another town, who in like manner fell a facrifice to the '782. barbarity of the whites. The dead bodies were afterward burned with the houses. Before their death, they were obliged to fhow in what part of the woods they had concealed their effects, when the Wyondats took them away. Thofe of the third town having fome intelligence of what paffed, made their efcape. This is a fummary of the dreadful transaction, as given by the principal leader of those that remain, The Pennfylvania packet of April fays of these white favages, "that they killed upward of 90, (but a few making their ef cape) about 40 of which were warriors, the rest old women and children. About 80 horfes fell into the hands of the whites, which they loaded with the plunder, the greatest part furs and skins," It was for the fake of the plunder that the Indians were killed.

It is alleged, in vindication of this deliberate maf facre, that 40 of these Indians were warriors preparing to attack the American frontiers; but this affertion contradicts itself; for had it been the cafe, they would not have brought their wives, with the widows and 34 children, who were flain with them; nor would they have fuffered themselves to be thus flaughtered without making the least resistance, or killing even one of their murderers.

Soon after the death of these Indians, about 500 men, probably encouraged by this eafy conqueft, and in hope of plunder, affembled at the Old Mingos on the weft fide of the Ohio; and being equipped on horfeback, fet out for Sandusky, where the remaining part of the Moravian Indians refided, in order to destroy that fettlement, and other Indian towns in those parts;

1782. but the Wyondats, and other Indians, having fome knowledge of their approach, and being enraged at the massacre, met them near Sandusky, when an engagement enfued, in which fome of the white people were killed, and several taken prisoners, among whom was the commander, col. Crawford, and his fon in law. The colonel they burnt to death in the most cruel manner; the other, with more prifoners, they tomahawked. The cruelty exercised on the colonel and the death of the prisoners, was undoubtedly owing in the main to the murder of the peaceable Moravian Indians *.

General Washington, in Auguft, established honorary badges of diftinction, to be conferred on the non-commiffioned officers and foldiers of the army, who had ferved three years with bravery, fidelity and good conduct; and upon every one who had or should perform any fingularly meritorious action. The candidate for the reward annexed to fuch action, was to fet forth the particular fact to the commander in chief, accompanied with inconteftible proof. Upon granting it, the name and regiment of the perfon, with the action fo certified, were to be enrolled in a book of merit, kept in the orderly office. Men who have merited the last distinction, are to be fuffered to pafs all guards and fentinels, which a non-commiffioned officer is fuffered to pafs. Military operations being fufpended, the opportunity has been improved for perfecting the difcipline of the army.

*The above account is extracted from fome-Obfervations on the fituation, difpofition and character of the Indian natives on the American continent, by that late moft excellent philanthropist of the quaker perfuafion, Anthony Benezet of Philadelphia. The American papers told a different ftory, fuch as was calculated to exculpate their own people,

The

The court of Verfailles ordered that the corps under 17820 count de Rochambeau fhould go to the Weft Indies, in cafe the evacuation of New York or Charlestown should take place. In expectation that the latter would happen, the French legion marched from Richmond in Virginia, and the French army under the count from Williamfburgh, to the northward, in the beginning of July. To-. ward the last of October, they proceeded to the eaftern states under the pretext of taking winter quarters there but in fact with the design of embarking on board the French fquadron of 15 fail of the line and 4 frigates, (which arrived under the command of the marquis de Vaudreuil in the lower harbour of Boston, on the 10th of Auguft) whenever the evacuation, on which the ultimate movement depended, should be fufficiently ascertained.

When Rochambeau was about leaving Williamf burgh, the city and corporation prefented him with a polite and affectionate addrefs. His anfwer› closed with" I feel an additional fatisfaction in having fought in Virginia, under the auspices of a Virginia general, whofe glory, equally celebrated in both hemifpheres, fhines with particular luftre in his native country." The count arrived at gen. Washington's head quarters on the 14th of September. Soon after, the French army joined the American; and was reviewed by the commander in chief on the 20th. Affection, efteem, and cordiality, were equally visible in the countenances of the French officers and of the Americans. The four divifions of the French army arrived at Boston in the first week of December, under the command of the baron Viomenil, who is ordered to the Weft Indies inftead of count de Rochambeau: the count returns to France. On the

1782, 11th, gov. Hancock and the council gave a public dinner to the general and field officers, the marquis de Vaudreuil and the principal officers in the fleet. The Magnifique, a 74 gun fhip, one of the fleet, having been loft by accident in the harbour of Bofton, congrefs, defirous of testifying the sense they entertained of his most christian majesty's generous exertions in behalf of the United States, resolved on the 3d of September, to present the America, a 74 gun fhip, to the chevalier de la Luzerne for the fervice of the French king. The fleet failed with the army on the 29th of December.

On the 20th of December, the celebrated Charlestown frigate, commanded by capt. Joiner, and (according to the New York account) carrying 28 forty-two pounders mounted on her main deck, and on the quarterdeck and forecastle 12 twelve pounders, and 450 men, was taken by the British Quebec of 33 guns and Diomede of 44, after a chafe of 18 hours and a half from off the Delaware.

The demand for bibles being great and the price high, in confequence of the war, Mr. Aitken, a printer at Philadelphia, undertook and finished an American edition of the holy fcriptures in English, the first of the kind. Congrefs on the 1ft of laft September, recommended it to their two chaplains (the Rev. Dr. White* an episcopalian, and the Rev. Mr. Duffield a presbyte rian) to examine the execution of the work, and if ap proved, to give it the fanction of their judgment and weight of their recommendation. They reported in

* Since ordained a bishop according to the rites, and by the hands of the bishops, of the church of England,

favor of it, that they were of opinion that it was exe- 17839 cuted with great accuracy as to the sense, and with as few grammatical and typographical errors as could be expected in a work of fuch magnitude. Whereupon congrefs paffed a refolve on the 12th of September, highly approving the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, and recommending his edition of the bible to the inhabitants of the United States. Notwithstanding this recommendation, fhould the war clofe in a fhort time, imported bibles will be fold fo much cheaper, and on that account be fo univerfally bought, that Mr. Aitken will be a confiderable lofer by the great expence which neceffarily attended his undertaking.

This town of Roxbury has given each of the three years men whom they inlifted for the army in 1781 and 1782, a bounty of not less than fifty-fix pounds five fhillings sterling, hard money. The bounties given by the towns in the Maffachusetts for fimilar purposes for the last of these years, will average 641. 4s. 9d. fterling, in cash, on every fuch recruit. The enormity of the fum has proved an heavy burden to numbers who have fhared in the expence.

LE T