Falmouth, August.-Having received orders to march to Falmouth, (now Portland,) left Kittery on the 23d instant, and on the 27th, entered this town in martial order, and were received with marks of the greatest joy and satisfaction, as the inhabitants were under serious apprehensions of a visit from the British. We behold here only the relics of a town, which a few years since was very respectable and flourishing. It was the capital of the Province of Maine, and enjoyed the happy prospect of becoming one of the most important seaports in New England. But in October, 1775, the inhabitants opposed the lading of a British vessel with ship timber, which so enraged Admiral Graves, that he sent Captain Mowat, with several ships of war, demanding of the inhabitants to deliver up all their artillery and small arms. refusal to comply with this demand, the enemy opened a severe cannonade, which soon set fire to the town, and no less than four hundred and eight houses, stores and other buildings, were consumed to ashes. A large number of seamen and mariners were landed, but the people having collected in considerable force, compelled the enemy to retreat to their boats, with the loss of several men. On By several gentlemen just returned from Penobscot, I have obtained the following particulars respecting the failure of the expedition. On the arrival of General Lovell, instead of one thousand five hundred militia, nine hundred only could be collected; it was resolved however, in a council of war, to make an attempt to achieve the object of the expedition; accordingly, on the 28th of July, the militia, with about three hundred marines were disembarked, and soon effected a landing under a height which rose almost perpendicularly from the banks of the river, on the summit of which, the enemy's advanced guard were posted, under cover of a wood. Our militia were opposed by about an equal number of the enemy, whom they bravely encountered and drove within their works; but we suffered a loss of several officers of merit, and about one hundred of the militia and marines were killed and' wounded. It now became a subject of consideration, whether it was expedient to storm the enemy's principal works, but in a council it was decided that our force was inadequate to the object. It was at this juncture supposed that by a vigorous co-operation of our navy, a complete victory might have been obtained, and the most urgent and pressing entreaties were made to Commodore Saltonstall for the purpose, but he declined, and continued in a state of pusillanimous inactivity, thereby proclaiming himself totally incompetent to the important trust with which, most unfortunately, he had been invested. On the 14th instant, Sir George Collier, with a sixty-four gun ship, and five frigates, arrived from New York. General Lovell, on receiving this intelligence, ordered all his troops, with the artillery and baggage, to be embarked on board the transports, which with our whole fleet moved up the Penobscot river, pursued by the British. On the near approach of the enemy, our vessels were abandoned; two of them fell into the hands of the enemy, the remainder were burnt and blown up. General Lovell, and General Peleg Wadsworth, the second in command, both of whom have the reputation of brave men, now dispensed with all command of the troops, as did Saltonstall of the seamen. The soldiers separated from their officers, and every individual was seeking his own safety, wandering in the wilderness, suffering fatigue, hunger and vexation, till after much difficulty they reached the settlements on the Kennebec ; a few of their number indeed actually perished in the wilderness. Thus disgracefully has ended the famous Penobscot expedition, which, had a competent force been provided, might have terminated to the glory of Massachusetts. Those concerned in the plan or its execution, a few individuals excepted, were publicly execrated. The expense attending the expedition is immense. The fleet was invaluable, and its loss is altogether irreparable. It was extremely fortunate for our regiment that we were detained two or three days on our passsage by contrary winds; had there been no impediment to our voyage, we must inevitably have fallen into the hands of the enemy. September 3d.-Two armed vessels, accompanied by two others, being perceived approaching this harbor, excited a great degree of consternation among the inhabitants, but it was soon ascertained to be our two continental frigates, the Boston and the Dean, returning from a cruise with two prizes of very considerable value, and having on board two hundred soldiers for the British army, and stores and goods to a large amount. The inhabitants of this town have shown us numerous marks of respect and generous hospitality. A respectable committee of the town have invited our officers to a tavern to partake of a treat of punch and wine, in company with a number of respectable inhabitants, and we experience many other polite civilities, indicating a disposition to contribute to the comfort and happiness of those who are serving the great cause of our common country. Orders are now received from General Gates for our regiment to return immediately to Boston. Castle William, September.-Commenced our march from Falmouth, on the 7th instant, passed through Scarborough, Kennebunk and York, to Portsmouth, in New Hampshire. At York, all the officers of our regiment were politely invited to an elegant breakfast, with the genteel and hospitable family of Mr. Sewall. Having crossed the ferry at Portsmouth, on the 10th, we encamped on the common. A number of gentlemen of this town treated us with buckets of punch at the ferry way, and as we passed through the streets. This attention was extremely grateful during the heat and fatigue of the day. We had the satisfaction of visiting the seventy-four gun ship on the stocks near this town, she will be ready for sea in June next. This is the first seventy-four ever built in America.