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require it; but I was afraid it would take up too much time, considering the critical state of affairs to the southward.

The day that I marched from Tappan, I wrote for Mrs. Greene, and expect her here every hour. When I wrote for liberty to go home, it was my intention to have stopped her on the road, and turned her back; but if I should set out before her arrival, the disappointment, added to the shock of my going to the southward, I fear will have some very disagreeable effect upon her health, especially as her apprehensions were very lively on the subject, before there was even a probability of my going.

I see the necessity for setting out, and feel the necessity for staying. I must beg your excellency's indulgence for one day longer; after which, if Mrs. Greene don't arrive, I shall immediately set out for head-quarters. My baggage sets off to-morrow, if I am not disappointed in getting horses, which colonel Hughes promises me shall not be the case. Nothing shall detain me longer than a couple of days from head-quarters, unless I am very unwell'indeed.

I thank your excellency for the double assurance you give me of support, and long to be on my journey, to meet lord Cornwallis, before he advances too far into the heart of North Carolina.

I am, with great respect and esteem, your excellency's most obedient, humble servant. Port Folio.

Letter from General St. Clair to the Hon. John Jay, relative to his evacuation of Ticonderoga.

SIR,

Moses' Creek, July 25th, 1777.

I

GENERAL SCHUYLER was good enough to read to me part of a letter he received last night from you. cannot recollect that any of my officers ever asked my reasons for leaving Ticonderoga; but as I have found the measure much decried, I have often expressed myself in this manner: "That as to myself, I was perfectly easy; I was conscious of the uprightness and proprie. ty of my conduct, and despised the vague censure of an

uninformed populace;" but had no allusion to an order from general Schuyler for my justification, because no

such order existed.

The calumny thrown on general Schuyler, on account of that matter, has given me great uneasiness. I assure you, Sir, there never was any thing more cruel and unjust: for he knew nothing of the matter until it was over, more than you did at Kingston. It was done in consequence of a consultation with the other general officers, without the possibility of general Schuyler's concurrence; and had the opinion of that council been contrary to what it was, it would nevertheless have taken place, because I knew it to be impossible to defend the post with our numbers.

In my letter to Congress, from fort Edward, in which I gave them an account of my retreat, is this paragraph: "It was my original design to retreat to this place, that I might be betwixt general Burgoyne and the inhabitants, and that the militia might have something in this quarter to collect to." It is now effected, and the militia are coming in, so that I have the most sanguine hopes that the progress of the enemy will be checked, and I may have the satisfaction to experience, that, although I have lost a post, I have eventually saved a state.

Whether my conjecture is right or not, is uncertain; but had our army been made prisoners, which it certainly would have been, the state of New York would have been much more exposed at present.

I proposed to general Schuyler, on my arrival at fort Edward, to have a note sent to the printer, to assure the people, he had no part in abandoning what they considered their strong holds: he thought it was not so proper at that time; but it is no more than what I owe to truth and to him, to declare, that he was totally unacquainted with the matter; and I should be very glad that this letter, or any part of it you may think proper to communicate, may convince the unbelieving.

Simple unbelief is easily and soon convinced; but when malice or envy occasions it, it is needless to attempt con. viction. Wilkinson's "Memoirs of his own times.”

Letter from General Washington to Major Lee, respecting a proposed attempt to capture General Arnold.

DEAR SIR,

The plan proposed for taking Ad, (the outlines of which are communicated in your letter, which was this moment put into my hands without date) has every mark of a good one. I therefore agree to the promised rewards; and have such entire confidence in your management of the business, as to give it my fullest approbation, and leave the whole to the guidance of your own judgement, with this express stipulation and pointed injunction, that he, (Ad.) is brought to me alive.

No circumstance whatever, shall obtain my consent to 1 his being put to death. The idea which would accompa ny such an event, would be, that ruffians had been hired to assassinate him. My aim is to make a public example of him! and this should be strongly impressed upon those who are employed to bring him off. The sergeant must be very circumspect; too much zeal may create suspicion-and too much precipitancy may defeat the project. The most inviolable secrecy must be observed on all hands. I send you five guineas; but I am not satisfied of the propriety of the sergeants appearing with much specie. This circumstance may also lead to suspicion, as it is but too well known to the enemy, that we do not abound in this article.

The interviews between the party in and out of the city, should be managed with much caution and seeming indifference; or else the frequency of their meetings, &c. may betray the design, and involve bad consequences; but I am persuaded you will place every matter in a proper point of view to the conductors of this interesting business, and therefore, I shall only add, that I am, dear Sir, &c. &c.

Lee's Memoirs of the Southern War.

Humorous letter from Dr. Franklin to a young lady.

DEAR MISS,

London, September 26th, 1773.

I lament with you, most sincerely, the unfortunate death of poor Mungo. Few squirrels were better accomplished; for he had had a good education, had travelled far, and seen much of the world. As he lead the honor of being, for his virtues, your favorite, he should

not go like common skuggs, without an elegy or an epi

taph. Let us give him one, in a monumental style and measure, which, being neither prose nor verse, is perhaps the properest for grief, since to use common language, would look as if we were not affected, and to make rhymes, would seem trifling in sorrow.

ALAS! POOR MUNGO!

Happy wert thou, hadst thou known
Thy own felicity!

Remote from the fierce Bald-Eagle,
Tyrant of thy native woods,

Thou hadst nought to fear from his piercing talons;
Nor from the murdering gun
Of the thoughtless sportsman.
Safe in the wire castle,

Grimalkin never could annoy

thee.

Daily wert thou fed with the choicest viands,
By the fair hand

Of an indulgent mistress;

But discontented, thou wouldst have more freedom.
Too soon, alas! didst thou obtain it:
And wandering,
Fell by the merciless fangs

Of wanton, cruel Ranger.

Learn here, ye who blindly wish more liberty,
Whether subjects, sons, squirrels or daughters,
That apparent restraint may be real protection,
Yielding peace, plenty, and security.

You see how much more decent and proper this broken style, interrupted as it is with sighs, is for the occa sion, than if one were to say, by way of epitaph,

Here Skugg

Lies snug
As a bug

In a rug.

And yet, there are people in the world, of so little feeling, as to think that would be a good enough epitaph for our poor Mungo.

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If you wish it, I shall procure another to succeed him but perhaps you will now choose some other amuse

ment.

Remember me respectfully to all the good family; and believe me ever, your affectionate friend.

Port Folio.

R

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