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THE

Worcester Magazine.

FROM THE

FOURTH WEEK in MARCH,

ΤΟ THE

FIRST WEEK in OCTOBER,

MDCCLXXXVII.

CONTAINING,

Politicks, Mifcellanies, Poetry, and News,

VOLUME III.

C

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

PRINTED BY ISAIAH THOMAS. MDCCLXXXVII.

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VOL. III.]

THE

[NUMB. I.

WORCESTER MAGAZINE.

For the first Week in April, 1787.

HISTORY of the late WAR in AMERICA.

From the BRITISH ANNUAL REGISTER, for 1779.

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THUS, HUS, unhappily, did the fecond peace in America, prove as futile in the event as the former. Although it would be too much to affirm, that any propofal made by the commiffioners, or any circumstances attending their miffion, could have been productive of the defired effect, after the conclufion of the French treaties; it would however feem, that nothing could have been more untoward in point of time, and more fubverfive of the purposes of their commiffion, than the fudden retreat from Philadelphia, which took place almost at the inftant of its being opened. However neceffary this meafure might have been, confidered in a military view, the difgrace of a retreat, and the lofs of a province, were undoubtedly omens very inaufpicious to the opening of a negociation. It has been publickly faid, (however ftrange it must appear) that one of the commiffioners, at leaft, was totally unacquainted, even at the time of their arrival, that this measure was not only intended, but that the orders for its execution actually accompanied their mission.

As if Fortune had defigned, that this commiffion fhould have been diftinguifhed in every part of its existence from all others, it was alfo attended with the fingular circumftance, of a letter from the Marquis De la Fayette (whofe military conduct had placed him very high in the opinion of the Americans, as well as in their fervice) to the Earl of Carlisle, challenging that nobleman, as first commiffioner, to the field, there to answer in his own perfon, and in fingle combat, for fome harshness of reflection upon the conduct of the French court and nation, which had appeared in those publick acts or inftruments, that he and his brethren had iffued in their political capacity. It is ahnoft needless to obferve, that fuch

national levity, or the heat and inexpropofal, which could only be excused perience of youth, was rejected by the noble Lord to whom it was addressed, with the flight that it deserved.

Whilft New-York, the Jerfies, Pennfylvania, and the borders of Connecticut, had hitherto endured all the calamities of war, it fortuned, that the northern and fouthern, as well as the more interiour colonies, enjoyed no inconfiderable degree of general tranquillity. The early tranfactions in the neighbourhood of Bofton, the attempt on Charlestown, Lord Dunmore's adventures in Virginia, with the fubjugation of the Tories in North and South Carolina, being the principal exceptions to this obfervation. The continual petty hoftilities carried on between the inhabitants of the two neighbouring weak colonies, of Georgia and Eaft Florida, ferved, however, to keep the rumour of war alive to the fouthward; and an expedition undertaken in the fpring of this year by a party of Americans, conveyed its effects to the Miffifippi, and afforded no fmall cause of alarm, to the whole new colony of West. Florida, which had hitherto been totally clear of the general tumult.

The expedition was, however, confined in its prefent effect to its immedi ate object, which only extended to the reduction of the British fettlements in that country,which had formerly belonged to a diftinguished Indian nation called Natches; who many years before had fallen victims to European policy, the whole people having been perfidiously exterminated by the French. Thefe settlements were under the government, and confidered as a part of West Florida; but being too remote for protection, if it could even have been afforded, the inhabitants proferved their property by furrendering without resistance to a Cap

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