The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-08-21 00:00:00, page 2

tana numerous, and loyal enough to take up arms, and
defend roat town, white his Majesty's troops penetrated
dip tir country? But this his Lordship waved as a question
^ opinion. The fame objection was also given by the
noble Lord to the following interrogatories—lt, during
the whole of the American war, there ever have been a
period of it, when the B itifh troops wqe to be thought
adequate to the reducing, the rebels by ffce of arms? Or,
whether they would be so by the reinforcement intended
to be sent from hence the ensuing campaign ? His Lordship
also refufed to aufwer, Whether Gets. Howe had or had
not been supplied Vih the necHfary force, or that force
which he had demanded from home.
Colonel Barre desired much that the noble Lord would
give the Houle feme account of the opinion he had form
ed, or of the character he thought the Provincial troops
of America deserved, or whether they were to be terrified
by our puHuiug th e war with more severity than we have
done. The firil part of the Colonel's question, the noble
Lord wis rather ihy of answering; but speaking to the
latter part,he did not think severity on our fide would »ow
terrify the Rebels , it would rather tend in his opinion to
animate them.
The Col. then begged leave to trouble the noble Lord
with the three following questions.
Col Bf. Has not the American war been a mere
war of polls?
Lors Cornwallis. I think he history of the war will
determine that.
Col Eure. If the war fhoci Ihe continued, will it not
be a war of ports, and nothing elle? 1
Lord Cornwallis. T't is A' qaNlioii of opinion,
Col. Barre. Is:?.awt!? Tts both tedious and ex
pensive ?
Lori Cornwallis I • d : Acuity in answering
that question, bu iTak , .ht honorable gentleman;
as a Me über of Paraament, a. Ml able t® tell as I am.
Co roar. Cue H>ufe bed^ : ^RU^h.) I fineere
ly than. ...! If I unM. nd him rightly,
his Lordship fays' ^e act.- .d tut A.mfe will aufwer the
question."
Many other questions were fug,efled to tue addle Lord,
some of which he chose to put by s qurkrus of opinion,
and some because that they ,ould dif:lof cF^ at the pos
session of which he had arrived from corner ces, and con
sultations with the General.
At 8 o'clock Sir Wiliam Howe moved, That General
Grey be called in, and tne ffime being done, the General
antwered the f>me querticns Lord Cornwallis had done,
to prove the difficulty of getting arfy information from
the in , tbitants of America for military purposes, to prove
that it w s a country of all others the best calculated by
nature for a detenfive war, and to assure the Houle that it
was so adapted for ambufeades that our army were hardly
ever free from the danger of a foprite.
Sir Willram Howe particularly aiked the General, If
he had ever trea-ed the Rebels with any improper lenity ?
Who replied, that the Commander in Chief had never
Ihewn them any lenity but what was extremely proper,
highly to the service of the King, and much to the honor
of the Britilh troops; and upon his toeing further afged,
If a more severe course of war would«ave been attended
with any good conlequentes? The General was of opini
on, that it would not have had any fu h etfe&, but would
have exafperateJ the Rebels to more vigorous exertion of
their strength, which (in his opinion) had always been G
perior to curs.
The General then went over-<he fame questions Lord
Cornmliis did refpeaing Sir William Howe's federal
movements and manoeuvres, particularly his expedition to
Philadelphia, which he deemed a very proper and judici
ous flop. Sir William Howe, he laid, could not, with any
propriety, or indeed fafety, goup to the northward for the
purpose of affixing General Burgoyne, so that the intend
ed junction might have been formed firfl, or the possibility
of it tried, as General Wafliin; ton would, in that case,
have peffifed bimfelf of New-York, or he might have
followed Sir William Howe in his rear, who must have
kept a chain of ports u, on both sides the North River,
and thereby have fubjefted himfelf to the attacks of the
enemy, who might, in that case, bave annoyed him with
great advantage.^
General Grey having, at the beginning of his examina
tion, lignified ?;s readmefs to reply to all queftiops of opi
nion, as well as of fa&s, which he conceived he was in
duty bound to do, Colonel Barre tendered him a long se
ries of queiTons that Lord Cornwallis had avoided, and
the General readily and explicitly declared that the Ame
rican o : r ad been a war of ports; it continued, and
would cerroniy remain so, as the Rebels were, from the
nature of their country, able to dispute every inch of
£round us it were with us ; and he was further of opinion,
torn the Bi dih i.rets never could carry on, or extend the
epilations of war any great difiance from the fleet, as
frm tr.at alone they could only expect their supplies of
provifi ms., . '
Th- :General, in answer to the Colonel, also freely de-
C: ced, + : ,. at no time of t'e war had the British troops
kn:;.:.,;e ^ the fubdoOion es the Rebels. Mr. Fox
az<edß wbnefs, I acomparifon between our force and
that iw hr AN. HMragton, was a comparifoo by which
our mtue G-cJs w a s to be ertimated ? And was xnfwer
ed, It was net: And, by way of explanation, said, be
meant the rebel force in general, and not those immedi
ately under Mr. Walhihgton. Colonel Barre afterwards
asked him, f: he thought the British troops would be com
petent to tne '.ubduing America, if General Grant and his
army, now in the Weft-Indies, were returned there, to
get .er with the 4000 men that hire t® go from England ?
