not understand the nature of the quarrel, nor could they distinguish whether those who dwelt in America, or those on the other side of the ocean, were in fault; but they were surprised to see Englishmen ask their assistance against one another, and advised them to be reconciled, and not to think of shedding the blood of their brethren.

To the representations of congress they paid more attention. These informed them that the English on the other side of the ocean, had taken up arms to enslave, not only their countrymen in America, but the Indians also; and if they overcame the colonists, themselves would soon be reduced to slavery also. The savages, upon maturely weighing the subject, concluded to remain neuter and thus the colonists were freed from a most dangerous enemy. On this occasion congress held a solemn conference with the different tribes of Indians. A speech was proposed, which exhi bits a specimen of the manner in which Europeans always address the savage inhabitants of America.

"Brothers, Sachems, and Warriors!

"We, the delegates from the twelve united provinces, now "sitting in general congress at Philadelphia, send our talk to you, "our brothers.

"Brothers and Friends now attend!

"When our fathers crossed the great water, and came over to "this land, the king of England gave them a talk, promising them "that they and their children should be his children, and if they "would leave their native country, and make settlements, and "live here, and buy and sell, and trade with their brethren be"yond the great water, they should still keep hold of the same "covenant chain, and enjoy peace; and it was covenanted, that "the fields, houses, goods and possessions, which our fathers "should acquire, should remain to them as their own, and be "their children's forever, and at their sole disposal.

"Brothers and Friends open an ear!

"We will now tell you of the quarrel betwist the counsellors of king George and the inhabitants of the colonies of America.

"Many of his counsellors have persuaded him to break the "covenant chain, and not to send us any more good talks. They "have prevailed on him to enter into a covenant against us, and "have torn assunder, and cast behind their backs, the good old "covenant which their ancestors and ours entered into, and took 26 strong hold of. They now tell us they will put their hands into our pockets without asking, as though it were their own; and at their will and pleasure, they will take from us our charter, or

written civil constitution, which we love as our lives; also our "plantations, our houses, and our goods, whenever they please, "without asking our leave. They tell us also, that our vessels may 66 go to that or this island in the sea, but to this or that particular "island we shall not trade any more; and in case of our non-com"pliance with these new orders, they shut up our harbours.

"Brothers, we live on the same ground with you; the same "island is our common birth-place. We desire to sit down under "the same tree of peace with you: let us water its roots, and cherish the growth, till the large leaves and flourishing branches "shall extend to the setting sun, and reach the skies. If any thing disagreeable should ever fall out between us, the twelve "United Colonies, and you, the Six nations, to wound our peace, "let us immediately seek measures for healing the breach. From "the present situation of our affairs, we judge it expedient to kin"dle up a small fire at Albany, where we may hear each other's "voice, and disclose our minds fully to one another."

The other remarkable transactions of this congress, were the ultimate refusal of the conciliatory proposal made by lord North, of which such sanguine expectations had been formed by the Eng. lish ministry; and the appointment of a generalissimo to command their armies which were now very numerous. The person chosen for this purpose, was George Washington, a man universally beloved; he was raised to the high station of Commander in Chief, by the unanimous voice of Congress, in 1775: and his subsequent conduct shewed him every way worthy of it. Horatio Gates, and Charles Lee, two English officers of considerable reputation, were also chosen; the former adjutant-general, the lat ter major-general. Artemas Ward, Philip Schuyler, and Israel Putnam, were likewise nominated major-generals. Seth Pomeroy, Richard Montgomery, David Wooster, William Heath, John Thomas, John Sullivan, and Nathaniel Green, were chosen brigadier-generals at the same time.

About this period Georgia sent deputies to congress, expressing their desire to join the confederacy. The reasons they gave for their renouncing their allegiance to Britain, was, that the conduct of parliament towards the other colonies had been oppressive; and though the obnoxious acts had not been extended to them, they could view this only as an omission, because of the seeming little consequence of their colony; and therefore looked upon it rather as a slight than a favour. At the same time, they framed a petition to the king, similar to that sent by the other colonies, and which met a similar reception.

The success which had hitherto attended the Americans, now emboldened them to act offensively against Great Britain. The conquest of Canada appeared to be practicable, and which would be attended with many advantages; and as Crown Point and Ti

conderoga was already in their hands, the invasion that way might be easily effected, and supposed that Quebec might be reduced during the winter, before the fleets and armies, which they were well assured would sail thither from Britain, should arrive. Congress therefore ordered three thousand men under the command of generals Montgomery and Schuyler to proceed to Lake Champlain, from whence they were to be conveyed in flat-bottomed boats to the mouth of the river Sorel, a branch of the river St. Lawrence, and on which is situated a fort of the same name with the river. On the other hand they were opposed by general Carleton, governor of Canada, a man of great activity and experience in war; who, with a small number of troops, had been able to keep in awe the disaffected people in Canada, notwithstanding all the representations of the colonists. He had now augmented his army with a number of Indians, and promised, even in his present situation, to make a formidable resistance.

