gination to believe, that the final day had arrived; and that, amid this funereal darkness, the morning would speedily dawn, to which no night would ever succeed; the graves yield up their inhabitants; and the trial commence, at which was to be finally settled the destiny of man.

The apology made by Gov. Tryon for this Indian effort, was conveyed in the following sentence: The village was burnt, to resent the fire of the rebels from their houses, and to mask our retreat.' This declaration unequivocally proves, that the rebels were troublesome to their invaders; and at the same time is to be considered as the best apology which they were able to make. But it contains a palpable falsehood, intended to justify conduct, which admits of no excuse, and rejects with disdain every attempt at palliation. Why did this body of men land at Fairfield at all? There were here no stores; no fortress; no enemy; except such as were to be found in every village throughout the United States. It was undoubtedly the original object of the expedition to set fire to this town, and the apology was created after the work was done. It was perfectly unnecessary to mask the retreat. The townsmen, and the little collection of farmers, assembled to aid them, had no power to disturb it. No British officer, no British soldier, would confess, that in these circumstances he felt the least anxiety concerning any molestation from such opposers.

The injuries done to a single family, were an immense overbalance for all the good acquired in this expedition, either by the individuals engaged in it, or the nation in whose service they acted. Particularly that highly respectable pair, Mr. and Mrs. Burr, in the loss of the mansion of their ancestors, and the treasures, with which it had been stored through a long succession of years; where the elegant hospitality, which had reigned in it; the refined enjoyments, which were daily felt, and daily distributed to the friend, and the stranger: the works of charity, which were there multiplied; and the rational piety, which was at once the animating, and controlling principle; diffused a brilliancy, marked even by the passing eye; lost more than the whole British nation gained by this devastation.

The next morning the troops re-embarked; and, proceeding to Green's Farms, set fire to the church, and consumed it, together with fifteen dwelling houses, eleven barns, and several stores. Among the houses was that of the Rev. Dr. Ripley; the respectable clergyman of this parish. Here, also, was another proof, that burning was the object of the expedition. The number of dwelling houses consumed in Fairfield was eighty-five; of barns, fifty-five; of stores, fifteen; of shops, fifteen, &c.”

Tryon and Garth, after the destruction of Fairfield, crossed the sound to Huntington bay, where they remained till the 11th of July. They then sailed over to Norwalk, and landed in the night on the plain which lies east of the river. On learning this fact the inhabitants generally fled. Tryon arrived at the village about eight o'clock the next morning, after some opposition made by Capt. Betts with about fifty continental soldiers. Tryon, seated in a chair on a hillock in the village, gave orders for its conflagration. Eighty dwelling houses, two churches, eighty-seven barns, seventeen shops, four mills and five vessels were consumed. Six houses only were left undestroyed.

Expeditions against the Indians in New York.-" Although the projected invasion of Canada was laid aside, yet several expeditions were undertaken, and carried into effect against the Indians, who infested the border settlements of New York and Pennsylvania. General Schuyler was very instrumental in planning and getting these expeditions on foot. The first expedition undertaken was against the Onondagas, who dwelt on the creek of that name, about fifty-three miles westerly of Fort Schuyler, on the Mohawk. On the nineteenth

of April, 1779, Colonel Goose Van Schaick, assisted by Lieutenantcolonel Willet and Major Cochran, with between five and six hundred men, commenced his march from the latter place, for Onondaga, which he reached on the morning of the third day. The Onondagas not apprehending a visit at this season of the year, were entirely unprepared, and fled to the woods on the first appearance of the Americans; twelve, however, were killed, and thirty-four made prisoners in the flight. Colonel Van Schaick caused all their houses and provisions to be burned, and the whole settlement, extending eight miles along the creek, to be laid waste. This expedition was performed in less than six days, and without the loss of a man.

Fort Schuyler, from whence the troops set out, stood hard by where the bridge over the Mohawk at Utica now is. At that time the whole space between the Mohawk River and Onondaga Creek, was covered with woods, and was without roads or civilized inhabitants.

