The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-09-01 00:00:00, page 2

'fork, ffiwi, Is was at (bis S^ ^fr dm fime
fam trazpi, perhaps two or time ka&d?sd, &ci'd be
fiat cn; aad there ceeld be me doubt but & Better
ed remains of ibt r^gimeext would fofUntly lay down
their arras e'er # fro MGronts smart attack, and the
battle weuld bars glofowfl, fi&iihed as it kxd been
carried cm. Wharaapoa a council efwar was called,
ec which twa wem:.n whoa we hid retaken from the
enemy denofed, the: the Gagra, expend a reiafjice
raent. Theccuncd as war decreed it bast forthwith
to retreat from Fart Ann to Fert Edward; at a time
when wo had a joed fepply of map, whan the enemy
were fleeing beCraear soldiers and camber# of them
were 11 ria, and the remainder in dagger of tc^g cat
in pieces by ear viaerisus troops; when it is highly
„babie oar wounded were not all brought iff the
fold of battle ; when rur dead invited us to give them
a chri£ia bu ia!, aid every cenfideration u gad as to
fay leader —la this engagementthe mens ugat brave
ly, who we e, if I miftaki net, chi;fl cf the militia.
The council <»f war offered two rsafuns far evacnat
i^g Fjrt Ann—The one was * fezrci yof ammunition,
aad tartar war, that th^ seamy were like to be
reiaf rad. Upon which I r a d.uwak, as to their
being reinforced, had that salary been the esfi, we
ccald honorably hive retire#. bek again to the
fat, end were their rumbers f great, and had they
hid field pieces with thra, cur fi k and wounded
hiring b^n font forward, the garrison could have
followed after. But the event proved no reiaferce
rceat was near, As to a felicity of rantunit on I
would ebf&ve, that Ijuiged there ware about 1000
men at Fort A^r. It was my opinion there were about
300 in ae^n t^at day, who perhaps sot away all
their own cartridge tad the spare cartridges cf the
garrifoa. There was now in aad about the garrifea
perky abeut 700 men, I feopefe Applied &i,h their
usual aumbw sf cartridge. T>#re was more than one
barrel efpjwdar in the chamber, and ftmeioafe ball
—Besides, we could have obtained as good a supply of
men & ammunition from F^r.Edward as we needed in
a few hours time. That we ihauld defers such a peftef
^ much important at that junanre far he get.i^g
away cur fibres nt F.rt Gorge, and for ths reafoae
^^i, was, in my opinion, the bast part of ths tra
gedy we had been affiag ; and yet canmniig fuck a
plenitude of infamy and disgrace as can never be wi
ped are,.
Here was an enemy fleeing before ear viaerieus
trs„,efa a IhattGrad, broken flats. Our man b gan
tn recover their foirits : we were tolerably well ftp.
plied with ammunition, and could nave been amply
fumihod with men and ammunition f „, had they
bvcu needed ;-- It is to be feared our w. u did were
not all broughteff the fisld of battle ; our uead in
vitod us to give them a chrifiian bariri. Under all
these advantages and irong inducement to fliy, a
council sf war deemed it neceffar, w amentia the
prate and retreat to Fort Edward ! -.Wonder, O
fervid b^ afonifhad, dearth! After our a rival
BFrtElward, it was fcu^d neceff+r, for the getring
away the Bores from Fart Gee go, to fid G^a. Fol
lows to occupy th! ground at or near where Fort Ann
fo^d whnh we had burned.
It is Me proper te confide, the rmfns effered for
f, m.prizing and owe whelming a proceed ute, and to
Utah# ' M 3 remarks unl #bferv*tio„ upon them.
I. h , byon suggested let there was a scarcity of
pravifi'**# at one reefra ^f our leaving in fa precipi
tate a manner th^ llrong fortrefs *f Ticonderoga.
T as appeared in fame ,erfoes a dis ^fo to spread
strange accrntr of ihe fca city of pfoifi<m just be
fore ibn event took place, and to Jaffee the number
of our troops, &ad,©pr b fent the garrifan in a meft
craterapribio light as to o,prfng cur enemies, and
to exigents thrir numbers, their power and timm
dous force. The,ft things were tak^n notice of b, fe
f""b '}"" "" firprizs, net knowing what they
Wa^&dyo head of fit cattle Teurfday before
the retreat, ^kxa I fupvefe were left to feaft theene
my, with all ths rail of^ur provident, as I could net
liarn that a fwffiriezcy fir present use was brought off.
I did not fee a fugle barrel of previfiva brought to
Skeen £btrough-- ^t whatever might be brought there
it is probable feb%to the hands of the enemy ; nor
could I leva that any cf our previfiens were defrayed.
