Itood by a previous leave of abfence, he refigned the command of the fleet into the hands of Admiral Gambier, and returned to England.

Sir Henry Clinton, who had embarked with 4,000 men for the relief of Rhode Island, had two other material objects in view, in one or both of which he might probably have fucceeded, if he had not been detained by contrary winds a few hours beyond his time, or that Sullivan had not been attentive to the danger to which he was expofed, when he found himfelf finally abandoned by the French fleet, and in confequence deferted by the New England volunteers, who compofed the better part of his force. One of thefe was to cut off Sullivan's retreat to the continent; and the other, which might have been either adopted as principal, or purfued as a fecondary object, was to attack the Americans in their head quarters and principal place of arins at Providence; the deftruction or effectual dismantling of which, would have removed an eye-fore, and conftant fource of apprehenfion, at leaft, from the immediate vicinity of Rhode Island.

Sullivan's timely retreat having fruftrated these defigns, Sir Henry Clinton, on his return to New York, difpatched Major General Grey, with the fleet of tranfports and troops, under the convoy of Captain Fanshawe, of the Carysfort frigate, upon an expedition to the eastward. The firft object of this expedition was to exterminate fome nefts of fmall privateers, which abounded in the rivers and creeks adjoining to Buz

England called the Plymouth Colony; which from their vicinity to Rhode Island and the Sound, greatly infefted the trade of New York, as well as the adjacent coafts of Long Island; whilst the nearness of their retreats, with the fmallness of their veffels, and the fhallowness of their creeks, fecured them in a great measure. from all pursuit.

This fervice was performed with great effect by the detachment under the command of the Major General. Between fix in the evening, when the Sept. 5th. troops were landed, and twelve, on the following day, the work was completely done; deftroying in their courfe about feventy fail of fhipping, befides a great number of fmall craft. The detachment likewife burnt or deftroyed, in the fame manner, the magazines, wharfs, ftores, warehouses, rope walks, and veffels on the ftocks, both on the Bedford and Fair Haven fides of the Acufhinet river.

The tranfports and troops proceeded from Fair Haven to the ifland called Martha's Vineyard; the inhabitants of which, like thofe of Nantucket, were once celebrated for their enterprise, fkill, and great fuccefs in the fisheries. This island being, however, the reverfe of Nantucket in point of fertility, afforded a confiderable and most defirable contribution, confifting of 10,000 fheep, and 300 oxen, for the public fervice at New York.

In the mean time, Admiral Montague, who commanded on the Newfoundland ftation, no fooner received intelligence that D'Eftaing had commenced hoftilities on the

coafts

coafts of North America, than, in confequence of provifional orders with which he had been furnished for the purpose, he difpatched Commodore Evans, with the Romney and fome frigates, together with a detachment of marines and artillery, to feize on the fmall iflands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which had been allotted to France by the laft treaty of peace, for the purpose of curing and drying their fifh, and ferving as a ftore-houfe and fhelter for the veffels employed in their fishery.

As France had been particularly reftricted by the late treaty from fortifying thofe iflands, and equally tied down from any increase of a fmall limited number of troops in them, which were only adapted to the fupport of the civil government, and not to any purposes of defence, against whatever might deferve the name of enemy, this service was accordingly performed without difficulty. A capitulation was granted, in confequence of which the Governor, with the inhabitants, and the garrifon, amounting in the whole to about 2,000, were tranfmitted to France; all the accommodations of habitation, trade, and fifhery were deftroyed; and the islands thrown back into their original state.

Upon the return of the troops from the Bedford expedition, and with the contributions raised at Martha's Vineyard, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton determined upon another to Egg Harbour, on the Jerfey coaft, where the enemy had a number of privateers and prizes, and, what was ftill more interefting, fome very confiderable falt works. To draw away their attention from the objects of this expedition, and

It would not be easy to conceive any fituation more favourable for the carrying on of military operations with advantage. The two divifions being only feparated by the North River, could, by the means of their flat boats, unite their whole force on either fide of it within twenty-four hours; whilft, by the command of the Channel, which their marine afforded all the way up to the Highlands, Washington's forces, which were likewise separated in the fame manner, but much more difperfed, could not have been af fembled in lefs than ten days. And even then, if he should quit his ftrong ground in the Highlands, in order to pass over to the relief of the Jerfeys, he must have fubjected himself to hazard the confequences of a general action, in a country which, from its nature, would have been very unfa vourable to him in fuch an event. By this means, the provinces of New York and the Jerseys were in a great measure laid open to the army; the neceffary fupplies of forage and provifions were plentifully obtained; and an opportunity was afforded to the well affected of

[4] 2

coming

coming in for protection or fervice. Such was one, among the numberlefs advantages, which our naval command of the feas and rivers afforded in the courfe of this war.

Baylor's regiment of light horfe, which had been lately raifed in Virginia, and was generally called Mrs. Washington's regiment, became a victim upon this occafion, to the defign of Lord Cornwallis, with the immediate addrefs, and 'promptexecution, of Major General Grey. This regiment having been detached with fome militia to watch and interrupt the foragers, their vicinity to the North River, in the villages of Old and New Taapan, where they lay, with other circumftances of fituation, and perhaps, more than any, their unfoldierly fecurity, and careleffnefs with refpect to guards and pofts, induced Lord Cornwallis to form a plan for their furprize in the night. In purfuit of this defign, whilft Gen. Grey, with the light infantry, and fome other troops, advanced by Sep. 27th. night on the left, to furprize the enemy on that fide, a detachment was made from Knyphaufen's corps, on the right, confifting of the 71ft regiment under Col. Campbell, and an American light corps, called the Queen's Rangers, who, having paffed the North River, intended to have enclofed them fo effectually, that, being placed between two fires, few or none of them could escape.

Some deferters from the column on the right prevented the completion of the fcheme. Thefe having at the most critical moment, rouzed the militia who lay in New Taapan from their trance of fecurity, afforded a clear opportu

nity for their efcape, before the ca lumn could come up But the Major General conducted his divifion with fo profound a filence, and fuch excellency of order, that they not only cut off a ferjeant's patrole of twelve men, without any noife, but completely furrounded the village of Old Taapan without any difcovery, and furprized Baylor's horfe, afleep and naked, in the barns where they lay. A fevere execution took place, and the regiment was entirely ruined.

Capt. Ferguson of the 70th regiment, with about 300 land forces, were detached on the expedition to Little Egg Harbour, on the Jersey coaft, under the convoy of Capt. Colins of the Zebra, with two other frigates, befides fome light armed veffels and gallies, which, from their capacity of running into fhallow water, were particularly adapted to the nature of the intended fervice.

The convoy arrived at the place of its deftination about the begin ning of October; but as the wind and other circumftances retarded the paffage of the ships over a bar which lay in their way, and that every thing in fuch an enterprize depended upon expedition, the troops were crowded, as circumftances would admit, into the gallies and fmall craft, which were lightened, by taking out every thing that was not effentially neceffary to the immediate fervice. It feems, that the enemy, having received fome intelligence of the design against them, had fuddenly fent out to fea fuch of their privateers as were in any degree of readiness, in order thereby to evade the impending danger. The larger of their remaining veffels,

confift