VOL. III.]

[NUMB. XXV.

HILST the hoftile armies were thus watching each others motions with the moft unremitted attention, an enterprize of fpirit and eclat was undertaken on the American fide, and fuccefsfully carried into execution, by Gen. Wa Vayne. As no induftry had been want ing in completing or repairing the works at Stoney Point, which the length of poffeffion would admit of, that poft was now in a very strong state of defence; and was garrifoned by the 17th regis ment of foot, the grenadier companies of the 71st, a company of loyal Americans, and fome artillery; the whole being under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Johnfon. The garrifon in the opposite poft at Verplanks Neck, was under the conduct of Lieutenant Colonel Webster; and was at least equal în force to that at Stoney Point.

General Wayne was appointed to the difficult task of furprizing and reducing Stoney Point; for which he was provided with a strong detachment of the most active infantry in the American army. July 15th. Thefe troops having fet out

from Sandy Reach about noon, had a march of about fourteen miles to furmount, over high mountains, through deep moraffes, difficult defiles, and roads exceedingly bad and narrow, fo that they could only move in fingle files during the greatest part of the way. About eight o'clock in the evening, the van arrived within a mile and a half of their object, where they halted, and the troops were formed into two columns, as fast as they came up. While they were in this pofition, Wayne, with most of his principal officers, went to reconnoitre the works, and to obferve the fituation of the garrison.

It was fomething not unworthy of obfervation, that the bayonet, which had been fo often fatally employed a

gainst the Americans in fimilar cafes, was the only weapon which they used in this attack. It was near midnight before the two columns approached the place; that on the right, confifting of Febiger and Meig's regiments, was led by General Wayne the van, confifting of 150 picked men, led by the most adventurous officers, and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Fleury, advanced to the attack, with unloaded mufkets and fixed bayonets, they being preceded by an avant guard, confifting of an officer of the molt diftinguished courage, accompanied by twenty of the most defperate private men, who, among other offices, were particularly intended to remove the abbatis, and other obstructions which lay in the way of the fucceeding troops. The column on the left, was Ted by a fimilar chofen van, with unloaded mutkets and fixed bayonets, under the command of a Major Steward; and that was alfo preceded by a fimilar forlorn hope. The general iffued the moft pointed orders to both columns, (which they feem ftrictly to have adhered to) not to fire a fhot on any account, but to place their whole reliance on the bayonet.

The two attacks feem to have been directed to oppofite points of the works; whilft a detachment under a Major Murfree engaged the attention of the garrifon, by a feint in their front. They found the approaches more difficult, than even their knowledge of the place had induced them to expect; the works being covered by a deep morafs, and which at this time was alfo overflowed by the tide. The Americans fay, that neither the deep morafs, the formidable and double row of abbatis, or the ftrong works in front and flank, could damp the ardour of their troops; who, in the face of a moll inceflant and tremendous fire of

mufquetry, and of cannon loaded with grape fhot, forced their way at the point of the bayonet through every obftacle, until the van of each column met in the center of the works, where they arrived at nearly the fame inftant.

General Wayne was wounded in the head by a musket ball, as he paffed the laft abbatis; but was gallantly fupport: ed, and helped through the works, by his two brave Aid de Camps, Fishbourn and Archer, to whom he acknowledged the utmost gratitude in his publick let ter. Colonel Fleury, who we may per ceive by his name to be a French officer, had the honour of ftriking the British ftandard with his own hand. Major Steward, and feveral other officers, ter ceived great praife, as did in particular the two Lieutenants, Gibbons and Knox, one of whom led the forlorn hope on the right, as the other did on the left, and who had both the fortune to efcape unhurt, although the firft loft fe venteen men out of twenty in the attack.

There is fcarcely any thing in the tranfactions of war, which affords more room for furprize, and feems lefs to be accounted for, than the prodigious difparity between the numbers flain in thofe different actions, which feem other wife fimilar, or greatly to correfpond, in their principal circumstances, nature and magnitude. Nothing could well be fuppofed, from its nature and circum ftances more bloody, in proportion to the numbers engaged, than this action; and yet the lofs on both fides was exceedingly moderate. The fate of Captain Tew of the 17th regiment, who fell in this action, being rather fingular and unfortunate, was accordingly regretted. He had been left for dead on the field in the last war, and perhaps no other officer in Europe had furvived fo great a number of wounds, as he had received in the courfe of his fervice. Promotion had been long promifed and expected,; but through the want of any particular intereft to fupport that, claim, which his long fervices, merit, and particular fufferings, feemed, indeed, to render unneceffary, he finished his military career at the head only of a company.

Nothing could exceed the triumph of the Americans, upon the fuccefs of this enterprize, and the vigour and fpirit with which it was conducted. It must, in deed, be acknowledged, that, confidered in all its parts and difficulties, it would have done honour to the most veteran foldiers. Washington, the Congrefs,

the General Affembly, and the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, feemed emulous in their acknowledg ments, and in the praises which they beftowed upon General Wayne, his officers, and troops. In thefe they particufarly applaud the humanity and clemency fhewn to the vanquished, when (they fay) by the laws of war, and stimulated by refentment from the remembrance of a former matfacre, they would have been justified in putting the whole gartifon to the fword. Nor were real or honourary rewards to the officers forgotton. The total number of prisoners amounted to 543, and the flain of the garrifon, according to the American account, to 63; which taken together do not differ very widely from the imperfect return fent in a hurry by Colonel Johnfon taking it for granted (as was undoubtedly the cafe) that thofe whom he reckons as miffing, are included in either part of the calculation. The trophies, artillery, and ftores, were not, in refpect to the nature and extent of the poft, inconfiderable.

