to have been passed in devotion to the sway of those human tormentors, envy and hate. The records of the court-martial manifest on their face the error of the sentence; and it is wonderful how men of honor and of sense could thus commit themselves to the censures of the independent and impartial. If general Lee had been guilty of all the charges as affirmed by their decision, his life was forfeited; and its sacrifice only could have atoned for his criminality. He ought to have been cashiered and shot; instead of which the mild sentence of suspension, for a short time, was the punishment inflicted. The truth is, the unfortunate general was only guilty of neglect in not making timely communication of his departure from orders, subject to his discretion, to the commander in chief, which constituted no part of the charges against him. This was certainly a very culpable omission; to which was afterwards added personal disrespect, where the utmost respect was not only due, but enjoined by martial law, and enforced by the state of things: two armies upon the very brink of battle, himself intrusted with the direction of an important portion of one of them, for the very purpose of leading into action, to withhold the necessary explanations from his chief, and to set the example of insubordination by his mode of reply to an interrogatory, indispensably though warmly, put to him, merited punishment. But this offence was different, far different from "disobedience to orders," or "a shameful retreat;" neither of which charges were supported by testimony; and both of which were contradicted by fact.

Soon after sir Henry Clinton's return to New York, the first result of the alliance concluded during the preceding winter at Paris, between the United States and his most christian majesty, announced itself in decisive operations on the part of the French monarch.

Admiral d'Estaing sailed from France in the begin- . ning of the summer, for the American coast, to coope rate with the American army; and would have arrived in time to stop lord Howe in the Delaware, as was intended, had not his voyage been greatly retarded by the unusual continuance of contrary winds. The arrival of the fleet of our ally, though unproductive of the immediate effects expected, the destruction of the enemy's fleet in the Delaware, gave birth to new and interesting enterprises; the relation of which, not coming within the scope of this work, must necessarily be omitted. In the cursory survey taken, my single object has been, to present to the reader a lucid and connected statement of those transactions which bear in any degree upon the southern war, either by their own relation, or by their introduction of characters, destined to act principal parts upon that theatre.

CHAPTER X.

ALTHOUGH the surrender of Burgoyne, and Howe's declining to execute his menaced attack upon his adversary at White Marsh, did not convince the British minister of the futility of his attempt to subjugate these states, it produced a change in the temper of the cabinet. An idle and fruitless essay was made to reconcile the revolted colonies: idle, because too late; and fruitless, because founded on the revocation of their independence. Little minds always, in difficulty, resort to cunning, miscalling it wisdom: this quality seems to have been predominant in the cabinet of Great Britain, and was alike conspicuous in its efforts to coerce, and in its proffers to conciliate.

Lord North was their premier and first lord of the treasury. Heavy in mind as in body, dexterous in the management of the house of commons, dead to all those feelings whose infusion, into the mass of the people, gives comfort to the ruled, and strength to the ruler; cherishing with ardor the prerogative of the king, restricting with stubbornness the rights of the people; he seems never to have discerned that the only way to make the monarch great, is to make the subject happy-in finance rather systematic, plodding and adroit, than original, deep and comprehensive-in parliament VOL. I.

I

decent, sensible, and laborious, with some of the glitter of wit, but with none of the effulgence and majesty of eloquence-in private life amiable and exemplary, better qualified for the enjoyments of its tranquil scenes, than to direct, in the storm of war, the helm of a brave, intelligent, powerful nation. The minister, in addition to the difficulties growing out of his own inadequacy, had to contend with obstacles inherent in the nature of the conflict, and powerful in their effect. Slavery, however dressed, is loathsome to the British palate; and the attempt to deprive America of her birthright, never could be cordially relished, although ostensibly supported. This innate abhorrence formed a current against administration, constant though slow, puissant though calm. Nor were statesmen wanting who proclaimed, with resistless force, the danger to British liberty from American slavery. At the head of this patriot band, stood the mighty Chatham. Towering in genius, superb in eloquence, decisive in council, bold in action, loving England first and England always, adored by the mass of the people, and dreaded by the enemies of English liberty, he unceasingly cherished the good old cause, for which Hampden fought, and Sidney bled. The premier, driven from his original purpose, by events resulting from his liberti-cide system, had not that sublimity of mind, which can renounce error with dignity, and turn calamity to account; or he would ere now have closed his vain and wasting war, by the acknowledgment of our independence, restoring and riveting our commercial intercourse.

Despairing of the subjugation of all the states, he determined to apply his disposable force to the reduction of the weakest portion of the Union. With this view sir Henry Clinton, on his return to New York, began to make arrangements for a plan of operation to be executed as soon as the French fleet should quit the American coast.

The count d'Estaing sailed from Boston, for the West Indies, on the 3d of November; soon after which lieutenant colonel Campbell was detached with three thousand men for the reduction of Georgia; orders having been despatched to brigadier general Prevost, commanding the British troops in East Florida, which adjoins the state of Georgia on the southwest, to invade it from that quarter, and to assume the direction of the united detachments.