The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1777-11-29 00:00:00, page 3

Au~ufl CT It is said that Governor Pownall
and General Tryon are to have the two rib
bands now vacant by the death of Sir Charles
Mjn r ague and Lord Inchinquin.
riu & u ^ % The divisions in the cabinet for
and against a war with France flood as under :
For a War. Against it.
Lord G. Germain, Lord North.
Lord Suffolk, Lord Mansfield,
Lord Barrington, Lord Weymouth;
Lord Gower, Lord Nugent,
Mr Wedderburne, Mr. Jenkinfon,
Mr. Rigby. Mr. Ellis.
Against it. The KING.
Augufl 23. Gen. Carleton has obtained leave
to come home, and Gen. Haldiman succeeds
him as Governor of Quebec.
Augufl 30. Monday night arrived from New-
York, the Lord Shuldham armed veflel, with
an officer of the sth regiment, Lieut. General
Heister, Sheldon, and two or three other
officers of the Hessian corps.
it is said his Majesty has written a letter of
'hanks with his own hand, to Lieut. Col. Hill,
returning that officer and his brave corps (the
9th regiment) the royal thanks for their late
gallant behaviour at the reduction of Ticonde
roga.
Sept. I. On board the Bathurft and Corn
wallis Indiamen, taken up by government for
transports, some artillery officers are to embark.
Six gentlemen cadets who have been at Land
guard fort, and given proof of thc.r (kill in the
art of gunnery, are in the rank of volunteers,
with Lieutenant's pay, to embark along with
them.
A Re'tivn of the taking of the Ifand of St. Catharine,
so the Spanish army, under the command o'the Cap
tain General Don Pedro de Cevafos, extracted from
authentic letters ovith which we have been favoured
from Madrid, dated June 6, 1777.
OU R fleet, confiding of 116 Lil, left Cadiz
th- 13th of November, 1776. and After a most
happy pdfTage found themselves on the Bth of Febru
ary in 26d 36m. lat. and J37d. 24m. long, when
they took a Portuguese merchant (hip called the Lu
cia a Fortn^ada, bound from Rio Janeiro to Lisbon,
on board which they found letters which informed
them that four ships of war and five frigates were
placed in the Bay of Garupa to observe and attack
us, if we mould enter the port of St' Catharine; in
cmftqu^ce ,f which we ref^lved to fail for that
place in order to attack them.
No Goner had we difeovered the Ifl# n d of Saint
Catharine, on February 40, and had doubled the
Cape of the Bay of G<rupas than our frigate the
St. Margaret informed MS that she had seen the ene
my's fq rt adron, confix ng <f 12 fail, for two days
On this information >ur General Don Cevallos, and
the Ma quis f Cafa Tilly, commander of the fqua
droo, having deliberated, they judged i more p 0
pr to enter the port of the island than to purfuetheir
iquadron, which they accordingly entered on Feb
ru-ry 20, excepting a few transport veffelt, on board
of zhich were 1400 m?a, which we supposed had
m& for the Monte Video, the place of general ren
d zvowt.
T c Porugu fe forces in garrison on the iflind
were much more confi lerable than ufasi; indepen
dent of Lu battalions of troops, and 200 ar illery,
they had reg^meoted 'he milit a, f> that the force
was not le's than 4000 men. exclusive of what they
failed tuxi iaries, and the inhabitants of the Hand,
who were to assist in defending the cattle, and the
ffro g forts of St. Croix and P#n r * Grofo, very
strongly situated by nature avd art, arid well provided
with provisions and ammunition.
When the place had been reconnoitred, the army
was debarked the 22d at night. Next day re occu
pied the camp near within cannon shot of Punta Gro
fa, while the Septenrrion and two bomb vessels ap
preached the castle In the night a body of troops
was detached towards the left, and di'pofitions were
made for our army to take paffeffi n of the heights,
which the Governor feeing, and the Portuguese being
intimidated at our movements, they abandoned the
cattle without firing a gun and retired to a ftiong
advanced work, but with such precipitation that they
left all their cannon and stores, a:d every provision
far a long siege.
