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conducted in the presence of regular troops, superior
in numbers.
It began in the night of the twentyeighth.
The next day the
British attempted to get round the
American right wing, and thus cut off every chance of escape.
On that side
Greene, almost within sight of his native town, held the command.
Supported by young
Laurens, he changed the defence into an attack, and drove the enemy in disorder back to their strong post on
Quaker hill.
In the engagement the
British lost at least two hundred and sixty men; the
Americans, forty-nine less.
On the night following the thirtieth, the army of
Sullivan, evading
its sluggish pursuers, withdrew from the island.
Clinton, with a re-enforcement of four thousand men, landed the day after the escape.
The British general returned to New York, having
accomplished nothing, except that a detachment under
Grey set fire to the shipping in New Bedford, and then levied cattle and money on the freeholders of
Martha's Vineyard. Lord Howe gave up the naval command to
Admiral Byron, and was never again employed in
America.
The people of New England had in twenty days raised the force of Sullivan to ten thousand effective men; the total disappointment of their hope of brilliant success excited criminations and distrust.
At Boston a French officer lost his life in attempting to quell a riot between his countrymen and American seamen; but d'estaing preserved unruffled politeness, and really wished well to the United States.
Notwithstanding the failure of the first expedition from France, every measure adopted by the British government or its army to reduce the United States