Droves of cattle were rathe way thither. Ths cam
ra-ffari^ co inform the world of their quantity of
form Hid that little ganfa as it is represented,
drained theft Bates of previfi&as ? or could they net
have rtde 4hat f,et of groan'd to f im in milk and
hens, ? Tk@re was agcod member of cewi on the fpet,
which mid anfwor far milk or barf; and a large
nirabr of herfrs chick m±ht have been of fsrvko in
c:C es f- ^lae. I was c^dibly informed we had 2500
b^r.% s offl >nr, and 1000 ^rr^ls ©f park within that
garrison, whi^h I cm uae fu^pens the enemy in lay
ing wa^e this c^n^r,.—Hearer warmly thia
rw fja war ur^d at, and soon rfter the retreat by feme
perfoas of note, it is a w rumlly included, and I
find Ge : .S\ Ctrir himfelf thinks not to avail himfalf
©fit.- I kaowit was said to be given out jest before
war fligxi, it dsforvas net the name of a retreat, that
we had not mat more than enough to left u 4 three
days, ^d afterwvds by the f@ person, that it was
net fuffictot t? 14# us one dey.--.lt faems that was
truly ths ca 2 f^n after, when we had left car ira
m<?,fe fferes bihi&l, aid were fleeing for gar Jiva
Ha R%^ ^vlh to lift up his head, who any more pleads
&$ in j^fi ation of leaving in the raol difgraceful
raster, the drnugsft fertafi in America.
Or c^ d the fnead of bembo, and rear cf cannea,
already prefect to the frighted imagination, yet to be
heated ^ ^iG f<to^ day, j^ftify det fefroia * ?
Cculd thtir batteries c^k up an a fc^r c,je e& th* ^eti
difadirauucgieus ground, and thai Ih'pying which try -
iy cut a cvmoaap ibigfguru b. f?r# oar bsverira fpuad
davaftatien, and ruin throughear ca^pi: Bebg&a rye
witnofa es the enemies Movements I am well falsifi
ed they were under 20 advantage 10 annoy us f^a
any quarter whatever, nor were they like to be t^
fsufen—They never could ferm a &we batteiy that
caud do any ceafi^erable executiea upon us, fa ad
vaatagieus was oar ground. .-All the ki^gs artillery
upsa the high meurtaia bshi^d u?, could nover have
obliged us to have evacuated the place, for what (he:
they cculd have made resc^ us w^uid be falling ffit,
and never rife after they Brack the ground.- The <if
tancs was judged to be about three miles from lade
pandorce, and two miles from Ticonderoga ; did net
eir people he nearer the enimy at Befin than that,
without receiving much dama&a fcm either bombs er
cannon ffiot / Ih aid they ever nave bsea able to have
lifted up their 18 pouriers to the summit of that
Cr U^7 mountain, we might have set under our vin@a
ana figtrees and met been afraid : But I new fisd
msn ofreafim are alb amid any ledger tu offer this
reafua te iff ight the imagination, er jellify their own
foheuible ceuduft They had a battery th oft
ide of the lake oppefite the Jess, redoubt, that made
^moß contemptible figure, which never could have
b^ keeur rest er flrep.
The enemy had one other battery campiratic near
Msunt hope, and this is all they had to annoy us to
any canfidstable degree, nor could this be of any avail
to off & thrir purpefe.-..Th, ground we* rest mu:h
ifany higher than our batteries cm the olJF'sach lines,
and th didaate was so great that they canid do ne.
thimg to aaj purpefe..--Thgy could anuey us no more
"? c( >^d them, which was iuconfider&ble indead.
might have laid behind our breast werk and slept
f#cure..-.lm a woid, they might have blsfled fir ever
without driving us fr&m our ftreng fertrefs. -Hid not
we as gead bakeries as they ? had they not bean ion
ger baiidi,g, end were they net excellently firtmod ?
This ^G is &^^ plea,and weak fubwrfu^eef a guilty
mind. —A tidier mull be : ihemed to plead the 'ene
mine batieries as an excuse far hii running away from
afauefs that had been years in building, and that
h ß d every nacefir, far defence, and that before the
enemy taad ^pe^ed a tingle battery, er fi ed a tingle
caanoa ball et Us.
