Of their readers, as well as their correfpondents, they cannot take leave without a very fenfible and lively regret. While they dictate this concluding para graph, it is with a melancholy feeling they reflect, that it deprives them of an opportunity of cultivating that correfpondence, and of committing to thofe readers the fentiments of their hearts; that it drops the curtain on their mimic ftate, and furrenders them to the lefs interefting occupations of ordinary life. Yet twice to have made a not unfuccefsful excurfion into this region of fancy and of literary dominion, is to have atchieved fomething which falls but to the lot of few. They can anticipate, with a venial degree of self-applaufe, the talk of their age, recalling the period of their publications with an old man's fondness, an author's vanity, and a Scotfman's pride; happy if any one of their number, who fhall then be pointed out as a writer in the Mirror or the Lounger, need not blush to avow them as works that endeavoured to lift amufement on the fide of taste, and to win the manners to decency and to goodness. Account of the Engagement at GERMANTOWN. By the Marquis DE CHASTELLUX. From his TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA, lately tranflated and publifbed. FEARFUL left the pleafures of Capua fhould make me forget the campaigns of Hannibal and of Fabius, I determined to get on horseback, on the 2d of December, to vifit the field of battle of Germantown. Many recollect, that af ter the defeat of Brandywine, in 1777, the American army, not thinking proper to defend Philadelphia, retired to the upper Schuylkill, whilft the English took pof feffion, without refiftance, of the capital of Pennsylvania. Elated with their fuccels, and full of that confidence which has invariably deceived them, they had divided and difperfed their forces; the greatest part of their troops encamped upon the Schuylkill, four miles from Philadelphia; another divifion occupied Germantown, eight miles to the northward of that place, and they fent a confiderable detachment to Billingfport, to favour the paffage of their fleet, which was making fruitlefs endeavours to get up the Delaware. Thus circumftanced, Gen Washington thought it was time to remind the English, that there still exifted an American army. One is at a lofs, whether moft to extol the fage intrepidity of the Chief, or the refolution displayed by his army in making an attack on the fame troops, whofe fhock they were unable to fuftain a month before. Germantown is a long town, or village, confifting of a single ftreet, not unlike La Villitre, or Vauginard, near Paris. From the first house at the fouth, to the last, at the north end of the town, it is near two miles and a half. The English corps which occupied, or rather covered it, was encamped near the last houses to the northward, and so fituated, as that the ftreet, or main road, interfected the camp at right angles. This body might amount to three or four thousand men. General Washington, who occupied a pofition at ten miles distance, on Shippack Creek, left his camp towards midnight, marching in two columns, one of which was to turn Germantown on the eastward, the other on the left; two brigades of the right column were ordered to form the corps de reserve, to separate themselves from that column at the inftant of the attack, and follow the main street of Germantown. A very thick fog came on, favourable to the march of the enemy, but which rendered the attack more difficult, as it became impoffible to concert the movements, and extend the troops. The militia marched on the right and left, without the two columna, not being committed in the affair, and always fkirting the woods, on the Frankfort fide as well as on that of the Schuylkill. Gen. Washington halted a moment before daylight, at a cross road, diftant only half a mile from the picket, or advanced poft of the enemy. There he learnt from an English dragoon, who was intoxicated, and had loft his way, that the Billingfport detachment was returned. This unexpected intelligence did not change the General's project; he continued his march at the head of the right column, and fell upon the English picket, who were furprised, put to rout, and driven to the camp, where they brought the first news of the arrival of the Americans. The troops flew to arms, and precipitately fell back, leaving their tents ftanding, and abandoning all their baggage. This was a moment not to be loft, and French troops would certainly have availed themselves of it; nay, it would have been difficult to prevent them either from pursuing the enemy too far, or or from difperfing to plunder the camp, It is here we may form a judgement of the American character. Perhaps this army, notwithstanding the flowness of its manœuvres, and its inexperience in war, may merit the praises of the Europeans. General Sullivan, who com manded the column on the right, calmly and flowly formed the three brigades a head; and after ranging them in order of battle, he traverfed the English camp, without a fingle foldier ftopping for plun der; he advanced in this manner, leaving the houses on the left, and driving before him all refistance from the gardens and inclofures; he penetrated into the town jtfelf, and was fome time engaged with the troops who defended a small square near the market. Whilft every thing thus fucceeded on the right, Gen. Washington, at the head of the referve, was expecting to see his laft column arrive, and pursued his march by the main ftreet: but a fire of mufketry, which proceeded from a large house with in piftol-fhot of the street, fuddenly checked the van