n the river Delaware. Cornwallis penetrated to the remotest
parts of East and West Jersey, and on the 24th of November, having
received some reinforcements, he marched for Brunswick. He was now
within two or three marches of the Americans, who fled before him in
dismay; but when he arrived at Brunswick he was ordered to halt. He did
not receive orders to advance till the 16th of December, and then it was
too late for him to overtake the enemy. When he arrived at Princetown
in the afternoon of that day, the last of the Americans had cleared out,
and on pursuing them the next morning he reached Trenton only in time to
see Washington's last boats crossing the river. At that time the forces
of the American general scarcely amounted to 3000 men, for numbers
of them had deserted, and those that remained were chiefly unsteady
militia. Beyond the Delaware, indeed, Washington's force lost all
appearance of an army; and the men still continued to desert, though
often brought back forcibly to the camp. Lord Cornwallis now desisted
from the pursuit, and put his division into winter-quarters, between the
Delaware and the Hakensack.

EXPEDITION AGAINST RHODE ISLAND.

While Cornwallis had been advancing through the Jerseys, General Clinton
had been sent, together with the squadron of Sir Peter Parker, to Rhode
Island, where an American squadron had been collected under Commodore
Hopkins. This island was taken without any difficulty, and Hopkins
retired up Providence River, where he remained inactive and useless. The
people of Rhode Island, however, were enthusiastic revolutionists, and
it required a considerable force to keep them in awe; whence, during
three years, a great body of men were left in perfect idleness.

SUCCESSES OF GENERAL CARLETON.

It has been seen that the American army which had been driven from
Canada, took refuge on the Isle Aux Noix, and that General Carleton was
preparing to follow up his successes. It required vessels to cope
with the American flotilla, and to command the lakes St. George and
Champlain, near which the Isle Aux Noix was situate, and of these the
general was in want. The frame-work of vessels was, indeed, sent for
from England, but it required time before they could arrive, and still
further time to put them together. Still Carle-ton did not remain idle.
In the emergency he sent detachments from the king's ships stationed at
Quebec, with volunteers from the transports, and a corps