he directed a deadly fire at a particular point of the enemy's force, and thus opened a passage through which he made good his retreat. In this action the regiment sustained much loss, the heaviest of which fell on Capt. Posey's company; the enemy also suffered considerably.

Shortly after reaching New York, lord Cornwallis evacuated that place, embarked his forces, and some time after landed at the head of Elk in Maryland. In the meanwhile, Gen. Burgoyne, at the head of ten thousand chosen regulars, Canadians and Indians, was advancing from Canada upon New York, in order to cut off the communication between the eastern and southern states, and had reached the northern frontier of New York. He was opposed by the American forces under major general Gates, of whom Morgan's riflemen formed a part, and continued to perform the arduous duties which necessarily devolve on this description of troops-bearing a part in every battle, and continually harassing the enemy's outposts and detachments. The general engagement of the 19th of September, which lasted the whole of that day, was brought on by this regiment, which did great execution throughout the battle. Night covered the retreat of the American army, leaving the enemy in possession of the field, with a great number of slain on both sides—but the events of this day broke the heart of the British army. On the 7th of October another general engagement was fought. The enemy marched out in full force, to drive our army from its encampment, and with sanguine expectations of success. Our gallant countrymen met them on the plains. Arnold brought on the action with his division, and Morgan was ordered with his regiment to assail the enemy's flank. Arnold was twice repulsed before Morgan made his attack, which was the enemy's right wing. This brave officer had marched under cover of a thick wood, to gain a ridge of which the enemy were about to take possession; and reaching the summit before them he poured into them a destructive fire which brought almost every mounted officer to the ground, broke their right, threw them into great confusion, and forced them to retreat after disputing the ground about half an hour. Arnold following up the blow of Morgan, broke the enemy's centre, and his left

meeting with the same treatment, the whole line gave way in disorder. General Frazer, of the British army, brought up a second line, which had not been long engaged, before Frazer was shot, and carried off the field, and the whole of the British forces retired within the Hessian lines. These lines were then stormed by our troops, but night coming on, the assault was discontinued. Throughout this engagement, Morgan's regiment bore a conspicuous part, and well sustained its high reputation-and Capt. Posey reaped a full share of the laurels of the day. The enemy retired to Saratoga, and the result so glorious to the American arms, and so important to the revolutionary cause, is well known.

Morgan, with his regiment, was now ordered to join general Washington in the neighbourhood of Germantown. The riflemen here were continually employed on the enemy's lines, until the army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge. Morgan's regiment, with a company of artillery and some cavalry were then stationed at Radnor, near the outposts of the enemy who was in possession of Philadelphia.

In the spring of 1778, Col. Morgan being on furlough, Lieut. Col. Butler having joined his regiment, and major Morris having been killed, Capt. Posey was ordered to take command of the rifle corps, now much reduced by the many actions in which it had taken part, and the hardships and privations it had endured. He still continued to perform the active duties of the partizan service, until the British evacuated Philadelphia, and our army was put in motion to follow them; his detachment was then ordered to join the army, and remained with it until a disposition was made to attack the enemy at Monmouth. Morgan, by this time had rejoined his regiment, which was augmented, and Posey still remained with it, with the rank of major, to which he was now promoted. At the battle of Monmouth, Morgan was attached with his regiment, and the additional troops under his command, to the light infantry under the orders of the marquis de la Fayette, and acted on the right wing of the enemy.

After this battle, general Washington having received information, that the Indians and tories had assembled in considerable force, and broken up the settlements of the German-flats, Cherry Valley,

and Schoharie, on the north-western frontiers of New York, and colonel Morgan having joined the 11th infantry to which he was arranged when first appointed a colonel, major Posey was ordered to take command of the rifle regiment, and join Col. William Butler of the 4th Pennsylvania regiment, who with his own command and that of major Posey marched immediately to the relief of those settlements. The Indians and tories were beaten back to the Indian towns, and thence to the lakes, and several of their villages burned, and their corn destroyed, after which the troops went into winter quarters at Schoharie.

In the spring of 1779 major Posey joined the main army at Middlebrook, and took command of the 11th Virginia regiment of infantry, from which he was shortly after transferred to the command of a battalion composing part of Febiger's regiment of Light Infantry, under the command of general Wayne. Under this accomplished officer he participated in the assault on Stony Point, on the night of the 15th of July 1779, on which occasion he distinguished himself, as being one of the first to enter the main work of the enemy, and by making a successful charge on a battery of two 24 pieces, that was playing upon the left column. At the charge, the enemy threw down their arms, exclaiming "Spare us brave Americans, spare us, spare us!” after which, not a man was slain. Major Posey was the second field officer who entered the enemy's batteries on this glorious night; he gave the word "the Fort's our own," and his battalion suffered more than any other corps. Thus, he had the honour of bearing a prominent part, in one of the most daring and brilliant achievements, recorded in the annals of civilized warfare.

