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was general and vigorous; we have to lament the loss of Colonel Brown, who was killed in skirmishing with the enemy. The devastation committed by this savage party, is found to be very important, as it respects the inhabitants of the north. It is estimated at two hundred dwellings, one hundred and fifty thousand bushels of wheat, with a proportion of other grain and forage. The same party destroyed also the town of Schoharie, but the inhabitants fortunately secured themselves in the fort.

Official intelligence is received of a very brilliant exploit of our militia, in North Carolina. The famous royal partizan, Major Ferguson, was at the head of about one thousand four hundred British troops and tories. Colonels Campbell, Cleveland, Williams, Shelby and Sevier, brave and enterprising officers, had collected detached parties of militia, and by agreement, the whole were united, and formed a body amounting to near three thousand. Colonel Campbell was appointed their commander. They immediately marched in pursuit of Major Ferguson, and came up with him advantageously posted, at a place called King's mountains. No time was lost in making a vigorous attack, and giving the enemy a total defeat, in which Major Ferguson, and one hundred and fifty of his men were killed, eight hundred made prisoners, and fifteen hundred stand of arms taken, with a trifling loss on our side, excepting the brave Colonel Williams, who received a mortal wound, after being crowned with honor.

Congress have resolved, that the regular army of the United States, from and after the first day of January, 1781, shall consist of four regiments of artillery, forty-nine regiments of infantry, exclusive of Colonel Hazen's, called "the Congress' own regiment," and one hundred regiment of artificers. The respective states are to furnish their quotas as proportioned by Congress. And as by the foregoing arrangement, many deserv ing officers may become supernumerary, Congress resolved, that after the reform of the army takes place, the officers shall be entitled to half pay for seven years, in specie or other current money, equivalent; and to have grants of land at the close of the war, agreeably to the resolution of the 16th September, 1776.

A scarcity of provisions is again complained of in camp.

It has long been the desire of General Washington, to make some arrangement with General Clinton, for an exchange of prisoners; but many difficulties have attended to prevent the accomplishment of the object. A partial exchange has now been effected; Major General Lincoln, who was taken at

Charleston, has been exchanged for Major General Phillips, captured at Saratoga. General Thompson, and a number of other American officers, who have long been prisoners, are also liberated by exchange.

November 1st.-A most tremendous storm of wind, snow and hail has continued almost incessantly for two days. Many of our tents were levelled with the ground, and officers and men exposed without a shelter.

2d. This is a day of public Thanksgiving throughout the state of New York, on occasion of the discovery of Arnold's conspiracy.

3d. A soldier has been executed to day for desertion, and persuading others to follow his example.

A large detachment of troops has been ordered by General Heath, to be in readiness, with two days provision cooked, to march on a foraging expedition, under command of Brigadier General Stark. The detachment crossed the Hudson on the 21st instant, and paraded on Nelson's point, where they were reviewed by the Marquis de Chastellux, one of the generals of the French army, at Newport. It is understood that the object of the expedition is to procure a quantity of forage from the farms on the neutral ground, between the two armies, towards King's bridge. After the review, the Marquis crossed over to West Point, where his arrival was announced by the discharge of thirteen cannon. The detachment marched about ten miles, and took lodgings on the ground in the woods, beside large fires. In the night a severe storm of rain came on, that drenched our troops, and becoming more violent the next day, rendered the roads extremely bad, and our march very uncomfortable; we reached North Castle, seventeen miles, and lodged in the woods, where our fires did not secure us from suffering much by wet and cold.

23d.-Marched to West Farms, near West Chester, within eight miles of the enemy's works at King's bridge. Here we kindled numerous fires in open view of the enemy, and in the evening the troops were ordered to leave the fires and retire back about two miles, and remain under arms, prepared for battle; but the enemy made no advances.

24th.-Another severe storm of rain, which continued through the day; we, however, began to march at sunrise, on our return, but soon halted and took shelter under the bushes near White plains. In this comfortless situation, we continued through the day and night. The next day, the storm continuing, I was so fortunate as to crowd into a house with some offi

cers for shelter. 26th and 27th marched twenty miles each day, and reached our former station at this place before night.

