has in general orders, given an invitation to all officers of the army, and they are requested to invite any friends or acquaint ance they may have in the country to participate in the grand festival.

On the 6th instant, a dangerous mutiny was discovered among the soldiers of the Connecticut line. It had been conducted with so much address and secrecy, that it was on the point of execution before it was divulged. The defection was general in the line, the soldiers had determined at reveille the next morning, to have marched from their cantonments with arms, &c. complete, for Fishkill, where they intended to take a number of field pieces with ammunition and provisions, and proceed to Hartford, and there demand of the Assembly that justice which they consider their due. At the moment the officers were retiring to bed, a faithful soldier who was a waiter, informed his officer, that he could not retire to rest without divulging an event which would assuredly take place the next morning at daylight. The most guilty soldiers were immediately seized and confined, and the ringleader was sentenced to suffer death, which happily frustrated the whole design. It is but just to observe, that the Connecticut line of troops have during the war, except in this instance, conducted in a very exemplary and meritorious manner.

June 1st.-Yesterday was celebrated the birth of the Dauphin of France, by a magnificent festival. The edifice under which the company assembled and partook of the entertainment, was erected on the plain at West Point. The situation was romantic, and the occasion novel and interesting. Major Villefranche, an ingenious French engineer, has been employed with one thousand men about ten days, in constructing the curious edifice. It is composed of the simple materials which the common trees in this vicinity afford. It is about six hundred feet in length and thirty feet wide, supported by a grand colonnade of one hundred and eighteen pillars, made of the trunks of trees. The covering of the roof consists of boughs, or branches of trees curiously interwoven, and the same materials form the walls, leaving the ends entirely open. On the inside, every pillar was encircled with muskets and bayonets bound round in a fanciful and handsome manner, and the whole interior was decorated with evergreens, with American and French military colors, and a variety of emblems and devices, all adjusted in such style as to beautify the whole interior of the fabric. This superb structure, in symmetry of proportion, neatness of workmanship, and elegance of arrangement, has seldom perhaps been

surpassed on any temporary occasion; it affected the spectators with admiration and pleasure, and reflects much credit on the taste and ability of Major Villefranche. Several appropriate mottoes decorated the grand edifice, pronouncing benedictions on the Dauphin and happiness to the two allied nations. The whole army was paraded on the contiguous hills on both sides of the river, forming a circle of several miles in open view of the public edifice, and at the given signal of firing three cannon, the regimental officers all left their commands and repaired to the building to partake of the entertainment which had been prepared by order of the Commander in Chief. At five o'clock, dinner being on the table, his Excellency General Washington, and his lady and suite, the principal officers of the army and their ladies, Governor Clinton and his lady, and a number of respectable characters from the states of New York and New Jersey, moved from Major General McDougall's quarters through the line formed by Colonel Crain's regiment of artillery, to the arbor, where more than five hundred gentlemen and ladies partook of a magnificent festival. A martial band charmed our senses with music, while we feasted our appetites and gazed with admiration on the illustrious guests, and the novel spectacle exhibited to our view. The cloth being removed, thirteen appropriate toasts were drank, each one being announced by the discharge of thirteen cannon and accompanied by music. The guests retired from the table at seven o'clock, and the regimental officers repaired to their respective commands. The arbor was, in the evening, illuminated by a vast number of lights, which being arranged in regular and tasteful order, exhibited a scene vieing in brilliancy with the starry firmament. The officers having rejoined their regiments, thirteen cannon were again fired as a prelude to a general feu de joie, which immediately succeeded throughout the whole line of the army on the surrounding hills, and being three times repeated, the mountains resounded and echoed like tremendous peals of thunder, and the flashing from thousands of fire arms in the darkness of evening, could be compared only to the most vivid flashes of lightning from the clouds. The feu de joie was immediately followed by three shouts of acclamation and benediction for the Dauphin, by the united voices of the whole army on all sides. At half past eleven o'clock, the celebration was concluded by the exhibition of fire works very ingeniously constructed of various figures. His Excellency General Washington

was unusually cheerful. He attended the ball in the evening and with a dignified and graceful air, having Mrs. Knox for his partner, carried down a dance of twenty couple in the arbor on the green grass. I was gratified with a fine view of this pleasing scene.

June 20th.-Dined by invitation with Major General Howe, at his quarters at Robinson's house, with several respectable guests.

23d. The officers of our regiment prepared an entertainment and invited a respectable party. At three o'clock, we repaired to an arbor erected for the occasion, under which a long table was spread, and a variety of dishes ar ranged in proper style; we prided ourselves on our camp dinner, as being almost on a par with that of a country gentleman. A band of military music attended, and we finished with toasts and songs in social glee.

July. Our brigade moved out of huts on the first instant, and encamped at Nelson's point, on the bank of the Hudson opposite West Point.

On the 4th, the anniversary of the declaration of our Independence was celebrated in camp. The whole army was formed on the banks of the Hudson on each side of the river. The signal of thirteen cannon being given at West Point, the troops displayed and formed in a line, when a general feu de joie took place throughout the whole army.

