On the 24th of March, Captain Huddy, who commanded the troops in block-house on the river Tom, in New Jersey, was attacked and made prisoner by a party of loyalists from New York. A few days afterwards, they led him out and hanged him with a label on his breast, declaring that he was put to death in retaliation for some of their number, who had suffered the same fate. Washington took the matter in hand, submitted it to a council of officers and Congress, and demanded of the British general that the perpetrators of the deed should be given up. Clinton. inquired into the case, and disavowed the crime. The council of officers decided that retaliation was necessary, and a Captain Asgill was chosen by lot as the person who should suffer. But, through the intervention of Washington, who was influenced by the Count de Vergennes and the mother of Captain Asgill, he was set at liberty by Congress. Retaliation may sometimes be a matter of necessity, but in this case it was not demanded.

IR GUY CARLETON having been appointed to supersede Clinton, arrived at New York early in May, and took command of the British army. He was empowered, in company with Admiral Digby, Carleton addressed a pacific

to treat for peace.

letter to Washington, and checked the operations of the tories and Indians upon the frontier. The

powers to treat were communicated to Congress, but that body declined to negotiate, except in conjunction with France, and at Paris.

From December, 1781, General Greene had possession of all the state of South Carolina, except Charleston and its vicinity. A number of skirmishes took place between foraging parties, in one of which Colonel John Laurens, highly esteemed for his amiability and talents, was mortally wounded. He was much lamented. After the surrender of Cornwallis, Greene, being reinforced, was enabled to detach General Wayne, with a part of the southern army, to Georgia. The British withdrew from their outposts as Wayne approached, and confined themselves to Savannah. Colonel Brown, at the head of a considerable force, marched out of the garrison with the apparent intention of attacking the Americans. Wayne, by a bold manœuvre, got in his rear, attacked him in the night, and routed his whole force. In the course of the same night, a large body of Creek Indians, headed by British officers, made a furious attack upon Wayne's infantry. A close and bloody conflict ensued. The Indians displayed uncommon bravery, but were at length completely routed. Shortly afterwards, the British evacuated Savannah, and Georgia was in complete possession of the Americans. The British did not evacuate Charleston

until the 14th of the following December. The Southern States were then entirely free from the control of the enemy.

A naval victory of considerable importance was achieved in the early part of this year. This was the capture of the General Monk, 18, by the American vessel Hyder Ali, mounting 16 six-pounders. The Hyder Ali was equipped by the merchants of Philadelphia. She was commanded by Lieutenant Joshua Barney, who entered on the service of convoying a fleet of merchantmen to the Capes, and protecting them from the privateers. While near the Capes, he was attacked by two ships and a brig belonging to the enemy, which attack he coolly sustained while the convoy was sailing up the bay. One of the enemy's ships employed herself in attempting to follow them, another captured one of the vessels which grounded, whilst Barney waited for the brig. When near her, the Hyder Ali poured in a heavy broadside, and, by a naval stratagem, secured a

position which enabled him to rake the enemy. Twenty broadsides were fired in twenty-six minutes, when the General Monk was compelled to strike. She had 20 killed and 33 wounded, whilst the Hyder Ali lost 4 killed and 11 wounded. Barney followed his convoy up to Philadelphia, bringing along the prize. Soon after, he captured a refugee schooner, which had done much injury to Philadelphia commerce.

The long-desired consummation was at length achieved. The commissioners for negotiating peace on the part of the Americans, were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and Henry Laurens; on the part of Great Britain, Mr. Fitzherbert and Mr. Oswald. After a tedious and intricate negotiation, in which the American commissioners displayed the skill and penetration of veteran diplomatists, preliminary articles of peace were signed on the 30th of November, and the news of a general peace. reached the United States early in April, 1783. A line running through the middle of the great lakes and their connecting waters, and from a certain point on the St. Lawrence to the bottom of the Bay of Fundy, was agreed to as the northern boundary of the States, and their western frontier was to rest on the Mississippi. It was stipulated that British creditors should be allowed to recover their debts in the United States, that Congress should recommend to the several States the restoration of the property of real British subjects, which had been confiscated during the war; and that no further confiscations should be made.

On the 19th of April, 1783, the day which completed the eighth year of the war, the cessation of hostilities was, by order of Washington, proclaimed in the American camp. Soon after, an interview occurred between General Washington and Sir Guy Carleton, concerning some negroes, said to have belonged to the Americans. On the 25th of November, the British troops evacuated New York, and an American detachment, under General Knox, with Washington, Governor Clinton, and a number of other civil and military officers, then entered the city; and thus the Americans gained complete possession of the States.

FROM THE TREATY OF PEACE, TILL THE ORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENT.

HE independence of the United States had been achieved, and peace with Great Britain established. But Congress found itself in a trying and perilous situation. In October, 1780, a season of danger, that body promised half-pay to the officers on the conclusion of peace. Now that the end had been attained, they were not able to fulfil their promise. The officers and soldiers were in a high state of discontent and irritation. In the month of December, 1782, soon after going into winter-quarters, the officers presented a memorial and petition to Congress, and deputed a committee of their number to call their attention to the subject. Large arrears were due them for their services, and there was but little prospect that they would ever be paid. A gloomy future seemed about to open before them, and penury and destitution the only reward they could expect for their toils and sacrifices. While in this irritated mood, an eloquent address, purporting to be written by one of their number, was circulated through the army, inviting a general meeting of the officers at a given time and place.