Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-07-29 00:00:00, page 2

PORTSMOUTH, (N^-Hamfhire) July tg.
WED NESQAY lad was brought into Falmouth,
by Captain Crabtree, a (loop from Annapolis,
bound to Halifax, taken off the Grand Passage, loaders
with lumber, hand spikes, butter, cbeefe, Potatoes, See.
B O ST ()N, July 18.
Monday last an express arrived at Head Quarters in
this town, from his. Excellency General Wafnington
at New-Yoik, with orders for all the troops in the pay
of the Continent to march for that city, as soon as
pohibie; and this day, it is laid, one regiment will
set off.
By Mr. Stone, we learn, that the day before he
left St. Peters, a French man of war arrived there
from France, who informed, that the Spaniards had
declared war against Portugal.
1 Ltd Saturday arrived at Shlt:m froth GuidaloUpe,
the (chooner Polly, Dabid M'Cleod, master, who has
brought one hundred exiles of powder, about seventy
or eighty final! arms, a number of carriage and swivel
guns, a quantity of brim^one, (hot, flints, &c.
Yesterday morning, a fifth i ; inch mortar was found,
off the end of the Hoa. John Hancock, Efqr's. wharf.
N E W-YO R K, July 2 S .
Our troops, Rationed on Bergen Point, give the roini
fterral fleet and army dome uneasiness, by firing at the
tenders; boats, &c. Itlo galls and provokes them, that
they return the fire with great fury, but have not done
the least damage to cur people.
Last Lord's day, a great many (hot were heard in
this city from Bergen Point. The occasion was this:
A barge from the fleet, full of men, landed op the
point, but were opposed and driven of with precipita
tion by our trpops; a fmartfire ensued from a tender
for a considerable time, without doing any injury.
By two deleters, we are informed, that a Captain and>
two privates were killed on board their targe.
We hear from New-Jersey and Connecticut, that a
great part of the men being absent on military service,
and the time of harvest coming on, the women; assisted
by the elderly men, whole age rendered them unfit for
the army, have so effectually exerted themfe ves, that
they have generally got in the harvest completely, the
laudable example being set by the ladies of the firft
character in each place. And we are credibly tefermed,
'that many of them have declared, that they will take
the farming business upon themselves, so long as the
rights and liberties of 'heir country require the presence
of their foris, husbands, and lovers in theYeld.
Extras of a letter from a*n Officer at Fort George, to bis
fr^ni, an Officer in Nenv York, futy 14, 1776.
% I never knew the fatigues of a campaign till I ar
rived in Canada. The mod shocking icenes that ever
appeared in a camp were constantly exhibited to view.
When General Sullivan arrived in Canada the army
was torn in pieces by sickness and other unaccountable
occurrences—-A whole regiment was not to be found
together.—General Sullivan, with his usual activity
and alertness, collected together a debilitated and di
fpitted army; tried the ftrengrh of the enemy, who
Were at least four to our one, and performed one of the
TOoft remarkable retreats that ever was known.— No
person who was not present can conceive a tenth part
of the difficulties attending it ; —the enemy at our heels,
3000 of our men sick of the smallpox, those who were
most healthy like so many walking apparitions.—All
cur baggage, stores and artillery to be removed, offi
cers as well as men all employed in hauling cannon,
&c. Our batteaus loaded were all removed up the ra
pids fix miles, one hundred of them were towed up by
our poor wearied men, up to their arm pits in water.
This was performed in one day and an half; our tick
and baggage all fafely landed at St. John's, and from
thence at Crown Point, with the loss of three cannon
only, which were poor ones. All this was accomplished
thro? the amazing exertions of General Sullivan, who
performed what appeared to be almost impossible to
have been done by mortal man ! He is now on his way
to New-York."
The men of war that lately went up the North Ri
ver, lie in Haverftraw-Bay. Their tenders cruize a
bout, and last Saturday one of them went near the fort,
upon Which cur people fired a thirty-two pounder at
her, which went through her charter, when (he tacked
about and Rood down the river. Some time after
they landed a party of their men at Peck's-kill, set fire
to a wheat field, and burnt the house of Mr, John Lil
ly. Anumber of the militia were soon collected, who
attacked and killed seven of them, without any loss on
cur fide.
ANNAPOLI S, 7^28.
In CONVENTIO N, June 2§, 177 6.
Refolded, That for afce taining rhe rark of the Cap
tains, Lieutenants, and Ensigns of the companies, to
compose the Flying Camp commissions (hall issue by the
Convention or Council or Safety, and be dated of the
day such Captain, Lieutenant, or Ensign, (half have
enrolled the number of men expressed in his warrant*
and rank between officers of equal degree, shall take'
place according to such date, but where there (hall be
enrollments compleated on the fame day by officers of
the fa^e degree, the rank (hall be fettled by ballot be
tween such officers, and the commissions marked accor
dingly. Extrafl from the Minute;,
G. DUVALL, Clerk.l
PHILADELPHI A, July 29.
