woods, mountains, and morasses. He made his way, however, by the most incredible exertions of vigour and perseverance; procured provisions, secured camps, and surmounted every other difficulty in his tedious progress, though continually harassed by parties of hostile Indians. Having advanced with the main body of his army as far as Ray's-Town, distant about four-score miles from fort du Quesne, general Forbes detached major Grant, at the head of eight hundred men, to reconnoitre the place. Unfortunately, the major's approach was discovered by the enemy, who sent a more numerous body of troops against him. A desperate combat ensued, which was gallantly maintained by the British detachment for more than three hours; but being at length overpowered by superior force, it was obliged to give way. About three hundred men were killed or made prisoners, and among the latter was major Grant, with nineteen other officers. This severe check, so fatal to the reconnoitring party, did not prevent general Forbes from advancing with the main body of his army, though ignorant of the enemy's numbers. Regardless of danger, he only longed for an opportunity of retaliation. The French, however, dreading the prospect of a siege, deprived him of the pleasure of revenge, by abandoning the disputed post, on the twenty-fourth of November. They retired down the Ohio, to their settlements on the Missisippi. The British standard was erected on fort du Quesne, which had been the cause of so general and so destructive a war; and the name of Fort-Pitt was given to it, in honour of the minister under whose auspices the expedition had been undertaken, Nor were the conquests of Great-Britain confined solely to North-America. Two ships of the line, with some frigates and a body of marines, had been dispatched early in the season, in order to reduce the French settle 36. Lond. Gazette Jan. 20, 1759. ments ments on the coast of Africa. They accordingly entered the river Senegal; and in spite of the obstructions of a dangerous bar, which the ships of the line could not pass, they obliged fort Louis, which commands the navigation of the Senegal, to surrender, and, with it, all the French settlements on that river37. But this squadron being found insufficient to reduce the island of Goree, which lies at the distance of thirty leagues, on the same coast, commodore Keppel, brother to the earl of Albemarle, was afterward sent upon that service, with four ships of the line, several frigates, and seven hundred regular troops, under the command of lieutenant-colonel Worge. The great ships laid their broadsides to the principal batteries, and maintained so strong a fire, that the place surrendered at discretion, before the troops were landed39. M. St. Jean, the French governor, behaved with true courage, but was ill supported by his garrison. DEC. 19. The British arms were less successful during this campaign in the East Indies. Though admiral Pococke, who had succeeded, in consequence of the death of admiral Watson, to the command of the English squadron on the coast of Coromandel, had worsted, in two obstinate engagements, the French squadron under M. d'Aché, he was not able to prevent the loss of Cudalore and fort St. David. These, two places were reduced by the count de Lally; who having been appointed governor-general of all the French possessions in India, had carried out with him a great force to Pondicherry. He was gallantly assisted in his military operations by the count d'Estaign, and flattered himself with nothing less than the conquest of all the English settlements on the coast of Coromandel. Such, my dear Philip, was the state of the war in all parts of the world, at the close of the year 1758. Many checks had been given, many victories obtained, and 37. Lon. Gazette, June 10, 1758. 38. Lon. Gazette, Jan. 29, 1759. many many conquests made; but these were not all on one side. The success was divided. All parties had cause of hope, or room for consolation; and, in consequence of this situation of affairs, all parties prepared for opening the ensuing campaign with equal vigour, though the state of their finances was very different. The resources of England being still great, she generously continued her annual subsidy of four millions of dollars to the king of Prussia. Those of Austria were much exhausted, and France was on the eve of a national bankruptcy; yet were the efforts of both undiminished. The empress of Russia, having lost only men, readily supplied by her boundless dominions, adhered to her military system, which she considered as necessary to the training of her armies: and Sweden made no advances toward peace. The greatest exertions were displayed in every quarter of the globe. Germany however continued, as hitherto, to be the grand theatre of military operations, though less of conquest or bold enterprise. These found elsewhere a wider range. Repeated