But we were in danger of being furreuaded, and
what fi^ifisd p orifi:^;, or batteties when the enemy
£rd drawna circle about us, and &at us in.--- And
have net ethe r garrifeas been in danger of being fur
reundec? Other garrifens iavirened on ev&, fide
have been bravely defended..- But all this is a chfo
ra, ta, enemy were unable to nave drawn a line 20 or
30 mi eg argued as that we could net in case of eztre
&ty hive broken through ? could net these ftatee have
brake the enchanted circia.--- The fi;uatisA cf the
ground rendered it most difficult to be besieged.
W , B BB t a peffibility cf their encircling u, with
6uile.vieg uj ream to retire several way#, enlefs they
had had 400 50 000 mra....Thrir prefect number
being maxi ce^iemprible for the erft&iag fitch a ,ur
pefe, it act being as it generally thought more than
8000, and by many net 6000 aff&ve men.-- After
w 3 had feat eur sick away, in case of any future extre
mity, ia case of famine, cr in case cf a tatal neg!s& es
our friends aid countrymen, we could have went down
the lake, or up tn the eai, ar ts the weft, and retired
with honor and dignity, and never have left so many
men as we didin eur prefect flight.-.-Left war that
fortrefs was defended by a greater difpreportien of
man than there' was between the two armies in the
prefect cafs.-.-Had we tea ffiut in the day of g ur
Bight as is repref-n^d, we Ihould have been (certeiab)
we then had the militia to have shifted us within,
h ,^, id they have ran heme after his wondreu;
circle hid been drawn,--Th, wh^ kxow tha'r ouad,
know there was an utter impeffirilicy sf tur befog
fcu^ in by that a my of eur enemies ; ner could dr,
bla their number have rendered ear date derate,
had we ng external affidance to exped, besides we had
every r^fia to expc& we tim'd not be abandoned by
on. friends i% he day of our calamity, but that the
who& t cauatry w.uld have moved on to ear help „
faoß as they fined the enemy had thought cf distress
ing us.-- As yet they had not fired a cannon open us,
nor that I could learn had they fe much as demanded
the fartrafs....W^ gave it them befcre Ac, f &,d far
it.---It lever ceft them a gue. Had we defended thst
fertref, like men of honor, and courage, and had it so
happened that the oeay had carried it by flora,
"° "^ " 5 0 ° valient man in the difpme,
and an 2000 of the enemy.---I ffia u !d have thought
eur case in thefa Bates much preferable to what it is
now, 2000 men who have been flielng bifire their ene
mies 150 miles, their deaths warn out and in tatters,
their enrage all gone, dl confidence in their officers
' '°" s ß *dard to begin an army with to
defend a ^e.-.-Ia the firmer case had the remaindir
of the ga:rifea that was not fail been captivated after
a meft manly rsfiftance, the g^fo spirit would have
catched through thecoatiaet, aid hurtt forth like pods
of thunder, nd fl [he of lighting open@ Mr enumim
Whereas in the ,refat case, iffiie prejudice has
been done to the formation ofafolid arm,, tv Bmp the
progrefa of the enemy on ths Nwth-River. -O^ how
happy had these fates been to what they new are h^d
we been half Urin i^ a glorious defence of that fit
tref% and the otk£ # half captivated,- -Oh how ms^y
tears, what infinite dißrefs, how sw^ precious lira
had we favod, --A?d we had fi,^ enr honor wlich
is now gene, which is of warth tea f^dier.
STATEDVERMONT.
h Council tf^afa), Brasi^teu, ißtb A%uft, 1777^
Mr. Watson,
Z am dir&d 6, th Coaxciha nc!tf,§u a <„ ofGuurd
B"'g'y" ' i^fr%ai§at ts Li<at. Co'. Bcwa, irbich ,ox
art dfctd fo,nw, wtb #// cofovnita jfa^ so &
6^6. ts th feablit.
3, or/tr of CeHvcil,
PAUL SPOOLER D/jwj SgfrKar,
INSTRUCTIONS for Lieu;enant Colonel BAUM.
T"' .''J°" °'y°" r expedition i?, to try th* sf
feaien of t^e country ; to difeoncert the coun
cils &f t^e enemy, to meant the Riedefeb dragoons,
to comprise Petti's corps, aid to obtain large Applies
of cattle, horses, and carriages.
The fereral corps of which theenclofcd is a lift, are
to be under yrur command.
The troops mmf take no texts, and "hat little beg
ft' is carried by officers mud be cn jheir own * bat
horfa.
foil art to proceed frrm Batmen Kill to Arlington,
and take post, there till th# dstaihmcnt of tie provin
cials under the command of Capt. Sherwood ih&li join
you from the feuthward.
You are then to ptocred to Menchtfter, where yon
will a^n take pest fc as to fscarc the pefs of the
mountains on the rec fem Manchafter to Racking
ham ; fora hence p u will detsch the hdiars and
light troops to the northward, icwaids Ctfer Creek.
