The spring of 1778 was far advanced, before the contending armies began to act in America. Count D'Estaign's fleet entered the Delaware in the begin ning of July. A short time after, the British army, now commanded by Sir Ilarry Clinton, (Sir William llowe having resigned,) began their march through the Jerseys, hum• Philadelphia to New York. As they proceeded with an enormous baggage, extending twelve miles in length, they were assaulted on the 28th of June, in the vicinity of Monmouth Court house, by the van of Washington's army. In two attacks, the Americans were repulsed : the British rangers and light infantry, on the other hand, were obliged, from fatigue, to desist from an attempt on the main body of the enemy. The approach of night left both armies with nearly equal loss ; but in the morning, the British army had re treated, and reached New York without farther mo lestation.
D'Estaign, missing Lord Howe's fleet in the Dela ware, followed him to Sandy Hook; but the judicious position of the British admiral, and the difficulty which the French dreaded of passing the bar of the harbour of New York, saved our inferior force till Howe was joined by the squadron of Byron ; and sailing after his antago nist, obliged the French and Americans to desist from an attempt which they had made upon Rhode Island. Owing to tempestuous weather, the hostile admirals, though mutually willing to engage, could not come to a general action. Disconcerted in his views upon the continent, the French admiral turned his efforts to the West Indies, and assisted the Marquis de Bouille in taking the island of Dominique, whilst the British en joyed an equivalent triumph in the conquest of St Lucia.
On the continent of America, the war still raged with unremitted malignity ;—the destruction of the beautiful settlement of Wyoming in Pennsylvania, by which a terrestrial paradise was converted into a frightful waste, and men, women, and children butchered indiscrimi nately by the Indians, is an event of horrible memory in this year's campaign. In a more civilized mode of war fare, Major-General Grey was so successful, as to de stroy 70 sail of shipping and immense stores at Fair Haven, in New England, and to bring off an immense booty of sheep and oxen from Martha's vineyard, in the vicinity, for the use of the army at New York. On the banks of the North River, the same officer surprised, naked and asleep, a whole regiment of American light horse. Quarter was refused ; and if we may credit the solemn asseveration of the American congress, in re monstrating on this cruel transaction, the regiment were massacred in cold blood.
A squadron under Sir Hyde Parker, having on board a body of troops, commanded by Colonel Campbell, sailed for East Florida, from the head quarters of Sir II. Clinton, and on the 23d of December arrived in the Sa vannah. The force of the colony was unable to oppose them, and the town of Savannah fell into their hands. General Prevost soon arriving, with a large reinforce ment, took the first command, and prepared to push his conquest over the province. When the design of France to assist America had become unquestionable, Admiral Koppel was appointed commander of the chan nel fleet, and sailed from Portsmouth, in June, with 20 ships of the line. 'War had not been proclaimed, nor had reprisals been ordered; but coming up with two French frigates, the admiral thought himself justified in taking them, and learning, from papers on board one of the captured vessels, that the French had, in Brest, thirty•two ships of the line, he returned to port, mid strengthened his fleet to thirty sail of the line. On the
27th of July, the fleets met, and fought for three hours. The French lost above 1000 men, the British about 500. This would have been a proud day for Great Britain, if Admiral Sir Ilugh Palliser had obeyed the signals of the commander in chief, and come up with his squadron to make the victory decisive. His neglect of this duty, which the delicacy of Keppel forbore to mention directly, in his dispatches, came to light when the particulars of the battle were discussed in England. I'alliser, whose misbehaviour had tarnished the glory of the day, was tried, and only slightly censured by a court martial. The venerable Keppel was also brought to trial, but he was honourably. acquitted.
The session of parliament commenced on the 26th of November 1778. In the addresses, the most vigorous support was, as usual, promised, by great majorities, towards the prosecution of the war. The ministers con tinued successful, throughout the session, in baffling the successive motions that were made by the Rocking ham party, to pass a censure on the principles, as well as the practical and particular conduct of the war ; but the numbers of the minority were, on several great oc casions, formidably increased. When Mr Fox moved for a vote of censure on the conduct of Lord Sandwich, the first lord of the admiralty, for having ordered Ad miral Keppel to sea, with a fleet inferior to that of France, by twelve ships of the line, besides a great in feriority in frigates ; his motion was supported by 174 votes to 246. It required, indeed, the whole force of the crown influence to protect that minister from the odium which his encouragement of the venerable Kep pel's prosecution, and his general incapacity as a war minister, had excited. In the present question on his conduct, the testimony of Lord Howe was forcibly de livered against that minister ; and that officer, already distinguished for a naval campaign of unexampled skill in the West Indies, declared, that under such council as the present ministry, he should deem it for ever im possible to serve his country. In a motion, which Lord Bristol made in the house of peers, similar to Mr Fox's in the lower house, for Lord Sandwich's removal ; his Lordship established, that seven millions of money had been given to the support of our navy, during the last seven years, beyond any former period, and that, during that time, the decrease and decline of the navy had been in the inverse ratio of its expenditure. The Howes, having obtained a reluctant consent of the minister, that a parlia mentary enquiry should be instituted, respecting their conduct in America, the result was, a declaration by the committee, that at no period had the force sent out to America been sufficent to subdue the provincials, and that there was no further prospect of success in attempt ing the conquest of America. The house, however, continued voting supplies, for this declaredly impracti cable object.