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History of the rise, progress, and termination of the American Revolution
History of the rise progress and termination of the American Revolution Author:Mercy Otis Warren Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XIII. Evacuation of Philadelphia—B:ittle of Monmouth.— General Lee cenfured.—General Clinton reaches New York.—The Count de Eftuing arrives there—Repa... more »irs to Rhode Ifland—Expedition unfuccefsful.—French Fleet rendezvous at Bofton, to refit after the Damages fuftained by a Storm.—Lord Howe leaves the American Seas.—Marauding Exploits of General Grey.— Deftruction of Wyoming.—Expedition into the Indian Territories. THE new commiffion with which fir Henry 1778. Clinton was now vefted, was prompt, arduous, and replete with confequences of the higheft magnitude to his country, and to his own reputation. The Trident man of war had arrived in the Delaware early in the month of June, one thoufand feven hundred and feventy- eight. In this fhip came the Britifh commif- fioners for conciliation ; and through the hand of fir William Eden, general Clinton received peremptory orders to evacuate the city of Philadelphia, within fix days after their reception. Accordingly the whole Britifh army decamped, and began their march toward New York on the eighteenth of June. The fudden defertion of a city that had been fo much the object of their warmeftwishes, tended at once to difhearten the adhe- cr.aa. rents to the royal caufe, and to invigorate the ' operations of their antagonifts. It could not be expected, that general Wafhington would remain a quiet fpcctator of this movement of the Britifh troops. He immediately difpatched a reconnoitering party under general Maxwell, to harafs their march. The marquis de la Fayette alfo marched at the head of a detachment, to meet them and impede their progrefs ; and general Lee with two brigades, was ordered to follow and fupport him. The Britim commander prepared for this interruption, fuddenly attacked and routed the cavalry under the mar...« less