THE father of General Harris was the youngest of feven children, whofe parents dying while he was yet in his infancy, the care of his education was undertaken by his maternal uncle, the Rev. Michael Bull, rector of Brafted in Kent; who first placed him at the grammar fchool at Seven Oaks, and from thence removed him to Bennet's College, Cambridge. He took or ders, with fanguine hopes of preferment, from the efteem which the then Duke of Dorfet had always expreffed for his uncle; but thefe hopes were never realized, and he remained a village curate, till a paralytic ftroke rendered him incapable of officiating. He had married very young, and became the father of feven children, of whom General Harris was the eldeft fon. General Harris had been placed at Weftminster school at an early age, where he was fupported by a moft affectionate mother, with the affiftance of his grand-uncle, Mr. Bull; but the expence of a claffical education, together with the little encouragement which the ill fuccefs of his father in the church held out to him in that line, induced him to enter the army. Lord George Sackville, then mafter-general of the ordnance, had been his father's clafs-fellow at college; and, as that nobleman's father had been always confidered as the patron of Mr. Harris's family, Lord George was applied to in favour of young Harris. The application fucceeded, and early in 1759, he received his warrant as Cadet, at the Royal Academy at Woolwich. From the handfome manner in which this favour was Conferred, great hopes were entertained that his lordship would con

tinue to patronize him; but the unfortunate fituation in which that nobleman was involved after the battle of Minden, put an end to thofe hopes. He was, however, fortunate enough to meet with another patron. The Marquis of Granby, who fucceeded Lord George Sackville as mafter-general of the ordnance, had alfo been an old college companion of Mr. Harris's father. Trufting to the generous dif pofition of that nobleman, a letter was addreffed to him, reminding him of his former intimacy with the father, and recommending the fon tó his notice. This letter had the defired effect: Mr. Harris was foon after appointed a Lieutenant Fire worker. Lord Granby's friendship was not fatisfied with this first act of kindness. Being then in Germany, he wrote to his brother, Lord Robert Sutton, that, as a peace was expected, the battalion of artillery to which Mr. Harris belonged, would probably be reduced; he therefore begged that the offer might be made him of quitting it, and of ac cepting an Enfigncy in the 5th regiment of foot.

Mr. Harris embraced the offer, and joined that regiment in the be ginning of 1763, at Bedford, where the corps was at that time quartered, and where an occurrence foon after happened in which he gained confiderable credit. Sailing in a pleafure-boat, on the river Oufe, with a party of his brother officers, one of them employed in the ma nagement of the boat, flipped his foot and fell overboard; Mr. Har ris inftantly leapt into the water, and faved his companion at the im minent hazard of his life. In 1763, Enfign Harris went ** E 2 with

with the regiment to Ireland. In 1765, he purchased a Lieutenancy; and Major Rofs, then commanding the 5th regiment, entertained fo high an opinion of his kill in military difcipline, and his knowledge of regimental duty, that he perfuaded him to purchase the adjutancy of the corps. He performed the duties of that fituation with no lefs credit to himself than fatisfaction to his fuperior officers (the prefent Duke of Northumberland and Sir William Meadows), and he continued to hold it until 1770, when he effected the purchase of a company, and was appointed by Lieutenant Colonel Meadows to the command of the grenadiers.

It should here be noticed, that, in 1768, by the advice of his Colonel, he got an officer to officiate for him as Adjutant, and travelled into France with a view to ftudy tactics, and to make himself acquainted with the language of that country, fo ufeful to military men. How much he profited by his jour. ney, our military readers will be able to judge of from the remainder of this narrative.

In 1774, Captain Harris embarked with the 5th regiment for America. In the year following, he was prefent at the affair at Lexington, where he had the honour of being appointed with his grenadiers to cover the retreat; a fervice which he executed with much judgment and addrefs, but in which he loft one of his lieutenants and feveral of his brave men. On the 17th of June following, at the well-known battle of Bunker's Hill, Captain Harris received a dangerous wound in his head at the commencement of the action, and the command of the grenadiers devolved on his firft lieu. tenant, Lord Rawdon (now Earl of Moira.) Lord Rawdon, fuppofing the wound to be mortal, endea.

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voured to remove him from the fpot, where he fell, to prevent being trampled on; but being by this time fomewhat recovered, he defired that he might be allowed to remain in action, and it was only at the earnest entreaties of his men that he permitted them to carry him to the furgeons. The contufion in his head was fo great, that it be came immediately neceffary to trepan him. The operation was per formed with fuccefs, and in fix weeks he was enabled to leave his bed. His fpeedy recovery, owing in a great measure to his healthful con ftitution, was not a little accele, rated by the benevolent attention of a refpectable family in Bofton, who daily fupplied him with fresh mutton to make broth, when he could not poffibly have obtained it for money.

By the time he was fufficiently recovered to join his regiment, the feafon for active fervice was paft, and Lieutenant Colonel Walcot, then in command of the 5th regiment, offered him leave of abfence to go to England, in order to recruit his ftrength; which offer he accepted of, and repaired thither.

Having completely re-established his health, he returned to America, and was fortunate enough to join his regiment before the opening of the campaign in 1776, and to be prefent at all the actions of that campaign. After the march to and from Trenton, he was felected by Lord Cornwallis to be the bearer of a letter from his lordship to General Washington.