The Portuguese troops in the castle of St. Croix,
feeing the castle abandoned, and a body of Spaniards
- marching towards 'hem, took a like reelution wih
the other Portuguese troops, arid abandoned it, with
their other intrenchments and batteries, so that the
whole ifbrd was evacuated on the 2§ h. And ha
ring puffed over to the continent, ard crossed the river
Catabon, about leven or eight leagues from the island
their commander in chief Don Antonio Carles Har-
tado de Mendoza sent Brigadier Don Joseph Cufto
dio de Say Faria, with order to propose to our com
mander Don Cevallos to grant them ffiips to trans
port them to Rio Janeiro; but this he refilled to con
sent to, and infixed they fhoald lurrendcr themselves
prisoners of war; which after some messages paffwg,
they agreed to, and lhi,s were to be allowed to trant
p ut the officers only to Rio Janeiro, on promiie of
not serving in any manner against Lis Catholic Ma
jefty, and to render themselves to any other place
when called on by the Spanish General. Since which
all the Portuguese loldiers have been feet to Buenos
Ayres, and nothing remains on the tfland belonging
to the Crown of Portugal.
CHARLESTOWN, (S. Carolina) October 2.
Yesterday a sloop arrived here from Cadiz,
with a cargo of wine, salt, dry goods, &c
She left Cadiz the 14th of August. Mr. Clau
dius Guilliaud of this town, is returned in her:
He informs us, that the Engliffi Consul, Mr.
Hardy, bad endeavoured to embarrass him in
the sale of the cargo, but ^ as prevented in con
sequence of orders from Count O'Reillv, Cap
tain-General of Andalusia, allowing the whole,
confining of tobacco, indigo, &c. to be dis
posed of free of impost or duty. Great belts
were laid in Cadiz between the English and
French merchants refpe&ing the fate of Phila
delphia and Boston; the former la ing that
Philadelphia was in the possession of the British
troops theist of July, and that Bcft>n would
be so on theist of January nex. Mr. Guil
liaud adds, that a war between Fiance and
England was very generally talked of as an
event that muff soon happen, and that it was
imagined the declaration would be extorted
from England.
LANCASTER, November 29.
On Sunday the 23d instant died at this place,
Joseph Parker. Esquire, many years a member of
the General Aflembiy of Pennsylvania, also a mem
her of the late Committee of Safety and of the Com
mirtee of In f pe6tion for the city of Philadelphia; and
on Tuesday the 2 sth his remains were interred in the
Friends burying ground, of which Society he was ever
an honest and worthy member. The funeral was at
tended by his Excellency the President and Council,
and the Honorable the members of the General As
fembly of this commonwealth, and by a very nume
rous and refpe&abie concuurfe of people.
On Thirfday evening the 27th infant a prodigious
northern light appeared in the heavens, illuminating
the greatest part of the hemisphere. Many people
suppose this appearance to be ominous; and it is wor
thyof remark that, just at the ciofe of the successes
of our enemies in the late war 10 America, this pfre
nomenon made its appearance; and from that period
these Colonies were relitved from their diftreffrs, and
our arms were attended with uninterrupted tuccefs to
the conclusion of the war.
We hea from New Jersey, that the Council and
AffemSly, have uraoim ufly re ele&cd his Excellen
cy William Livingston Esq; GOVERNOR
of that Siae, for the enfutng year.
Extract of a letter from St. Euftatia, Sept 17.
Business still continues dull, but am in hopes
of a speedy change, as it stems b, the last ac
counts from Amsterdam that a war with France
and England is inevitable. Lord Stormont, the
Englifb Amb ff^dor, has left the court of France
upon meeting with an unfatisfactoy anf^er re
lative to the French supporting the Americans,
which they and the Spaniards are determined to
do, and vou nray expect soon to fee a number
of vrflls from their Christ an and Catholic Ma
jesties dominions in America, with every ne
cessary fupplv for carrying on the war ; and the
King of Prussia has opened the port of Embden
for the Americans to carry their prizes in, and
to trade. Stocks fell in England fifteen per
cent, upon the Ambassador's leaving the French
Court.
In COUNCIL of SAFETY,
Lancafier, Nov. 29, 1777.
TFHERE AS many farmers and others inha
biting the neighbourhood of Lancafler, have been de
terred from supplying the inhabitants with wood and
provifons, thro' fear of having their waggons im
prefed.