The Hon. Convention of Maryland have resolved,
that a bounty of one (hilling be paid for every bushel
of fait imported into that colony before the firft day of
March next, the importer to fell the fame at any price
not exceeding 7/6.
Extrafl of a letter from the Camb at Eli^abetb-Town,
,dated July 25.
" Yesterday a rifle^ an crossed the river, and when
within 15 yards of the enemy's out-posts, desired them
to surrender; at that instant he received a ball thro'
his head which killed him on the spot.—This morning
we had a deserter from the Asia, who fays that 2000
Highlanders have arrived within these few days, and
that the enemy intend attacking New-York as soon as
possible."
In CONGRESS, July 10, 1776.
,'r^ H E Committee to whom the cartel between
Brigadier General Arnold and Captain Fos
ter, and the several papers thereto relating were
committed, having had the fame under their consi
deration, and made diligent enquiry into the fgts,
have agreed to the following report :
1 h^y find that a party of three hundred and ninety
Continental troops, under the command of Cob Be
del, was posted at the Cedars, about forty-three miles
above Montreal ; that they had there formed some
^°* s of defence, the greatest part of them picquet
& lines, the rest abreaftwork of earth, with two field
pieces mounted.
That on Wednesday, the fifteenth of May, Colonel
Bedel received intelligence that a party of the enemy,
consisting of about fix hundred regulars, Canadians,
and Indians, were on their way to attack his post ? and
were then within nine mites of it—that Colonel Bedel
thereon set out himlelf for Montreal to procure a re
inforcemen:, whereupon the command at the Cedars
devolved 00 Major Butterfield.
That on 1 hurlday a reinforcement under the com
mand of Major Sherburne, marched from Montreal
for the Cedars, while a larger detachment Ihould be
getting ready to proceed thither with Brigadier-Ge
neral Arnold.
That on Friday the nineteenth, the enemy under
the command Bf Capt. Foster, invested the post at the
Cedars, and for two days kept up a loose scattering
fire —That Maj&r Butterfield proposed from the very
firft to surrender fc post, and refufed repeated felici
tations from his officers and men ho permit them to
sally out on the enemy.
That on Sunday afternoon, a flag being lent in by
the enemy, Major Butterfield agreed to surrender the
fort and garrison to Captain Foster, capitulating with
him (whether verbally or in writing does not appear)
that the garrison should not be put, into the hands of
the savages, and that their baggage should not be plun
dered.
That at the time of the surrender, the enemy con
sisted of about forty regulars, one hundred Canadians,
and five hundred Indians, and had no cannon; the
garrison had sustained no injury from the fire, but they
having one man wounded—they had twenty roundsof
cartridges a man, thirty rounds for one field piece, five
for another, half a barrel of gunpowder, fifteen pounds
of musket ball, and provision Sufficient to have iafted
them twenty or thirty days. Major Butterfield knew
that a reinforcement was on is way, and moreover
was so near the main body of the army that he could
not doubt of being supported by that.
That immediately.on the surrender, the garrison
was put into the cufody of the Savages, who plun
dered them of their baggage, and even stripped them
of their cioaths.
That,Major Sherburne having landed, on Monday
the twenty-firft, at (Quifezechenes, ibout nine miles
from the Cedars, and marched on with his party, con
lifting then of one hundred men, to within four miles
thereof, was there attacked by about five hundred
of the e^emy that he maintained his ground above
an hour, and then, being constrained to retreat., per
formed the fame in good order, receiving and return
ing a constant fire for about forty minutes, when the
enemy finding means to post advanced parties in such
a manner as to intercept their farther retreat, they al
so were made prisoners of war.
1 hat they were immediately put into the custody
of the Savages, carried to where Major Butterfield
and his party were, and stripped of their baggage and
wearing apparel. °
That two of them were put to death that evening,
four or live others at different times afterwards, one
of whom was of those who Surrendered on capitula
tion at the Cedars, and was killed on the eighth day
after that surrender. That one was firft (hot, and
while retaining life and sensation was roasted, as was
related by his companion new in possession of the Sa
vages, who himfelf saw the fad, and that several 0-
thers, being worn down with fatigue and cruelty, were
left exposed in an inland naked and perilling with cold
and hunger.
1 hat while Major Sherburne was in custody of the
enemy, Captain Foster required of him and the other
officers to sign a cartel, ffipulating the exchange of
themselves and their men, for as many of eqaal con
dition of the British troops in our possession. And far
ther, that notwithstanding the exchange, neither them
selves nor men should ever again b^ar.ar.ms against the
British government. And for the performance of this,
four hostages were to be delivered, which they, being
under the abfodute power of the enemy, did sign.
