The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-06-15 00:00:00, page 2

WIILIAMSBUR G,„ June b
t AST Tuesday his Excellency Thomas Jefferfon,
1 4 Esq; was appointed Governor of this Common
wealth.
In the HOUSE of SENATORS.
Tuesd.a y, June i, 177,.
, Refolded; nomine contrad'icente, That the thanks of this
House be given to Patrick Henry, Esq; kite Governor of
this Common-Wealth, for his faithful discharge of t at
important tr^h, and his uniform endeavours to promote
the true interests of this State and of all America.
Rfdued, vernine eentradicente, that this just tribute of
applause be presented to Mr Henry through a Committee
of this House, and that Mr. Jones, Mr. Lee, Mr.
Adams, Mr. PLirrifon, Mr Matthews, and Mr. Ellzey,
be of the laid Committee.
(Test) JOHN BECKLEY, C. S.
The l gentlemen above named accordingly waited on Mr.
Henry at toe palace, and preferred him with the refla
tions of the Senate, to which he returned the following
ANSWER:
Gentlemen,
THE uAwimous approbation which the Senate have
been pleased to give to my public conduct, in the vote
which you are pleased to communicate, confers, the
highest obligation on me. I entreat yoff to convey to, that
Honourable. House my cordial acknowledgments, and to
assure them that the signal honour they have done me
Ihali be held in grateful remembrance.
A N N A P O L I S, June m.
In,confequence of the important, news of the total de
feat of the enemy's army before Charleftown (South-Ca
rolina) the 19th ult. arriving in this city yesterday, a
feu d*fye was fired from the fort, the Independence and
Conqueror gailies, and a company of militia, drawn up
for that purpose, aided by the acclamations of people of
all ranks on so joyful an occasion.
BALT IMO RE, June 8.
The Representatives of Prince William County, in Vir
ginia, have lately been inftru&ed by their constituents,
* to move the H .curable the Speaker of the House of
Delegates, of that Common-Wealth, that inftrt&ions be
given to theit Delegates ia Congress, to move that every
Member of Congress fliall, in future, before he is admit
ted to a feat at that Board, take an oath that he is not
mediately or immediately concerned in trade, either fo
reign or domestic; or that he will not be so concerned
during his being a Member of that Body ; and that all
persons refufing to take such oath, be rendered incapable
of forcing In Congress." \'
The schooner Rose, Cap,t, Branfen, from Boston, was
lately taken by four British frigates, and carried into St.
Kkts.,,
Since our left, two large French flips, mounting twen
ty guns each, loaded principally with sugar, rum, and
salt, arrived here from Cape Francois. They luckily en
' tered Chesapeake just after the British fleet had left it.
On Saturday last, the sloop Washington, Capt. Bur
rows, of this port, arrived here from St. Euftatius, which
,he left the 23d ult. This gentleman informs us, that it
was confidently asserted at that iflaud, the day he left it,
that the French fleet (which appears to be frill command
ed by Count d'Efiaing, the Count de Gras being second
in command) had put to sea from Martinico, completely
fitted and manned, and confided of 35 Blips, 19 of which
were of the line ; that, in conference of this event, the^
British fleet, under Admirals Byron and Barrington, of
26 drips, I'9 of which are capital ones, immediately put'
to sea from St. Lucia ; and that as these formidable fleets
were observed to be in fight of each other, on the 20th
alt. to leeward of Dominica, it was thought, at Statia,
that a great and important naval engagement would
speedily take place.
Captain Burrows, (whole vessel mounted fix three
pounders, and had 25 men, emlufive of passengers, on
board) in company with Capt. Vefey, in a sloop often
guns, bound also to this port from Statia, were attacked
off Cape-Charles by two privateer febooners, one of twelve
and the other of sixteen guns, and after a Iharp candid
of two hours and a half, whfcn was maintained with cir
cumstances of great gallantry on the part of Captains Bur
rows and Veley, they so checked the enemy's progress,
as enabled them to proceed oh their voyage. The former,
who hath frequently manifefted his spirit and address in a
day of peril, was fortunate enough to extricate himfelf on
this ©ccafion, from the superior. power of the enemy;
but the meritorious Capt. Vefey, following Capt. Bur
rows through the North Channel, near Cape-Charles,
grounded on a Ihbal, by which fatal accident he soon be
came a prey to the cultures, who had been previously
baffled.l
A late letter from St. Euftatius advises, that in the
course of a fortnight, upwards of sixty fail of American
vessels arrived in that illand. Several of them belong to
Philadelphia and this port.