of his troops. It was refolved to attack this houfe, but cannon were neceffary; for it was known to be stone, and could not therefore be fet fire to. Unfortunately they had only fix pounders: the Chevalier Dupleflis Mauduit, brought two pieces near another house, 200 paees from the former. This cannonade produced no effect; it penetrated the walls, but did not beat them down. The Chevalier de Mauduit, full of that ardour, which, at the age of 16, made him undertake a journey into Greece, to view the fields of Platea and Thermopylæ, and at 20, to go in fearch of laurels in America, refolved to attack, by main force, this house, which he was unable to reduce by cannon. He propofed to Colonel Laurens to take with him fome determined men, and get fome straw and hay from a barn, to let fire to the principal door. One may conceive fuch an idea prefenting itself to two fpirited young men; but it is fcarcely credible, that of thefe two noble adventurous youths, one fhould be at prefent on his way to France, and the other in good health at Newport *. M. de Mauduit making no doubt that they were ⚫ Mr Laurens has fince fallen a victim to his too inconfiderate valour : he was killed in Carolina, in a kismith of little importance, a short time before the signing of the peace, following him with all the straw in the barn, went straight to a window on the ground floor, which he forced, and on which he mounted. He was received, in truth, like the lover, who mounting a ladder to see his mistress, found the huf band waiting for him on the balcony. Į do not know whether, like him too, on being asked what he was doing there, he anfwered, "I am only taking a walk;" but this I know, that whilt a gallant man, with a pistol in hand, defired him to furrender, another lefs polite entering brifkly into the chamber, fired a mufket fhot, which killed, not M. de Mauduit, but the officer who wished to take him, After these flight mistakes, and this little quarrel, the difficulty was for him to retire. On one hand he must be exposed to a fmart fire from the first and fecond floor; on the other, a part of the American army were spectators, and it would have been ridiculous to return running. M. de Mauduit, like a true Frenchman, chofe rather to expofe himself to death, than ridicule: but the balls refpected our prejudices; he returned safe and found, and Mr Laurens, who was in no greater hafte than he, escaped with a flight wound in his shoulder. I must not here omit a circumftance which proves the precarious tenure of a military exiftence. Gen. Washington thought, that on fummoning the commander of this poft, he would readily furrender; it was propofed to M. de Mauduit to take a drum with him, and make this propofal; but on his obferving that he spoke bad English, and might not perhaps be underftood, an American officer was fent, who being preceded by a drum, and difplaying a white handkerchief, it was imagined, would not incur the smallest risk ; but the English answered this officer only by musket-shot, and killed him on the fpot. By this time the enemy began to rally; the English army had marched from their camp near Schuylkill to fuccour Germantown, and Cornwallis was coming with all expedition from Philadelphia, with the grenadiers and chaffeurs, whilft the corps de referve of the American army were lofing their time at the ftone houfe, and the left column was fcarcely ready for the attack. The contest was now become too unequal, and it became neceffary to think of a retreat, which was executed in good order; and General Washington took an excellent position four milestrom Germantown; Germantown; so that on the evening of the battle, he was fix miles nearer the enemy than before. The capacity he had juft difplayed on this occafion, the confidence he had infpired into an army they thought disheartened, and which, like the Hydra of the fable, re-appeared with a more threatening head, aftonished the English, and kept them in awe, till the defeat of Burgoyne changed the afpect of affairs. This is the moft favourable light in which we can view this day, unfortunately too bloody for any advantages derived from it. Military men who fhall view the ground, or have before them an accurate plan, will, I imagine, be of opinion, that the extenfivenefs of the object occafioned the failure of this enterprife. The project of firft beating the advanced corps, then the army, and afterwards of becoming mafters of Philadelphia, was abfolutely chimerical; for the village of Germantown being upwards of two miles in length, prefented too many obftacles for the affailants, and too many points of rallying for the English; befides that it is not in interfected countries, and without cavalry, that great battles are gained, which deftroy or difperfe armies. Had Gen. Washington contented himself with proceeding to Whitemarsh, and covering his march with a large body of troops, which might have advanced to Germantown, he would have furprised the English van-guard, and forced them to retire with lofs; and, if fatisfied with this fort of leffon given to a victorious army, be bad fallen back on the new pofition he wished to occupy, he would have completely fulfilled his object, and the whole honour of the day been his. But, fuppofing the project of attack to be fuch as was adopted, it appears to me, that two faults, rather excusable it is true, were committed; one, the lofing time in ranging in line of battle Gen. Sullivan's column, instead of marching directly to the camp of the enemy; the other in amufing themfelves in attacking the ftonehoufe. The firft fault will appear very pardonable to thofe who have feen