almost totally wanting.

In consequence of these considerations, general Howe baving covered Philadelphia by intrenchments, extending from the Delaware to the Schuylkill, and having received some reenforcements from New York, sent Cornwallis with a strong detachment to the Jersey shore, with instructions to collect provisions, and attack Fort Mercer in the rear. That general, having crossed from Chester to Billings point, prepared to execute the orders he had received. He was there joined by a body of forces just arrived from New York. Washington, upon intelligence of this movement, being earnestly desirous to preserve, if practicable, a position so capable of arresting the progress of the enemy, had ordered major-general Greene, an officer he much esteemed for his talents and intrepidity, to pass, also, at the head of a strong detachment into New Jersey. A hope was entertained that he would be able, not only to protect Fort Mercer, but to obtain some decisive advantage over lord Cornwallis; as the situation of the fort, which the British general could only invest by placing himself between Timber and Manto Creeks, neither of them fordable for a great distance from the Delaware, would expose the assailants to great peril from a respectable force in their rear. General Greene passed the Delaware, and landed at Burlington. He was accompanied by the marquis de la Fayette, who was eager to enter the field again, though not yet well cured of his wound.