nada. American cruisers
were still troublesome. Paul Jones, a Scottish sailor, who held a
commission from congress, infested the coasts of Scotland and Ireland,
and in 1779 received a ship from the French government, which he called
the _Bonhomme Richard_. With her and four smaller vessels he sailed from
Brest, and fell in with the homeward-bound Baltic fleet convoyed by the
_Serapis_, Captain Pearson, and a sloop of war. Pearson engaged the
_Bonhomme Richard_, and after a desperate fight the two English ships
were forced to strike. His gallant conduct saved the convoy, and the
_Bonhomme Richard_ was so severely mauled that she sank the next day.
The Americans suffered at least as heavily as the English from this
desultory warfare, and their privateering ventures were checked by
operations on their coast.

While Washington was encamped in the high lands north of New York,
guarding his position by forts on the Hudson, and specially by the
fortification of West Point, Clinton took two posts which commanded the
passage of the river, and, in conjunction with Admiral Sir George
Collier, distressed the enemy by various expeditions. The New England
coast was thoroughly scoured by Collier's squadron, some towns on the
Chesapeake were invaded, a great quantity of stores seized, and about a
hundred and twenty vessels taken or destroyed. Partly in the vain hope
of drawing Washington down from his position, and partly in order to cut
off one of the main sources of his supply, a force from New York was
landed in Connecticut, some towns on the coast were destroyed, and
stores and shipping burnt or carried off. Further operations there were
stopped by an expedition from Boston against a British post established
in Penobscot bay, to check the incursions of the enemy into Nova Scotia.
As soon as Collier appeared in the Penobscot river the Americans burnt
most of their ships; he captured the rest, and the whole naval force of
Massachusetts was destroyed.

In the autumn Lincoln persuaded D'Estaing to bring his fleet from the
West Indies and join him in driving the British out of Georgia. The
French and Americans, about 10,000 strong, laid siege to Savannah, which
was defended by Prevost with a force of only 2,500 men. An assault was
made on the place on October 9, and was repulsed with heavy loss. The
siege was abandoned; D'Estaing with most of his ships sailed for France,
and the American army retreated into South Carolina. D'Estaing's