On their return and receiving ratslligsnce that n» ene
my is in upon the Canseeicu: river, yen will proceed
by the road over the morntiin^ to Rockingham, where
you will take post. This will bathe meltdiflant part
of the expedition, ^ must be proceeded upon with
caution, 21 you Mid have th# defile of th« mountains
beh no you, which might make a retreat difficult.
You must therefore enamor to ba ief^med of the
force efthe enemy's mi itit in theasighbrur% conn
try: Should you find it ragy with prudence be efe
«d you are tarmain thara while t^e Adies 2nd
light troops are d^tsch^d up the river ; end y<u are
afie wards t^ descend the ri>e r to BratthbOTcugh, ard
fam toat place by the quick ft m^rchycu are to return
by the great read t- Albany
Bat; th F^^;oj,r h. 4 Sa&4 <.
fiat ^re:fL-e&s w&f^ ^c^^&nhb ; r,± wftc fygj
an b^dfil es m^n. - I reply wo railed cat for num
bra. Wc u^ upwards cf 4 cco man, ^ quarts
cf ^h^ tu, be ote fak, a.^ cn earned &%
yarin case &frears, k every &^ an the „<m d mud
have been cf faroce it mor wi. : h & £ca}ct with the
fpesr. except ^fh tri hofriw ) r I> feme ether
w 0 whicUj^gvdwm ab s in izo, - Our number
o,^ greuad ^ swirely fuffiSs^ to kiva defended
lironwaregfl, and Mtun> Independence again# all the
foica the ^m, breech! agairff „,.. The eaerey
w^oteo wifi to hiv# attempted t& t. k? theft fertreffes
by fter, as arifrtly appeared by ibrir cssdaa : had
thy made iheat&npt, I derb^tbut *3 the spirit
ts the faldim then were * £ fhtuld have given a g^d
account st the> — Had the gnamy br@u 20000 firing,
zoco more on Independence fide m^at nave been of
rimes.
But were vet eur men peorly cla&thad, and ill arm
ed, ^ ill fu,plied... I ^f^r it was lais before cur
clentbiag arrived, not more than a few day # before
the flight, I could not learn that m#;e than one arti
cle was delivered outef said d&re till the whole was
thrown psi upon rhe parade after the array was chic By
ro%-.-I could have niflud to have & per men
drsffsd in uniform,! csald hero wifhid surWeft India
goods had arrived a little footer, 1 ceuld have wiffied
orfe that the price if feme things had been lowered
aid it appeared to mo evident, we were ton much no
gh&ad in that department, yet it evident!, appeared
that things mow began to grow much better with ug ,
,r complaints were removing fag, w a wanted but a
litre patience, end a little allowance fer the peculiar
Bate of this centibar under these cidr^s, and every
murker would have been huffied.--.Belies the fafa
eftha year was such as did net render cioathrag so
n^ceflhry at it is ia ths winter...-.-I cannot think that
RR ^'gu^sat can be derived from these complaints,
which cught never to be faamted in a camp, in jafli
forivre cf ear deferring that f^rftefs.
After every view Ira takaef this wetter, I rauft
rank myfilf ara^gd OT number es those who rep:±
bate the evacuation as Ticonderoga, end 1 verily be
lieve that th? General officers were tw# deeply aff^acd
"'°'.'.'"''° °' danger. That b&su fl^u^hter and
c?ftivsty pr&feated therc.ftlves ta their imaginations
after the movement es the sacra, faturday towards
@t, they wm bright to realize that they raaft
fight or be takiu prif.uuri, or run away.--.l hey chafe
the latter.
This w^oletfcir I ceaftder as meft anhappy, as re
fl.arig eiorsal Iharas surf infarcy open tha Amctitan
arm# : however it may be overruled by divine provi
dence for g&od to these Bate,, and am petfuaded Gad
is a«w carrying ^ kind defigus towards a 9 in theft
myderiaus providences, I am es opinion if we had
card iik^ men, Gon. Burgoyne a&a his army might
ore this time have been sent home in a fh^tterad bro
ken condition, and ths American spirit, and coerr^e
have bgen maintained, and cur honour prefarrad.
amotf the niricnavf the earth, andihat spirit of to.
tr*Bti#g, which has tsk.'n held of our neitkern army,
which camnot be laid sfide at aace, and which will^
unavoidably, un efi the Militia -.re roused toad after
other examples, Lt the cr+cay in upon as like a flood,
as far at they incline to peustrate.
THOMAS ALLEN.