owe; and
having gained timely information from some country-people, he extended
his line, and presented such a front on the Lancaster-road that
Washington was defeated in his design. A heavy fall of rain, also, had
the effect of keeping the combatants asunder, for the ammunition on
both sides was thereby rendered useless. Washington fell back to Warwick
Furnace, on the south branch of the French Creek; and from thence he
detached General Wayne, with 1,500 men, to cross a rough country and
get, if possible, into the rear of the enemy. But here again he was
foiled. Wayne's movement was discovered, and Major-general Gray, who was
sent against him, attacked him suddenly by night in his bivouac, slew
three hundred men, took one hundred prisoners, and captured all the
baggage of those who fled. Washington now gave up his intention of
defending the line of the Schuylkill and covering Philadelphia, and he
retreated so as to leave the road open. Three days after, the British
army passed that river, and took possession of German Town. By this time
congress had fled from Philadelphia; and on the 26th of October,
Lord Cornwallis, at the head of a strong detachment, took undisputed
possession of the city. Congress had threatened to set fire to the
place rather than let it fall into the hands of the British: but they
abandoned this design, and no incendiaries were left, as at New York.
Some loyal Quakers, and other royalists, had been put under arrest on
Howe's approach, and about twenty of them had been sent close prisoners
to Staunton, in Virginia; but the majority of the people remained at
Philadelphia, and were well affected to the cause of the mother country.

OPENING OF THE DELAWARE.

By the capture of Philadelphia a communication was facilitated between
the northern and south provinces, and nothing was required for an active
co-operation between the army and the navy, but the opening of the
Delaware. There was a great difficulty, however, in effecting this
object. Franklin was now gone to Paris in his diplomatic capacity, but
before he went he had caused some tremendous works to be erected on that
river. Three rows of _chevaux-de-frise_, composed of immense beams of
timber, were sunk across its bed, a little below the confluence of the
Schuylkill, and the lower line of the _chevaux-de-frise_ was protected
by some works erected on the Jersey shore, at Billing's Port, while
the upper line was defended by a battery, mounti