the main body, to oppofe Lord Cornwallis. Sullivan fhewed a confiderable fhare of judgement and ability in the execution of this commiffion. He took a very strong pofition on the commanding grounds above Birmingham church, with his left extending towards the Brandywine, his artillery advantageously difpoEd, and both flanks covered with very thick woods.

As this difpofition obliged Lord Cornwallis to form a line of battle, it was about four o'clock before the action beg. Neither the good difpofition of the cemy, the advantages of fituation, nor a heavy and well-fupported fire of fmall arms and artillery, were at all fufficient to reftrain the impetuofity of the British and Heffian troops. The light infantry, chaffeurs, grenadiers, and guards, rufh. go through all obstacles and dangers, de the enemy, in fpite of all their ef. farts, though not without a fpirited oppation, from their pofts, and purfued them pellmell into the woods on their tear. In the mean time, a part of the enemy's right, which had not been broken, took a second strong pofition in a wood on the fame fide; from whence, after fome confiderable refiftance, they were diflodged and purfued by detach ments from the fecond line.

Several bodies of the troops that were ft engaged, got fo deeply entangled in the woods through the eagerness of purfut, that they were not able to rejoin the army before night. In the mean time, as the main and collected body continued advancing, they came upon a corps of the enemy which had not yet been enga. ged, and which had taken poffeflion of a trong poft, to cover the retreat of the defeated wing of their army. A very warm engagement now enfued, and this pot was fo vigorously defended, that it was fome time after dark before it could be forced. The darkness, the uncertainty of the ground, and of Gen. Knyphaufen's fituation, together with the extreme fatigue which the troops had undergone, ja a long march and fevere action, which had fcarcely admitted of the fmalleft refate during the whole courfe of the day, all concurred in preventing the army from purfuing its advantages any farther. Gen. Knyphaufen, after fuccefsfully a mafing the enemy all day with the apprehenfion of an attack which he did not infend, made his paffage good in the evening, when be found that they were al

ready deeply entrenched on the right. He carried the entrenchment, and took the battery and cannon which defended and covered Chad's ford. At this inftant the approach of fome of the British troops, who had been entangled in, and had penetrated through the woods, threw the enemy into fuch a confternation, that an immediate retreat, or rather flight, took place in all parts. The latenefs and darkness of the evening prevented a purfuit here, as it had done on the right. [39. 597, 8.]

A few hours more day-light would have been undoubtedly productive of a total and ruinous defeat to the Americans.

A part of their troops, among whom were particularly numbered fome of the Virginia regiments, and the whole corps of artillery, behaved exceedingly well in fome of the actions of this day, exhibiting a degree of order, firmness, and refolution, and preferving fuch a countenance in extremely sharp service, as would not have difcredited veterans. Some other bodies of their troops behaved very badly. Their lofs was very confiderable, which probably was the caufe that it was not particularly specified in their own accounts. In the Gazette it was computed at about 300 killed, 600 wounded, and near 400 taken prifoners. They alfo loft ten fmall field-pieces, and a howitzer, of which all but one were brass.

The lofs in the royal army was not in proportion, being fomething under five hundred, of which the flain did not amount to one fifth. The officers fuffered confiderably, especially in wounded, though no one of higher rank than a captain was killed. The enemy retreated firft to Chefter, and on the next day to Philadelphia. The victorious army lay that night on the field of battle.

Washington, fofar as we can judge at this diftance, feems to have been more out-generalled in this action than any other fince the beginning of the war. This conclufion is not however to be confidered as established, as we are fenfible that it may well be questioned from the premises even before us. The defence of fuch a length of river, interfected with fords, and fome at remote diftances, was undoubtedly impracticable. If it be asked, then, why the attempt was made? it may be anfwered, That his great obje& was to harafs, and to interrupt the progrefs of the royal army to Philadelphia,

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by every poffible means which did not involve his own in the risk of a general engagement; that even a fuperior lofs of men was not to be confidered by him, to whom perhaps it was neceflary to learn, even by a dangerous experiment, the improvement and ftate of his own troops. His choice of a poft on the Brandywine, in preference to thofe more defenfible that were nearer to Philadelphia, has been cenfured; but how far this choice was altogether in his power does not fully appear. And, however deficient he was in point of intelligence with respect to Lord Cornwallis's movement, he fhewed great ability in his endeavours to remedy that negligence, by the prompt and judicious meafures which he took to cover his right. Whatever the merits or demerits were on this fide of the queftion, it must be acknowledged, that the movements of the royal army were judicious and masterly.

The prefent unhappy contest was fo interefting to foreigners, and rendered America fo confpicuous a theatre of action, that it drew bold and enterprising fpirits from different parts of Europe, either merely in search of glory and rank, or to acquire military experience and improvement. Among the numerous inftances of this nature which might be given, a few are neceffary, and will be fufficient. The Marquis de la Fayette, a young French nobleman of the first rank, and of large fortune, was fo carried away by this enthusiasm, as to purchase and freight a fhip with military ftores (in which he imbarked with feveral of his friends) for the fervice of the Americans; he bore a command, and was wounded in this action. The Baron St Ovary, another French volunteer, for whofe release the Congrefs fhewed a particular attention, was foon after made a prifoner. De Coudry, a French General, was about this time drowned in the Schuylkill, thro' his eager nefs to come in time into action. Roche de Fermoy was a member of the council of war who had figned the refolution for abandoning Ticonderoga. Pulawski, a Noble Pole, commanded a detachment of American light horfe in the action of the Brandywine. Count Graboufkie, another Polish Nobleman, was about the fame time killed on the North river, exhibiting great intrepidity on the British tide, and beftowing his laft breath in encomiums on the undaunted courage difplayed by the partners of his danger, and witneffes of his fall

It is to be observed, that in the battle of the Brandywine the rebel forces were met in the open field, and with no very great advantage of fituation. A victory was clearly obtained over them; but it was not of that final and decifive kind which the public had expected as the certain confequence of fuch a meeting. People rarely confider how much trivial and accidental circumstances render all things of this kind extremely uncertain even with any fuperiority of troops, goodness of generalship.