The country which we lately traversed, about fifty miles in extent, is called neutral ground; but the miserable inhabitants who remain, are not much favored with the privileges which their neutrality ought to secure to them. They are continually exposed to the ravages and insults of infamous banditti, composed of royal refugees and tories. The country is rich and fertile, and the farms appear to have been advantageously cultivated, but it now has the marks of a country in ruins. À large proportion of the proprietors having abandoned their farms, the few that remain, find it impossible to harvest the produce. The meadows and pastures are covered with grass of a summer's growth, and thousands of bushels of apples and other fruit, are rotting in the orchards. We brought off about two hundred loads of hay and grain, and ten times the amount might have been procured, had teams enough been provided. Those of the inhabitants of the neutral ground who were tories, have joined their friends in New York, and the whigs have retired into the interior of our country. Some of each side have taken up arms, and become the most cruel and deadly foes. There are within the British lines, banditti consisting of lawless villains, who devote themselves to the most cruel pillage and robbery among the defenceless inhabitants between the lines, many of whom they carry off to New York, after plundering their houses and farms. These shameless marauders have received the names of cow-boys and skinners. By their atrocious deeds, they have become a scourge and terror to the people. Numerous instances have been related of these miscreants subjecting defenceless persons to cruel tortures, to compel them to deliver up their money, or to disclose the places where it has been seereted. It is not uncommon for them to hang a man by his neck till apparently dead, then restore him, and repeat the experiment, and leave him for dead. One of these unhappy persons informed me, that when suffering this cruel treatment, the last sensation which he recollects, when suspended by his neck, was a flashing heat over him, like that which would be occasioned by boiling water poured over his body; he was however, cut down, and how long he remained on the ground insensible, he knows not. A peaceable, unresisting Quaker, of considerable respectability, by the name of Quincy, was visited by several of these vile ruffians; they first demanded his money, and after it was delivered, they suspected he had more concealed, and inflicted on him the most savage cruelties, in order to extort it

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from him. They began with what they call scorching, covering his naked body with hot ashes, and repeating the application, till the skin was covered with blisters; after this they resorted to the halter, and hung the poor man on a tree by his neck, then took him down, and repeated it a second, and even a third time, and finally left him almost lifeless.

30th. It is now well understood that our detachment, under the pretext of a foraging expedition, was intended by the Commander in Chief to cooperate with the main army, in an attempt against the enemy's post on York Island. Boats mounted on travelling carriages, have been kept with the army all the campaign. The Marquis de la Fayette, at the head of his beautiful corps of light infantry, constantly advancing in front, was to have commenced the attack in the night, and the whole army was prepared to make a general attack on the enemy's works. By some movement of the British vessels, or other cause, known only to the Commander in Chief and his confidential officers, this noble enterprise was unfortunately defeated. The campaign is now brought to a close, without effecting any very important object. We have several times offered the enemy battle, but they refuse to accept the challenge. The Marquis suffers on this occasion the most painful disappointment. He had spared no pains or expense to render his corps of infantry as fine a body of troops as can be produced in any country; every officer under his command received from him a present of an elegant sword, and the soldiers were put in uniform at his expense. The officers cheerfully seconded his endeavors to perfect the men in discipline, and a noble spirit of emulation universally prevailed among them. The Marquis viewed this corps as one formed and modelled according to his own wishes, and as meriting his highest confidence. They were the pride of his heart, and he was the idol of their regard, who were constantly panting for an opportunity of accomplishing some signal achievement, worthy of his and their character. This brilliant corps is now dissolved, and the men have rejoined their respective regiments, and we are soon to retire into the wilderness, to prepare for winter quarters.

Intelligence is received from Boston, that his Excellency John Hancock, has been elected by the people of the state of Massachusetts, the first Governor under their new constitation. This event affords universal satisfaction, and has been announced in Boston, by public rejoicing, firing of thirteen cannon, military parade, feu de joie, and elegant entertainments.

It is with inexpressible satisfaction that we learn the patriotic ladies of Philadelphia and its vicinity, have distinguished themselves by a generous and liberal regard to the sufferings of our soldiery, and have engaged in the benevo lent work of raising contributions among themselves, and stimulating others for the purpose of affording a temporary relief for the soldiers on service in that vicinity. I extract from the newspapers, the sentiments of an "American Woman," addressed to American ladies, relative to the subject, which should be recorded for the honor of the sex.

"On the commencement of actual war, the women of America manifested a firm resolution to contribute as much as could depend on them, to the deliverance of their country. Animated by the purest patriotism, they are full of sorrow at this day, in not offering more than barren wishes for the success of so glorious a revolution. They aspire to render themselves more really useful; and this sentiment is universal, from the north to the south of the Thirteen United States. Our ambition is kindled by the fame of those heroines of antiquity, who have rendered their sex illustrious, and have proved to the world, that, if the weakness of our constitution, if opinion and manners did not forbid us to march to glory by the same path as the men, we should at least equal, and sometimes surpass them in our love for the public good. I glory in all that my sex have done that is great and commendable. I call to mind with enthusiasm and with admiration, all those acts of courage, of constancy, and patriotism, which history has transmitted to us; the people favored by Heaven, preserved from destruction by the vir tues, the zeal, and the resolution of Deborah, of Judith, of Esther, the fortitude of the mother of the Maccabees, in giving up her sons to die before her eyes; Rome saved from the fury of a victorious enemy by the efforts of Volumnia, and other Roman ladies; so many famous sieges where the women have been seen forgetting the weakness of their sex, building new walls, digging trenches with their feeble hands, furnishing arms to their defenders, they themselves darting the missile weapons on the enemy, resigning the ornaments of their apparel, and their fortune, to fill the public treasury, and to hasten the deliverance of their country; burying themselves under its ruins; throwing themselves into the flames, rather than submit to the disgrace of humiliation before a proud enemy.