n on the borders of the Hudson, where he
remained till late in the autumn.

DISGRACE OF GENERAL LEE.

When Washington met General Lee in full retreat, he assailed him with
some bitter and reproachful words for his conduct. Suspicions were
afterwards thrown out that Lee intended to cause the defeat of the army,
for the purpose of disgracing the commander-in-chief. The whole conduct
of Lee proves that these suspicions were groundless, and he wrote
several letters to Washington in vindication of his character. These
letters, however, contained language which placed him at the mercy of
Washington, and being found guilty by a court-martial, he was sentenced
to suspension from his rank for one year. Although a man of great
abilities, and although he had rendered the American cause good service,
both in the councils-of-war and in the field, he never, indeed, after
this disgrace, attracted honourable notice. Yet he appears rather to
have fallen from the effects of envy than from his misconduct, for it
is a well-established fact, that Washington himself looked upon
his abilities with a jealous eye. It was, in truth, the conduct of
Washington towards him in the late affair which had betrayed him into
the error which laid him beneath his rival's feet. Gratitude should have
taught Washington to have behaved more generously, for more than once
Lee had corrected his rashness, and saved him from ruin. Yet before his
failure in his attack on the British troops, Washington had attempted
to place the raw and inexperienced Lafayette over his head, and he might
have been warned by this, that no opportunity would be lost in securing
his downfall.

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACK BY THE AMERICANS AND FRENCH ON RHODE ISLAND.

Six days after General Clinton arrived at New York, the French fleet,
under Count d'Estaign, who had lost many days by putting into the
Delaware, appeared before that city. His force consisted of twelve
sail of the line, and three or four heavy frigates. He had, indeed,
collectively, eight hundred and fifty-four guns to oppose to Howe's 614,
and the weight of his metal and the size of his ships were still greater
in proportion even than the number of his guns. It was expected that the
count would immediately attack Lord Howe's squadron, but he lay inactive
outside the Hook for eleven days. All this time, the British admiral
was preparing for a contest, and the sailors universally burned with
impatience to engage the