tremely well conducted in the outfet, but which failed wretchedly in the execution, was undertaken against Paulus Hook, which lies almoft oppofite to the city of New York on the Jerfey fide. It feems that the ftrength of the poft, had induced fuch a remiffness on the fide of the garrifon, that the enemy completely furprized the place at three o'clock in the morning, and carried a blockhouse and two redoubts almost without any refiftance. In that critical moment of exigency, Major Sutherland, the commander, threw himself haftily, with forty Heffians, into another redoubt, from which they kept fo warm and inceffant a fire, that the Americans fcandaloufly deferted their new posts, with as much expedition, and as little difficulty as they had been attained; thus, by a retreat as difgraceful, as the attempt had been apparently bold and well conducted, they abandoned a conqueft already evidently in their hands, without having had courage even to spike the artillery, or to fet fire to the barracks. The commandant had the fortune to redeem his character, by the gallantry with which he retrieved the confequences of his negligence.

But at the heel of thefe tranfactions, intelligence of an alarming nature was received from the eastward, which fuddenly called Sir George Collier, with the greater part of his naval force; away from New York. This neceffity originated from an expedition undertaken in the fummer from Hallifax by Colonel Macleane, with a view of establishing a strong poft en the river Penobicot, in the eaftern confines of New England, where that colony borders on Nova

Scotia, and amidst those new and weak fettlements, which the Maffachusetts people have established in that quarter fince the laft war, and formed into a county under the name of Lincoln. The force with which he arrived in the Pe nobfcot about the middle of June, confifted of a detachment of 450 rank and file of the 74th regiment, and 200 of the 8zd; which were convoyed by three loops of war. Here Colonel Macleane began to conftruct a fort, in a fituation perfectly well chofen for annoying the enemy.

This tranfaction occafioned an unusual alarm at Bofton, and the moft vigorous measures were adopted by that government to prevent its completion. Orders were immediately given for an expedition to the Penobscot; and in order to fecure armed veffels and transports, as well as failors, an embargo of forty days was laid on all their fhipping, As a further encouragement, the ftate gave up its fhare in all prizes that were taken to the captors. A very confiderable naval armament, (for fo new a state) under the conduct of Commodore Saltonftall, was accordingly fitted out with extraordinary expedition; and a body of troops embarked under the conduct of a General Lovel.

On the other fide, the works of the new fort, notwithstanding that the utmost diligence was ufed in their conftruction, were yet fo far from being finished, as to afford but very imperfect means of defence, againft any great fuperiority of force. Colonel Macleane had, however, the fortune to receive intelligence of the armament preparing at Bofton, a few days [N] 2

before

before its arrival; upon which, he immediately changed his plan of operation; and instead of proceeding farther in the conftruction of works, which there could be no time for completing, applied himfelf with the greatest affiduity, to the putting of the poft in the best prefent ftate of defence, which its fituation, and the shortness of the notice, could admit. In this, as in every thing elfe, he received the moft cordial and efficacious fupport and affiftance from the officers and crews of the three royal frigates in the river, who committed themfelves with the greatest chearfulnefs to abide the fate of the garrifon.

July 25th. tile and dreaded feet, At length, the hofto the amount of 37 fail, appear. ed in fight; and foon after, their armed veffels began to cannonade the fhips of war, and a battery of four twelve pounders, which had been thrown up on the bank of the river for their protection. It appears, that the works of the fort were commenced about the middle of a small peninfula, the western point of which run pretty deeply into the river; and the whole, fo far as we can judge, forming a fort of hook, within which was included a little bay or harbour, wherein the frigates were ftationed, The commander had the precaution to intrench the ifthmus or neck, which joined the peninfula to the continent, by which he was fecured on the back. The weak fide of the peninfula lay to the hatbour, the entrance to which was, as we have feen, defended by the frigates, and the four gun battery; and the oppofite fide feems not to have admitted of a landing. From

this fituation, the only feasible means the enemy poffeffed for approaching the fort, was by effecting a landing on the west point; and even there, the ground was naturally fo ftrong and difficult, as to afford no fmall room for hope to the commander, that he fhould be able to protract their operations for fome confiderable time, which was the great object he had in view, as holding out the profpect of expected relief.

as be

The fire of the enemy was fo well returned, that their fhips found it neceffary to retire; upon which their fleet anchored off the weft end of the peninfula. They renewed the attack upon the fhipbeing again repulfed ping on the following day; but fore, they feemed, for the prefent, to give up all hope of fuc'ceeding on that fide. They made feveral attempts to land, both on the first night, and after, in which they were alfo conftantly repulfed by the piquets, who were advantageously pofted on the point for their reception. To the great furprize, however, and difappointment of the commander and garri. fon, they made good their landing under a violent cannonade, on the morning of the 28th, and obliged the piquets to retire to the fort.

