fled in every direction. Colonel Donop, their commander, was mortally wounded and taken, and more than one hundred were killed on the spot, and a greater number wounded and prisoners. The enemy retreated with great precipitation, leaving many of their wounded on the road, and returned to Philadelphia with the loss of one half their party. Colonel Greene, and his brave troops, acquired great honor for their gallant defence of the fort, which is a key to other posts on the river. Congress have rewarded the Colonel, with an elegant sword. The British army found it difficult to procure the necessary supplies in Philadelphia, and the continental galleys and strong chevaux de frize in the Delaware, rendered a passage of their ships up to the city, almost impossible. Admiral Lord Howe, determined to attempt the removal of these formidable obstructions, and he ordered six of his ships to engage in this service. They were so unmercifully handled by our galleys, and from Fort Mifflin, at Mud Island, that two of them, one of sixty four guns, run aground and were set on fire by the crews who deserted them, and soon after they blew up.

December.-Fort Mifflin, on Mud Island, has been evacuated by the continental garrison, after having been bravely defended against the prodigious force of the enemy's shipping. Our troops secured all their stores, destroyed the block houses, and demolished the bank, to let in the water, by which the Island is entirely inundated. The fort at Red Bank is also abandoned, and the continental fleet has been burnt, to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy. The British are now in full possession of the city of Philadelphia, and their fleet has obtained access to it by way of the Delaware river. The continental army, since the close of the campaign, has retired for winter quarters to a place called Valley Forge, about 20miles from Philadelphia. Here they are subjected to the fatigue and labor of clearing the woods and

constructing log huts for their accommodation during the winter.

An occurrence of a very singular conplexion, has lately been published in a Pennsylvania newspaper, which occasions much indignant speculation. The Reverend Jacob Duche, a popular Episcopal minister in Philadelphia, was the first chaplain appointed by Congress. He performed his official duties to general acceptance, frequently and fervently imploring heaven to succeed the American cause. Whether from alarm at the success of the royalists, or from any change in his sentiments respecting the justice of our cause, is uncertain, but after having officiated about three months, he gave in his resignation. He left Philadelphia, and "took shelter under the arm of that power which from the sacred pulpit he had exhorted his hearers to oppose." But it is no less extraordinary, that this apostate addressed a letter to his Excellency General Washington, with whom he was on terms of friendship, in which, to use the author's own words, "he has spoken freely of Congress, and of the army." He enjoins it on his Excellency to abandon the American cause, and resign his command of the army; or at the head of it, to force Congress immediately to desist from hostilities and to rescind their declaration of Independence. If this is not done, he says, "You have an infallible resource still left, negotiate for America at the head of your army." He represents the Congress in the most despicable point of view, as consisting of weak, obscure persons, not fit associates for his Excellency, and the very dregs of the first Congress. The New England delegates he treats with the greatest indelicacy. The officers and men which compose our army, he describes as destitute of principle and courage; undisciplined, taken from the lowest of the people, unfit for a seat at his Excellency's table, &c. &c. Thus has this vile calumniator disgraced his profession, and involved his own character in that

ignominy which he designed for his superiors. His Excellency in noticing this transaction in a letter of October the 16th, observes, "To Mr. Duche's ridiculous, illiberal performance, I made a very short reply, by desiring the bearer Mrs. Ferguson, if she should hereafter, by any accident meet with Mr. Duche, to tell him I should have returned his letter unopened if I had had any idea of its contents.*

20th. The wounded soldiers committed to my care in October last, have all recovered, and as a compliment for my assiduity, and attention to my patients, I have received from Dr. Potts, our Surgeon General, a generous and handsome present. The duties of our hospital being now greatly diminished, I have obtained a furlough for forty days, and shall to-morrow commence my journey to visit my friends in New England.

February 4th, 1778.-Having performed a journey on horseback to Boston and Barnstable, in

The following is the form of prayer made use of by the Reverend Mr. Duche in the Congress after Independence was declared.

O Lord! our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth, and reignest with power supreme and uncontroled over all kingdoms, empires and governments. Look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American States, who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor, and thrown themselves on thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on thee; to thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which thou alone canst give; take them, therefore, heavenly Father, under thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in council, and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause, and if they still persist in their sanguinary purposes, O! let the voice of thine own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle. Be thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation, that the scene of blood may be speedily closed, that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst thy people; preserve the health of their bodies and the vigor of their minds; shower down on them, and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings, as thou seest expedient for them in this world, and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name, and through the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son and our Saviour. Amen.

Massachusetts, I returned here two days before the expiration of my furlough, and resumed my duties in the hospital. Several gentlemen belonging to the hospital being desirous of improving in the accomplishment of dancing, Mr. John Trotter has agreed to open a special school for our accommodation, and we are to attend every afternoon. Master Trotter has for many years been in the practice of teaching the art in the city of New York, and has acquired great fame as a man of knowledge and experience in his profession. He is about fifty eight years of age, a small, genteel, well proportioned man, every limb and joint proclaiming that he is formed for his profession, and the ease and grace with which he moves on the floor, evince, that he is an accomplished master, and that he has lost none of his agility by age. Under the tuition of such a master, we flatter ourselves that in due time, if we improve our advantages, we shall be able to figure in a ball room.

10th. I have now obtained a particular description of the American Torpedo, and other ingenious submarine machinery, invented by Mr. David Bushnell, for the purpose of destroying shipping while at anchor, some account of which may be found in this Journal, page 75. The external appearance of the torpedo, bears some resemblance to two upper tortoise shells, of equal size, placed in contact, leaving at that part, which represents the head of the animal, a flue, or opening sufficiently capacious to contain the operator, and air to support him thirty minutes. At the bottom, opposite to the entrance, is placed a quantity of lead for ballast. The operator sits upright, and holds an oar for rowing forward or backward, and is furnished with a rudder for steering. An aperture at the bottom, with its valve, admits water for the purpose of descending, and two brass forcing pumps serve to eject the water within, when necessary for ascending. The vessel is made completely water tight, furnished with glass windows for

the admission of light, with ventilators and air pipes, and is so ballasted, with lead fixed at the bottom, as to render it solid, and obviate all danger of oversetting. Behind the submarine vessel, is a place above the rudder for carrying a large powder magazine; this is made of two pieces of oak timber, large enough when hollowed out, to contain one hundred and fifty pounds of powder, with the apparatus used for firing it, and is secured in its place, by a screw turned by the operator. It is lighter than water, that it may rise against the object to which it is intended to be fastened. Within the magazine, is an apparatus constructed to run any proposed length of time under twelve hours; when it has run out its time, it unpinions a strong lock, resembling a gun lock, which gives fire to the powder. This apparatus is so pinioned, that it cannot possibly move, till, by casting off the magazine from the vessel, it is set in motion. The skilful operator can swim so low on the surface of the water, as to approach very near a ship in the night, without fear of being discovered; and may if he choose, approach the stern or stem, above water, with very little danger. He can sink very quickly, keep at any necessary depth, and row a great distance in any direction he desires without coming to the surface. When he rises to the surface, he can soon obtain a fresh supply of air, and if necessary, he may then descend again and pursue his course. Mr. Bushnell found, that it required many trials and considerable instruction to make a man of common ingenuity a skilful operator. The first person, his brother, whom he employed, was very ingenious and made himself master of the business, but was taken sick before he had an opportunity to make use of his skill. Having procured a substitute, and given him such instruction as time would allow, he was directed to try an experiment on the Eagle, a sixty four gun ship, on board of which Lord Howe commanded, lying in the harbor of New York. He