and I was perfectly satisfied." Here was the true spirit of '76, and the same spirit governed the sons of Rhode Island generally; and here was the true cause of our unexampled success. Why not then cherish the memory of such patriots? and if the State does not see fit to erect monuments with suitable inscriptions, let their memory be embalmed in the hearts of their posterity.

SECTION III.

1777.

We begin our sketch of events in Rhode Island this year, by noticing the objections which General Washington made to the raising of the brigade which the State ordered at the close of the preceding year. It would seem that the State never notified the Commander-in-Chief of its intention of raising this brigade: its delegates in Congress only were notified. Washington heard of it, and thought it was raised for "local defence" only, and hence his objection; but when he was informed that it was not for local defence merely, but for the general defence of the Colonies, and that the troops could be marched to any point out of the State, if necessary, and that the raising would not interfere with the enlistments of the two continental battalions which were assigned to Rhode Island out of the Eighty-eight ordered by Congress, for three years or during the war, he withdrew his objections, or he at least admitted that "the two regiments of foot and that of artillery were established on a plan more extensive and generous than that of mere local defence, and the objections formerly made, were most wholly done away by the order permitting the men to be enlisted into the continental regiments;" and he further admitted, "that the peculiar circumstances of Rhode Island,

under an invasion, would furnish many apologies for the measure."

Two of these interesting letters of Gen. Washington were never before published. As before observed, they were found by the writer in the archives of the State, and were used as evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Representatives in 1836, on the petition of William Wilkinson and others to Congress, for an Act to have the claims for depreciation, set forth in the preceding columns, assumed and paid by the United States, and they were printed in the Committees Report.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN GENERAL WASHINGTON AND GOVERNOR COOKE, Respecting thE RHODE ISLAND BRIGADE.

SIR,

Morris Town, January 20th, 1777.

I am exceeding sorry to hear your State has ordered several Battalions to be raised for the defence of the State only, and this before proper measures are taken to fill the Continental Regiments: you cannot be insensible how unequal any one state is, unconnected with the others, to defend itself, if the enemy should make a descent against it with any considerable force neither have you the least reason to think you would derive less protection from the Troops, if they were raised upon the Continent's account, than that of the State. If each State were to prepare for its own defence, independent of the others, they would all be conquered in a short time, one by one. Our success must depend on a firm mien and a strict adherence to the general plan. Other measures may produce a partial relief but never can remove the principal evil.

You must be sensible the season is fast approaching when a new campaign will open; nay, the former is not yet closed, neither do I intend it shall, unless the enemy quit the Jerseys. It is of the last importance to the interest of America that the new regiments be speedily levied: it will give me an opportunity in the fore part of the campaign, before the enemy can collect their force or receive any reinforcement from home, to

give them a fatal stab: such a blow in the beginning of the season might terminate the campaign to great advantage.

I am sure the necessity of having the continental regiments immediately completed, are too obvious to need any further arguments: I hope the powers of government are such as to complete the new levies by draught, if they cannot be filled seasonably by voluntary enlistment. Necessity obliges me to call on you (as I shall on every other State) in the most pressing terms, to complete without delay your proportion of the eighty-eight battalions. I am confident the raising of two regiments at the expense of the State before the Continental Regiments are complete, can answer no valuable purpose. If the enemy should make a descent upon Rhode Island with any considerable force, the opposition of two Regiments will be inconsiderable. If they only infest the coast with their ships, the militia will answer a better purpose, and at a far less expense. I must confess I am ignorant of the reasons that induced the Assembly to adopt the measures, neither can I conceive of the use and policy of the scheme. I wish it may not be productive of more injury than benefit, by introducing innovations and changes that must retard the filling the Continental Regiments: and consequently prejudice the general interest which every State must have an eye to. The obligation on your State is greater than on any other, being the most exposed and the least capable of making a separate defence.

Our affairs here are in a very prosperous train. Within a month, passed in several engagements with the enemy, we have killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, between two and three thousand. I am very confident the enemy's loss here will oblige them to recall their force from your state. If I am properly supported, I hope to close the campaign gloriously for America.

I am, with the greatest regard and esteem,

Sir,

Your most ob't humble Serv't,

His Excellency,

Gov. COOKE.

GEO. WASHINGTON.

SIR,

Head-Quarters, Morristown, 24th Jan'y, 1777.

The situation to which I am reduced for want of a regular body of Troops, on whom I can depend for a length of time, makes it indispensably necessary for me to call upon you to exert yourselves in levying and equipping the number of Battalions allotted to your State by the resolution of Congress, in Sept. last; you must be fully sensible of the hardship imposed upon individuals, and how detrimental it must be to the public to have her Farmers and her Tradesmen called into the field as Militia men, whereby a total stop is put to arts and agriculture, without which we cannot possibly long subsist. But great as the inconvenience is we must put up with it, or submit to a greater-the total loss of our liberties, until our regular continental army can be brought into the field.

The above reasons alone I hope will be sufficient to induce you to exert yourselves; for if our new army is not ready to take the field early in the spring, we shall lose all the advantage which, I may say, we have providentially gained this winter.

While our dependence is upon the Militia, we have a full army one day and scarce any the next, and I am much afraid, that the enemy, one day or other taking advantage of these temporary weaknesses, will make themselves masters of our Magazine of Stores, Arms, and Artillery. Nothing but their ignorance of our numbers protects us at this very time, when on the contrary, had we six or eight thousand regular troops, or could the Militia who were with me a few days ago, have been prevailed upon to stay, we could have struck such a stroke as would have inevitably ruined the army of the enemy in their divided state.

I am not without hopes, that by creating a powerful division on the side of New York, we may still keep their force divided between that Province and this; if so, and a good body of regular troops could be thrown in to me, before the roads will be in a condition for the enemy (with their reduced wagon and artillery horses) to move out, it perhaps may not be out

of my power to strike a decisive blow before the spring. This is another and a forcible reason to induce you to send your new levies forward with all expedition. While the men are raising, I beg you will spare no pains to make collection of all things necessary for their equipment, not only with such as they carry with them into the field, but for their use and convenience while they are there-such as spare shoes and stockings, and shirts, the want of which was the ruin of the old army.

If these articles are provided and put into the hands of the Regimental Qr. Master, they can be delivered out when wanted and stoppages made by the paymasters.

I expect the Clothier General will be with the army in a few days, when I shall give him directions to allot a proportion of the clothing lately taken and purchased for the public, to each state.

I am Sir, with the greatest respect,

Your most ob't servant,

Gov. COOKE.

GEO. WASHINGTON.

Providence, February 9th, 1777.

SIR, I have been favored with your Excellency's Letters of the 20th and 24th ultimo, and have laid them before the General Assembly.

The enemy having landed not less than 7000 troops upon Rhode Island, and being possessed of the Bay, with a large fleet, laid us under the necessity of establishing a body of forces with all possible expedition. In this situation, when it was impracticable to fill the Continental Battalions, the Assembly set on foot two regiments, of 750 men each, and one regiment of Artillery, of 300 men, to serve 15 months. The following is the form of the enlistment of the non-commissioned officers and privates:-"I, the subscriber, do hereby solemnly engage and enlist myself as a soldier, in the pay of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, for the preservation of the Liberties of America and the Defence of