BOSTO N, May 31.
From the quantity of provisions taken on board the fleet
with troops that lately failed from New. York, it is con
jedurH by fume, that this embarkation is destined for the
Weft Indies, in .compliance with the pressing calls for a
reinforcement from that quarter; occasioned by the great
loss the British forces have sustained there from sickness, &c.
Advice is received that our cruizers from Connecticut
have hAd further success agaipft the privateers, that not
lang since, failed from New- York. They have lately cap
tured, and carried into New London, three of the enemy's
. armed vessels, of about 10 guns each, and re-captured a
brig which had been taken by them.
Since our last the Black-Prince privateer, returned in
port from a cruize. She was last frem Bilboa.—She has
been gone about seven months ; and has taken ten prizes,
how many is- arrived fafe we,do not hear.•
Last Tuesday evening, x6prifoners ^ot away from the
guardfllip, and stole a filhing Rhooner, and proceeded for
New-Port, but were immediately pursued, and the wind
not being in their favour, they were overtaken at Cape
Ahn, and broughtto town last Thursday afternoon, and
committed to close confinement.-
June 3. By a : vessel in ,7 days from M^rtinico, arrived
at New-London last Friday, we have advice, That Count
d'Estaing has lately been reinforced with zo fail of French
and Spanish Clips of the line, which took about 30 fail of
the Cork fleet bound to New-York, on their passage, and
carried them into Martinico: That fiAce their arrival Ad
miral Byron has been blocked up ; and that Count d' Ef
taign may very soon be looked for in these seas.
Tuesday last the Hon. House of Reprefentatwes passed
a vote to suspend Edward Bacon, Esq ; of Barnstable, from
a feat in that House, ©ll account of his inimical disposition
to the S@e. - ','
Extract of a letter from Lautb.McLean to Daniel McLead,
jun. of Ne^w-Tork, dated Giajg&w, February 10, 1779.
" I am glad tc inform you that the emigrants are efta
blilhed.—From. any preparations that I hear are making,
the ensuing campaign will be as disgraceful as the former
ones ; and if they should fend over a good many men, it
will be as late as bfual before they arrive there —As for
Ruffians, you need hot look for any.
" The Minidry frill continues immerged in the fame
Ocean of errors in which they set out, and I am afraid no
thing worthy of British councils or British valour will any
more appear amoDgft us. ?
It is affirmed as a fa^, that the plan of operation for
the Britifn. troops in America this year, is to kill, burn
and destroy every thing they are fuffered to come nigh,
along the sea-coasts, and if possible to render defenceless
every port on the Continents
By a vessel arrived at an Eastern port, in a short parage
from Caroline, we learn, that the British army under
General Prevofl, had for some time severely felt trie influ
ence of the Southern climate; many were tick, and many
had died; that by advancing into the country, and by
various movements tney had made, they seemed for a
while to threaten Charleftown with a closer approach, but
had never been nearer to it than about forty or titty
miles;, that they had taken up all the bridges near their
rout, and the several stations they had occupied, with a
view to prevent the junction 01 General- Moultrie, who
was in their front, with General Lincoln, who huug up
on their rear; that such difpolitions had been made py tue
two Generals to cdunteraa the designs of the enemy, and.
to effed a junction when it would be thought proper,
that the British army appeared rather difeoncerted, had
changed its rout, and retired to Beaufort, Rear to which
place" General Frevofi had his head-quarters when the
last advices came away. The Britilh army was comput
ed at 3000 ; and the forces under General Lincoln are laid
to be much superior in number.,
It is said that sixteen thousand of th? enemy's troops
have been detatched from New-York since October last.
Several late betters from the Southward, confirms the
account, that Congress have nearly accomplished the im
portant measure for ehablnhing tuecredit &f our currency.
The General Putnam privateer, belonging to New-
London, was spoke with by Captain Nathaniel Weft, in
t.e Ship Black Prince, in lai. 46. Ic. N. long. 45. 20. W.-
had taken two prizes, one a sloop with beef and pork,
and the other a privateer, of eight guns, and twenty men,
out of New York. , m .
It is reported that preparations are making in New-
York for some further enterprize. It is the policy of our
enemies, after they have made detachments, to boast, and
endeavour to make appearance of a greater force than
they had before the detachment was made. What mighty
force can be left in New-York, after so many troops .nave
been feet from thence to the Weft-Indies, to Georgia,
and Virginia ?