the American troops fuch as they then were; they had no inftruction, and were fo ill difciplined, that they could neither preferve good order marching in a column, Dor fpread themselves when it became neceffary; for experience, which is always differing with M. de Menil Durand, teaches us, that profound order is the most fubject to disorder and confusion, and which confequently demands the moft phlegm and discipline. The second error may be juftified by the hope they always had of getting poffeffion of the ftone-houfe, the importance of which was measured by the obftinacy of the enemy in defending it. It is certain, that two better measures might have been a dopted: the firft, to pursue their march, without regarding the fire of musketry, which could always have been fuffi ciently flackened by detaching a few men to fire at the windows; and the fe cond, that of leaving the village on the left, to enter it again three hundred pas ces further on, where it would then have been fufficient to take poffeffion of ano. ther houfe oppofite to those occupied by the enemy; though this house be not quite fo high as the former, the fire from it would have checked the English, and fecured a retreat in cafe of neceffity. In allowing myself this fort of cenfure, I feel how much I ought to miftruft my own judgement, especially as I was not prefent at the action; but I made the fame obfervations to Mr Laurens, M. de Mauduit, and M. de Gimat, who feem ed to be unable to refute them. We have feen the share the two former had in the engagement; the third had several times viewed the field of battle with General Washington, who explained to him the motions of the two armies, and no body is better calculated to hear well, and to give a good account of what he has heard. LETTER from Mr RAIKES of Gloucester, To the COMMITTEE of the Society esta blished in London, for the Support and Encouragement of SUNDAY SCHOOLS in the different Coun ies of England. GENTLEMEN, Gloucester, Oft.7.1786. 1 THE parith of Painfwick exhibited on Sunday the 24th ult. a specimen of the reform which the establishment of Sunday Schools is likely to introduce. An Annual Festival has for time immemorial been held on that day; a festival that would have difgraced the most hea. thenish nations.-Drunkenness, and every fpecies of clamour, riot, and disorder, fors merly filled the town upon this occafion. Mr Webb, a gentleman who has exert ed the utmost affiduity in the conduct of the Sunday Schools in Painfwick, was lamenting to me the fad effects that might be naturally expected to arife from this feaft. It occurred to us, that an attempt to to divert the attention of the vulgar from their former brutal prostitution of the Lord's day, by exhibiting to their view a ftriking picture of the fuperior enjoyment to be derived from quietnefs, good order, and the exercise of that benevolence which Chriftianity peculiarly recommends, was an experiment worth hazarding.We thought it could do no mischief-it would not increase the evil. It was immediately determined to invite the gentlemen and people of the adjacent parishes to view the children of the Sunday Schools; to mark their improvement in cleanliness and be baviour; and to observe the practicability of reducing to a quiet peaceable demeanour the most neglected part of the community, those who form the great bulk of the people. In the parish of Painswick are several gentlemen who have a talte for mufic; they immediately offered to give every affiftance in a church-fervice; and my be. nevolent friend, the Rev. Dr Glaffe, complied with our intreaty to favour us with a fermon. Mr Campbell, a very active Juftice of Peace, Mr Townfend, Mr Sheppard, Mr Webb, of Ebworth, and several other gentlemen, engaged to give their countenance; we were highly gratified too with Mr Boddington's company, who kindly came from Cheltenham to take a view of this progress in civilization.-He is one of your Vice Presidents, and from his report you will receive a far more perfect idea than my pen can give. On the Sunday afternoon the town was filled with the ufual crowds who attend the feaft; but, instead of repairing to the ale-houfes as heretofore, they all haftened to the church, which was filled in fuch a manner as I never remember to have feen in any church in this country before.The galleries, the aisles, were thronged like a play-house.-Drawn up in a rank around the church-yard, appeared the children belonging to the different schools, to the number of 331. The gentlemen walked round to view them. It was a fight interesting and truly affecting.-Young people lately more neglected than the cattle in the field, ignorant, profane, filthy, clamorous, impatient of every restraint, were here feen cleanly, quiet, obfervant of order, fubmiffive, courteous in behaviour, and in conversation free from that vileness which marks our wretched vulgar. The inhabitants of the town bear te ftimony to this change in their manners The appearance of decency might be af fumed for a day; but the people among whom they live are ready to declare tha this is a character fairly stated. After the public service a collection for the benefit of the inftitution was made al the doors of the church.-When I confi dered that the bulk of the congregation were perfons of middling rank, hufband men, and other inhabitants of the adja cent villages; I concluded that the col lection, if it amounted to 241. or 251 might be deemed a good one.