their progress, and threw them into great disorder. Being rallied by the exertions of their officers, they again advanced, till a second discharge again threw them into a fimilar confufion. The Generals Howe and Clinton, now placing themselves at the head of the troops, and for a time almost unsupported, led them on to a third attack; and the redoubt being now affailed on both fides, and enfiladed by the cannon from the ships and batteries, the Provincials were compelled to abandon their works, retreating across the isthmus to Cambridge with inconfiderable loss. But on the part of the British, not less than 1100 were killed or wounded, and amongst them 89 officers, who were particularly aimed at by the American riflemen. This was one of the warmest and most bloody conflicts ever known for the time it lasted, and the number of men engaged: and it was remarked that at the battle of Minden, where the British infantry sustained the fire of the whole French army, the officers fuffered much less, and of privates the lofs was scarcely greater. In the heat of the action, Charles-town, a fort of fuburb to Boston, fituated on the oppofite peninfula, and containing several hundred houses, was set on fire by the British forces, and entirely confumed.

In the beginning of July, General Washington arrived at the head-quarters near Boston: he was received with all civic and military honors, and an Address of Congratulation was presented to him by the Affembly of Massachusetts; in return for which he declared, that his highest ambition was to be the happy instrument of vindicating the common rights of America, and of restoring that devoted province to peace, liberty, and safety. The town of Boston, together with the post now occupied by the English at Bunker's Hill, continued to be closely invested; and though the American army was at this time extremely deficient in powder, ammunition, and military stores of every kind, happily no attempt was made by the English Generals to molest them. The General Congress had, in the beginning of June, come to an important resolution, that the Colonies of Ame rica would not only continue to grant extraordinary aids in time of war, but also, if allowed a free commerce, pay into the Sinking Fund such a fum annually for an hundred years, as should be more than sufficient in that time, if faithfully applied, to extinguish ALL the present debts of Bri tain. But the intelligence at this period arriving of the prohibitory and other MAD ACTS of the British Parliament, it was not fuffered to be entered upon the Minutes. Georgia having now acceded to the Confederacy, which from this time assuined the appellation of the Thirteen United Colonies; they iffaed, in July, a Declaration, setting forth the causes and neceffity of their taking up arms, "WE

"We are reduced," say they, " to the alternative of unconditional fubmiffion or resistance by force; the latter is our choice. We have counted the coft of this conteft, and find nothing so dreadful as voluntary flavery. Honor, justice, and humanity forbid us tamely to furrender that freedom which we received from our ancestors, and which our pofterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning fucceeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them, if we basely entail hereditary bondage upon them," This Declaration was read at the head of every regiment, and received with great applause and acclamation. At the fame time, and as the last effort for effecting an accommodation, the Congress refolved upon a second petition to the KING, which, though less eloquent than the first, was expreffed in terms the most guarded, temperate, and respectful: and fo flattering were the hopes conceived of its happy effects by those who fighed for the return of peace, that it received, by a fort of general affent, the appellation of the "Olive Branch." This Petition was tranfmitted to England through the highly respectable medium of Mr. Penn, Proprietary Go-/ vernor of the Province of Pennsylvania, and a lineal defcendant of that famous and beneficent Legiflator, in whose estimation the sword and the fceptre were equally superfluous, and in corn14 parifon

parison with whom Solon and Lycurgus hide their diminished heads. "Attached," say the Petitioners, "to your Majesty's person, family, and government, with all the devotion that principle and affection can inspire; connected with Great Britain by the strongest ties that can unite societies; and deploring every event that tends in any degree to weaken them; we folemnly affure your Majesty, that wenot only most ardently defire that the former harmony between her and these Colonies may be restored, but that a concord may be established between them upon so firm a basis, as to perpetuate its blessings, uninterrupted by any future diffenfions, to fucceeding generations in both countries; to transmit your Majesty's name to pofterity, adorned with that signal and lafting glory that has attended the memory of those illustrious personages whose virtues and abilities have extricated States from dangerous convulfions, and, by fecuring happiness to others, have erected the most noble and durable monuments to their own fame. We beg leave further to assure your Majesty, that notwithstanding the fufferings of your loyal Colonists during the course of the present controversy, our breasts retain too tender a regard for the kingdom from which we derive our origin, to request such a reconciliation as might in any manner be inconsistent with her dignity or her welfare; and, the apprehenfions that now oppress our hearts with unfpeak

unfpeakable grief being removed, your Majefty will find your faithful subjects on this Continent ready and willing at all times, as they have ever been, with their lives and fortunes, to affert and maintain the rights and interests of your Majesty and of our Mother Country. We therefore beseech your Majesty, that your Royal authority and influence may be gracioufly interposed to procure us relief; with all humility fubmitting to your Majesty, whether it may not be expedient that your Majesty be pleased to DIRECT some MODE by which the united applications of your faithful Colonists to the Throne may be improved into a happy and permanent reconciliation." To this Petition, which Mr. Penn delivered into the hands of the Earl of Dartmouth on the ist of September, he was, after a short interval, informed that " NO ANSWER WOULD BE GIVEN!"

Sanguine hopes had been entertained by the English Court, that the inhabitants of Canada might be induced to take an active part in this war against America: and twenty thousand fiand of arms were actually sent to Quebec, for the use of the Canadians. But a very general discontent pervaded the minds of the people on account of the late bill; and the militia of the province, on being applied to by the Governor, General Carleton, abfolutely refused to pass the limits of it-declaring, that this was a quarrel which did not concern them,