to Lancaster, and afterwards to Yorktown, where they continued for eight months, until Philadelphia was evacuated by the British. On the afternoon of the 22d, and early on the 23d of September, Sir William Howe, contrary to the expectation of the American commander-in-chief, crossed the Schuylkill at Fatland and Gordon's Ford. The main body of his army encamped at Germantown, a village, seven miles from Philadelphia; and, on the 26th, with a detachment of his troops, he took peaceable possession of the city, where he was cordially received by the Quakers and other royalists.

On receiving information of the success of the royal army, under his brother, at the Brandywine, Lord Howe left the Chesapeake and steered for the Delaware, where he arrived on the 8th of October. As soon as General Howe had gained possession of Philadelphia, he began his efforts to clear the course of the river, in order to open a free communication with the fleet.

The Americans had labored assiduously to obstruct the navigation of the Delaware; and, for that purpose, had sunk three rows of chevaux-de-frise, formed of large beams of timber bolted together, with strong projecting iron pikes, across the channel, a little below the place where the Schuylkill falls into the Delaware. The upper and lower rows were commanded by fortifications on the banks and islands of the river, and by floating batteries.

While the detachments employed in assisting to clear the course of the river weakened the royal army at Germantown, Washington, who lay encamped

at Skippack Creek, on the north side. of the Schuylkill, about seventeen miles from Germantown, meditated an attack upon it. Germantown consisted of one street, about two miles long; the line of the British encampment bisected the village almost at right angles, and had its left covered by the Schuylkill. Washington, having been reinforced by fifteen hundred troops from Peekskill, and one thousand Virginia militia, marched from Skippack Creek on the evening of the 3d of October, and at dawn of day next morning attacked the royal army. After a smart conflict, he drove in the advanced guard, which was stationed at the head of the village, and, with his army divided into five columns, prosecuted the attack; but Lieutenant-colonel Musgrave, of the 40th regiment, which had been driven in, and who had been able to keep five companies of the regiment together, threw himself into a large stone house in the village, belonging to Mr. Chew, which stood in front of the main column of the Americans, and there almost a half of Washington's army was detained for a considerable time. Instead of masking Chew's house with a sufficient force, and advancing rapidly with their main body, the Americans attacked the house, which was obstinately defended. The delay was very unfortunate; for the critical moment was lost in fruitless attempts on the house; the royal troops had time to get under arms, and be in readiness to resist or attack, as circumstances required. General Grey came to the assistance of Colonel Musgrave; the engagement for some time was general

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and warm; at length the Americans began to give way, and effected a retreat, with all their artillery. The morning was very foggy, a circumstance which had prevented the Americans from combining and conducting their operations as they otherwise might have done, but which now favored their retreat, by concealing their movements. In this engagement, the British had six hundred men killed or wounded; among the slain were Brigadier-general Agnew and Colonel Bird, officers of distinguished reputation. The Americans lost an equal number in killed and wounded, besides four hundred, who were taken prisoners. General Nash, of North Carolina, was among those who were killed. After the battle, Washington returned to his encampment at Skippack Creek.*

But although the British army had been successful in repulsing the Americans, yet their situation was not comfortable; nor could they easily maintain themselves in Pennsylvania, unless the navigation of the Delaware were opened, and a free communication established between the fleet and army. The upper line of chevaux-de-frise, was protected by a work named Fort Mifflin,

* Mr. Sparks, in recording this battle, speaks of the good effect of it upon the views of the Count de Vergennes, who remarked to the American commissioners in Paris, "That nothing struck him so

much as General Washington's attacking and giving battle to General Howe's army; that to bring an army, raised within a year, to this, promises every thing,"

From this, as well as other occurrences, it is evident

that the French government narrowly scanned the military movements of Washington, and also, that, his being the commander-in-chief, had an important bearing upon their final decision to give aid to the American cause.

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erected on a marshy island in the Delaware, called Mud Island, formed by an accumulation of sand and vegetable mould near the Pennsylvania bank of the river, and by a redoubt, called Redbank, on the Jersey side. At a small distance below Mud Island, and nearly in a line with it, are two others, named Province and Hog's Islands; between these and the Pennsylvania bank of the river was a narrow channel, of sufficient depth to admit ships of moderate draught of water. The reduction of Forts Mifflin and Redbank, and the opening of the Delaware, were of essential importance to the British army in the occupation of Philadelphia. In order, therefore, that he might be able more conveniently to assist in those operations, Howe, on the 19th of October, withdrew his army from Germantown, and encamped in the vicinity of Philadelphia.