As foon as Stoney Point was taken, the artillery was directly turned against Verplanks, and a furious cannonade enfued, which neceffarily obliged the fhipping at the latter place to cut their cables, and fall down the river. The news of this difafter, and of Webster's fituation, who allo expected an immediate attack on the land fide, no fooner reached Sir Henry Clinton, then he took the most speedy measures for the immeate relief of the one poft, and the recovery of the other. The whole British land and naval force was accordingly in motion. The general, with the main army, advanced to Dobb's Ferry; the cavalry, with a detachment of light infantry, pushed forwards to the banks of the Croton river, in order to awe the enemy on that fide, in their attempts by land against Verplanks; and Sir George Collier, with the frigates, armed vessels, and tranfports of the fleet, having Brigadier General Sterling, with three regiments on board, proceeded up the river.

But however great the importance or value of Stoney Point, Washington was by no means difpofed to hazard a geneneral engagement on its account; more efpecially in a fituation, where the command of the river would afford fuch decifive advantages to his enemy in the difpofition, and fudden movement of their troops whether with refpect to the immediate point of action, or to the feiz

fphere, to fee through them, or detect their author. If, Mr. Printer, we take an impartial furvey of our own frailties, and judge by analogy, we fhall be convinced, that there cannot be a large number of those who are fuperiour to fuch artifices; if we are not, we must allow the female mind a very great fuperiority in the feale of wifdom and refolution. How abfurd! how prepofterous it is, that the customs of the world fhould be fuch, that, being affaulted by every art which the moft fubtle mind can invent, the fair maid, after a long refolute ftruggle, is, at last, overcome, fhould receive a ftamp on her character as black as in tamy itfelf, while the man, who thus accomplishes her ruin, comes off with flying colours-efcapes with a reputa tion unblemished-yes, to far from being stained, that, in the eyes of many, her deftruction is esteemed his unfading laurel! It marks him for a man of abilities,eloquence and addrefs!-The action, Mr. Printer, we all know, taken abftractedly, is equally criminal in both fexes; but whoever will throw off the fhackles of prejudice, and impartially confider it, with its contingent circumflances, muft proclaim, that it is a crime of a much higher magnitude in our fex than in the female. I lay it down as an eftablished rule to estimate the blackness of crimes in an inverse ratio with the temptations encircling the offenders, taking into confideration at the fame time, the ftrength and firmness, or ficklenefs and weakness, of their mental faculties. The woman is efteemed the weaker veffel,' confe, quently lefs capable of making refift. ance :-The man has no allurer, no enticer, nothing to refift, but the workings of his paffions; while the woman has not only the impulfes of nature to withstand, but likewife every artifice, every crafty device, that the debauchee, by a long feries of practice, has been able to invent or learn:-This being the cafe, how inconfiftent with every glimmering of reafon is it, that the fair one fhould be condemned, while the man is applauded! That the innocent, or next to innocent, fhould receive an indelible blot on her character, while that of the guilty remains unfpotted: But by the cultom of the capricious world thus it is.-Reflecting on an instance of villainy, which not long fince was committed within the circle of my knowledge, I thought proper to offer a sketch of it, with a few obfervations, to the impartial publick.

One of the female lift, an acquaint

ance of mine, was very lately ranked aimong those whom the world calls ruin. ed. Twelve months fince he was as free from pollution as the cradled infant. She fustained as amiable a character as our county can boaft. She was noted for her modelty as well as chastity, until polluted by a mifcreant, an artful finooth tongued debauchee, whom Fame, in conjunction with appearance and addrefs, ftiled a gentleman. He, by his infinuating fignificant airs of dignity, fair promises, and honourable overtures, gained poffeffion of the credulous unfufpicious maid's fond heart; took advan tage thereof, and in an unguarded moment plucked the pure rofe of chastity, and caft the tender deluded fair one into the gulf of unrelenting infamy. No fooner had he gratified his darling appetite than the warmth of his careffes began to abate-prefently his behaviour towards her grew cold and indifferent, and before any confiderable space of time had elapfed, he bid her an eternal farewell. She, who was formerly esteemed by the fair circle a pattern which their utmost ambition taught them to copy, is now not only unnoticed by them, but neglected and defpifed throughout her neighbourhood. She was a perfon of great fenfibility, and had a high fenfe of virtue. She fecludes herfelf from all fociety, bemoans her fituation, and utterly refuses confolation. She repines-fhe fickensand impatiently invokes the meffenger of death, who alone can close the distreffing fcene. The idea of her reputation being indelibly ftigmatized, renders life an infupportable burden. Her laft and only request, is one interview with her feducer, which is denied. She is not alone in her mifery a worthy refpectable family is with her involved in wretchedness. There is not a fingle fymptom of compunction in the feducer.

Here, Mr. Printer, we may pause, and wonder at the cruelty of which human nature is capable. Here is an object of pity-an object that befpeaks our most fincere commiferation-here we may recognize a glaring inftance of the prejudice as well as barbarity to which the fair train is expofed. The knowledge of this is enough to extort a foleinn oath from every man poffeffed of even a moderate fhare of fenfibility, never to encroach on chastity. There is not another fault, among the long lift to which human nature is liable, where the actors injure nobody but themselves, but what time and good behaviour will" cancel..