Take to Ty. Within that period the Americans made carriages for forty-seven or more pieces of cannon, and mounted them; finished and strengthened their works; surrounded their redoubts with abbetis; received a considerable reinforcement, and acquis ed a preparedness for defence in every quarter. Could the ene...my have proceeded immediately on the Monday to Tyconderoga, they must have succeded. You will be entertained with some sprightly letters written by an officer, at the moment and upon the spot, to the daughter of a next door neighbor; take the copies of them, and judge who it is that saves the Americans from impending ruin. "Tyconderoga the twentieth of October, six o'clock The returns of the shattered remains of our fleet soun let us know the worst.--A fine story after all the pompous aecounts of our naval superiority.-Fine as it is, Jenny, it is true. However we did all that men could do, in the time and with the advantages we had.--Can our country expect more?—I would not have you think we are defeated however.The fleet was strong, but our posts are much stronger.-The enemy may give us another defeat, but it will cost them dear. We expect an attack every moment.- I have been up these two hours, and through the guards and posts--to see them alert and vigilant. We will eadeavor not to be surprised.--The attack whenever it comes will be furious, and the defence obstinate, cruelly obstiHate. We are busy in making every preparation for the most effectual security of our posts-and shall in two or three day more, have little to fear from an assault." "Ty-Oct. 21, 1776. The fear is now past, Jenny, but not the hurry.-Heaven has been pleased to give us a southerly wind for almost the whole week past this has allowed us time for a very considerable preparation. We would now gladly be attacked-in two or three more days. The enemy are at Crown-Point, and we expect that they may fancy this ground in a day or two: they must pay a great price for it however, as we value it highly." "Ty-Oct. 27. If we are not attached within 'six days, gen. Carleton deserves to be hanged. We expect him indeed every morning.-We have been fåvored with a strong southerly wind, almost constantly since the defeat of the fleet, and are now ready.-The enemy have forsaken us-I am not sorry indeed, Jenny.-We should have been much at a loss had they invested us. An attack we were prepared for, but they must have been madmen, to risque their all on the event of a-day, when a few weeks perseverance would have given them all they could wish.-How much is gained by chance or as the doctor will call it, Providence. They did not happen to know our situation, but supposed we must be internally, what eur external appearance (formidable enough) pronounced us, and what what they, with our advantages, would have been.Providence indeed, has once more saved us." way, General Gates was about 12,000 strong, when the enemy was at Crown-Point. Most of the men were effective, many of the troops having recovered. For some days after gen. Arnold's defeat, Gates had only two ton of powder, and when he had re- · ceived a supply, no more than eight. It has been thought, from information gained since, that the enemy sent one of their engineers, disguised like a countryman, into the American camp, as a spy; and that after two or three hours he returned; and by his reports might occasion their going off the next day. The day they went off, Mr. Yancey, the commissary general, had no flour in store for the army. Gen. Gates sent him out of the that as he had no flour to deliver out, the men might be kept easy, under a notion of their being enough in the store, and upon the plea that they should be supplied on his speedy return, but that it would not do to break open the doors. The commissary had not even a barrel under his care. The Yorkers, chiefly of Dutch extraction, inhabiting the neighborhood of Lake George, declined crossing it with the supples designed for the army, through fear of the Indians. This fear however was needless; for gen. Carleton, while he allowed them to take prisoners, laid them under strict restraints not to kill and scalp. When he found he could not keep them from scalping, he acted with dignity, and dismissed every one of them, saying, he would rather forego all the advantage of their assistance, than make war in so cruel a manner. This conduct refleets great honor upon his character, as the gentleman and the soldier. The day Sir Guy withdrew from CrownPoint, Gates, upon being assured of the fact, instantly dissmissed the militia, with thanks for their service, which he wished not to prolong for he had no provision for them. For near a week after, the army had but a daily supply of between 20 and 30 batrels by land from Bennington.. General Carleton, before he commenced his operations on the Jake, had prudently shipped off the American officers (made prisoners in Canada) for New-England, supplying them at the same time with every thing requistie to render their voyage comfortable. The other prisoners, amounting to about 800, were returned also by a flag, after being obliged to take an oath not to serve during the war, unless exchanged: many of these, being almost naked, Sir Guy clothed, out of compassion. By his tenderness and humanity, he has gained the affections of those Americans, who had fallen into his hands; and has done more toward subduing the rest than ever could have been effected by the greatest cruelties. The The only danger to be guarded against by the Americans at Ty, and the neighbouring posts, is, gen. Carleton's attempting to possess himself of them, when Lake Champlain shall be frozen over, so as to be capable of bearing horses, which probably will not be till the middle of January. The troops occupying these posts will not tarry longer than the end of the year: before that there is time enough to procure a sufficient force from the Massachusetts, Connecticut and New-Hampshire, to defend them. And if the weeks, between Sir Guy's returning to Canada and the frost's setting in so as to suspend all operations, are duly improved, something considerable may be wrought toward securing the entrance into the northern states. During the summer season, a road has been cut through the woods, for some miles, leading to Mount Independence, and communicating with the one leading to Hubbarton, so that the intercourse between that post and the *northern states can