A most barbarous and horrid transaction of the royal refugees a few weeks since, has excited universal indignation throughout our army. It is the cruel murder of Captain Joshua Huddy, of New Jersey, who, being commanding officer of a detachment stationed at the block house in Monmouth county, was attacked by a party of refugees from New York, on Sunday, the 24th March, and after bravely defending himself till he had expended his ammunition, was taken prisoner and carried into New York. He was closely confined till April 8th, when without even the form of a trial, he was told that he was ordered to be hanged; accordingly on the 12th, he was carried over to the New Jersey shore, by a party of refugees under the direction of one Captain Lippincot, and there hung on a tree and left with the following label affixed on his breast. "We the refugees, having with grief long beheld the cruel murders of our brethren, and finding nothing but such measures daily carrying into execution-we, therefore, determine not to suffer without taking vengeance for the numerous cruelties;

and thus begin, and I say, may those lose their liberty who do not follow on, and have made use of Captain Huddy as the first object to present to your view; and further determine to hang man for man while there is a refugee existing. Up goes Huddy for Philip White."

The refugees pretend to justify this violent act, by asserting that Captain Huddy, some time before, made prisoner of a certain Philip White, of their party, and after having maimed him, broke both his legs, and tauntingly bid him run. But this is a vile falsehood; it has been fully proved, that Captain Huddy was closely confined a prisoner at New York at the time and for many days before White was taken. A letter dated at Freehold, Monmouth county, 15th April last, and published in the Trenton paper, relates that White was taken the last of March, and after tokens of surrendering as a prisoner, he took up a musket and killed a son of Colonel Hendrickson; but being taken by some light horse, and while they were conducting him to Freehold, he again attempted to make his escape, and being called on several times to surrender, and continuing to run, when leaping into a bog impassible by the horse, he received a stroke on his head with a sword which killed him instantly. The above facts were proved by affidavits of the persons who were present, and by the voluntary testimony of one Aaron, who was taken prisoner with the said White. The wanton execution of Captain Huddy so exasperated the inhabitants of that part of New Jersey, that they presented a respectful memorial to General Washington, claiming justice for the murder of one of their fellow citizens, or retaliation in case justice should be refused. General Washington, immediately addressed Sir Henry Clinton on the subject, and assured him, that unless the perpetrators of the murder were delivered up, he should be under the painful necessity of retaliating. In the mean time all the general officers, and those commanding brigades or regiments, were, ordered to assemble at General Heath's quarters, to deliberate and decide on the following questions; 1st. Shall resort be had to retaliation for the murder of Captain Huddy? 2d. On whom shall it be inflicted? 3d. How shall the victim be designated? In order that each officer should be free from all bias and uninfluenced by each other, General Washings on ordered that, without conversing on the questions, each one should write his own opinion and address the same sealed up to the Commander in Chief.

By this method his Excellency obtained the spontaneous expression of the feelings of each individual officer, and they were unanimously of opinion that retaliation ought to be resorted to; that it should be inflicted on an officer of equal rank with Captain Huddy, and that the victim be designated by lot. Accordingly the painful alternative was adopted, the names of the British captains, our prisoners, were collected, a fair and impartial lot was drawn, and it fell on Captain Asgill, of the British guards, a gentleman of a noble English family, an only son of his parents, and only nineteen years of age, to be the unhappy victim.* Next to the execution of Major Andre, this event occasioned the most painful sensations to the mind of the benevolent and humane Washington; his anxiety and poignant distress it is said were very visible. But still firm and inflexible in his determination to obtain satisfaction, or pursue a course that will tend to deter others from a repetition of crimes so derogatory to the laws of humanity, of war, and of justice. He addressed Congress on the subject, and communicated to that body the New Jersey memorial. They unanimously approved of the firm and judicious conduct of the Commander in Chief, and assured him of their firmest support in his purpose of exemplary retaliation.

General Washington was anxious to alleviate the melancholy condition of Captain Asgill as much as possible, and directed the officer of his guard to treat him with every tender attention and politeness which his rank, fortune, and connexions, together with his unfortunate state demanded, that is not inconsistent with his perfect security. He order

"An order was sent from the war department to the commanding officer at Lancaster, to send a refugee captain, taken at discretion, if there was one among the prisoners; and if there was no one of that description, then to assemble all the Captains then under his charge, and select one of them by lot :-The Captains were accordingly assembled in a room in Lancaster, thirteen in number, and then were told for what purpose they were called together.-After being seated, their names were taken on thirteen slips of paper and put into a hat or box-12 slips of blank paper were then put into another hat and one on which was written Unfor tunate-two small drummers were then called into the room--one drew from the hat or box that contained the names, and handed to the commissary of prisoners, and the other to the aid of the commanding officer.-Capt Asgill's name was the 11th drawn, and the paper on which was written unfortunate, came out against his name. On this the prisoners all rose, and were very much affected, as was every person present. Capt. Asgill was a promising young officer, then called about 19 years of age. It was mentioned that some little time might be wanted to prepare for the journey-4 days were asked for and granted. All the officers pledging themselves that he should be forthcoming at the time. He was taken to Philadelphia under a guard of dragoons, and accompanied by Major Gordon, the senior officer of the prisoners."