In the winter of 1779-80, the whole of the Virginia line was ordered to Charleston in South Carolina, and major Posey having obtained permission to visit his family, did not overtake the troops before they had reached Charleston and the communication was cut off. He then applied to governor Rutledge for a command in the militia; but the inhabitants, scattered in every direction, and panic struck by the depredations of the enemy, could not be embodied; and finding that he could be of no service in the south, he returned to Virginia, and was ordered to a recruiting station. He left OCTOBER, 1824.-No. 270. 36

this service for a short interval to assist at the siege of Little York, where he had a second time the pleasure of beholding a large British force surrender to the American arms. He return

ed to his recruiting station, and organized a regiment, of which he obtained the command; having been promoted a short time previous, to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In the winter of 1781-2, Lieut. Col. Posey repaired to Georgia, where he served under general Wayne until the evacuation of Savannah by the enemy. Here he was engaged with his usual success, on one occasion, with a large foraging party of the enemy, and on another with the Indians; the latter of which deserves particular mention, as there is some inaccuracy in the account given of it by general Lee, in his Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department. On the night of the 23d of June 1782, the army was disposed in the following manner: the artillery, the cavalry, and the light infantry of Posey's regiment, commanded by Capt. Parker, were arranged in proper order at the house of the lower Mrs. Gibbon's, (so distinguished, from there being two widow ladies of that name, at whose houses the troops had been stationed alternately) with a chain of sentinels in the rear; the remainder of Posey's regiment was posted a few hundred yards from the house, on the road leading by Mrs. Gibbon's to Savannah, with the usual disposition of guards and a chain of sentinels in front. Major Samuel Findlay was with the regiment, Posey having been ordered to remain that night with general Wayne. The whole of the troops had been employed for several days past upon hard duty, sleeping at night in their ranks, and on their arms, with their clothes and accoutrements on, in constant expectation that the British would come out of Savannah in force for action, or that an opportunity would occur of cutting off their supplies. Thus, worn down with fatigue and watching, they were aroused from a profound sleep in the dead of night, by an attack made by the chief Guristersigo, with a large body of Indians. The assault was violent, sudden, and unexpected; accompanied with all the horrors of Indian warfare, with the yells of savages, and the use of tomahawks, scalping knives, spears, and guns-by which our troops were thrown into great disorder. Wayne and Posey,

wrapped in their cloaks had lain down together, and being roused by the alarm at the same instant, rushed towards the scene of action. They had proceeded but a few steps when Col. Posey met Capt. Parker, who informed him of the confusion into which the suddenness of the attack had thrown his men, and desired his orders. Posey immediately directed that the light troops should be rallied behind the house, and accordingly by his own exertions united with Capt. Parker's, the men were soon collected. Posey then placing himself at the head of this little band, with Capt. Parker, ordered a charge through the enemy to reach his regiment, which was effected with such celerity and firmness, that the conflict, although severe, was not long doubtful. Many of the Indians fell at the point of the bayonet, and several by the force of Posey's own arm; and unfortunately, a gallant soldier of his own command, became, by mistake, the victim of his prowess. Sergeant Thompson, of Parker's company, had, contrary to orders, taken off his coat and bound up his head with a handkerchief, by which he was so disguised, that although manfully engaged with the enemy, he was taken for an Indian by Posey, who with a thrust of his sword, laid him at his feet. The colonel deeply ·lamented this circumstance, when he visited the hospital on the following morning, and learned from the brave, but incautious sergeant, the particulars of his wounds. Gen. Wayne, with the cavalry followed Posey, who had filed off to the right to gain his regiment, which he met on its march to the scene of action; and placing himself at the head of it, charged immediately upon the rear of the enemy, and put them to flight. General Wayne filed to the left, where he fell in with a considerable body of the Indians, and after a sharp conflict compelled them to retreat. Thus, by the united bravery of both officers and soldiers, the whole force of the enemy was completely routed.

This statement varies, it will be perceived, from that of general Lee, only so far as respects colonel Posey's share in the action. The historian of the Southern War, when addressed by colonel Posey on the subject, a few years since, promptly acknowledged his error. As his letter is not long, we shall insert it in this place.