While Morgan was in confinement at Quebec, the following anecdote, told by himself, manifests the high opinion entertained by the enemy of his military talents from his conduct in this assault. He was visited occasionally by a British officer, to him unknown; but from his uniform, he appeared to belong to the navy, and to be an officer of distinction. During one of his visits, after conversing upon many topics, "he asked Morgan if he did not begin to be convinced that the resistance of America was visionary? and he endeavoured to impress him with the disastrous consequences which must infallibly ensue, if the idle attempt was persevered in, and very kindly exhorted him to renounce the ill-advised undertaking. He declared, with seeming sincerity and candor, his admiration of Morgan's spirit and enterprise, which he said was worthy of a better cause; and told him, if he would agree to withdraw from the American, and join the British standard, he was authorised to promise him the commission, rank and emoluments, of a colonel in the royal army." Morgan rejected the proposal with disdain; and concluded his reply, by observing, That he hoped he would never again insult him in his distressed and unfortunate situation, by making him offers which plainly implied that he thought him a rascal." The officer withdrew, and the offer was never repeated.

As soon as our prisoners were exchanged, Morgan hastened to the army; and by the recommendations of general Washington, was appointed to the command of a regiment. In this station he acted under the commander in chief, in 1777, when a select rifle corps was formed out of the others in the army, and committed to his direction, seconded by lieutenant colonel Richard Butler, of Pennsylvania, and major Morris, of New Jersey, two officers of high talents, and specially qualified for the enterprising service to which they were assigned. Morgan and his riflemen were singularly useful to Washington; but our loss of Ticonderoga, and the impetuous advance of Burgoyne, proclaimed so loudly the gloomy condition of our affairs in the north, that the general, who thought only of the public good, deprived himself of Morgan, and sent him to Gates, where he was persuaded his services were most required.

The splendid part he acted on that occasion, and how much his exertions contributed to the glorious triumph achieved afterwards, are circumstances generally known.

After the return of Morgan to the main army, he continued actively employed by the commander in chief, and never failed to promote the good of the service by his sagacity, his vigilance, and his perseverance. In 1780, his health became much impaired, and he obtained leave of absence, when he

returned to his family in Frederic, where he continued until after the fall of Charleston.

When general Gates was called to the chief command in the south, he visited Morgan, and urged the colonel to accompany him. Morgan did not conceal his dissatisfaction at the treatment he had heretofore received, and proudly spoke of the important aid he had rendered to him, and the ungrateful return he had experienced. Being some few weeks afterwards promoted by congress, to the rank of brigadier general by brevet, with a view of detaching him to the south, he repaired to the army of Gates, but did not reach Carolina in time to take a part in the battle of Camden. He joined Gates at Hillsborough, and was sent under Smallwood to Salisbury, with all the force fitted for service. Gates, as soon as he had prepared the residue of his army, followed, and gave to Morgan, in his arrangements for the field, the command of the light troops.

Greene now arrived as the successor of Gates, which was followed by that distribution of his force which led to the battle of the Cowpens; the influence of which was felt in every subsequent step of the war in the Carolinas.

The following account of the battle of the Cowpens, we copy from Ramsay's history of the American revolution:

"Lieutenant colonel Tarleton was detached by lord Cornwallis in pursuit of Morgan, with eleven hundred men, and to "push him to the utmost." He had two field pieces, and a superiority of infantry in the proportion of five to four, and of calvary in the proportion of three to one. Besides this inequality of force, two thirds of the troops under general Morgan were militia. With these fair prospects of success, Tarleton engaged Morgan at the Cowpens, with the expectation of driving him out of South-Carolina. The latter drew up his men in two lines. The whole of the southern militia, with one hundred and ninety from North-Carolina, were put under the command of colonel Pickens. These formed the first line, and were advanced a few hundred yards before the second, with orders to form on the right of the second, when forced to retire. The second line consisted of the light infantry, and a corps of Virginia militia riflemen. Lieutenant Colonel Washington, with his calvary and about forty-five militia men, mounted and equipped with swords, were drawn up at some distance in the rear of the whole. The open wood in which they were formed, was neither secured in front, flank or rear. On the side of the British, the light legion infantry fusileers, though worn down with extreme fatigue, were ordered to form in line. Before this order was executed, the line, though far from being complete, was led to the attack by Tarleton

himself. They advanced with a shout, and poured in an incessant fire of musketry. Colonel Pickens directed the men under his command to restrain their fire, till the British were within forty or fifty yards. This order, though executed with great firmness, was not sufficient to repel their advancing foes. The militia fell back. The British advanced and engaged the second line, which after an obstinate conflict was compelled to retreat to the cavalry. In this crisis lieutenant colonel Washinghton made a successful charge on captain Ogilvie, who with about forty dragoons, was cutting down the militia, and forced them to retreat in confusion. Lieutenant colonel Howard, almost at the same moment, rallied the continental troops and charged with fixed bayonets. The example was instantly followed by the militia. Nothing could exceed the astonishment and confusion of the British, occasioned by these unexpected charges. Their advance fell back on their rear, and communicated a panic to the whole. Two hundred and fifty horse which had not been engaged, fled with precipitation. The pieces of artillery were seized by the Americans, and the greatest confusion took place among the infantry. While they were in this state of disorder, lieutenant colonel Howard called to them, to "lay down their arms," and promised them good quarter. Some hundreds accepted the offer and surrendered. The first battalion of the 71st, and two British light infantry companies, laid down their arms to the American militia. A party which had been left some distance in the rear to guard the baggage, was the only body of infantry that escaped. The officer of that detachment on hearing of Tarleton's defeat, destroyed a great part of his baggage, and retreated to lord Cornwallis. Upwards of three hundred of the British were killed or wounded, and above five hundred prisoners were taken. Eight hundred muskets, two field pieces, thirty-five baggage waggons, and one hundred dragoon horses, fell into the hands of the conquerors. The Americans had only twelve men killed and sixty wounded.