Therefore resolved, that no Waggons or borfes
bv which wood or provisions /ball be brought to mar
ket in the borough of Lancafler, foall be seized or
liable to be imprefed touting to or going fi om mar
ket. Ext'aft from the minutes,
Jacob S. Howell, Sec. pro tern.
By the Supreme Executive Council of the Com
monweahh ot Fennfelvania.
A vPROCLA M A TIO N.
WHEREAS the Um ruble the Conti
nental Congress have recommender in the
^following words, to wit.
Forafauch as it is the i difpenfible duty of al!
men, te adore the superintending provident op AE
mighty Cod; to acknowledge with gratitude, their
obligation to him for benefits received, and to im
plore juch further bleffngs as they fund in need of
And it having pleaded him in bis abundant mercy,
not only to continue to as the innumerable bounties
of his common providence, but afo to jmiie upon us,
in the pi of ecution of a just and necfu r y war, for
the defence and efablijhtt/nt op our unalienable
rights and liberties. Particularly in that he hath
been pleaded in so great a meajure, to proffer the
means used for the support of our troops, and to
crown our arms with moftfignal fucajs.
L is therefore lecomme i dec to the Legifative
or Executive powers of these United States, to set
apart I HURSDA Y, the eighteenth day of
December next, for Solemn Thunkfgiiing and praise.
That at one time and with one voice, the good peo
ple may expref the grateful feelings of their heat ts,
and conf ecrate the mJ elves to the service of their Di
vine Benefactor ; and that together with th, ir in
cere acknowledgments and offerings, they may j.in
the penitent confefen of their manifold fins, where
by they bad forfeited every favor, and their humble
and earnejt Application, that st may please God,
through the merits of fofus Ch? if, mercifully to
forgive and blot them out of remembrance. That it
may please him gracioufy to afford his biffing 01%
the government of thfe States reftedtiveiy, and
prosper the public councils of the whole.,
To inspire our Commanders both by land and fa,
and all under them, with that wisdom and forti
tude which may render them ft instruments, under
the providence of Almighty God, to secure for thfe
United States, the greate/l of all human buffings,
" Independence and Peace." That it may pie fe
him to p: ofur the trade and manufactures of the
people, and the labor of the husbandman, that our
land may yet yield its increase. To take f bools and
seminaries of education so nectary for cultivating
the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety, un
der bis nurturing hand, and to prosper the means
of religion for the promotion and enlargement of
that kingdom, which conffeth in Rtgn@ufne&
Peace, aMd Joy in the rioly Gh<rit
And ic is further recommended, That servile
labor, and foch recreation as though at other times
innocent, may be unbecoming the purpose of this af~
pointment, may be omittea on so solemn an occafon.
We do hereby call upon the good people of this
Common- Wealth, to set apart Thursday, the 1 £th
day of December next accordingly for the purple of
Solemn I bankjgiving and praije.
By order of the Council,
7 Homas Wharton, jun. Frefident
Attest, T. Matlack, Secretary,
A PROCLAMATION.
By his Excellency George Washington. Esq:;
General and Commander in Chief of the forces of
the United States of America.
Wll ERE A J fundiy foldiefs; belongir^
to the armies of the said States, have de
serted from the fame : These arc to make known
to all those, who have so offended, and who ffizH
return to their refpeaive corps, or surrender
themselves to the officers appointed to receive
recruits and deserters in their several States,
or to any continental commissioned officer, be
fore the firft day of January next, that they
shall obtain a full and free pardon.
And I do further declare to all such obftinatc
offenders, as do not avail themselves of the in
dulgence hereby offered, that they may depend,
when apprehended, on being prosecuted with
the utmost rigour, and fuffering the punishment
justly due to crimes of such enormity.
Left the hope of escaping punishment by re
maining undiscovered, Should tempt any to re
je& s he terms now held opt to them, they may
be affixed, that the most ^ffeaual meafu fs will
be pursued, in every State, for apprehending,
and bringing them to a speedy trial.
Given under my hand, at Head Quarters, this
2^tb day of October, Anno Domini 177}
□.Washington.
By His Excellency's Command,
\ Robert Harrison, Secretary