Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1800-01-13

| they were Obliged to conllrutf raft with one
natchet only, and having launched into the
ltieam, they were carried down by the torrent
ana hoating ice, urtl endeavouring to ecp the
raft with his letting pole, cur youth was plung
cd mo the midi of the river. Saving hinnf,lf
however, by fe;zng one of The logs. they made
Init TO get on an ifland where hi, companions
hands and feet were much frozen he night after,
and the ice Efficiently made 10 bear them over
IN the morning.
Early the next fpring we find him at the head
OF thin regiment of militia, unwilling to " at
Tor the junction of other corps that were rafting,
penetrating The fame wilderness to the neigh
bourhood of the Ohio, to ltop The rapid en-
eroachment of the French But finding an
army before him much fooner and larger than
he expected, he fell back TO meadow fuita.
bic Tor forage, and fortified his camp by a.
blockade, waiting for fuccours In this petition
be was loon attacked by four times his number
and when he had lolt more than one third of
bis men, he Hill fuaained 10 brave refffance
thai he obtained an honorable capi,ulation and
return for the r:n.
The next year we find him in the fame field
OF honor, and after Gen. 3radock with two
lfiih and tevsfal American regiments, had
been fatally ambuicaded and defeated by the
French On the Monongahela, be being the
only officer of his rank that was not either xii.
led or wounded, brought off the ihrviving
troops IN malterly manntr. from iituation as
much expelled and involved perhaps, as was
the war-tsught Burgoins, WHEN be capitulated
twas not until three years after, that anoih-
or attempt was made when under Gen, Forbs
we lind him at the head of the Virginia line,
leading the van of the army, and fpeedily re.
conquering the whole of that valuable country.
Ills health which had been declining during all
iheie fatignes, induced him to reign his COM
mand, and TO retire 10 that noble farm at
Mount Vernon, where he cultivated all the arts
and virtues of peace, which he knew 70 we'll TO
prize and enjoy, with loved companion he
married about this time.
81 Alter many years fpent ia this rura! felicity,
furnhng bread to The hungry tit is faid in one
year 1900 bnfhels he fees another form
gathering over his country from another quar-
ter; and he is delegated among the wilea Of
our land to a continental eongrefs, TO deviic
means of diye,ting or repel'ing the boding tenn.
pet. The ferviees of his youth are remember
ed and all eyes are upon him, TO forr, and
lead our armies And as there was no officer
OF eminent experience who was neither tory or |
foreigner, on whom he could devolve the
weightv, dangerous rua, he inbmits to the
voice OF his country with becoming duty; at
the fame time declaring that be was not qualiti-
ed for the talk. And when be joined the army
at Cambridge, be found a multitude of men |
indeed, but in fuch oifordcr, ana 70 defitute
of military Cores, that he wondered they had |!
not been attacked by the enemy, and confuled |!
a ,al kv 81, II
TO conceal the frighiful knowledge of their |
deltItute condition from themlevcs, as well as
from their enemy, he ordered many powder |
barrels hlled with iand, to be cartrd from place |
TO place, to make thew OF PREPARATION; and |
al length, by battery erected on the heights
OF Dorchelser, be drove the Biitifh out of Bot. |
ton, without waite of blood or ammunition.
Overpowercd indeed, the fummer after, by
that watt horde of mcrcenaries which was pour.
ed into the colony of Newyork. he retreated
but gave ground ilowly, like lion robbed of
bis whelps, with his face towards bis enemy.
Tho his fafcty, and ours, lay much in avoiding
general engagement yet he did not fly 70
tar away, as to loofe any opportunity Of dealing
him blow. Witnels the iurpriie and capture
OF the pot at Trenton, which was achieved by
pading the Delaware, when full of floating ice,
in hormy night. Wilnefs iimar deed as
Princeton, which was accomplished by cir
cuitous night-maroh, quite round the enemy,
kept at bay, by numerous fires, kindled to de-
ceivc them, into the belief, that he was yet be.
fore them, in his former petition. To the
fame purpcfe alto, numerous empty tents were
kept pitched on heights, to keep up
an impoGng idea of his force; when bis army
lad dwindled to leis than two thouEand. But
after he bad. by thus keeping in the face of his
enemy, recovered the dropping fpirits of his
country, which, in delpair had 70 nearly aban-
doned him, in this dark hour, and he was again
enabled to recruit, clothe, feed, and difcipliae
his army, he proved by the battles of German.
town and Monmouth, that he could give battle
as well as avoid one, when it futed the ntcrei
of his country. Theft are fcenes of his hiaory,