-My ftonishment was great indeed, when found that the fum was not less than 571 -This may be accounted for from the fe curity which the establishment of Sunday Schools has given to the property of eve ry individual in the neighbourhood. The farmers, &c. declare that they and thei families can now leave their houses, gar dens, &c. and frequent the public wor fhip, without danger of depredation.Formerly, they were under the neceffity of leaving their fervants, or ftaying a home themselves, as a guard; and thi was infufficient; the most vigilant were fometimes plundered.-It is not then to be wondered at that a spirit of liberality was excited on this occafion. A carpenter put a guinea in the plate and afterwards brought four more to M Webb. "It was my fixed defign, fay he, to devote the fum that I received for a certain job of work, to the fupport o Sunday Schools.---I received five guinea ---one only I put in the plate.--- It di not become me to put more.--- It woul have looked like oftentation-but her are the other four,"-giving them to M Webb. Another inftance of fpirit oc curred in a man upwards of eighty year of age, who seemed about the rank of th yeomanry. Oh! that I fhould live faid he, to fee this day, when poor chil dren are thus befriended, and taught th road to peace and comfort here, and hap pinefs and heaven hereafter!" The ol man gave a guinea, and faid he woul leave another in the hands of a friend, he thould die before the next Anniverfar When the matter of the collection w fettled, we went to the Schools, to he what progress was made in reading, &c The emulations to thew their acquir ments was fo very general, that it wou have taken up a day to have gratified the children. In the mean time the town was remar at ably free from those paftimes which used to difgrace it. Wrestling, quarrelling, fighting, were totally banished.-All was peace and tranquillity. I fear I have been too prolix; but I could not convey the complete idea that I was defirous of imparting to the gene rous promoters of Sunday Schools, with out writing these particulars. I forgot to mention that Mr Fox, one of the worthy members of your Committee, was prefent with us at Painfwick. The Sunday Schools were first established at Painswick, in the fummer of the year 1784. The children had been bred up in total ignorance. Of the number that at tended the Schools, 230 can read in the Bible or Teftament, 80 can read in the Sunday Scholar's Companion, and about 21 are in the alphabet. Thefe children have no teaching but on the Sunday; what they learn at the leifure hours in the week is the effect of their own defire to improve.-Many have their books at their looms, to feize any vacant minute, when their work is retarded by the breaking of threads. To relieve the parish from the burthen of cloathing these poor creatures, Mr Webb proposed, that fuch children, as by an increase of industry would bring a penny every Sunday towards their cloathing, fhould be affifted by having that penBy doubled.-This has had an admirable effect; the children now regularly bring their pence every Sunday; many of them have been cloathed; and the good confequences of laying up a little are powerful ly enforced. It is pretty evident that, were every parifh in this kingdom blessed with a man or two of Mr Webb's active turn and benevolent mind, the lower clafs of people, in a few years, would exhibit a material change of character, and juftify that fuperior policy, which tends to prevent crimes, rather than to punish them. The liberality with which the members of your Society have ftood forth, in this attempt to introduce a degree of civilization and good order among the lowest ranks, entitle them to the thanks of the community, and particularly of an individual, who will be ever proud to fub. fcribe himself, your most obedient fer. vant, R. RAIKES. The happy choice of the text had a remarkable effect in commanding the attention of the audience.-The fcriptures VOL. XLIX. could not have furnished a paffage more li◄ terally applicable to the fubject.-It was taken from Deut. xxxi. 12, 13.—“ Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy ftranger which is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law; and that their children which have not known any thing, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as ye live." The managers of the Sunday Schools at Kendal (in Weftmoreland) have lately published the annual report of their proceedings, by which it appears that the whole number of Scholars admitted is 331; of these 47 are gone apprentices or to fervice; at prefent 183 remain on the lift. The subscriptions amounted only to 571. 4s. 6d. The addrefs to the public on this occafion contains the following remarks. "In this enlightened country, numbers of poor children were found to be deftitute of inftruction; and wanting proper education and proper examples, they remained in ignorance, or paffed their hours in idlenefs. Now at this early period of life it is impoffible to be idle, and at the fame time innocent. But habits are gradually formed; thefe are confirmed by bad company, and infenfibly lead unthinking youth into criminal exceffes, fometimes even to the last stages of infamy and ruin. The Sabbath, being appointed to preferve a fenfe of religion in the world, demands the ferious regard of all ranks of men. On this much depends. Some part of our time fhould certainly be devoted to religious purposes: and if this day comes to be generally neglected or prophaned, it is cafy to foresee the confequences. It is therefore of no small moment that the rifing generation should be trained up in a regular obfervation of the Sabbath, and instructed in those branches of knowledge which are fuited to their capacities, and tend to make them useful members of society. SIR BERTRAND*. A FRAGMENT. |