A complete history of the Marquis de Lafayette, major-general in the American army in the war of the revolution. Embracing an account of his tour through the United States, to the time of his departure, September, 1825. By an officer in the late army.

IMARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE. 47
allies. This action, in fact, greatly increased his popularity;
and the most judicious men attributed it wholly to the
ardour of a young hero, inflamed with the desire of gaining distinction by avenging the cause of his injured country.
It cannot be denied that the Earl of Carlisle acted, as a commissioner, with propriety in refusing the challenge; but at
the same time the Marquis De Lafayette obtained beneficial
results by sending it.
These commissioners having brought positive and secret
orders for the immediate evacuation of Philadelphia, Sir
Henry Clinton, who had succeeded Lord Howe in the commnand of the British army, prepared to execute the orders
of his government. On the eighteenth of June, 1773, the
whole army passed the Delaware, and encamped at Gloucester Point on the Jersey shore. Clinton pursued his retreat slowly, passing through Haddonfield, Mount Holly,
Slabtown, and Crosswick, to Allentown and Imlaytown,
which places he reached on the twenty-fourth. He betrayed no symptoms of precipitation, but rather indicated a dis.position for battle
Before Clinton left Philadelphia, General Washington
had penetrated his design; and General Maxwell, with the
Jersey brigade, was ordered over the Delaware to take
post about Mount Holly, and to join Major General Dickenson, who was beginning to assemble the militia of that
state, for the purpose of co-operating with the continental
troops, in breaking up the bridges, falling trees in the roads,
and otherwise embarrassing the march of the enemy.. When
authentic intelligence was received that the enemy had
crossed the Delaware, a council of war was summoned to
deliberate on the proper measures to be pursued. General
Washington submitted to their deliberations whether it was
proper, by harrassing the enemy's rear, to annoy him as much
as possible, without, however, coming to a general engagement; or whether it was more advisable to attack him in
front, and try the fortune of a decisive battle. A great diversity of opinion prevailed General Lee, who had lately