Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-06-26

Il
hear these ISLANDERS repeated, and not
have the means of repelling them.
/ I have, too, so me invaluable friends
in most Of the states, and many in
that which gave me birth; men who
are the ornaments of society aud oil
their country. All these. it not my
! country itself.." "have claims which
! ought not to leave dissatisfied. Thus
called upon to vindicate my charac.
/ ter. I am constrained to give cnn>
| else narrative OF my public life"
| The following Is taken liom the
| Revie@:
81 shall not trouble the reader
| with long details. 1t may suffice to
! say, that early in 1868, when mark
| ell line was drawn between wings
| and tories, (the party names of the
! day, l acted with the former in all
the measures Of my countrymen, II,
! opposition to British taxation of thr
! coIonies-tbat in my native town ]
was member of the various commit
| tees raised in that period. to support
that opposition; and that on me de-
volved all the writing which occa-
sions called for:-1hat prior TO the
war which ensued, l was elected by
the freeholders of my native county,
Essex. register Of deeds-,haf, after
t e comm n .snent 1T hostiitirs,
wien Massachusetts, organized a pro-.
visionsl government. I was appoint
ed a judge of the county court "t
common pleas: and sole Judge Of the
maratime court, to take cognizanc-
of prize causes pursuant to the reso
buttons of Congress. for the middle
district Of N massachusetts,, Comprising
Boston, Marbiehead, Salem, and o.
Their ports in ESSEX. Into these
places were brought most OF the pri.
yes taken BY the armed vessels Of
Massachusetts. The number of th"se
prizes. while held the Office. (Which
was until / joined the army under
General Washington's immediate
command amounted to about $50.
la the autumn of 1875, the army be-
ing greatly reduced, by the expira-
ton of enlisfments, and likely soon
nearly to be dissolved. there WAS a
call on Massachusetts, for many thou
sand of her militia, ! marched com.
mander of a regiment of 700 men
from Essex. The tour of duty ter
minated in New Jersey, in March
I777. General Westinghouse head
quarters were at Morristnwn. Some
time after my return home, I receive
ed from the General an invitation to
take the Office of adjntant general.
III that capacity I joined the army at
Middlebr"ok about the middle o. the
month of June. In September. hap
pened the battle of Brandy wine. -
Five days afterwards another gene
raj action VAS expected: but rain
oming OF, the enemy tal d; Il af.
rer some skirmishes between the ad-
vauced parties. the American army
retired. In OctobeS the battle of
Germantown took place. After the
capture of Burgoyne's army, Gene
raj Washington, reinforced by some
brigades from the northern army,
took an advantageous postum at
Whitemarsh. II miles from Phila-
delphia. In the beginning Of De-
cember, Sir William Howe led his
army from Philadelphia to Ch.suut
Hill, abou. three m les from the A.
merican army, and on the morning
of the third day afterwards. advanced
with his whole f"rce, apparen,i,
with the expectation or hope of draw.
ing Washington from his advauta.
geous position. The advanced par
ties and Morgan's rife regiment, en-
gagged the British advanced parties.
Washington retaining his station on
The hills: Howe returned to Phila-
delphia. The American army then
marched to Valley Forge, on the
western side of the river Schuylkiil,
| and hutted for the winter.
Some two or three months before.
Congress had constituted Board OF
| War. l was appointed one of its
! members, and took my seat there as
soon as successor in the office oil
adjutant general was appointed. be
inc the last Of January, 1878. Judge
Peters was a member Of the Board,
| and we were Joined by Gems. Gates
| and Miffiin; but these two left the