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Lady Ackland loft not her resolution or her CHAP. XI. cheerfulness by the dangers fhe had encountered; but accompanied her foldier to the action on the nineteenth of September. By his order, she had followed the route of the artillery and baggage, where she would be least exposed, until she alighted at a small uninhabited tent, which, when the action became general, the furgeons took poffeffion of to dress their wounded.

Thus, within hearing of the roar of cannon, when the knew the fituation of her beloved husband was in the moft expofed part of the action, fhe waited fome hours in a fituation, and in apprehenfions not easily described. The baronefs of Reidefel, and the wives of the majors Harnage and Reynal were with her; but she derived little comfort from their prefence. Major Harnage was foon brought into the tent dangerously wounded, accompanied with the tidings of the death of the hufband of Mrs. Reynal. Let imagination paint the mifery of this little group of diftreffed females. Here among the wounded and the dying, lady Ackland with her ufual ferenity, ftood prepared for new trials, until the fatal seventh of October, when her fortitude was put to the feverest test, by the intelligence that the British army was defeated, and that major Ackland was defperately wounded, and taken prisoner. Not

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borne down by grief or anxiety, fhe the next day requested leave to attend the wounded prifoner, to the last moment of his life.

General Burgoyne, from whose narrative fome circumstances of lady Ackland's ftory are felected, obferves, "that though he had expe"rienced, that patience and fortitude in a fupreme degree, were to be found, as well as "every other virtue, under the moft tender

forms, he was aftonished at this propofal. "After fo long an exposure and agitation of "the fpirits, exhaufted not only for want of "reft, but abfolutely for want of food, drench"ed in rain for twelve hours together, that a "woman fhould be capable of delivering her"felf to the enemy, probably in the night, and "uncertain what hands fhe fhould fall into, ap"peared an effort above human nature." He adds, "he had not a cup of wine to offer her: "all with which the hapless lady could be furnished, was a little rum and dirty water, an open boat, and a few lines to general Gates."

Thus this lady left the British lines, attended only by Mr. Brudenell, chaplain to the artillery, the major's valet-de-chambre, and one female fervant. She was rowed down the river to meet the enemy, when her diftreffes thickened anew. The right advanced before the met the out-pofts: the centinel would neither let the boat pafs, nor the pallengers come on

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hore, notwithstanding the fingular ftate of this CHAP. XI. heroic lady was pathetically represented by Mr. Brudenell: apprehenfive of treachery, the centinel threatened to fire into the boat, if they attempted to ftir until the appearance of day. Thus, through a dark and cold night, far advanced in a state that always requires peculiar tenderness to the fex, with a heart full of anxiety for her wounded husband, she was obliged to fubmit, and in this perilous fituation, to reflect until the dawn of the morning, on her own wretched condition, and the uncertainty of what reception fhe fhould meet from ftrangers in hoftile array, flushed with victory, and eager to complete the triumph of the preceding day.

When general Gates in the morning was made acquainted with the fituation and requeft of lady Ackland, fhe was immediately permitted to visit her husband, under a fafe efcort. The American commander himself treated her with the tendernefs of a parent, and gave orders that every attention fhould be paid due to her rank, her fex, her character, and the delicacy of her person and circumftances. He wrote general Burgoyne, and affured him of her fafety and accommodation,

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and informed him that this line of conduct would have been obferved, without a letter from the British commander, not only to this lady, but to others of his unfortunate friends, languishing under their wounds; that the American commanders needed not a request, to excite their humanity to the unfortunate, who by the chances of war, had been thrown on their compaffion. In the fame letter he reminded general Burgoyne," that the cruelties "which marked the late effort for the retreat "of his army, were almoft without a prece"dent among civilized nations; and that an "endeavour to ruin, where they could not conquer, betrayed more the vindictive spirit of "the monk, than the generosity of the foldier."

Notwithstanding,the misfortunes and the loffes of the preceding day, general Burgoyne did not yet totally despair of retrieving his affairs and his honor, by another general engagement. This he endeavoured to effect on the eighth, and in this he was again difappointed. The utmost bravery was exhibited on both fides, but no decided action. Several days paffed on in defultory skirmishes spirit and intrepidity were not wanting on either fide; while the one had every thing to hope and in

* General Gates's letter to general Burgoyne, October 10, 1777.

fpirit them, the other, nothing left but a choice CHAP. XI. of infurmountable difficulties.

In this fituation, the British commander judged the best expedient was, a fecond effort to repafs the Hudson, and retreat to fort Edward. To this every impediment was thrown in his way. A retreat was rendered imprac

ticable, by the number and vigilance of the Americans: the borders of the river were lined with troops; and detachments pufhed forward to cut off all hope of retreat on every fide. The condition of the British army grew hourly more defperate winter was approaching, their provisions spent, the troops exhausted by continual fatigue; and not the smallest prospect of relief appeared from any quarter.

In this deplorable fituation, general Burgoyne fummoned a grand council of war, in which, as he stood in need of every advice, not only the field-officers, but the fubalterns had a voice. It was unanimously judged most prudent, in the humiliated and hopeless condition to which they were reduced, to open a treaty of convention, and endeavour to obtain fome honorable terms of furrender. General Gates was acknowledged by all, not only the valiant, but the humane and generous foe: they had no doubt he would mitigate their mortification, as far as the laws of war or of honor would permit, from the victor to the vanquished.

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