The attention of the commander, his officers and garrison, were now neceffarily confined to the ftrengthening and defence of their works; operations in which they were equally indefatigable and foccefsful. On the third day 30th. after their landing, the enemy opened a battery at about 750 yards distance; and in a few days after, another somewhat near+

er;

er; but although the cannonade from both was very brisk and well fupported, the works were carried on in the fort with the fame fpirit and industry as before. Thus the befieged exhibited the fingular phænomenon, of acquiring a daily acceffion of internal ftrength and fecurity, under the immediate affaults of the enemy.

In the mean time, the Americans having erected a battery on an island at the entrance of the harbour, the frigates and fhipping thought it neceffary, upon a confultation between the land and naval force, to retire farther within the bay or creek;, and having alfo landed guns to cover their own battery, the commander was thereby enabled to withdraw the four twelve pounders for the defence of For about a fortnight the cannonade was fupported with great fpirit on both fides: at the end of which time, the commander received intelligence from a deferter, that a general ftorm was fixed upon, it being intended to attack the fhips and the fort at the fame inftant. Upon this information, he immediately threw up a fmall work, covered with light artillery, at about 150 yards diftance, in the front of the fort; thus adding a further fecurity and cover to the body of the place.

Whilft the commanders, garrifon, and fearren were in impatient expectation of the attack, and without the fmalleft apprehenfion as to the event, an unusual quiet being obferved on the enemy's Aug. 14th. fide, very early in the morning, it induced clofer infpection, in confequence of which it was soon, to their inexpreffible aftor ifhment, difcovered,

that the rebels had totally abandoned their camp and works in the night, and had re-embarked both their forces and artillery. Nor were they left long in the dark as to the cause of this myfterious event; for while they were endeavouring to profit in fome degree of the confufion which they faw in the enemy's fleet, Sir George Collier, with his fquadron, appeared full to their view in the river.

That commander had failed from Sandy Hook, in the Raifonable man of war, on the 3d of August, and arrived in the Penobscot, accompanied by the Greyhound, Blonde, Virginia, Camilla, and Galatea frigates. The Americans at first feemed to make fome thew of intended refiftance, by drawing up in a crefcent across the river, as if they determined to difpute the paffage. But their refolution foon failed, and a moft ignominious flight took place. Perhaps they intended no more by that fhew of refiftance, than to afford time for the transports to make fome way up the river, and to gain thereby an opportunity of landing the troops. However that was, a general chace, and unrefifted deftruction took place; in both of which the three floops of war, which had been fo long cooped up with the garrifon, now took an eager part. The fugitives themfelves, finding there was no poffibility of efcape, fhortened the bu finefs, by fetting fire to, and blowing up their own veffels. No deftruction could be more complete, for nothing efcaped. One frigate of 20 guns, and another of 18, were, however, taken.

Few fingle towns have ever experienced fuch a blow to their ma[*N] 3 rine,

rine, as Boston now fuffered. The Warren, a fine new frigate, of 32 eighteen and twelve pounders, with five others, from 20 to 24 guns, one of 16, and one of 18, were all blown up. Six armed brigs or floops, from 14 to 16 guns each, with one of 12, met the fame fate. The whole number of armed veffels deftroyed or taken, including two, which the fquadron took on their paffage, amounting to nineteen. A force, little, if at all inferior, whether with refpect to fhips or guns, to the navy royal of England, for feveral years after the acceffion of Queen Elizabeth.

Twenty-four fail of tranfports were likewife deftroyed, and fome provifion veffels taken. As nothing could be more despicable than the conduct of Saltonftall, so no man could be more execrated than he was by his countrymen. It is even

faid, that the indignation and rage of the land forces rofe fo high upon the common difgrace which they were obliged to share in, that they could not refrain from coming to blows with the feamen, in the course of their fubfequent return by land. It muft, however, be acknowledged, that the Americans were not able to cope with the royal fquadron, in an open and regular fea fight, and that the fuperior force and weight of metal of the Raisonable, afforded fufficient cause of terror to frigates. But the paffes, windings, and fhallows of the river, might have ferved much to leffen that fuperiority; and at any rate, excepting the effufion of blood, the most defperate refiftance could not have been attended with more fatal confequences than their ignominious flight,

CHAP