This

He dispatched Count Donop, a German officer, with twelve hundred Hessians, to reduce Redbank. detachment crossed the Delaware, at Philadelphia, on the evening of the 21st of October, and next afternoon reached Count the place of its destination. Donop summoned the fort to surrender; but Colonel Greene, of Rhode Island, who commanded in the redoubt, answered that he would defend his post to the last extremity. Count Donop immediately led his troops to the assault, advancing under a close fire from the fort, and from the American vessels of war, and floating batteries on the river; he forced an extensive and unfinished outwork, but could make no impression on the redoubt. The count

The affair did not terminate here. That part of the fleet which co-operated in the attack was equally unfortunate. The Augusta, Roebuck, Liverpool, Pearl, and Merlin, vessels of war, had passed through an opening in the lower line of chevaux-de-frise; and, on the commencement of Count Donop's, attack, moved up the river with the flowing tide. But the artificial obstructions had altered the course of the channel, and raised sand banks where none existed before. Hence, the Augusta and Merlin grounded a little below the second row of chevaux-de-frise. At the return of the tide, every exertion was made to get them off, but in vain. In the morning, the Americans perceiving their condition, began to fire upon them, and sent fire-ships against them. The Augusta caught fire; and, the flames spreading rapidly, it was with the utmost difficulty that the crew were got out of her. The second lieutenant, chaplain, gunner, and some seamen, perished in the flames; but the greater part of the crew was saved. The Merlin was abandoned and destroyed.

Notwithstanding these misfortunes, the operations requisite för reducing the forts on the river, were carried on with great activity. Batteries were erected on the Pennsylvania bank, opposite Mud Island; but from the difficulty of con

of transporting heavy artillery through swamps, much time was consumed before they could be got ready to act with effect. The British also took possession of Province Island; and, although it was almost wholly overflowed, erected works upon it.

On the 15th of November, everything was ready for a grand attack on Fort Mifflin. The Vigilant armed ship and a hulk, both mounted with heavy cannon, passed up the strait between Hog and Province Islands and the Pennsylvania bank, in order to take their station opposite the weakest part of the fort. The Isis, Somerset, Roebuck, and several frigates, sailed up the main channel, as far as the second line of chevaux-de-frise would permit them, and placed themselves in front of the work.

The little garrison of Fort Mifflin, not exceeding three hundred men, had greatly exerted themselves in opposing and retarding the operations of the British fleet and army against them; .and in this desperate crisis, their courage did not forsake them. A terrible cannonade against Fort Mifflin was begun and carried on by the British batteries and shipping; and was answered by the fort, by the American galleys and floating batteries on the river, and by their works on the Jersey bank. In the course of the day, the fort was in a great measure demolished, and many of the guns dismounted. The garrison, finding their post no longer tenable, retired, by means of their shipping, during the night. Two days afterwards, the post at Redbank was

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evacuated also. Lord Cornwallis marched against it; but the garrison retreated before his arrival.

The American shipping in the river, being now left unprotected, retired up the stream: part of it, by keeping close to the Jersey side, passed the batteries at Philadelphia during the night, and escaped; the rest was set on fire, and abandoned. Even the part of it, however, which escaped at this time, was afterwards destroyed. Thus the navigation of the Delaware was opened, and a free communication established between the fleet and army; but the defence of the river was so obstinate, that a considerable part of the campaign was wasted in clearing it.

Washington having received a reinforcement from the northern army, after the termination of the campaign in that quarter, left his strong camp at Skippack Creek, and, advancing nearer the British, occupied an advantageous position at White Marsh, fourteen miles from Philadelphia. He had a valley and rivulet in front, and his right was protected by an abattis, or fence of trees cut down, with their top branches pointed and turned outwards.

Sir William Howe thinking that Washington, encouraged by his reinforcements, would hazard a battle for the recovery of the capital of Pennsylvania, or that a successful attack might be made on his position, marched from Philadelphia on the evening of the 4th of December, and next morning took post on Chestnut Hill, in front of the right wing of the American army. During the two succeeding days, General Howe made several movements in

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front of the hostile encampment, and some skirmishing ensued. But Washington remained within his lines; and Howe, deeming it unadvisable to attack him there, and seeing no probability of being able to provoke him to engage on more equal terms, returned with his army, on the 8th of December, to Philadelphia. At that time, the two armies were nearly equal in point of numerical force, each consisting of upwards of fourteen thousand men. Soon afterwards General Washington determined to quit White Marsh, and go into winter-quarters at Valley Forge, about twenty miles from Philadelphia.

During the active part of the campaign, the British army was most numerous; and although, in the beginning of December, the numerical force of the two armies was nearly equal, yet there was a great difference in the quality and equipment of the troops. Those under Howe were veterans, accustomed to the most exact discipline and subordination, well armed, and abundantly supplied with military stores and other necessaries: but those under Washington, were, for the most part, raw levies and militia, ill-disciplined, imperfectly armed, and strangers to military subordination; hence, the Americans were unable to meet the royal troops on equal terms. Washington was obliged to occupy strong positions, and to be wary in all his movements: he was beaten at the Brandywine, and repulsed at Germantown: on the other hand, although Howe was successful in all his operations, yet he gained nothing by the campaign, but good winter-quarters in Philadelphia.