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defence of the fort by the brave Colonel Magaw was spirited, but at length he was obliged to capitulate and with the fort to surrender his whole force, consisting of between 2000 and 3000 men. On the 18th, the British army crossing the Hudson, proceeded to the attack of fort Lee. The garrison in this fort, at first, determined to defend it, but ascertaining that the contest would be entirely unequal, they evacuated the fort, and under the guidance of Gen. Greene, joined Washington, who had at this time taken post at Newark, on the south side of the Passaic.

Sec. 51. Finding Newark too near his triumphant foe, Washington retreated to Brunswick, on the Raritan, and Lord Cornwallis on the same day entered Newark. The retreat was still continued from Brunswick to Princeton; from Princeton to Trenton; and from Trenton to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware. The pursuit was urged with so much rapidity, that the rear of the American army pulling down bridges, was often within sight and shot of the van of the other building them up.

This retreat through New-Jersey was made under circumstances of the deepest depression. The Americans had just lost the two forts Washington and Lee, and with the former more than 2000 men. Numbers of the militia were daily claiming to be discharged, and precipitately retired to their habitations; and even the regular troops, as if struck with despair, also filed off, and deserted in bodies. This left the army of Washington so reduced, that it scarcely amounted to three thousand men, and even these were poorly fed, and were exposed in an open country, without instruments to entrench themselves, without tents to shelter them from the inclemency of the season, and in the midst of a population little zealous, or rather hostile, to the repub Added to this, numbers of the leading characters both in New-Jersey and Pennsylvania, who had been friendly

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to the American cause, were changing sides, and making peace with the enemy. This example became pernicious, and the most prejudicial effects were to be apprehended from it. Every day ushered in some new calamity; the cause of America seemed hastening to irretrievable ruin. The most discreet no longer dissembled that the term of the war was at hand; and that the hour was come, in which the colonies were about to resume the yoke. But Washington, in the midst of so much adversity, did not despair. of the public safety. His constancy was an object of admiration. Far from betraying any symptoms of hesitation or fear, he showed himself to his dejected soldiers with a serene countenance, and radiant, as it were, with a certain hope of a better future. Adverse fortune had not been able to vanquish, nay, not even to shake his invincible spirit. Firmly resolved to pursue their object, through every fortune, the congress manifested a similar constancy. It appeared as if the spirit of these great minds had increased with adversity.*

Sec. 51. Notwithstanding the general aspect of affairs, on the part of America, was thus forbidding, the continental congress, so far from betraying symptoms of despair, manifested more confidence than ever; and, as if success must eventually crown their enterprises, calmly occupied themselves in drawing up various articles of confederation and perpetual union between the states.

Such articles were obviously necessary, that the line of distinction between the powers of the respective states, and of congress, should be exactly defined. In this way, only, would collisions be avoided, and the peace and harmony of the union be preserved.

Accordingly, such articles were now digested, and at the sitting of congress, Oct. 4th, 1776, were signed by all the members, and copies immediately sent to the respective assemblies of

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each state for approbation. The principal articles of confederation were the following:

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They all and each obligate themselves to contribute for the common defence, and for the maintenance of their liberties.

"Each particular state preserved the exclusive right of regulating its internal government, and of framing laws in all matters, not included in the articles of confederation, and which would not be prejudicial to it.

"No particular state was either to send, or to receive ambassadors, enter into negotiations, contract engagements, form alliances, or make war, except in the case of sudden attack, with any king, prince, or power whatsoever, without the consent of the United States.

"No individual, holding any magistracy, office, or commission, whatsoever, from the United States, or from any of them, was allowed to accept of any presents, or any of fice or title of any kind whatsoever, from any foreign king, prince, or potentate.

"No assembly was to confer titles of nobility.

"No state was to make alliances or treaties of what kind soever, with another, without the consent of all.

"Each particular state had authority to maintain, in peace as well as war, the number of armed ships and of land troops, judged necessary, by the general assembly of all the states, and no more.

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There shall be a public treasury for the service of the confederation, to be replenished by the particular contribu tions of each state; the same to be proportioned according to the number of inhabitants, of every age, sex, or condition, with the exception of Indians.

"A general congress was to be convoked every year, on the first Monday of November, to be composed of deputies from all the states; it was invested with all the powers that belonged to the sovereigns of other nations." These powers were exactly enumerated.

"Every individual holding any office, and either wages, salary, or emolument whatsoever, was thereby excluded from congress.

"There was to be a council of state composed of one deputy from each province, nominated annually by his colleagues, of the same state, and in case these should not agree, by the general congress." Each state was to have but one vote.

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'During the session, as well as the recess of the general congress, the council of state was to be charged with the management of the public affairs of the confederation, always restricting itself, however, within the limits prescribed by the laws, and particularly by the articles of the confederation itself."

Sec. 52. Fortunately for Washington, about this time he received reinforcements of militia and regular troops, which, together with his previous forces, gave him an army of about 7000 effective men. But this number being soon to be reduced by the retirement of a large body of militia, whose period of enlistment would close with the year, Washington formed the bold resolution of recrossing the Delaware, and of attacking the British at Trenton. This plan was carried into effect on the night of the 25th of December, and on the following day Hessian prisoners to the amount of one thousand were taken by the Americans, with the loss of scarcely a man on their side. This was a brilliant achievement, and served to arouse the desponding hopes of America.

The American troops detached for this service arrived, in the dusk of the evening, at the bank of the river. The passage of the river by the troops and the artillery, it was expected, would be effected before midnight. But this was found to be impracticable. The cold was so intense, and the river so obstructed with floating ice, that the landing of the artillery was not accomplished until four in the morning. An immediate and precipitate march was made towards Trenton, with the hope of reaching it before day. But a thick fog setting in, and a mist, mingled with sleet, so retarded their march, that they did not reach Trenton until eight o'clock, yet, at this late hour, the Hessians had no suspicion of the approach of the enemy.

Sec. 53. Justly elated with the success at Trenton, Washington soon after proceeded to Princeton, where, on the first of January, he attacked

a party of British, of whom upwards of one hundred were killed, and the remainder, amounting to about three hundred, were made prisoners. The loss of the Americans was less than that of the British; but in that number were several valuable officers, and among them the brave General Mercer.

Sec. 54. Soon after the above victories, Washington retired (January 6th, 1777) to winter quarters, at Morristown, where his army were nearly all inoculated with the small pox, that disease having appeared among the troops, and rendering such a measure necessary. The disease proved mortal but in few instances, nor was there a day in which the soldiers could not, if called upon, have fought the enemy

Sec. 55. On the opening of the campaign of 1777, the army of Washington, although congress had offered to recruits bounties in land, and greater wages, amounted to little more than seven thousand men. Towards the latter end of May, Washington quitted his winter encampment at Morristown, and, about the same time, the royal army moved from Brunswick, which they had occupied during the winter. Much shifting of the armies followed, but no definite plan of operation had apparently been settled by either.

Previous to this, however, General Howe sent a detachment of two thousand men, under command of Gen. Tryon, Gen. Agnew, and Sir William Erskine, to destroy some stores and provisions deposited at Danbury, in Connecticut. Meeting with no resistance, they reached Danbury on the 26th of April, and destroyed one thousand eight hundred barrels of beef and pork, and eight hundred of flour, two thousand bushels of grain, clothing for a regiment, one hundred hogsheads of rum, and one thousand seven hundred and ninety tents. Besides the destruction of these articles, the enemy wantonly burned eighteen houses with

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