dollars of it were worth no more than one hundred and fifty dollars in specie; at the close of 1780, the same sum was worth only twenty-five dollars in specie, and in the following year it became entirely valueless. The credit of the government being thus shaken, brought a new source of disasters and difficulty upon the army, and in several instances Washington was obliged to take by force from the surrounding inhabitants the daily means of their subsist

ence.

But notwithstanding all his perplexities, the commander-in-chief opened the campaign of 1778 with his usual spirit. Sir. Wm. Howe, either ignorant of the deplorable situation of the army, or dreading a repetition of those master strokes of warfare which had cheated him out of his conquests in New-Jersey, had carefully abstained from molesting our troops in their encampment at Valley Forge, and thus lost for ever that golden opportunity of striking a fatal blow at the interests of American liberty.

The conquest of Philadelphia, which had cost the British general a whole campaign, and two or three destructive battles, proved, after all, to be only a dead weight on his hands. By fortifying it at great labour and expense on the land side, and guarding it by his fleet on the water, he had made it a secure resting place for his army during the winter. This was all the avails of a conquest made by twenty thousand troops, and the whole weight of the British navy in America. New-York would have

yielded him as good a protection at a much cheaper rate.

The evacuation of Philadelphia, however, whether the post was regarded as important or not, now became necessary on account of a change in the command, and in the plans of the enemy. Sir Wm. Howe, finding that he was maintaining but an equivocal reputation in measuring his strength with that of Washington, asked to be recalled, and the command of the British forces was given to Sir Henry Clinton, an officer of distinction, who had lately been knighted for his services. He had been ordered to send a portion of his army to act against the French possessions in the West Indies and in Florida, and to withdraw the remainder to New-York, a course which was necessary to prevent a blockade by the French fleet which might soon be expected to arrive.

It was his first intention to transport his army by water, but finding that there was a lack of vessels to accomplish this object, he sent only his provisions, heavy baggage, the American tories, (loyalists,) and a few of the German troops, who were beginning to be disaffected, and prepared to march with the main body of his army across New-Jersey by land.

The force of Washington was still much inferior to that of his adversary; but he determined, nevertheless, to seize every opportunity for annoying him; and no sooner did the enemy leave Philadelphia, than he put his army in

motion for that purpose. Encouraged by the spirit of his troops, he next began to think of a general engagement, and called together a council of officers for their advice. Lee, Du Portal, and Steuben were opppsed to the attack; and Washington, embarrassed by the divided opinions of his council, had a delicate part to act. Still, his own judgment inclined him to strike a decisive blow, and he made his arrangements accordingly.

He ordered a detachment of one thousand men, under General Wayne, to join others near the enemy, and gave the command of all the advanced parties to Lafayette, with instructions "to use the most effectual means for gaining the enemy's left flank, and giving every degree of annoyance;" and if a proper opening should occur, "to operate against them with his whole command." Washington knew his man, and readily foresaw that these orders, executed with the spirit which characterized Lafayette, would bring on an action with the principal part of the enemy's force, and, therefore, made preparations for sustaining the advanced division.

Sir Henry Clinton had encamped in a strong position, near Monmouth court-house, where he was secured on nearly all sides by woods and marshy grounds. From this place he began to move on the 28th day of June, the weather being most oppressively hot. Washington was several miles distant; but learning that the British general had put his army in motion, he sent orders to General Lee, who had, on ac

count of his supérior rank, assumed the command originally given to Lafayette, to commence the attack, "unless there should be very powerful reasons to the contrary."

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Instead of obeying this order, Lee only manoeuvred near the enemy for a time, as if making dispositions to attack them. Meanwhile a party moved toward his right flank, and placed itself in such a position that Lafayette thought it a very favourable opportunity for cutting it off. He, therefore, rode quickly up to Lee, and made the suggestion in person. 'Sir," replied Lee, "you do not know British soldiers; we cannot stand against them; we shall certainly be driven back at first, and we must be cautious." Lafayette replied, that "it might be so; but British soldiers had been beaten, and might, probably, be beaten again." At any rate, he was for making the trial.

Lee. however, did not make the attack; and Lafayette, alarmed at his conduct, sent a message to General Washington, that his presence at the scene of action was extremely important. But before this message reached him, he met the whole of Lee's division, amounting to five thousand men, in full retreat, without having made any important opposition to the advance of the enemy. Washington rode immediately to the rear of the retreating division, where he found General Lee, and expressed his disapprobation of his conduct with a warmth of manner and language which was altogether unusual to him, and ordered the troops to be instantly

formed and brought into action. Lee obeyed, and with some difficulty the order of battle was restored.

The attack was now made with great spirit, and the battle soon became general. “Washington," says Mr. Paulding, "called to his men, and they answered his call with three gallant cheers. He ordered them to charge the enemy, and they obeyed without hesitating a moment. The royalists attempted to turn his flank, but were manfully repulsed. They turned in another direction, and met the valiant, steady Greene, who drove them back with his cannon; while, on the instant, Wayne, at the head of his legion, gave them such a severe and welldirected fire, that they ceased to act on the offensive, and retired, and once more took post in their strong hold."

In this situation they could be approached only in front; and night coming on, the arm of victory was stayed. Wrapped in his cloak, Washington passed the night on the field of battle with his soldiers, intending to renew the attack the next morning; but when the morning dawned, no enemy was to be seen. Sir Henry Clinton had silently withdrawn his troops; and as he would have gained more commanding ground, no attempt was made to follow him.

This battle, although it did not terminate in a decisive victory, was still altogether honourable to the American arms, and was attended with important consequences. Four British officers, and about three hundred privates, were