During the recefs of Parliament, the Earl of Stormont, late Ambassador at Paris, was made Secretary of State in the room of the Earl of Suffolk deceased. The Earl of Weymouth a fecond time refigned the Seals of the Southern Department, which were transferred to the Earl of Hillfborough; and Earl Bathurst, late Chancellor of Great Britain, was nominated Prefident of the Council, in the room of Earl Gower. The Great Seal had been configned, in the courfe of the preceding year, to the Attorney-General Thurlow, created Baron Thurlow, a man endowed by nature with uncommon talents, which were concealed, and in effect loft to the world, under an almost impervious veil of moroseness, bigotry, and malevolence.

The ftate of affairs on the other fide of the Atlantic once more demands our attention. The reduction of Georgia by General Prevoft and Col. Campbell, though in itself of no great importance, excited juft alarm in the inhabitants of the Carolinas, which were protected only by their own militia, and an inconfiderable body of continental troops under the command of General Lincoln, who lay encamped at Purifburg, on the north fide of the river Savannah, about twenty miles above the town of that name. At the end of April 1779, this officer left that advantageous pofition, which enabled him effectually to cover the. proVOL. II.

Ꮓ

vince,

vince, and marched along the banks of the river to Augufta, where he expected to be joined by powerful reinforcements; and he hoped, by paffing the river, to cut off the communication of General Prevoft with the back country, whence he received his fupplies. But General Prevost was no fooner apprifed of this movement, than he determined to pass the Savannah at Purifburg, and make a rapid march towards Charlestown. This, the finall force left by General Lincoln to guard the paffage of the Savannah was not able to prevent; and the English army, confifting of about 4000 men, including Indians, arrived in the vicinity of that city on the 11th of May. To the chagrin of the English General, he found the place strongly fortified and well fecured by the numerous militia which had now collected for its defence. After fummoning the city in vain to furrender, he determined, on hearing that General Lincoln was on his march back to Carolina, to decamp that very night, and took poft, after fome detours, in the ifland of Port Royal, to the fouth of Charlestown harbor. In the mean time Sir Henry Clinton was engaged, in conformity to the policy of the English Court, whence he derived his inftructions, in various predatory expeditions. Sir George Collier and General Matthew, in a defcent upon Virginia, burnt the town of Suffolk, and destroyed the veffels, provifions and ftores found there, and

at

1

at Gofport, Jenner's Creek, and various other places in that quarter. Sir H. Clinton in person proceeded up the North River, and carried, by great exertions of gallantry, the two important pofts of Stoney Point and Verplanks, which the Americans had diligently fortified to preferve the communication between the Eaftern and Western Colonies. Another expedition under Sir George Collier, Governor Tryon commanding the land forces, was projected nearly at the same time against Newhaven in Connecticut, which they plundered, and afterwards proceeded to Fairfield and Norwalk, which they laid in ashes; and also the buildings and farm-houses to the compass of two miles round. At the fame time a Proclamation was iffued by them, declaring "the existence of a fingle house on the coaft to be a striking monument of British mercy." A far more important enterprise was next undertaken by the fame of ficer, for the relief of a fortress lately conftructed at the mouth of the river Penobscot, in the eastern confines of New England, and garrifoned by a detachment of King's troops from Nova Scotia. This poft had been for fome time closely invested by an armament of confiderable force from Boston, which was attacked lying in the river and almoft entirely deftroyed by Sir George Collier, who took two frigates of twenty and eighteen guns, the remainder to the amount of feven

teen veffels being firanded and burnt. The fuperior weight of metal on the part of the English Commodore, who hoifted his broad pendant on board the Raisonnable, of 64 guns, and whofe whole fquadron confifted of fix fhips only, far more than counterbalance the fuperiority of numbers on the part of the enemy. On the other hand, the Americans were not without their fucceffes. After the capture of Stoney Point and Verplanks by the Englith, no pains were spared to nake them impregnable to the attacks of the enemy; notwithstanding which, a plan was formed by the American General Wayne, for the furprifal of this poft, which was carried into execution with great refolution on the night of the 15th of July. Neither the deep morafs in front of the lines, the double rows of abattis, or the inceffant and tremendous fire from the batterics, could damp the ardor of the troops, who, attacking with fixed bayonets, carried the works with refiftless intrepidity. The clemency of the conquerors was no lefs confpicuous than their bravery; for, though they had repeatedly been refufed quarter in fimilar fituations, the lives of more than 500 men, who threw down their arms, were generously granted.

In a few days, another British post at Paulus Hook was furprised in a fimilar manner; but a better defence being made, the Americans, after storm

ing two redoubts, were repulfed, and obliged to retire, not however without carrying off with them near 200 prifoners.

In the Weft Indies, foon after the defeat of D'Eftaing, at St. Lucie, Admiral Barrington was joined by Admiral Byron; and the English fleet being now fuperior to that of the French, endeavors were used to force the enemy to a general engagement; but they chose, rather than encounter this rifque, to remain inactive in the harbor of Fort Royal. Admiral Byron, however, deeming it expedient to convoy the trade fhips collected at St. Chriftopher's in June, part of their voyage; Count d'Estaing took the opportunity of detaching a confiderable force to the Ifland of St. Vincent, which furrendered, though garrifoned by feven companies of regular troops, without firing a fhot. This is afcribed to the dread entertained of an infurrection of the Caribbs, who ftill entertained a deep refentment of the injuries they had fuftained. The French Commander, being now joined by a large reinforcement of fhips and troops, failed with twenty-fix fhips of the line from Fort Royal, in the beginning of July, and fteered his courfe to the Ifland of Grenada, which, though bravely defended by the Governor Lord Macartney, was compelled in a fhort time to furrender at difcretion. Admiral Byron on his return, receiving intelligence of the capture of St. Vincent's, im