We have it from good authority that there is now no
naval force at Rhode-Inland, except two gallies# -
PROVIDENCE, May z 9.
A gentleman who came to town on Monday from the
Eastward, where he arrived last week in, a vessel frhm
Cadiz, informs, that the greatest warlike preparations
were flill racking throughout Spain, and an attack on
Gibraltar was publicly talked of, and wished for : That
upwards of 30 Spanish ships of the line, with a number of
frigates, were ready for sea at Cadiz the 9th of April, when
he failed ; that 70,000 troops were at Cadiz, Port St.
Mary, and St. Lucar; that the American privateers have
been very fuccefsful in the European seas, and were allow
ed to fell their prizes in Spain, and rfit, with the fame
freedom as in our owfi ports ; that the French cruizers
had taken a great number of prizes, particularly z ships
from the Streights, with very rich cargoes, which were
captured by two frigates, and sent into Malaga; and
that, a few days after he failed, he fell in with a large fleet
of Britifn tranfp®rts, under convoy of several men of war.
The gentleman further advises, that the Spanish Gene
ral O'Reily, having in March last finifhed a grand bridge
at Port St. Mary, across the river Guadefet, near the bay
of Cadiz, a great concourse of people had assembled on the
bridge, to celebrate its completion, when some of the
arches giving way, 1500 persons fell into the river, and'
were drowned.
Monday last three deserters, viz. two Hessian Doctors
and a Serjeant, arrived here from Rhode-Ifland.
POUGHKEEPSIE, June 7.
On Saturday our advices were, that the enemy, after
taking the little fort Fayette, marched above Peeks Kill,
to the top ofa hill, called Bald-hill, near Queen's Village,
just above which G.n. M'Dougal, with a oody of troops
was lying ready to attack them, and to dispute every inch
of ground if they should attempt to pass the mountains.
That the enemy, however, proceeded no further than Bald
hill, where they were very curious and particular in en
quiring what forces we had there, whether any of the Con
tinental troops had joined General M'Dougal, or got into
the fert, whether any considerable body of the militia,
and what number, had joined our army, and whether it
was intended to dispute with them the passage thro' the
mountains.—To all these enquiries, the answers being un
favorable to their views, they marched back again towards
their vessels, and the last intelligent e we had of them was,
that on Saturday evening they were encamped in the
woods, a little above and about Verplank's-Point, their
vessels lying off in the river. On Friday thewind was en
tirely fair for them to come up with their vessels, if they
meant to have made an attack upon the fort.—So that it is
plain they neither intend to attack the fort nor our army,
unless they can do it by furprize, or take us at some dis
advantage. Perhaps they mean ip remain at or near their
present Nation for some time, till they have lulled our vi
gilance to sleep, and find us cafelefs and indolent, or till
our militia are tired out and gone home, or till they have
obtained some equivalent for the expence and trouble of
their preparations.
Er^rffi sf a tetter.
" The fubdu^En of the North-River bribe capital ob
jell of the Tory monarch and ministry of Great Britain--
but to accomplish this, the reduction of our garrison at
Well - Point, is absolutely .nece/fary;,accordingly his Ex
cellency the renowned Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, set out
lately from New-York, in company with a Efficient conn-<
cil of,English and Scotch nobility an 1 gentry, with an at
wy composed of all the British, Foreign, and American
Tories he could possibly muster.—A fm II redoubt of three
guns, called La Fayette, was conftru^ed on the bank of
the river at Verplank's Point, which bei'hg^planned with
a view to chastise some pirates in the neighbourhood, as
well,s to divert his Excellency on his paiTage to Weft-
Point, should he come that way ; it has, to the joy of all
good men, answered both, those valuable purposes; for
King's Ferry, near it, has received many advantages by
it—and the admirable entertainment it has last week af
forded his said Excellency, hh army and navy, was be
yond description, because the exhibition was as unexpect
ed to him as ii was elegant,—ln short, the music was so
grand as to invite the whole country, who flocked from
many miles distance, to the dance. —And by the timet at
a Efficient number arrived, to honor his Excellency with
the Grand Ball at Weft-Point, and a country-dance
in the neighbourhood, he unfortunately got so fired and
sulky, and diflreffed with so much new company, which
he was sorry that he had invited, that it is supposed he has
by the advice of his said council, resolved shortly, to re
p ir to his lodgings in New-York."