In 1777, he embarked with the referve of the army, commanded by Sir William Howe, on board of Lord Howe's fleet. They failed from New York in Auguft, and in September arrived at the head of the Elke. In the attack on Iron Hill, which immediately followed,

Captain

Captain Harris was fhot through the leg while performing the active and arduous fervice of covering the guns of the battalion with his grenadiers, and of driving the enemy from the woods and hedge-rows. Although his wound muft have been extremely painful, he did not quit the field; but having procured a horfe, he pursued the enemy in the retreat, and difplayed a degree of fpirit and firmnefs not often attain. able in fuch fituations. At the battle of Brandy Wine, which took place a few days fubfequent to this action, Captain Harris could not be prevailed on to remain in the rear with the other wounded officers; but when the army was ordered to form, mounted a horfe, and shared with his faithful grenadiers the glory of that day. After the action, the wounded being ordered to Wilmington, on the Delaware, and his wound having taken an unfavourable turn, he found it neceffary to accompany them thither.

He was not long, however, in recovering from his wound; and when he joined the army at Philadelphia, he obtained the temporary command of his regiment, in confequence of the death of his friend Colonel Walcot. About this time a circumftance occurred, which proved equally honourable to Captain Harris, and to the noble Lord (Cornwallis), then fecond in command of the army. One day, at Sir William Howe's table, the converfation turning on the advantage, but extreme difficulty, of afcertaining the depth of the ditch of Mud Fort, the fiege of which had juft commenced, a variety of different opinions were entertained as to the poffibility of obtaining the information required. When Captain Harris returned to his tent, he confidered the fubject, and thought that, with the affiftance of one of his grenadiers, who was a refolute

fellow, and an excellent fwimmer, he could venture to fathom the ditch. He accordingly waited on Lord Cornwallis, and offered to make the attempt next evening. His lordfhip fmiled at the offer; faid he was obliged to him; that he would acquaint Sir William Howe of his zeal; but hoped to procure the defired information without risking fo useful a life. Captain Harris had obferved a peculiarity in his lordfhip's looks and manner, which denoted fomething more than a geneneral approbation of his conduct and zeal; nor was he mistaken in this, for in a few days afterwards he was raised to the rank of Major.

The 5th regiment was employed on every active service that was performed previous to the evacuation of Philadelphia, and Major Harris, when that event took place, became perfonally acquainted with the late illuftrious Earl Howe, in confequence of having commanded the detachment that covered the embarkation of the troops.

Soon after the evacuation of Philadelphia in 1778, a large detach ment was formed of ten regiments, of which the 5th was one, under Major General Grant, for an expedition to the West Indies, when. the referve, confifting of the flank companies, and 5th regiment, was formed, under the command of Brigadier General Meadows, and the battalion of grenadiers was given to Major Harris. We muft obferve here, that Maj. Harris left America with a melancholy presage of the refult of the unfortunate war in that country; and entertaining the higheft refpect for the military talents of Sir William Howe and Lord Cornwallis, his mind was filled with proportionable regret, in contemplating the nature of the war which they had been called upon to conduct: a war in which their ableft

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plans and beft concerted enterprises were defeated by the phyfical re. fources of the enemy, and in which, therefore, they could neither render effential fervice to their country, nor gain true glory to themfelves.

On the 13th of December 1778, the referve landed at the grand Cul de Sac, on the Iland of St. Lucie, and loft no time in pushing forward to the heights on the north fide of the bay, of which having foon made themselves mafters, they were order ed by General Grant to the Vigie, on the north fide of the Carenage harbour. The gallantry which this detachment difplayed in repulfing the Count D'Estaing, at the head of a large army, as well as in their fucceffive attacks on the enemy, is well known, and will not foon be forgot. ten and Major Harris's conduct, on that occafion, as fecond in com mand, was mentioned with particu. lar approbation in General Grant's public difpatches. Of the coolness and difcipline of this diftinguished body of men, those who are verfed in military hiftory must have often heard; but two circumftances re lative to their conduct that day, de. ferve to be recorded: Having but a fmall fupply of ammunition, Major Harris was obliged to order Captain Shaw (now Lieut. Colonel of the 74th regiment) with the 40th gre nadiers to remain without firing a fhot, although then expofed to a very heavy fire from the enemy: his orders were obeyed with the moft entire regularity, notwithstanding the lofs of feveral men in killed and wounded. And the 35th, command. ed by Captain Maffey, to whom he had given fimilar orders, had, by miftake, defired his men to prefent, which Major Harris obferving, call ed out to them to recover and thoul

der, which, with uncommon fteadinefs, the men obeyed, without a fingle firelock going off. In this

affair the Major had the misfortune to lose a brother, no lefs diftinguished than himself for manly fenfe and exemplary bravery.

During the Major's ftay at the Vigie, it fell to his lot again to fave the life of a brother officer (BrigadeMajor Rofs), who had imprudently attempted to fwim in the furf, which at times runs fo extremely high at that place.

Shortly after the Count D'Estaing had left the island, the British troops were embarked on board the fleet, which, under the command of Admiral Biron, had joined the grand fleet under Admiral Barrington. The troops had been embarked with a view to retake the island of Gre nada; but the French fleet, in the mean time, having received a con fiderable reinforcement under the command of Count de Graffe, it be came neceffary to abandon the project, the French fleet having, in confequence of this acceffion, outnumbered that of the English by four fail of the line. This circumftance,. however, did not delay the wellknown engagement which foon after took place between the two fleets, and in which Major Harris being on board the Elizabeth with Captain Prefcott, volunteered to ferve as his Aid-du-camp.

About this period, Major Harris had the fatisfaction to attain an ob ject which he had long fought for with an ardent folicitude. The purchafe of his Lieutenancy and Compa ny had been effected by the generous kindness of his mother; and as the could not afford to fpare fo much money out of her own limited for tune, the locked for the repayment of it in that prudence and economy which he fo largely inherited from berfelf. Her expectations were not difappointed; he now completed the payment of above 15001. faved entirely from his pay.

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