"General Morgan's good conduct on this memorable day, was honoured by congress with a gold medal. They also presented medals of silver to lieutenant colonels Washington and Howard, a sword to colonel Pickens, a brevet majority to Edward Giles, the general's aid-de-camp, and a captaincy to Baron Glassbeck. Lieutenant colonel Tarleton hitherto triumphant in a variety of skirmishes, on this occasion lost his laurels, though he was supported by the 7th regiment, one battalion of the 71st, and two companies of light infantry; and his repulse did more essential injury to the British interest, than was equivalent to all the preceding advantages he had gained. It was the first link in a chain of causes which final

ly drew down ruin, both in North and South-Carolina, on the royal interest."

The victory of the Cowpens was to the south, what that of Bennington had been to the north. General Morgan, whose former services had placed him high in public estimation, was now deservedly ranked among the most illustrious defenders of his country. Starke fought an inferior, Morgan a superior foe. The former contended with a German corps; the latter with the elite of the southern army, composed of British troops. Starke was nobly seconded by colonel Warner and his continentals; Morgan derived very great aid from Pickens and his militia, and was effectually supported by Howard and Washington. The weight of the battle fell on Howard; who sustained himself gloriously in trying circumstances, and seized with decision the critical moment to complete with the bayonet the advantage gained by his fire.

Greene was now appointed to the command of the south. After the battle of the Cowpens, a controversy ensued between that general and Morgan, as to the route which the latter should observe in his retreat. He insisted on passing the mountains; a salutary precaution, if applied to himself, but which was at the same time fatal to the operations of Greene. He informed the general that if that route was denied him, he would not be responsible for the consequences. "Neither shall you," replied the restorer of the south; "I will assume them all on myself." Morgan continued in his command until the two divisions of the army united at Guilford courthouse, when, neither persuasion, entreaty, nor excitement, could induce him to remain in the service any longer. He retired and devoted himself exclusively to the improvement of his farm and of his fortune.

He remained here, in the bosom of retirement, at Frederic, until he was summoned by president Washington to repress, by the force of the bayonet, the insurrection in the western counties of Pennsylvania. The executive of Virginia then detached Morgan to take the field, at the head of the militia of that state.

Upon the retreat of the main body, Morgan remained in the bosom of the insurgents, until the ensuing spring, when he received orders from the president to withdraw. For the first time in his life, he now appears to have entertained ideas of political distinction. Baffled in his first attempt, he succeeded in his second, and was elected a member of the house of representatives of the United States, for the district of Frederic. Having served out the constitutional term, he declined another election. His health being much impaired, and his constitution gradually sinking, he removed from Sa

ratoga to the scene of his juvenile years, Berrysville, (Battletown) and from thence to Winchester, where he closed his long, laborious and useful life.

Brigadier Morgan was stout and active, six feet in height, strong, not too much encumbered with flesh, and was exactly fitted for the toils and pomp of war. His mind was discriminating and solid, but not comprehensive and combining. His manners plain and decorous, neither insinuating nor repulsive. His conversation grave, sententious and considerate, unadorned and uncaptivating. He reflected deeply, spoke little, and executed with keen perseverance whatever he undertook. He was indulgent in his military command, preferring always the affection of his troops, to that dread and awe which surround the rigid disciplinarian.

No man ever lived who better loved this world, and no man more reluctantly quitted it: yet no man valued less his life than Morgan, when duty called him to meet his foe. Stopped neither by danger nor by difficulty, he rushed into the hottest of the battle, enamored with the glory which encircles victory.

General Morgan, like thousands of mortals, when nearly worn out by the hand of time, resorted for mental comfort to the solace of religion. He manifested great penitence for the follies of his early life; this was followed by joining the presbyterian church in full communion, with which he continued to his last day.

MORRIS, ROBERT, superintendant of the finances of the United States, during the revolutionary war, was born at Liverpool, England, on the 20th day of January, 1734. He came to this country at the age of thirteen, with his father, who was a respectable merchant. Immediately on his arrival, he was placed under the tuition of the Rev. Mr. Gordon, of Maryland, who was well qualified to finish the mould of the youthful mind. His father died two years after his arrival in this country, and Robert was placed in the countinghouse of Charles Willing, Esq. at that time a distinguished merchant in Philadelphia. After he had served the usual term of years, he was established in his business by his patron.

About the year 1769, he renounced the unnatural solitude of batchelorship, and intermarried with Mary, the daughter of colonel White, and sister of the present amiable and learned bishop of that name. She was elegant, accomplished and rich, and, in every respect, qualified to carry the fecility of connubial life to its highest perfection.

The objects and employments of Mr. Morris's life, for some years after this change in his domestic character, were entire