Another correspondent writes, "That had Sir Henry
conceived it possible for a little fort with 3 guns only, to
oblige him to make such a noise on the North River, be
fore he attacked the capital works at Weft-Point, he should
have flipt by it in the niglrt,— For that he now fees himfelf
surrounded, with at lead three times the number of Free
dom's Sons, that he would have had to encounter with,
had he not delayed to take the redoubt."
Extra# of another letter, Jme 4.
" Thefsemy came upto Bald hill, near Continental
Village, about ,2 o'clock y< derday, Sir Henry Clinton
headed them. A party went out at the f.me time to Crom
pond, where they Burnt Major Strang's house. —The ene
my began to retreat about 4 o'clock, and were, by the
last accounts below Peeks Kill. The militia have turned
but equal to our most sanguine expectations, among them
were the most refpeaable characters, with their knapsacks
on their b,cks, ,doing duty with.the private soldier. This ,
little part of a fugle State, has against the main army of
a powerful nation, by their extraordinary exertions on
this becafion, equalled Grece and Rome, when in the ful
left enjoyment of them boated liberty.'-'
FIS HK I L L, Jdne
Last Tuesday night, fix ships c^me up to King's Ferry ;
the enemy have advanced about two miles from the Fer
ry, and are fortifying at Stonji-Point, on the weft.fide of
the river, and have occupied the pafs' from Haverflraw to
the'Foreft of Dean ; they have advanced ®n the east fide
within about two miles of Peeks-Kill, and are cutting
timber for block-houses. General Washington, with bis
army on the weft, and the troops on the east fide of the
river, are so p®fted, and the garrison at Weft-point being
well provided for defence, we have reason to hope a fa
vourable issue, if the enemy should make an attempt to
force the, posts in the Highlands.
The following is an &xaA account of the enemy's force at
King's Ferry, &c.
Eafl lide bf tbe rt<ver.
19 Companies of grenadiers,
19 Ditto light infantry,
33d Regiment,
4 .Companies Lord Cathcart's legion of foot.
Robinson's corps, ~.
3 Battalions of Hellian grenadiers,
1-z Ditto Hessian Yaugers,
Prince Charles's regiment, Hessians.
Weft fide of tbe river.
17th Regiment,
'63d Ditto,
64th Ditto.
Total 54.00.
Returned to Ne^w-Ymk, being tbe fatigued troops from ,ir
ginia.
42d Regiment,
Irish volunteers,
Part of the King's guards.
We hear, the enemy have robbed the inhabitants, in
the vicinity of their camp, of upwards of two thousand
head of great and small cattle, and have otherwise distress
ed them.—Twenty one deserters have come in since last
Saturday.
The Dutchefs County Militia, with great alacrity, have
come in and joined the camp. Gentlemen of the firft
character, refugees from New-York, Long-Bland, and
others, perform duty in the army as common soldiers,
zealously disposed to fuppbrt their country's cause.
Several of the Tories in the mountains, near this place,
have been taken up the end of last and the beginning of
this week, for harbouring and supplying villains sent out
by the enemy to fieal horses, and plunder the inhabitants.
Several persons having been observed carrying cheese,
butter, and gammons to the enemy, were properly secur
ed by Touting parties from our army.
Extra# of a letter from Albany, June 6.
“ The Whig party of the Onondagos, to the number
of 126, are come to live among the Oneidas, who are dai
° ly applying to Col. Van Schaick, the commanding officer
there, to go out for prisoners. Three parties, to Niaga
ra, Ofwegatchie and Buck Island, went out last week.—
The inhabitants of this city had a meeting yesterday, and
appointed a Committee, to enter into similar resolves with
those lately of the city of Philadelphia.---Last evening,
the effigy of a man who it a dealer in hard money, was
suspended on a gallows, and carried through the city.
We are resolved to check the pernicious practice, which
has greatly helped to ruin our currency."
PHILADELPHIA, June 15.
Yesterday arrived here the private fllip of war Pole,
of Liverpool, late commanded by Capt, John Maddock.
This vessel which mounts 24 carriage guns, 6 and 9 pound
ers, failed from New-York on the 6th instant, to cruize
4 months on our coast, and then proceed for Jamaica to
lade sugars, chafed ^nd overtaken four days after by the
Boflon, a frigate of the United States ; the Captain of the