and the Genera replied. That ^e could not think it would
enable ust,do any thing effectual the ensuing campaign.
The General them, in answer to some further quertions,
gave the H)nfe to underßand, that no good was to be ex
pected from any violence on our part towards the Ameri
cans ; and though they possibly might have been terrified
at firft, it was not to be done now. Any penetration too
up the country was, he thought, unlikely to take place, as
the Rebels nad neither money nor provifiohs for the King's
troops to take, and that at present Sir Henry Clinton pos
sessed nothing more at New-York but the city itfelf.
The General being asked, What force he thought would
be fufficieut in America to subdue the Rebels? answered.
He *eal, couideot pretend to fay.
The Committee broke up a little after 12 o'clock, and
adjourned till Tuesday ne^t, when they will resume the
examination of the rest of the officers, who are said to be
fourteen in number.
MADRID, May 8.
riff HE givity and operations in our ports are not only
& continued, but redoubled ; which makes it believed
that we shall soon cease to be fpeHators only in the gre^t
quarrel between France and England. The real object
now in question is not, Whether North- America shall be
independent or not; but, whether the empire of the sea
shall continue to appertain solely to Great-gritain, or be
divided between the maritime powers of Europe ?
Dresden, May 11. The following are said to be the ar
ticles relative to his electoral highness's dominions —"ift.
“ The Elector of Saxony shall receive fix millions of
fi crowns as an indemnification for theexpences occasioned
" by the war. 2d. That the Elector Palatine, by paying
" down the above sum, shall be put in possession of that
“ part of Bavaria contested abou, except a few towns,
“ and five bailiwicks. 3d. That tne Elector of Saxony
'' shall have to his (hire all the furniture, plate, &c. which
“ may be found in the palace and country feats, except
" what belonged immediately to the late Palatine. 4th.
“ That Saxony shall possess the fover< ignty ofSchomburgh,
“ to which Bohemia gives up her claim for ever. sth. That
“ Saxony.fhall enter with Prussia into a public offenfive'
“ and defensive alliance. 6th; That his Prussian Majesty
" will deduce half, or even twothirds, of the duties laid
“ on goods passing thro' Saxony. 7th. That France and
^ Russia will declare rhemfelves guarantees of the treaty.
“ And Bth. That the House of Austria shall pay to the
“ EieHor qf Saxony four millions of florins, as a tom
" penfation for the damage done by the Austrian troops
“ during the war from *740 to 1745 inclusive."
LONDO N, May io.
A private letter received from Lisbon, fays c That a
nobleman of diftiaftion had been arretted there and con
duced to prison, and that it was thought his head would
toe hruck otf. The nature of his offence is not publicly
known, but it was rumoured lie had been guilty of trea,
son, .'
York, Ma, 4. On the 24th tilt. Mr. Peacock, of Raw
cliff, was firtick dSad by a Rath oflightning, as he was
filling in the river Aire. His hair was entirety burnt off
his head, and his shoes off his feet. Another gentleman,
in company with Mr. Peacock, was also ilruck down, and
much burnt, but is in a fair way of recovery.
St Jame/s, Ma) 11. The .King has been pleased to fill
up the thirteen vacant stalls of the Most Hon. Order of the
Bith, by conferring the honor of Knighthood of that Or
der on Sir James Adolphus Oughten ; Sir Robert Gun
ning; But. Sir George Howard; the Right Hon. Sir
John Blaquiere, Sir William Gordon; the Right Hon.
Sir Jotin Irwine ; Sir Guy Carleton ; Hon. Sir William
Hove; Sir Hen,y Clinton; Sir Edward Hughes; Sir
J jmes H rris ; Sir Heftbr Munro ; and tne Erl of Antrim.
And his Majefly has been pleased to appoint the infialla
tion of the said Knights of the Bath to oe on Wednesday
the 19th day of tni prefect month of May.
txtrad of a letterj'orn Portjmoutb, Ma, 9.