be carried on by land, without coming either through Lake George, or by water from Skeensborough. That the road is horridly bad for carriages and horses in many places but not impassable, my own experience. convinces me. Teams have travelled them with heavy loads, though not without ropes fastend to each side, and men attending to keep them from falling over, through the unevenness of the ground. But it is astonishing, that loads of tent-poles should be sent scores of miles to pass through these woods to the American camp, instead of being ordered to cut in the neighbourhood, where there was little other than woodland. By some strange fatality, or folly, the Americans conduct their business in a most expensive way, whereas they ought to exercise the greatest œconomy practicable without injuring the common cause. If the fate of war depends upon the expenditure of money, and the ability of the parties to continue the expences, the United States must -be a-ground much sooner than Great-Britain, unless the latter practises and continues an equal degree of extravagance and pro*fusion. Mr. James Lovell, who has at length recovered his liberty by -an exchange, was chosen, ten days ago, by the Massachusetts general court, one of their delegates to congress. LETTER LETTER VE Roxbury, April 16, 1777. ET the present letter begin with mentioning, that the repre lected and chosen for that purpose, assembled in Congress at Halifax, and after a third reading, ratified their form of goverment, with a declaration of rights prefixed, on the 18th of last December. When gen. Washington retreated with a handful of men across the Delaware, he trembled for the fate of America, which nothing but the infatuation of the enemy could have saved*. Though they missed the boats with which they expected to follow him im mediately into Pennsylvania, yet Trenton and the neighbourhood could have supplied them with materials, which industry might have soon constructed into sufficient conveniences for the transportation of the troops, over a smooth river, and of no great extent in some places. But they were put into cantonments for the present, forming an extensive chain from Brunswick to the Delaware, and down the banks of the Delaware for several miles, so as to compose a front at the end of the line, which looked over to PhiJadelphia. Mr. Mercerau was employed by the American ge neral to gain intelligence, and provided a simple youth†, whose apparent defectiveness in abilities prevented all suspicion, but whose fidelity and attention, with the capacities he possessed, constituted him an excellent spy: he passed from place to place, mixed with the soldiers, and having performed his business, returned with an account where they were cantoned, and in what numbers. Gen. Fermoy was appointed to receive, and communicate the information to the commander in chief: upon the receipt of it, he cried out, "Now is our time to clip their wings while they are so spread." But before an attempt could be made with a desirable prospect of success, [Dec. 21.] gen. Washington was almost ready to despair, while he contemplated the probable state of his own troops within the compass of ten days. could not count upon those whose time expired the first of January and expected, that as soon as the ice was formed, the enemy would pass the Delaware. He found his numbers on en *The general's words in his own letter. He After having been employed fome time in similar services, the enemy grew fufpicious of him, and upon that, without proof, put him into prifon, where he was farved to death. quiry less than he had any conception of; and while he commuicated the fact, thus charged his confidant-" For Heaven's sake, keep this to yourself, as the discovery of it may prove fatal to us.' Col. Reed wrote the next day from Bristol, and proposed to the general the making of a diversion, or something more at or about Trenton, and procceded to say, "If we could possess ourselves again of New-Jersey, or any considerable part, the effect would be greater than if we had not left it. Allow me to hope you wiik Consult your own good judgment and spirit, and let not the goodness of your heart subject you to the influence of the opinions of men in every respect your inferiors. Something must be attempted before the sixty days expire which the commissioners have allowed; for, however many may affect to despise it, it is evident a very serious attention is paid to it; and I am confident, that unless some more favorable appearance attends our arms and cause before that time, a very great number of militia officers here, will follow the example of Jersey, and take benefit from, it. Our cause is desperate and hopeless if we do not strike some stroke. Our affairs are hastening apace to ruin if we do not retrieve them by some happy event. Delay with us, is near equal to a total defeat. We must not suffer ourselves to be lulled into security and inactivity because the enemy, does not cross the river. The love of my country, a wife (formerly miss De Berdt) and four children in the enemy's hands, the respect and attach ment I have to you, the ruin and poverty that must attend me and thousands of others, will plead my excuse for so much freedom." The general on the 23d answered, "Necessity, dire necessity will nay, must justify any attempt. Prepare, and in concert with Griffin, attack as many posts as you possibly can with a prospect of success. I have now ample testimony of the enemy's intentions to attack Philadelphia, as soon as the ice will afford the means of conveyance. Our men are to be provided with three days provision, ready cooked, with which and their blankets they are to march. One hour before day is the time fixed upon for our attempt upon Trenton. If we are successful, which Heaven grant! and other circumstances favor, we may push on. I shall direct every ferry and ford to be well guarded, and not a soul suffered, pass without an officer's going down with the permit.' The origin of the present distress was stated in a letter of the same date, from a member of congress to his friend, in these words, "The causes of our present unhappy situation have long been known; the consequences of them were often foretold, and the measures execrated by some of the best friends of America; but an obstinate partiality (in the New-England delegates) to the habits and customs of one part of this continent, has predomi nated |