maps extant, I conclude that I have where they have seen pale men and strong grounds on which to found the great boats, &c. These I should natufollowing geographical opinions, viz. rally conclude were Europeans, with Ist, That the great Desert is much vessels; and that it takes three moons higher land on its southern side (as I to get there, (about eighty-five days) had proved it to be on the north by my at the rate of thirty miles a day, which own observations) than the surrounding is the least we can give them with so country, and consequently that its strong a current; it makes a distance whole surface is much higher than the from hence to the sea of about two thouland near it that is susceptible of culti- sand five hundred miles: in computing vation. 2dly, That the river which this distance, one-third or more should Sidi Hamet and his companions came be allowed for its windings, so that the to within fourteen days ride, and west whole length of the river is above four of Tombuctoo, called by the Arabs thousand miles, and is probably the el Wod Tenji, and by the negroes, longest and largest on the African contiGozen-Zair, takes its rise in the moun- nent. 5thly, That the waters of this tains south of, and bordering on, the river in their passage towards the east, great Desert, being probably the north- have been obstructed in their course by ern branch of that extensive ridge in high mountains in the central regions of which Senegal, Gambia, and Niger this unexplored continent, and turned rivers, have their sourses; and that this southwardly; that they are borne along river is a branch of the Niger, which to the southward, between the ridges runs eastwardly for several hundred of mountains that are known to extend miles to Tombuctoo, near which city, all along the western coast, from Senemany branches, uniting in one great gal to the gulf of Guinea, and to round stream, it takes the name of Zolibib, and with that gulf to the south of the equacontinues to run nearly east, about two tor: that they are continually narrowhundred and fifty miles from Tombuc- ed in and straitened by that immense too; when meeting with high land, it is ridge in which the great river Nile is turned more south-eastwardly, and run- known to have its sources; and which ning in that direction in a winding mountains lie in the equatorial region: course, about five hundred miles, it has that this central river receives, in its met with some obstructions, through lengthened course, all the streams that which it has forced its way, and form- water and fertilize the whole country, ed a considerable fall: for Sidi Hamet between the two before-mentioned having spent six days in passing the ridges of mountains: the waters thus mountains, came again near the river, accumulated and pent up, at length which was then filled with broken rocks, broke over their western and most feeand the water was foaming and roaring ble barrier, tore it down to its base, among them, as he observed, "most and thence found and forced their way dreadfully." This must be a fall or to the Atlantic Ocean, forming what is rapid. 3dly, That from these falls, it now known as the river Congo. In runs first to the south-eastward, and corroboration of this opinion, some men then more to the south, till it reaches of my acquaintance, who have visited Wassanah, about six hundred miles, the Congo, and traded all along the where it is by some called Zolibib, and coast between it and the Senegal, affirm, by others Zadi. 4thly, That as the in- that the Congo discharges more water babitants of Wassanah say they go first into the Atlantic, taking the whole year to the southward, and then to the west- together, than all the streams to the ward, in boats to the great water; this northward of it, between its mouth and I conceive must be the Atlantic Ocean, Gape de Verd.' ART. 7. Memoirs of my own Times: by General James Wilkinson. 8vo. 3 vols. Philadelphia. Abraham Small, Printer. THIS HIS is, unquestionably, a work of is quite too much of it in the General's great magnitude,—and of some im- Book. The second and third volumes portance. But its plan is so desultory of his Memoirs are filled with the deand its contents are so anomalous, that tails of his persecutions, with the prowe hardly know how to attempt a de- ceedings of courts of Inquiry and courts lineation of the one, or a classification Martial, and with the multifarious eviof the other. So much of the work, in- dence requisite to the vindication of deed, is made up of controversy, which, his patriotism, valour, and capacity. though of a personal nature, has a po- Yet these recitals are plentifully interlitical bearing, that we are almost pre- spersed with reflections, not merely on cluded, by the restrictions which we events, but on characters. It is obvihave imposed upon ourselves, from en- ous that this part of his work offers littering into a consideration of its merits. tle allurement to the general reader— We do not mean to violate the pledge though by the statesman and soldier, it we have given, by taking any side in will neither be read with indifference, the General's quarrels, or pretending to nor lightly prized. The first volume is more attractive, pronounce upon the relative deserts of the parties. We may be permitted, and will always be perused with interhowever, to say that there is an acri- est, by readers of every description. mony in his resentments, and a coarse- About half of it is occupied in describness in his invective, that no provoca- ing those scenes and occurrences of the tion can justify. He who appeals to revolutionary war with which our authe public, owes some respect to the thor was connected: this portion of the tribunal to which he prefers his com- work comprises much valuable inforplaints, however little of that sentiment mation. General Wilkinson's official he may entertain for his adversaries. situation and the opportunities