* On the 12th - From crossed the ferry at Newbury, and marched to Ipswich Hamlet, passing through Salem, we reached Cambridge on the 14th, and encamped on the common. Accompanied a number of ladies and gentlemen to view the colleges, and were admitted to the library room and museum. Cambridge we marched to Dorchester point, where we embarked in boats, crossed over to the castle, and encamped. On the 18th, went with Colonel Jackson to Boston, to attend the funeral of a Mr. Deshon, a brother mason. A procession of one hundred and twenty of the brethren preceded the corpse, and added greatly to the solemnity of the oc casion. Walking in the street, I met with James Otis, Esq. He has for some time labored under an unhappy mental derangement. I had no expectation that I should be recognized by him, but he accosted me in a very familiar manner by my christian name, and inquired about my connexions. He was *This ship bore the name of America, and John Paul Jones, Esq. was appointed her commander. As the Magnifique, a 74 gun ship belonging to the French fleet commanded by the Marquis de Vaudreuil, was lost by accident in the harbor of Boston, and Congress being desirous of testifying to his Most Christian Majesty the sense they entertain of his generous exertions in behalf of the United States, they Resolved, (September 3d, 1781,) That the agent of marine be, and he is here by instructed to present the America, a 74 gun ship, in the name of the United States, to the Chevalier de la Luzerne, for the service of his Most Christian Majesty. inquisitive respecting the affairs of the army, and wished to be informed whether I had on any occasion been exposed to personal danger, and whether my courage had failed me. A friend related to me the following anecdote, which he received from O. W. Esq. who was present on the occasion. Mr. Otis invited several respectable gentlemen to dinner; in carving at table, he observed a fish not sufficiently boiled, which drew from him some expressions of disapprobation. His lady retorted with an air of ill humor. Mr. Otis, wishing to avoid altercation, waved his rebuke, till dinner was finished, when he rendered thanks to God, that among other favors, the guests had escaped the danger of having their noses snapped off at table. A particular account of the brilliant achievement in the capture of the fortress at Stony Point, by General Wayne, has been obtained. Stony Point is a strongly fortified post on the west bank of the Hudson, near King's ferry. The possession of this post is of vast importance to either army, as it completely commands the great road, and the ferry way which affords communication between the middle and eastern states. This fortress has lately been visited by Sir Henry Clinton in person, and by his orders strengthened and rendered, as supposed, entirely defensible. General Washington was extremely desirous to dislodge the enemy from this position, and to Brigadier General Wayne he intrusted the hazardous enterprise. At the head of his detachment of light infantry, consisting of one thousand two hundred, he marched about fourteen miles, reached the vicinity of the fort at eleven o'clock in the evening of July the 16th, and instantly prepared for the assault. He peremptorily ordered that every man should advance in silence with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets. A soldier disobeyed this order, and began to load his piece, the order was repeated, and he persisted in the resolution to load, on which an officer instantly run him through the body with his sword. On no occasion is a strict obedience to orders more indispensable than at this critical moment; had a single gun been fired, the victory might have been lost, or the slaughter have been immense. The plan being adjusted, one hundred and fifty volunteers under Lieutenant Colonel Fleury, a French gentleman, formed the van of the right column, and one hundred volunteers, under Major Stuart, composed the van of the left column, each of which was preceded by a forlorn hope, of twenty picked men, commanded by Lieutenants Gibbon and Knox, for the express purpose of removing the abbatis and other obstructions. At about twenty minutes after twelve, the columns advanced to the assault, and such was the impetuosity of the troops, that in the face of a most tremendous and incessant fire of musketry and cannon, loaded with grape shot, they forced their way at the point of the bayonet, surmounted every obstacle, and both columns met in the centre of the enemy's works, nearly at the same instant. Colonel Fleury first entered the fort, and struck their standard with his own hand. Major Posey was the first to give the watch word, "The fort's our own." General Wayne, in his letter to the Commander in Chief, extols highly the brave conduct of his officers and men, and particularizes Lieutenant Colonel Fleury, Major Stuart, Colonels Butler, Hull, Meigs and Febiger, for their exemplary valor and intrepidity. Lieutenant Colonel Hay was wounded in the thigh, while fighting with firmness in the heat of the action. General Wayne himself received a slight wound in his head, but, supported by his aids, he entered the fort with the troops. The truly brave are ever ambitious of distinguishing themselves, by a nice observance of the laws of humanity and generosity, towards the conquered foe. It is highly creditable to our troops, that they conducted towards the prisoners with a humane forbearance, which is directly the reverse of the conduct of the British on too many similar occasions; they disdained to take the lives of those who were in their power, and calling for mercy; not an individual suffered after the surrender, and this will account for the few of the enemy killed on the occasion; being about one hundred killed and wounded. The continentals had fifteen killed and eighty three wounded. The number of prisoners was five hundred and forty three. Colonel Johnson commander of the fort, and several other officers, were among the number. It is remarkable that out of the twenty men who formed the forlorn hope, under Lieutenant Gibbon, seventeen were killed or wounded. General Washington's letter to Congress, applauds the conduct of all the officers and men ; but he names particular officers whose situation placed them foremost in danger, which rendered their conduct more conspicuous. Lieutenants Gibbon and Knox, he observes, who commanded the advanced parties, or forlorn hope, acquitted themselves as well as it was possible. With respect to General Wayne, he observes, "that his conduct throughout the whole of this |