The second expedition was principally against the Senecas, who had their main stations on the banks of Genesee River. The chief command of the troops employed in this enterprise, was conferred on General Sullivan. Tioga Point, in Pennsylvania, at the union of the Susquehannah and Tioga Rivers, was selected for the rendezvous of the troops. General Sullivan, with three thousand men, set out from Easton on the Delaware, and advanced up the Susquehannah to that place, where he was joined by General Clinton, with upwards of one thousand. The latter had marched from the Mohawk to the outlet of Otsego Lake, by the way of Cherry Valley, whence he descended the Susquehannah. The water in the river, when he reached the outlet, was too low to float his boats. To remedy this, General Clinton caused a dam to be constructed across the outlet, for the purpose of preventing the escape of the waters, till they should rise sufficiently high for his boats. This lake being fed by springs, soon rose to the height he wished, when he ordered the dam to be cut down. This raised the river so much, that he was enabled to descend in boats to Oquago, whence to Tioga Point-there is always sufficient depth of water. After the junction of these troops, General Sullivan resumed his march for the country of the Senecas. His route lay up Tioga and Conhocton Rivers. The Indians on hearing of the expedition projected against them, behaved with firmness. They collected their forces, and took a strong position on Tioga River, near Newtown, in the county of Tioga, and fortified it with skill and judgment. General Sullivan attacked them in this position. They stood a cannonade for more than two hours, during which time several assaults were repelled; but they were forced to give way and abandon their works. This engagement was decisive; after the trenches were forced, the Indians fled without attempting to rally. They were pursued by the Americans for several miles, but with little or no effect. The consternation occasioned among them by this defeat, was so great, that they gave up all ideas of further resistance. advanced into their settlements, the Indians without throwing any obstructions in their way.

As the Americans retired before them. The Generals Sul

livan and Clinton penetrated into the midst of the Seneca's country, and spread desolation on every side. Eighteen towns and villages, besides hamlets and detached habitations were burned. All their fields of corn, and whatever else was in a state of cultivation, were destroyed. Nothing in the form of a house was left standing, nor was any Indian to be seen. The lands, about the towns and villages, were under tolerably good cultivation, and some of their houses were large and commodious. The quantity of corn destroyed was immense. Orchards, in which were several hundred fruit trees, were cut down. Their gardens, which contained great quantities of useful vegetables, were laid waste. The troops were so inflamed with indignation against the Indians, on account of the many murders they had committed on the back settlers, that they were determined not to leave the country, before the work of destruction was fully consummated.

The Indians, by this expedition, being made to feel in a very sensible manner, those calamities they had been accustomed to inflict on others, became cautious and timid. The sufferings which they had to endure, and the dread of a repetition of them, in case they should again provoke the indignation of the American people, damped the ardour of their warriors considerably, and rendered their inroads less frequent and destructive,"-Macauley's Hist. N. Y. 3. vol.

Storming of Stony Point.-"While the coasts of Connecticut were desolated by the British arms, the Americans undertook an expedition which afforded a brilliant demonstration that, so far from wanting courage, they could vie in boldness with the most celebrated nations of Europe. The English had labored with such industry in finishing the works at Stony Point, that they had already reduced that rock to the condition of a real fortress. They had furnished it with a numerous and selected garrison. The stores were abundant, the defensive preparations formidable. These considerations could not, however, discourage Washington, who, on hearing of the capture of Stony Point and Verplanks, had advanced and taken post on the brow of the mountains of the Hudson, from forming the design to surprise and attempt both these forts by assault. He charged General Wayne with the attack of Stony Point, and General Howe with that of Verplanks. He provided the first with a strong detachment of the most enterprising and veteran infantry in all his army.