incident Violence is generally resorted to in the to it, have put it in his power to elucidearth of argument, and brings suspi- date many transactions that had been cion on the best cause. A degree of either misunderstood or misrepresentdignity is inseparable from innocence; ed. He has furnished us, too, with and consciousness of truth disdains as many anecdotes of his distinguished coseveration. temporaries, tending to illustrate their Memoirs are a very popular species characters, and the circumstances of of writing; and happily suited to Gene- the times. He has taken pains to in troduce us into the very centre of the camp, and to bring us acquainted with its bustle, its confusion, and its distressesHe does not disguise the object which has induced him to paint in such som ral Wilkinson's propensities. It is the most inoffensive mode of gratifying garrulity, since it is at the option of every one whether he will be a listener, or not. But egotism in any shape should be administered in moderation. There bre shades the sad realities of war. He avows his wish to check the mistaken impulse, which can excite men of sen ardour of his countrymen in the pur- sibility to seek such scenes of barbarism; I found the courageous Colonel suit of the phantom of military glory. Cilley a straddle on a brass twelveHe justly ridicules the rodomontade pounder, and exulting in the capture— with which we have celebrated the whilst a surgeon, a man of great worth, most trivial successes, and deprecates who was dressing one of the officers, raising his blood-besmeared hands in a the subserviency with which sturdy refrenzy of patriotism, exclaimed, Wilkinpublicans can bow to a victorious chief, son, I have dipt my hands in British however indebted to fortune for his tri- blood. He received a sharp rebuke umphs. He sees in this fondness for for his brutality, and with the troops I military fame, this disposition to mag- pursued the hard-pressed flying enemy, nify military achievements, and this passing over killed and wounded, until I heard one exclaim, "protect me, Sir, alacrity to fawn upon military heroes, against this boy." Turning my eyes, a pregnant source of calamity to our it was my fortune to arrest the purpose country, and of danger to our most va- of a lad, thirteen or fourteen years old, lued institutions. General Wilkinson officer who lay in the angle of a wormin the act of taking aim at a wounded is not singular in his apprehensions in fence. Inquiring his rank, he answerthis regard. We have heard that a ed, "I had the honour to command the gentleman who has occupied the high- grenadiers;" of course, I knew him to est station in our government, and be Major Ackland, who had been brought from the field to this place, on whose interest in its welfare has not the back of a Captain Shrimpton, of his ceased with his administration of its own corps, under a heavy fire, and was affairs, has intimated an intention, at here deposited, to save the lives of both. some period, to raise his warning voice 1 dismounted, took him by the hand, and expressed hopes that he was not against so alarming a predilection. badly wounded; "not badly," replied As a faithful picture of a battle this gallant officer and accomplished ground, where grim-visaged war' is rioting in recent desolation, we take the following extract from General Wil. kinson's account of the action between the armies of General Gates and General Burgoyne, on the 7th of October, 1777. gentleman, "but very inconveniently, I am shot through both legs; will you, Sir, have the goodness to have me conveyed to your camp?" I directed my servant to alight, and we lifted Ackland into his seat, and ordered him to be conducted to head-quarters.' The painting of the Baroness Rei The ground which had been occupi- desel is not less vivid, when she deed by the British grenadiers presented a scribes the dreadful scenes she was scene of complicated horror and exulta tion. In the square space of twelve or compelled to witness in the British fifteen yards lay eighteen grenadiers in camp. We have never seen the narthe agonies of death, and three officers rative of the Baroness, of which Genepropped up against stumps of trees, two ral Wilkinson bas presented us with of them mortally wounded, bleeding, some spirited translations. We are sorry and almost speechless; what a specta- that we have not room for the extracts of cle for one whose bosom glowed with philanthropy, and how vehement the this journal of the Baroness, with which VOL. I. NO. I. F the General has favoured us, and which other, perhaps an abler officer, whose are replete with interest. The following anecdotes exhibit two illustrious men who have long been alike the objects of veneration, in a view equally honourable to both. 'There rear. ap character and dispositions we may During my intercourse with General Hamilton at New-York, in 1799, our official engagements produced frequent references to the opinion of General Washington, and I embraced the occasion, to obtain a more distinct versation respecting this great man, view of the private character of that General Hamilton observed, that it was great man than our military relations difficult to decide, whether General had permitted. Washington was greater in the field or in the cabinet; he said the world had be may many living witnesses of the fact, that Sir Henry Clinton, very naturally decided in favour of his whilst he commanded in New-York, ocmilitary capacity, but from the sum of cupied the house of Captain Kennedy, his observations, he considered him at of the British navy, near the battery; least equally sound as a statesman; for and that there were no buildings at that whatever might have been the jealoutime between it and the river. In these sies or the insinuations of party, it was quarters the chief reposed in security no humiliation to him to acknowledge, with the ordinary ground in front, rely- that