place of the confusion occasioned by Arnold's elope

ment.

Joshua Smith, Esquire, the confederate of Arnold, has been tried by a court martial, of which Colonel Henry Jackson was president; the evidence against him and his own confession, go to prove that he went on board the Vulture, in the night, and brought on shore a gentleman who was called John Anderson, to have an interview with General Arnold, that he secreted him in his house, furnished him with a horse and change of clothes, and that he accompanied him through our out posts, and directed him into the proper road to New York. All this, he pleads in his defence, was by the express desire of General Arnold, who assured him that his object was to obtain some important intelligence from New York, which would be highly advantageous to the public interest. He considered himself therefore, in the character of a confidential agent in the employment of Arnold, without suspicion of treasonable conduct in this officer. This pretence is plausible, and it is his good fortune that no positive evidence could be produced to countervail his assertions. Though his actions appear criminal, yet it is possible his motives and views may have been laudable. The want of positive evidence therefore, of his criminality, prevented his conviction; but so strong was the circumstantial proof of his guilt, that it was deemed proper that he should be kept in confinement. Being seized with indisposition, from apprehension and anxiety of mind, I was requested to visit him in his prison. I found him very conversable, and he immediately entertained me with a relation of the particular circumstances of his case, which agreed substantially with the above statement. He promised to show me his written defence, produced at his trial, but no future opportunity occurred. He pretended that it was unjust and cruel that he should be deprived of his liberty, when no evidence of guilt could be produced against him. He was

soon removed to some prison in the country,* after which his lady arrived, expecting to find him here. I received a polite billet, requesting I would wait on her at the house of my friend Major Bowman, where I was introduced to her and to Mrs. B. and her daughter, with whom I took tea and spent the evening. Mrs. Smith was grievously disappointed that her husband was removed; she was very solicitous to be informed of the particular circumstances which attend him in his illness, and whether he was dejected in spirits, and politely thanked me for my attention to him. She appears to be an accomplished and interesting woman, but is in much distress for the fate of her husband. She could not conceal her natural partiality and bias in his favor, and would willingly have left the impression which Arnold wished to make, when in his letter to General Washington, he says of his wife," she is as good, and as innocent as an angel, and is incapable of doing wrong."

15th.-I have just returned from Orangetown, in company with Captain Hunt, of our regiment, where I was called to visit his brother, who was left sick when we marched from that place. We dined with doctors Eustis and Townsend, at the hospital on our way, and with Captain Livingston, a respectable officer, commanding at Stony point, on our return.

20th.-Major General Greene has been ordered to the southward, to take command of the American army in the Carolinas, and Major General Heath succeeds to the command of this post.

We have the mortifying intelligence, that the enemy has laid waste a great part of the fertile country above Saratoga, and likewise the vicinity of Schenectady. The party consisted of Indians, tories, and Canadians, commanded by Sir John Johnston.

Smith was for several months in confinement; but either from a want of vigilance in his keeper, or the indifference of the proper authority, he was at length allowed to escape to New York.

General Van Rensselaer, with the militia and some new levies, engaged the enemy at Fox's mills, Tryon county, and after a very severe action of three quarters of an hour, forced them to give way and cross the river, leaving their plunder, baggage and prisoners, which they had taken, behind them. One hour of day light would have given us the whole party. The action was general and vigorous; we have to lament the loss of Colonel Brown, who was killed in skirmishing with the enemy. The devastation committed by this savage party, is found to be very important, as it respects the inhabitants of the north It is estimated at two hundred dwellings, one hundred and fifty thousand bushels of wheat, with a proportion of other grain and forage. The same party destroyed also the town of Schoharie, but the inhabitants fortunately secured themselves in the fort.

Official intelligence is received of a very brilliant exploit of our militia, in North Carolina. The famous royal partizan, Major Ferguson, was at the head of about one thousand four hundred British troops and tories. Colonels Campbell, Cleveland, Williams, Shelby and Sevier, brave and enterprizing officers, had collected detached parties of militia, and by agreement, the whole were united, and formed a body amounting to near three thousand. Colonel Campbell was appointed their commander. They immediately marched in pursuit of Major Ferguson, and came up with him advantageously posted, at a place called King's mountains. No time was lost in making a vigorous attack, and giving the enemy a total defeat, in which Major Ferguson, and one hundred and fifty of his men were killed, eight hundred made prisoners, and fifteen hundred stand of arms taken, with a trifling loss on our side, excepting the brave Colonel Williams, who received a mortal wound, after being crowned with honor.

Congress have resolved, that the regular army of the United States, from and after the first day of

January, 1781, shall consist of four regiments of artillery, forty nine regiments of infantry, exclusive of Colonel Hazen's, called "the Congress' own regiment," and one regiment of artificers. The respective states are to furnish their quotas as proportioned by Congress. And as by the foregoing arrangement, many deserving officers may become supernumerary, Congress resolved, that after the reform of the army takes place, the officers shall be entitled to half pay for seven years, in specie or other current money, equivalent; and to have grants of land at the close of the war, agreeably to the resolution of the 16th September, 1776.

A scarcity of provisions is again complained of in camp.

It has long been the desire of General Washington, to make some arrangement with General Clinton, for an exchange of prisoners; but many difficulties have attended to prevent the accomplishment of the object. A partial exchange has now been effected; Major General Lincoln, who was taken at Charleston, has been exchanged for Major General Phillips, captured at Saratoga. General Thompson, and a number of other American officers, who have long been prisoners, are also liberated by exchange.

November 1st.-A most tremendous storm of wind, snow and hail has continued almost incessantly for two days. Many of our tents were levelled with the ground, and officers and men exposed without a shelter.

2d.-This is a day of public Thanksgiving throughout the state of New York, on occasion of the discovery of Arnold's conspiracy.

3d. A soldier has been executed to day for desertion, and persuading others to follow his example.

A large detachment of troops has been ordered by General Heath, to be in readiness with two days provisions cooked, to march on a foraging expedition, under command of Brigadier General Stark. The detach

ment crossed the Hudson on the 21st instant, and paraded on Nelson's point, where they were reviewed by the Marquis de Chastellux, one of the generals of the French army, at Newport. It is understood that the object of the expedition is to procure a quantity of forage from the farms on the neutral ground, between the two armies, towards King's bridge. After the review, the Marquis crossed over to West Point, where his arrival was announced by the discharge of thirteen cannon. The detachment marched about ten miles, and took lodgings on the ground in the woods, beside large fires. In the night a severe storm of rain came on, that drenched our troops, and becoming more violent the next day, rendered the roads extremely bad, and our march very uncomfortable; we reached North Castle, seventeen miles, and lodged in the woods, where our fires did not secure us from suffering much by wet and cold.

23d.-Marched to West Farms, near West Chester, within eight miles of the enemy's works at King's bridge. Here we kindled numerous fires in open view of the enemy, and in the evening the troops were ordered to leave the fires and retire back about two miles, and remain under arms prepared for battle; but the enemy made no advances.

24th.-Another severe storm of rain, which continued through the day; we however, began to march at sun rise, on our return, but soon halted and took shelter under the bushes near White plains. In this comfortless situation, we continued through the day and night. The next day, the storm continuing, I was so fortunate as to crowd into a house with some officers for shelter. 26th and 27th, marched twenty miles each day, and reached our former station at this place before night.

The country which we lately traversed, about fifty miles in extent, is called neutral ground, but the miserable inhabitants who remain, are not much favored with the privileges which their neutrality ought to