Battalion of Marines.” They will certainly thought I, scamper away now. Alas! No. They stay and fight. And to complete my astonishment, I cannot find in General Gage’s letter where our Troops were when he wrote, nor what became of them after the action; whether they are returned to Boston, or have ventured to encamp without the Town; what prisoners they have taken; what advantages (besides five pieces of cannon) result from this bloody action; whether the war is now at an end, or what the Troops propose to do next.

To be serious, I am, for my own part, convinced that the event of this execrable dragooning is decided; and that before winter there will not be a single soldier of Lord Bute’s and Lord Mansfield’s mercenary troops left upon the Continent of America.

With what consolation those noble Lords will wipe away the tears of the widow and orphans, (as well English as American) which these bloody Stuart measures have occasioned, I cannot tell; but I know that my eyes will gush out with joy when they see the authors of our domestick miseries receive (what I believe they will soon receive) their just reward.

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS.

I have the highest idea of General Howe’s military character, yet cannot help wondering how he came to suffer the Provincials to escape, and even carry off their dead, when drove from their strong lines; for I conceive it very easy to have destroyed the whole body, after dislodging them so suddenly from their intrenchments, if Mr. Gage is suffered to tell the story right: I can’t help observing also, that I never before heard of so many men, in proportion to the number, being killed and wounded from redoubts made in four hours, and from six pieces of cannon only in those redoubts, to oppose above one hundred pieces. I therefore suspect that the disagreeable scene is not unfolded.

One or both of the following conclusions must be drawn from this narration: The Americans are either the cleverest fellows in the world at making strong lines in three or four hours, or the most desperate enemy in defending them; for, by Mr. Gage’s account, they killed and wounded near half his army in marching up about three hundred yards under a complete train of artillery, and all the fire of the Navy to cover them; which, by this account, is a new instance of successful defence from one night’s labour. Hah, Gad! by this rule the Americans will put oar whole Army into the grave or hospitals in three or four nights’ work, and an hour’s fire in each morning. I do not remember precisely, but am apt to believe, that there were not so many officers killed and wounded at the battle of Minden, though the English Regiments sustained the force of the whole French Army for a considerable time. A six-gun battery, the production of a night’s digging, had there been ten thousand men to protect if, could never have made such havock against a vast train of artillery, and the irresistible fire of our ships, which would sweep all before them, from every acre of that peninsula. But the true story is not told: A Methodist Secretary, and a Scotch Printer, can do more than our people; they pay off the sins of omission and commission of the day by a long prayer at night, and thus settle accounts between God and the People in an hour’s devotion.

London, August 8, 1775.

The account of the late action between the Americans and the Troops of General Gage, is one of the most evasive and unsatisfactory that ever yet obtruded on the publick, even through the channel of a Ministerial paper; and yet it is every way worthy of the victory which it affects to describe. The General sent out “something above two thousand men,” of whom something above half (i. e. 1053) are either killed or wounded. The General, however, takes care not to mention how many hours were employed in the prosecution of this hopeful business, but, nevertheless, pretends to tell us that great numbers of the enemy were destroyed; and seems to have employed his soldiers in digging up such as were buried in holes, that he might have power to ascertain the value of his conquest.

With all the vanity of a military man he praises the conduct of the officers under his command; but prudently omits to say whether any such advantage has been gained as may make up for the loss of one Lieutenant-Colonel, two Majors, seven Captains, nine Lieutenants, fifteen Sergeants, one Drummer, one hundred and ninety-one rank and file, killed; and three Majors, twenty-seven Captains, thirty-two Lieutenants, eight Ensigns, forty Sergeants, twelve Drummers, and seven hundred and six rank and file wounded, and unfit for service. In short, if every time the General sends out his brace of thousands, the one half of them should either drop, or be rendered useless, we shall soon see an end to the war in America, but if cannot be expected to terminate in our own favour.

The Ministry received this account several days before it was announced, but were either unwilling or unable to cook it up for the publick till after their despatches had been sent away. The printer may rely on this assurance from one whose private letters will always reach him unexamined and uncastrated by the spies of Government. General Gage is but too well convinced that such another victory would oblige him to re-embark his Troops and sail immediately for England, without attempting any farther reduction of the Americans.

The Captain who brought these despatches from Boston, was commanded to declare he had great news of the defeat of the Americans, though he had assured many people in the Towns through which he passed on his way to London, that he was afraid the accounts he brought would throw the whole Nation into disorder, and direct its vengeance on the advisers of hostile measures in America.

Grenada, June 28, 1775.

On Monday, the 26th instant, his Honour the Commander-in-Chief, sent the following Message to the Honourable House of Assembly:

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Assembly:

I think it my duty to require, that the Address and Minutes of your House, in favour of the rebellious subjects in America, be rescinded. This I hope will be done before any other business is entered upon by your House. I have the honour to be, &c.

WILLIAM YOUNG.

St. George’s, June 26, 1775.

Whereupon it was Resolved by the House, That a Message be sent to his Honour, the Commander-in-Chief, acknowledging, that an Address to His Majesty had passed this House, in consequence of an unanimous Resolution for that purpose; that such Address was ordered to be engrossed and delivered to the late Speaker for the purpose of presenting the same to the Throne, and is no longer considered to be in the power of this House; that such Address contained a renewal of the sentiments of this House, of their attachment to His Majesty’s Royal person, family, and Government, and of their confidence under such auspices, in the conduct of the Mother Country, towards this Colony; that the Address also deplored the mischiefs already consequent on the unhappy contest subsisting between Great Britain and its Provinces on the Continent of America, and pointed out some of the many evils of which the continuance of such disputes were likely to be productive of to these islands; and imploring His Majesty, the father of all his People, to exert that influence which he possessed from the attachment of his servants, and the affection of his subjects, towards healing differences between their countrymen and friends; but contained no principles or expressions tending to encourage or approve rebellion, or a rebellious disposition, in any part of His Majesty’s extensive dominions; and therefore hoping that his Honour will not consider such an Address as any deviation from that loyalty which they feel, are ready to manifest on all occasions to His Majesty; and that his Honour will please to allow the continuance of the publick business of this Colony, which requires the immediate attention of the Legislature.

After which a Message was accordingly sent to his Honour.

The following Resolutions were proposed, and passed the House unanimously:

That this House are, no less astonished than alarmed, to find that the exercise of one of the most acknowledged and indisputable rights of the subject, that of petitioning the Sovereign for the redress of evils, which they either feel