he had in council frequently differing on naval protection for safety in his ed in opinion with President WashingGeneral Washington had by his to, and that events had generally spies ascertained precisely the proved that he was wrong, and the Presiproaches, not only to Sir Henry's quar- trait in General Washington's characdent right. But he dwelt on a specific ters, but to his bed-chamber, and the enterprise appeared so feasible, that he ter, which it were devoutly to be wishdetermined to carry him off. The ed his successors could imitate; this rangements were made for light whale- was, that in "all appointments to office, boats with muffled oars, and 150 Mar- wherein he was especially called to exerblehead seamen, properly commanded;* cise his own judgment, he nobly divested every thing being ready, the detach- himself of sympathy or antipathy, and ment waited for the approach of night; made what he considered the fitness of in the interval Colonel Hamilton took the agent to the office the ground of his occasion to observe to the General, that choice;" as an evidence of the fact, he "there could be little doubt of the suc- mentioned, that "Colonel Pickering, at cess of the enterprise, but," said he, the time he was appointed Postmaster"bave you examined the consequences general, was no favourite of President of it?" The General inquired in what Washington, but that he knew the Colorespect?" "Why," replied Hamilton, nel to be a man of industry and method, "it has occurred to me that we shall and had confidence in his integrity; and rather lose than gain by removing Sir as to myself," said he, "there had been Henry Clinton from the command of for some time such a standing, or misthe British army, because we perfectly understanding between us, that I had no understand his character, and by taking more expectation of office than I had of him off we only make way for some being appointed Pope's nuncio, when received the invitation to take charge of the treasury department." Tha' a coolness had taken place between the Com ar As well as I recollect, Col. Humphreys, of Connecticut, an aid de-camp to the Gene. ral, was selected for this service. mander in Chief and Colonel Hamilton, respect of the world; my humble suf towards the close of the war, and that the Colonel had left his family, was notorious, but there were very few persons acquainted with the cause, which I shall now submit to my readers, as correctly as memory will serve me, and should I commit an error, will refer to General St. Clair for correction, who is the only man living, within my know ledge, acquainted with the facts. frage could add nothing to the fame of General Washington, after he has merited the plaudits of mankind, by the rare example of a military chief, who, baving led the armies of his country, to the establishment of her independence, peaceably and proudly laid down his arms, and sought his reward in the bosom of his fellow-citizens. But I will gratify the reader with a fac simile of the heads of General Waslungton's first official letter, dated at Cambridge, July 10th, 1775, to the President of Congress, which will perpetuate the character of his manuscript, and record the extent and accuracy of his knowledge, in all the variety of military details, a subject little understood in this country at that period, and of which his own opportunities for correct information had been superficial. The comprehension and correctness of his military views, under those circumstances, must excite the admiration of every competent judge, and I do conceive clearly demonstrate, that whatever may have been the force and energy of his mind, when directed to other subjects, military affairs were undoubtedly his fort. The letter amplifying the topics comprised in these heads was written by Colonel Joseph Reed, then his Secretary, and afterwards Governor of Pennsylvania, the original rough draft of which is in my possession, and the published copy will be found in the first volume of Washington's letters, Boston Edition, 1795, page 8.' The army was encamped at NewJersey at some point east of the Rariton, and perhaps at Perackness. The General was just mounting his borse, to visit his advanced post, when he recollected a letter he had recently received from the British commander, which it occurred to him he might have occasion for whilst at the lines; be called Colonel Hamilton, and requested him to hand the letter to him." The Colonel returned to the office, but not being able to place his hand on it, reported, that "it was mislaid." The General replied, "I must have it." Search was again made, without effect, and Colonel Hamilton returning, repeated that the letter had been mislaid, and expressed his sorrow at not being able to find it." The General rejoined with warinth, Sir, you shall find it." Hamilton was astonished, but replied promptly, "I shall find it, Sir, but must let you know, that in addressing me, you do not speak to a menial." The occasion was honourable to the parties; it was the quarrel of Sully and Henry; it furnished General Washington an occasion for the display of his magnanimity, and Colonel Hamilton an opportunity to as- A considerable part of the first vosert his personal dignity and indepen- lume of these memoirs is devoted to dence of mind. Colonel Hamilton re- tracing military movements in the late tired from Head-Quarters, but was appointed to the command of a battalion war, and detecting the causes of the in the elite corps, at the head of which failure of our early campaigns. A he stormed a redoubt during the siege multitude of reasons dissuade us from of York before the surrender of Corn- making any remarks on this division of the work. In truth, from the political 'It would be presumptuous for me to attempt the eulogy of a man who has animadversions interwoven into the deservedly attracted the attention and very texture of these memoirs, and wallis. |