That on Sunday the twenty-hxth, the prisoners
were carried to Juningrehener, when it was difeover
ed that General Arnold was approaching and making
dispositions to attack them.
That Captain Foster, having desired Major Sher-*
borne to attend a flag which he was about to fena t®
General Arnold for confirmation of the cartel, car
ried hm into the Council of the Indians then fitting,
who told him, "that it was a mercy never before
shewn in their wars, ttyat they had put to death fa
few of the prisoners, but that he must exped, and so
inferm Gen. Arnold, that they fliould certainly kill
every man who should thereafter fall into their hands.
That Capt. Foster joined in desiring that this blood,
message (hould be delivered to General Arnold, and
moreover that he fliould be notified, that if he reject
ed the cartel, and attacked him, every man of the pri
foneis would be put to iaftant death.
That Gen. Arnold was extremely averse from en
tering into any agreement, and was at length induced
to do it, by no other motive than that of faring the
prisoners from cruel and.inlmman death, threatened
in such terms as left no doubt it was to be perpetrated;
and that he did in the end conclude it after several
flags received from Captain Foster, and a kiinquidi
ment by him of the unequal article of restraining our
soldiers from again bearing arn $.
I hat the prisoners, so Stipulated to be given up t®
the enemy, were not in the possession of Gen. Arnold,
nor under his direction, but were, at that time, diftri
bued thro' various parts of the continent, under the
orders of this House.
that four holtages were accordingly delivered to
Captain Foster, who were immediately plundered and
stripped by the Savages ; and on his part were deliver
ed one Major, four Captains, sixteen subalterns acd
three hundred and fifty five privates, as fpecified in a
certificate of Capt. James Osgood, and others of whom
no fpecification by their names or number has yet been
transmitted; that he retained twelve Canadians, alledg
ing, in his juftification, expiels orders so to de; and
that living in a miiitar„ovefnment, they were to be
considered even in a worse light than deserters from
his Majesty's armies. These he carried away in irons,
but afterwards released; that he permitted the Indians
to carry into their countries several other natives of
the United States, for purposes unknown.
1 hat during the time of their captivity not half
food was allowed the 'prifoners. They were continu
ally ihfulted, buffeted, and ill-treated by the Savages;
and when the firft parties cf them were carried off
from the shore, to be delivered to Gem. Arnold, balls
of mud were fired at them,and at the last parties roof,
ket balls.
Whereupon the Congress came to the following re
solutions:
Refolded, That all a&s, contrary to good faith, the
laws of nature, or the customs of civilized nations,
done by the officers and soldiers of his Britannic Ma
jesty, or by foreigners or Savages taken into his ser
vice, are to be considered as done by his orders, un
less indemnification be made in cases which admit in
demnification, and in all either cases, unless immediate
and effective measures be taken by him, or his officers
for bringing to condign punifhmeut the authors, abet
tors, and perpetrators of the ad.
Refolded, That the plundering the baggage of the
garrison at the Cedars, Gripping them of their cloaths,
and delivering them into the hands of the Savages,
^ was a breach of the capitulation on the part of the
enemy, for which indemnification ought to be de
manded. V
Resolved, That the murder of the prisoners of war
was a gross and inhuman violation of the laws of na
ture and nations; that condign puniflimenf should be
it dieted on the authors, abettors, and perpetrators of
the fame; and that for this purpose, it be required that
they be delivered into our hands.
Refolded, That the agreement entered into by Gen..
Arnold was a mere fponfion on his part, he nut bco\
invented with the powers for difpohng of priicoers ret
in his peffeffipn, nor under his direction ; and that
therefore it is fubjed to be ratified or annulled at the
diferetion of this House.
Revived, That the fhameful surrender of the post
at the Cedars, is chargeable on the commanding offi
cer. That such other of the prisoners as were taken
there, (hewed a willingness and desire to fi^ht the ene
my ; and that Mafrr Shetburoe, and the prisoners
taken with him, though their cifparity of numbers was
great, fought the enemy bravely for a considerable
time, and surrendered at last, but on abfriute necessi
ty; cn which conGdtratiors, and on which afw?, it
is resolved that the f|id fponfion be ratified, and that
an equal number of captives from the enemy cf the
fame rank and condi ion be restored to them as finu
, fared by the said fponfion.
Revived, That p evious to the delivery of the pri
soners to be returned on our part, the British Com
mander in Canada be required to deliver into cur
hands the authors, abettors, and p#pet r atcrs of the
horrid minder committed on the prisoners, to fuff r
such punriament as their crime deserves ; ,aud a'fo to
make indemnification for the plunder at the Cefos,
taken contrary to the faith of capitulation; and that,