These troops set out on their expedition the fifteenth of July, and having accomplished their march over high mountains, through deep morasses, difficult defiles, and roads exceedingly bad and narrow, arrived about eight o'clock in the evening within a mile of Stony Point. General Wayne then halted to reconnoitre the works, and to observe the situation of the garrison. The English, however, did not perceive him. He formed his corps in two columns, and put himself at the head of the right. It was

of

preceded by a vanguard of an hundred and fifty picked men, commanded by that brave and adventurous Frenchman, Lieutenantcolonel Fleury. This vanguard was itself guided by a forlorn hope of about twenty, led by Lieutenant Gibbon. The column on the left, conducted by Major Stewart, had a similar vanguard, also preceded by a forlorn hope under Lieutenant Knox. These forforn hopes, among other offices, were particularly intended to remove the abattis and other obstructions, which lay in the way the succeeding troops. General Wayne directed both columns to march in order and silence, with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets. At midnight they arrived under the walls of the fort. The two columns attacked upon the flanks, while Major Murfee engaged the attention of the garrison by a feint in their front. An unexpected obstacle presented itself; the deep morass which covered the works was at this time overflowed by the tide. The English opened a most tremendous fire of musketry, and of cannon loaded with grape-shot; but neither the inundated morass, nor a double palisade, nor the bastioned ramparts, nor the storm of fire that was poured from them, could arrest the impetuosity of the Americans; they opened their way with the bayonet, prostrated whatever opposed them, scaled the fort, and the two columns met in the centre of the works. General Wayne received a contusion in the head, by a musket ball, as he passed the last abattis; Colonel Fleury struck with his own hand the royal standard that waved upon the walls. Of the forlorn hope of Gibbon, seventeen out of the twenty perished in the attack. The English lost upwards of six hundred men in killed and prisoners. The conquerors abstained from pillage and from all discord; a conduct the more worthy to be commended, as they had still present in mind the ravages and butcheries which their enemies had so recently committed in Carolina, in Connecticut, and in Virginia. Humanity imparted new effulgence to the victory which valor had obtained.

The attack meditated against Verplanks, had not the same success; General Howe encountered insurmountable obstacles.Meanwhile, Clinton had received intelligence of the capture of Stony Point; and, being resolved not to suffer the enemy to establish themselves in that position, he instantly detached a corps cavalry and light infantry to dislodge them. But Washington had attained his object; he had originally intended nothing more than to make himself master of the artillery and stores of the fort, to destroy the works, and to bring off the garrison. It was absolutely inconsistent with his views to risk a general action, in order to favor a partial operation; he therefore ordered General Wayne to retire; which he did successfully, after having dismantled the fortifications. This expedition, so glorious for the American arms, was celebrated with rapture in.all parts of the

confederation. The congress decreed their acknowledgments to Washington, and to Wayne, to Fleury, Stewart, Gibbon, and Knox. They presented General Wayne with a medal of gold, which represented this brilliant achievement. Fleury and Stewart received a similar medal of silver. Not willing to leave the bravery of their soldiers without its retribution, they ordered an estimate of the military stores taken at Stony Point, and the value thereof to be shared among them."-Botta's Rev.

Murder of Mrs. and Mr. Caldwell.-"In the summer of 1780, the British troops made frequent incursions into New Jersey, ravaging and plundering the country, and committing numerous atrocities upon its inhabitants. In June, a large body of the enemy, commanded by Gen. Kniphausen, landed at Elizabethtown Point and proceeded into the country. They were much harassed in their progress by Col. Dayton, and the troops under his command. When they arrived at Connecticut Farms, according to their usual but sacrilegious custom, they burnt the Presbyterian church, parsonage house, and a considerable part of the village. But the most cruel and wanton act that was perpetrated during this incursion, was the murder of Mrs. Caldwell, the wife of the Rev. Mr. Caldwell of Elizabethtown.

This amiable woman seeing the enemy advancing, retired with her housekeeper, a child of three years old, an infant of eight months, and a little maid, to a room secured on all sides by stone walls, except at a window opposite the enemy. She prudently took this precaution to avoid the danger of transient shot, should