Notwithstanding the victory of th King's troops, and the precipitate fligh of the enemy, the royal army proceede with caution and circumfpection: and did not feem unneceffary; for the rebel were not difheartened; and Mr Wa fhington exerted himself with ability an diligence to repair his defeat. The arm was pofted in the neighbourhood of Con cord and Afhetown, whilft a detachmen was fent to feize on Wilmington, which wa made a receptacle for the fick and wound ed. Upon a movement towards Golher the General received intelligence upon hi march, that the enemy had quitted Phi ladelphia, and were advanced upon th Lancaster road, a few miles above th place. Upon this advice he took such et fectual measures for bringing them to immediate engagement, that nothing bu the event which followed could have fru ftrated his defign. An exceffive fall rain, which overtook both armies upo their march, and which continued with out intermiffion for twenty-four hour rendered both parties equally and totall incapable of action.

In the courfe of a number of move ments on both fides which took place fo fome days after, and in which every mea fure was ineffectually ufed, to invol the enemy in fimilar circumftances t thofe which they had fo lately and with fuch lofs efcaped, intelligence having been received, that Gen. Wayne, with 1500 men, was lying in the woods upon fome fcheme of enterprife in the rear, and at no great distance from the left wing of the army, Maj. Gen. Grey was detached, Sept. 20. at night, with two regi ments, and a body of light infantry, to furprife that corps. That General conducted the enterprise with equal ability and fuccefs; and perhaps in e mulation of a remarkable action of the late war in Germany, took effectual measures that a fingle fhot should not

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e fired in the courfe of the expediion, and that the execution fhould only e done by the point of the bayonet. In be profecution of this defign, the eneey's out pofts and piquets were comtely furprised and forced without noife bout one in the morning, and the troops seing guided by the light of their fires, thed in upon the encampment, where fevere and filent execution took place, bout 300 being killed or wounded upon the spot, and a number of prifoners taken; the remainder efcaping by the darkness of the night, and fome prudent positions made by the officer who comminded the Americans, with the lofs of the greater part of their baggage, arms, ditores. The victors, in this brisk action, loft only a captain of light infantry and three private men, with about the fame number wounded.

cuftody upon the immediate danger of an invafion. Thefe gentlemen pofitively refufed to give any fecurity in writing, or even verbal atteftation, of attachment, fubmiffion, or allegiance, to the prefent government, or of not holding a correfpondence with those whom they reprefented as enemies. They even refused to confine themselves to their respective dwelling-houses, and boldy appealing to the laws for redrefs and fecurity to their perfons, ftrongly reproached thofe, who, under the pretence of afferting and protecting the liberties of the fubject, had involved the whole continent in civil war and contention, and who thus, at the fame time, in the moft arbitrary and tyrannical manner, deprived him of his perfonal liberty, and of every fecurity which he derived from the laws [39. 696.] They were answered, that the laws themfelves, and all other confiderations, muft give way to the public fafety, in cases of great and imminent danger; that there was no new nor particular hardship in the prefent meafure, which was juftified by the practice of all states in fimilar circumftances; that in England, in its higheft state of freedom, and under its happicft governments, the Habeas-corpus law was fufpended in cafes of internal commotion, or the apprehenfion of foreign invafion; that there fufpicion only was a fufficient ground for fecuring the perfon of the fubject, without regard to rank, quality, or to any fecurity he might propofe to give for his peaceable demeanor; but that their fituation was much more favourable to themselves, if their incorrigible obstinacy, their dangerous defigns against the state, and their mortal enmity to the government, had not precluded them from its benefit; they were not retained in prifon merely upon fufpicion, however ftrong and well founded that was, and however juftifiable the measure would be upon that ground only; it was immediately in their power to returna in the most unrestrained liberty to their habitations, only by complying with that very moderate teft of their principles and conduct which was required, and fhewing that obedience to government, and good difpofition to the ftate, which every member of fociety owed to the community to which he belonged, as a return for the protection which he recei ved. But that as they denied all allegiance to the ftate, they of courfe difclaimed its protection, and forfeited all

The General finding that the enemy could not by any means be brought to action, and that they were evidently a bandoning even the protection of the capital, rather than hazard that final decifico, made fuch movements and took fuch pofitions as gave him the command of the Schuylkill, and enabled him at leagth to pass the army over that river without oppofition. There being nothing now to impede his progrefs, the army, Sept. 26. advanced to Germantown; and Lord Cornwallis, on the next morning, took poffeffion of Philadelphia. Thus was the rich and flourishing city of Philadelphia, the capital late of the most riEng colony, and attended with the moft fingular circumstances that hiftory can give any example of, and the feat of that general congrefs of delegates who difpenfed laws and government to the continent North America, reduced without oppotion, and confequently without damage. This circumftance was more fortunate han had been expected. For it was geerally apprehended, and had been even poken of by themselves as a fettled and xed determination, to deftroy the city, henever it was found that it could be longer protected, rather than fuffer it to become a place of arms, and the cen re of operation to the British fleets and armies. A number of the Quakers, and Some other of the principal inhabitants of Philadelphia, to the amount of more than twenty, who had been juflly confidered as frongly attached to the royal aufe, and violently inimical to the preent ruling powers, had been taken into

the