Inhabitants. Copies of thefe papers were fent by General Washington to the Congrefs, who immiediately refolved that they be published in the feveral Gazettes, in order that the good people of the United States might be apprized of what nature are the commiffions, and what the terms with the expectation of which the infidious Court of Great Britain has endeavored to amuse and difarm them." Some days after this, Adjutant General Paterson was deputed by General Howe with a meffage to General Washington, ftating, that the Commiffioners were invefted with great powers, that they would derive the greateft pleafure from effecting an accommodation, and wished this vifit to be confidered as the firft advance towards that defirable object. General Washington replied, "that, by what had tranfpired, their powers extended merely to the granting of pardons; that those who had been guilty of no fault, wanted no pardon; and that they were only defending what they deemed their indisputable rights." Both fides now prepared seriously for action; and the General, being joined by the far greater part of his expected reinforcements, found himself at the head of 30,000 veteran troops, fupported by a formidable fleet, compofing together a far fuperior force to any that had ever before been seen in the New World employed in the fame fervice. On On the 22d of August 1776, the whole army being re-imbarked, was fafely landed, under protection of the fhipping, on the south-western extremity of Long Island, an extenfive and fertile tract; on the oppofite fide of which, in view of the island and city of New York, lay encamped, near the village of Brooklyn, a large body of Americans commanded by General Sullivan. His lines extended on the left to the East River, which feparated him from New York; he was defended by a marth and an inlet of the fea called Gowan's Cove on the right; and to the rear of the encampment was an open bay, bounded by a small island, known by the name of Governor's Ifland. Between the armies was a range of hills covered with wood, interfecting the country from east to west: through thefe hills are three paffes, one to the weftward called the Narrows; a fecond, on the road denominated the Flat-bush road; and the third bending to the eaft, called the Bedford road, Befides these there is a road leading round the eaftern extremity of the hills to a plantation called Jamaica. On each of these roads or paffes the American General had placed a strong guard of 800 men. General Howe, having formed his plan, ftationed General Grant at the head of the left wing, in a pofition to guard the coaft, and, if practicable, to force a paffage through the Narrows. General De Heifter, with the Heffians, was ordered to take poft at the central pafs of Flat-bufh. About About nine in the evening of the 26th, the main army, under the command of General Clinton and the Lords Percy and Cornwallis, marched to the right, in order to gain the eaftern or Jamaica pafs, which, through the unaccountable negligence or cowardice of the officer appointed to defend it, they accomplished without delay or difficulty. The way being thus open, the whole army defcended by the town of Bedford into the level country which lay between them and the American lines. The action began early on the morning of the 27th, by a warm cannonade on the right of the American lines from the Generals De Heifter and Grant; the fhips of war in the mean time attacking a battery at Red Hook, in the rear of the American encampment, in order to call off their attention from the left and centre, where the real danger lay. The Americans having taken a ftation fome miles diftant in front of their camp, in order to oppofe the advance of De Heifter and Grant, were fuddenly attacked by General Clinton in the rear, and immediately thrown into the utmost confufion; and, in the effort to retreat back to the lines of Brooklyn, great numbers were killed or taken prifoners: amongst the latter was General Sullivan, and ten other Field Officers, and many were drowned or fuffocated in attempting to pass the marsh. Upon the whole, a fignal victory was obtained with inconfiderable lofs; and fuch was the ardor of the British troops, that fcarcely could they be reftrained by the too great caution of their Commander from forming the American lines, which would have been in all probability quickly forced, in the confternation occafioned by the lofs of the battle. On the next day the British troops broke ground in form, at 600 yards diftance from the nearest redoubt, and the fhips in the Bay waited only a fair wind to enter the East River, which would have effectually cut off all communication between the Island and the Continent. In this fituation no hope remained but in a retreat, which was on the fucceeding night effected, under cover of a thick fog, with extraordinary filence, order, and fecrecy; General Washington himself croffing over in perfon, and taking the conduct of the whole. On the clearing up of the fog, the laft boats of the Americans were feen paffing the river, but out of reach of the English batteries; and General Howe, whose hopes had been raised to the highest pitch, now found no other advantage refulting from his victory than the inglorious acquifition of the deferted works of Brooklyn. Almost immediately after this tranfaction, General Sullivan was fent upon parole, with a verbal meffage from Lord Howe to the Congrefs, importing, that although he could not at prefent treat with them in a legal character, yet he was defirous of conferring with fome of the Members Members of that Affembly in their individual capacity; informing them, " that he, with the General, was invested with full powers to compromife the dispute between Great Britain and America, on terms advantageous to both; the obtaining of which had detained him near two months, and prevented his arrival before the Declaration of Independency had taken place. If, upon the conference, any probable ground of accommodation appeared, his Lordship added, that the authority of Congress muft of course be subsequently acknowledged, in order to render the compact coinplete." The CONGRESS replied with republican dignity, rather raifing than lowering their tone in confequence of the late defeat, that "being the Representatives of the free and independent STATES of AMERICA, they could not with propriety fend any of their Members to confer with his Lordfhip in their private characters; but that, ever defirous of establishing peace on reasonable terms, they would fend a Committee of their body, to know whether he had any authority to treat with perfons authorized by Congrefs, and what that authority is." The Committee appointed for this purpofe, Dr. Franklin, Mr. John Adams, and Mr. Rutledge, accordingly met Lord Howe upon Staten Island September 14, where they were entertained by his Lordship with great politeness; but in the report of this conference, they fay, " that his Lordship's commiffion |