trials of each other's strength had here made all parties more cautious; because all were become sensible, that the war could only be brought to a successful issue by patience and perseverance, not by any single blow. The greatest blows had been already struck, yet peace seemed as distant as ever; though, in striking some of those blows, ruin itself had been hazarded by the illustrious Frederic. Less dependence was henceforth placed in fortune, and more in force and skill. Experience had moderated the ardour of courage, and rectified the mistaken conceptions of military superiority. Firmness and recollection took place of presumption and rashness; and mutual esteem and apprehensions of danger, of self-confidence and mutual contempt. The fire of the king of Prussia's genius alone seemed unabated. We have seen in what manner he obliged the Austrians and the army of the empire to evacuate Saxony, at the close of the last campaign, while his ge nerals nerals forced the Russians and Swedes to retire toward their own frontiers. He began the present with equal vigour and success: and he had formed a great system of operations, in concert with prince Ferdinand A. D.1750. of Brunswick. One of his generals, in the month of February, destroyed the Russian magazines in Poland; another recovered Anclam, Demin, and all the places the Swedes had conquered in Pomerania. He himself, by his threatening motions, drew the Austrian army to the frontiers of Silesia. His brother, prince Henry, who had wintered in Saxony, seized that opportunity to lay Bohemia under contribution; and, afterward, entering Franconia, pushed the army of the empire as far back as Nuremburg. To this degree were the arms of the king of Prussia successful. But certain unforeseen events, partly depending upon himself, partly upon others, disconcerted all his future plans, and gave a fatal reverse to his affairs. The Russians advanced toward Silesia, notwithstanding the destruction of their magazines. And prince Ferdinand, although early reinforced with a choice body of British troops, found himself unable to prevent the army of the empire from receiving succours from that of France, a circumstance on which the success of the campaign greatly depended, and on which his Prussian majesty had presumed, though certainly without due consideration. The French, by a flagrant violation of the liberties of the empire, accompanied with an act of perfidy, had made themselves masters of Frankfort upon the Maine, a neutral and free city, in the beginning of January. This was an important acquisition, as it secured to them the course of the Maine and the Upper-Rhine, by which they could readily receive every kind of supply. It was therefore determined to dislodge them, if possible, as soon as the season would permit the allied army to take the field. With this view, prince Ferdinand assembled his troops in the neighbourhood of Fulda, and began his march. toward the enemy, at the head of thirty thousand men ; having VOL. V. ชน APRIL 10. ter. having left the rest of his forces to guard the electorate of Hanover, and protect the bishoprick of MunsHe found the French army, under the duke de Broglio, strongly posted near the village of Bergen, between Frankfort and Hanau, yet did he resolve to attack them. He accordingly drew up his forces in order of battle, and advanced to the charge. But after three desperate efforts to get possession of the village, he was obliged to retire with the loss of two thousand men39. He preserved, however, so good a countenance that the enemy did not attempt to pursue him. But The allies perhaps lost no honour by this action. they failed in their object; and that failure, beside thwarting the designs of the king of Prussia, reduced themselves to great distress for want of provisions. Meanwhile the JUNE 3. French enjoyed plenty of every thing. And their armies on the Upper and Lower-Rhine having formed a junction near Marpurg, proceeded northward, under the mareschal de Contades, who fixed his headquarters at Corbach, whence he detached a body of light troops to take possession of Cassel. Finding himself inferior to the united forces of the enemy, prince Ferdinand judged it prudent to retire as they advanced. He left strong garrisons, however, in Lipstadt, Retberg, Munster, and Minden, in order to retard the progress of the French generals. But this precaution proved ineffectual. Retberg was surprised by the duke de Broglio. He also took Minden by assault; and Munster, though defended by a garrison of four thousand men, was reduced, after a short siege. It now appeared impossible to prevent the French from making themselves a second time masters of his Britannic majesty's German dominions. Considering the conquest of Hanover as certain, the court of Versailles was only occupied in contriving expedients for 39. French and English Gazettes compared. securing |