" The ten fail of the line, which were ordered for sea
last week, are countermanded."
As if our disputes with America, and our quarrel with
France, were not fufficient to employ us, divisions are in
creating rapidly at home, and may, perhaps, terminate se
riously. In a letter from a gentleman in Ireland, to his
friend 111 Sahfbury, is me following paragraph:
" The frith will not wear your cioaths, nor drink your
drink, nor^aveany thing to do with Great-Britain, ex
cept the lair sex, an old triend, and your King's picture,
in gold, fiivfr, or copper; foch are the resolutions through
th^ kingdom, in return ior your reducing us by ruining
our tradfi to bankruptcy."
ipfivtJj, Ma& %. Adiftemper has broke out amongst
thehorned cattle at Frortendeo in this county, and proper
steps have been tdken to prevent hit contagion from spread
ing any farther.
May 13. On Tuesday a patent passed the Great Seal,
containing a grant,to Francis North, Esq; son of Lord
North, of the office of one of the five Under Searchers in
the port: of L ndon, in the room of Francis Schutz, Esq ;
deceased.-
Extras of a letter from Winebefer, Ma, 8.
"On Monday night a large body,of French prisoners,
confined in the King's houfehem found means to let them
selves down into a vault in the fyortii- wing, from whence
they cut a hole thro' the foundation of tne building, and
undermined the ground for some distance; and had it not
been for an accident, occasioned by/their eagerness in get
ting out, in which a boy's arm was broke, and whose sud
den cries indantly alarmed the centinels, it is supposed
some hundreds would have got offundifeovered; but ow
ing to the above, only eleven made their escape."
Ext'ad of a letter ,r:m Ca^eitr,, Ma, 10.
" On Wednesday laid an inquisition was held here on the
body of Lieut. Col Kain, oftne 6th regiment quartered in
this city, who was found drowned the day before in the
navigation near this city. The reason, we are informed,
for this r?dh atl, was his having received a few days ago a
letter (which is said to have been found in his pocket) from
the Secretary at War, wherein he is accused of having mis
applied the money belonging to the,regiment, and was in
formed therein that a Court-martial would speedily be held
on him for the fame. He (pent the former part of the e
vening on which he deflroyed himfelf with a t party
of friends, in great chearfulnefs, at a gentlemans house in
Coventry, which he left about ten o'clock at night; and
it appears before he threw uimfclf into the water, he took
off his coat, which, with his hat and (word, were found
upon the bank of the canal on the morning, and fed to a
discovery of the body : The verdict was Lunacy."
A correfpendent observes, that the Ministry item de
termined to use every method in their power to opprels the
fubje& ; taxes have already been laid on all the necessaries
as well as conveihencies of life (as was supposed) yet the
Minister, orhis friend's fertile brain, has found out one
more—a tax on all hired horses ; and notwithflandiug
their expectation, in all probability it will turn out but of
very little consequence to the revenue, fas Efficient taxes
have already, with and without the authority of Parliament,
rendered travelling very expensive ; for infiance, a turn
pike is fare to tax the traveller every ten miles at lead in
all parts of England.
June 3 The post-horse bill, like many other wife schemes
of ways and means, it is expected will run away witn the
drivers, and be of no use to the owner.
The Dutch are really offended at our late angry memo
rial, and will not give Sir Joseph Yorke the least informa
tion as to the tendency of their armament.
As the friends of government give out, th:t the Ameri
'can refugees have been the cause of the continuance of the
war in America, by their mistaken information of the loy^
alify of the inhabitants in that vast and xtended empire;
it is high time surely those people, who have been received
here with the meft generous friendfllip, should openly and
candidly avow the motives and ground of their conduct to
their great benefc&c rs of this kingdom, and not foffer us
to be duped by idle tales of deceitful information, which
must ultimately tend both to the deflru&ion of the Ame
rican empire, as well as that of Great-Britain,
In case of a secession of the war in America, a correspon
dent nfks, What is to become of the people and provinces
who have put tuemfelves/under the prote&ion of this go
vernment, upon the faith of the proclamation of the Cvm
miffioners?„
There is a meanness, if not a folly and ignorance, in Mi
nisters, at the tail of every session, to put the King upon
messages to the Houles of Parliament fer a Vote of Credit:
an able financier would be aihamed of such blunders and
mistakes in official business, asevery day now difcovets it-
Nif in the management of our public affairs, and nearly
makes us the feoff and ridicule of all Europe.
General Burgoyne declared on Tuesday in the House of
Commons, that he should close his evidence vn Thurfda,
(this day): Lord George Germain will therefore examine
his witnesses the beginning of the next week.