When General Montgomery arrived at Crown Point, he received information that several armed vessels were stationed at St. Johns, a strong fort on the Sorel, with a view to prevent his crossing the lake: on which he took possession of an island which commands the mouth of the Sorel, and by which he could prevent them from entering the lake. In conjunction with general Schuyler, he next proceeded to St. Johns; but finding that place too strong, it was agreed in a council of war, to retire to Isle aux Noix, where general Schuyler being taken ill, Montgomery was left to command alone. His first step was to gain over the Indians, whom General Carleton had employed, and this he in part accomplished; after which, on receiving the full number of troops appointed for the expedition, he determined to lay siege to St. Johns; in this he was the more encouraged by the reduction of Chamblee, a small fort in the neighbourhood, where he found a large supply of powder. An attempt was made by General Carleton to relieve the place; for which purpose, he collected one thousand Canadians, while colonel Maclean proposed to raise a regiment of the Highlanders, who had emigrated from their own country to America.

But while General Carleton was on his march with these new levies, he was attacked by the provincials, and defeated; which being made known to Macdonald's party, they abandoned him without striking a blow, and he was obliged to retreat to Quebec. The defeat of General Carleton was considered as a sufficient recompense for that of colonel Ethan Allen, which had happened a short time previous to this.

The success of colonel Allen against Crown Point and Ticonde roga had emboldened him to make a similar attempt on Montreal; but the militia of that place, supported by a detachment of regulars, entirely defeated him, and he was taken prisoner,

The garrison of St Johns, being informed of the defeat of general Carleton, and seeing no hope of relief, surrendered themselves prisoners of war. They were in number five hundred regulars and two hundred Canadians, among whom were many of the French nobility, who had been very active in promoting the cause of Britain, among their countrymen. General Montgomery next took measures to prevent the British shipping from passing down the river from Montreal to Quebec. This he accomplished so effectually, that the whole were taken. The town surrendered at discretion; and it was with the utmost difficulty that general Carleton escaped in an open boat, favoured by a dark night. No obstacle now remained to impede their progress to the capital, except what arose from the nature of the country; and these indeed were very considerable.

But it seems that nothing could damp the ardour of the provincials. Although it was the middle of November, and the depth of winter at hand, colonel Arnold formed the design of penetrating through the woods and morasses, from New England to Canada, by a nearer route than that which Montgomery had chosen; and this he accomplished in spite of every difficulty, to the astonishment of all who saw or heard of the attempt. A third part of his men, under another colonel, had been obliged to leave him by the way, for want of provisions; the total want of artillery, rendered his presence insignificant before a place so strongly fortified; and the smallness of his army rendered it doubtful whether he could take the town by surprise.

The Canadians were amazed at the exploit; but none of them as yet took up arms in behalf of America. The consternation into which the town of Quebec was thrown, was detrimental to the Americans, as it doubled the vigilance of the inhabitants to prevent any surprise: and the appearance of common danger, united all parties, who, before the arrival of Arnold, were violently contending with each other. He was, therefore, obliged to content himself with blocking up the avenues of the town, with hopes of distressing the inhabitants for want of provisions; and even this he was not able effectually to accomplish, with such a small num ́ber of men.

The arrival of general Montgomery, although it raised the spirits of the party, yet the small force he had with him, when joined to that of Arnold, was too weak to reduce a place so strongly fortified; they having only a few mortars and field pieces which were not to be depended upon.

The siege having continued through the month of December, general Montgomery, still finding he could not accomplish his end any other way than by surprise, resolved to make the attempt on the last day of the year 1775. He advanced by break of day, in the midst of a heavy fall of snow, which covered his men from

the sight of the enemy. Two real attacks were made by himself and colonel Arnold; at the same time, two feigned attacks were made in other places, hoping thereby to distract the garrison, and divide their forces. One of the real attacks was made by the New York troops, and the other by those of New England under Arnold. By a mistake in the signal for the attack being given too soon, their hopes of surprising the town were defeated.

General Montgomery himself had the most dangerous place, being obliged to pass between the river and some bigh rocks on which the upper town stands; so that he made all the haste be could to close with the enemy. His fate was soon decided. Having forced the first barrier, a violent discharge of musquetry and grape shot from the second, killed him, the principal officers and the most of the party he commanded: those who remained, immediately retreated. Colonel Arnold, in the mean time, made a desperate attack on the lower town, and carried one of the barriers, after an obstinate resistance for an hour; but in the action he was himself wounded, which obliged him to withdraw. The attack, however, was continued by the officers whom he had left, and another barrier was forced: but the garrison, now perceiving that nothing was to be feared but from that quarter, collected their whole force against it: and after a desperate engagement for three hours, overpowered the provincials and obliged them to surrender. Such a terrible disaster left no hope remaining of the accomplishment of their purpose; as general Arnold could not muster more than eight hundred men under his command.

He did not, however, abandon the province. but removed about three miles from Quebec, where he found means to annoy the garrison, by intercepting their provisions.

The Canadians still continued friendly, notwithstanding the bad success of the American arms; which enabled him to sustain the hardships of a winter encampment in that most severe climate. Congress, far from passing any censure on his conduct, created him a brigadier-general.

He

While hostilities were thus carried on in the north, the flame of contention was gradually extending itself to the south. Lord Dunmore, the governor of Virginia, was involved in disputes similar to those which had taken place in the other colonies. dissolved the assembly, which, in this province, was attended with a consequence unknown to the rest. The slaves in Virginia were numerous, it was necessary that a militia should be kept constantly in readiness to keep them in awe. During the dissolution of the assembly, the militia laws expired, and the people, after complaining of the danger they were in from the negroes, formed a convention, which enacted, that each county should raise a quota for the defence of the province. Dunmore, upon this, removed the powder from Williamsburg; which created such discontent,