This morning an express arrived from Falmouth, with
advice, that last Monday a large fleet of Ihips passed by
there, which they supposed tc be Admiral Arbuthnot and
Admiral Darby, with the fleet for New-York, &c. under
their convoy ; and that the whole fleet were out of fight
by four o'clock in the afternoon.
The General Conway, Capt. Hor/ley, from St. Lucia,
with dispatches, is fafe arrived at Corlce.
Extract oj a letter from Greenock, Ma, 28.
" By the Endeavour of Gl dgo% John impfon, Ma
fler, arrived yesterday in RothLy Bay, we are informed,
that he had a paflage from Sandy-Hook of 35 days ; that
all was quiet when the left New-York, the troops disposed
upon Long-Illand, Staten Bland, York Ifiaud, and a
post upon the Jersey fide, opposite to New York, so as
they could soon be collected together. Nothing had been
heard of the Rebel army."
T R E N T O N, August 11.
On Saturday fe'e^night, about 12 o'clock at night, th^
house of Mr. Thomas Farr, near Croffwick's Bapuft
meeting-house, was attacked by several armed men, who
demanded entrance. Mr. Farr fufpeding, from their in
solent language, and the unseasonable tin^e of night, their
intention was to rob the house ; and the family confining
only of himfelf, his wife and daughter, barricadoed the
door as well as be could, with logs of wood, and flood by
one of them to support it againftthe assailants, who, by
this time, were beating.againit the door with the ends of
rails; but finding they could not get in there, fired several
balls through the front do@r, one ®f which broke Mr,
HOUSE of COMMONS.
Tuesday, June 1
T ORD NORTH presented to the House the following
message from his Majesty:
" GEORGE ft.
"His Majesty relying oh the repeated zeal and affec
' tion of his faithful Commons, and considering that in
" this critical juncture of affairs, emergencies may arise
" which may be of the utmost importance, and attended
" with the most dangerous conftqutnces, if proper means
" should not be immediately applied to prevent or defeat
" them, is defirou^ that this House will enable him to de
" fray any extraordinary expences incurred, or to be in
" curred, on account of military services for the year 1779,
" and to take all such meafuics as the expediency of as
" fairs may require.
"GEORGE R."
The said message was, upon motion, ordered to be re
ferred to a Committee of the whole Heufe next day.
1 he bill for granting certain duties to his Majesty, by
additional fla^ps on vellum, parchment and paper, was
read a second time and committed.
Two petitions against the arfeft bill were presented,
which were read and ordered to lie on the tabl^, with li
berty to be heard by counsel 011 the third reading of the
bill.
Mr. Ord made a report of the five refoliations come to
in a, Committee of Ways and Means, on Monday last,
which, after having Been read a firft and second time,
were agreed to by the House, and bills ordered in agreea
ble to the fame.
Mr. Montague moved that the Speaker should leave the
Chair, and the House resolved itfelf into a Committee on
the American enquiry.
The Earl of Harrington (late Vifeourg Peterfham) was
called in, and examined by General Burgoyne. His evi
dence tended to shew, that after the bat.le of Hubberton,
it would have been imprudent to pursue the enemy further
than they had been pursued ; and that prudence scarcely
juftified the General ;n pursuing as far as he had done :
That Gen. Burgoyne had endeavoured, by every means
in his power, to reflrain the enormities of the Indian;
that he had permitted them, because they insisted on it,
to scalp the dead* , and offered them rewards for bringing
in Rebels alive: That when the murder of Mils M'Crea
had reached his ears, the General went to the Indian
camp, infilled that the culprit should be delivered up, and
declared that he should fuffer death. Lord Harrington
confeffed, that he himfelf was one of those British officers,
who, from the General's determined language, were afraid
that he would put his threats into execution ; which poli
cy, at that time, he would have condemned ns dangerous,
on account of the ravages they mi^ht commit on their re
turn through Canada; His Lordship .proved, that when
Mons. St. Luc informed the General of the difeontent
that reigned among the Indians at the refiraint under
which they were kept ; the latter had said, that he had ra
ther lose every Indian in his army than connive at their
enormities : That no party of Indians was ever fuffered to
go out without having an officer, or other conductor, at
their head, who flionld be responsible for their behaviour.
As to the orders the General had received to force his way
to Albany, his Lordship declared it to have been the ge
neral opinion of the army, expressed in their conversati
ons, that a passage was at all events to be made to Alba
ny. His Lordship shewed likewise, as far as his opinion
went, the propriety of passing the Hudson's Rivet, and of
federal military manoeuvres upon which he was examined.