The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1777-12-24 00:00:00, page 2

L ONDO N, July!
Copy of a Memorial lately presented to the Mimflers
of France, by Lord Stormont, the English Am
bassador at the court of hrjailles.
INdependent of what sovereign Rates owe to
themselves, according to the sacred laws of
nature and of nations, in cases where any of
their provinces may rebel; and, not to menti
on that should the efforts of the English Ameri
can Colonies prove fuccefsful, the provinces ap
pertaining to other states might be induced to
make a similar attempt; the subscribing party
is intruded to reprelent to the enlightened mi
nisters of France, that our Colonies have near
ly formed themselves into an independent and
formidable empire. Should they not be timely
prevented, it will by no means be difficult (con
sidering their powerful resources of every kind)
for them to attempt the conquest of other pro
vinces in America, richer and better situated.
France and Spain have therefore every thing to
apprehend for the fafety of their colonies, should
those of Great-Britain succeed in their designs.
The subscribing party hopes that these reflec
tions may induce his moR Christian Majesty,
not only to continue his pacific intentions at,
this particular junHure, but also, that he may
so far extend his neutrality and friendship, as to
prohibit the nierchants in his dominions from
affording those of America (with whom they
now trade openly) inch vast fuccours as have
hitherto been furndhed. Above all, it is hoped
that Messieurs Dean and Franklin may be re
fh ained in those measures, which have been gra
dually unfolded, so as to become less and less
equivocal. The papers annexed to this me
morial will so amply dilplay the nature and the
progress of Mr Dean's negociations, that after
perusal it might reasonably be expected that he
fbould be delivered ups
(Signed) F STORMONT.
%ly 10. The King has had federal conver
sations with Lord Mansfield upon the conduct
of the depute with America, in case the prefers
campaign should not beemite] deceive agamit
the rebels, and it is said his Lord.'hip has given
it clearly as his opinion, that if this campaign
does not reduce thcn'i, they never can be reduc
ed, considering the game France is playing, and
advises that peace may be made with them at all
events. This advice has given administration
much uneasiness.
ifogtf 14. It was yesterday reported, that
news was received of rhe death of his Royal
Highness the Duke of Gloucester, the 4th inst.
at Trent, in Germany; and that expresses were
sent to his Majesty at Windsor, and to his Roy
al Highness the Duke of Cumberland, at South
ampton, on the like melancholy event. The
report was kept private on account of its being
the birth-day of his Ro,al Highness the Prince
of Wales.
Bread rises a whole afftze thi^ davq and it rose
half an assize left week. This is an alarming
circumdance to the poor, who have reason to
curie toe American war It is but three years
ago Since we were Supplied with many thousand
quarterns U wheat from America.
Oft. 2 ' Some very magnificent presents, to
the amount of 20,C00L have been lately (hip
ped for New-Voik arid Quebec, to be diftii
bu'ed among the Indian Chiefs who have join
ed bis Majesty's forces.
B O S F O N, December 4.
Thurfdav evening two of the worthy and pa
triotic members of the Continental Congress for
this State, the Honourable Samuel and John
Adams, Efqrs. arrived; the former to his house
in this town, the latter at his feat in Braintree.
Arrived at Portsmouth since our last, a French
ship of 28 guns and 90 men, from Marseilles in
Fiance, with 5000 hand of arms, 50 field pieces,
mortars, bombs, and all kinds of warlike stores.
The Lady Wafirngton's prize, ladened with
coffee, &c. is arrived at a fafe port at the eaft
waid.
FISH-KILL, December 4.
Jam s Del.mcey, late Sheriff of Weft-Chef
t?r aid Colonel of the enemy's militia, was
taken laid week be one of our scouts; the Co
lonel was found under a bed, and for better de
fence, had himielf Surrounded with a bulwark
of baskets. He was dragged from his humble
redoubt, put under a proper guard and lent to
a place better Secured.
Last week a final! party of men made an ex
cursion to Greenwich, about three miles froth
New-York; they arrived there in the evening,
advanced to Oliver Delaney's, a centry was at
the door, whom they Secured, found a few ladies
and gentlemen in the house, the ladies were Of
fered to depart in peace, though in some haste ;
we hear five men were made prisoners. 1 hey
set the house on fire, and hearing the alarm guns
in New-York, thought it was time to decamp,
crofted the river, burnt their barge, and got fafe
off. You who are fond of burning work, how
do you like it when it comes so near home?
From the NEW-YORK PACKET,
(Printed at Fish Kill, by Mr. Loudon, Dec. 4 1777 J
MR. Rivington (who prints by authority) having
thought proper to give an account of Gen.
Vaughan's expedition up Hudfoc's river, and to pal
liate his cruelty to widows and orphans, by disguis
ing the names of the per Tons injured; as well as to
give an air of dignity to the exploits erf a Brinfh fleet
and army, against defencelefs villages, peaceful cot
tages, and disarmed pettiaugcrs,\by a fictitious lift of
stores, fail to be destroyed at Kinpffon,—lt may not
be amiss to give the public a true state of fads, since
the knowledge of these is net less necessary to the
Support erf our cause; than their concealment to that
of the enemy.
On the i|tß of Oft'ober, The ' Britifh fleet under
the command of Su- -Something--- Wallace, confin
ing of about thirty fal, and the land forces com
manded by the Majors General Vaughan and Tryon,
puffed New-Wind or, and in their way to Pough
keephe defirdyed two dr three boats; the honour of
which is in a great measure to be a cribed to the gun
boats, and to the excellent aifeoftion of Commodore
Wallace. The fame day the land forces of his Bri
tarnic majeflv burned the dwelling house and mill of
Mr. Ar.th ny, (who they carried off) and the dwel
ling houfe.barn and mill ofthe midom Stou^rburgh,
and happily re-imbarked without loss or opposition.
16th. They landed at Kingston, burned the houses
at the F rrv and Landing, and destroyed a brig, be
longo)g to :he people iiNew Yok, and a few fmai|
beats; from whence they hwehed up to the town,
which was deferred by all, except a few poor andin
frm people, who relied upon British clemency, of
which they had received feme tradition from their an
cefiors; these could not even obtain leave to remove
their efL&s before their houses were enfiamed. and
very few escaped being stripped and plundered of the
clothes they wore ; the whole town, except one house,
was reduced to ashes, the church itfelf not efcapiog.
The only public stores in town, were about 150 wt.
of powder, and 50 old mufquets, out of repair ; nor
was there any flour, as Mr. Rivington asserts, except
what private families might have for their own use.
which could nut have exceeded thirty or forty bar
re's. There were allo left in the town a few iron
cannon mounted, but Gen. Vaughan, hearing the
Governor was at hand with a body of troops, did not
allow himfelf leisure to remove one ofthem, not even
those near the Landing, but fled with a precipitation
which would have marked his charader, had his
cruelty left his cowardice doubtful.
17th. They proceeded up the river, and set fire to
two dwelling houfes.the barn and store of Mrs. Ten
Brook, the midom of the late Geo, Ten Brook, an
estate which (he held in her own right, and which no
aA of her's had forfeited, even in case the country had
been conquered. What mutt we think of those who
cam thus basely add to the sorrows of the affixed?
and meanly revenge the virtues of the man upon his
d ft ctied family ? The fame day the house of Robert
G. Liviwgft m, E q; together with his out-houses, the
mills of Mis. R. Livingßon, and the house and farm
of a poor man that lived near the mills, were deftroy
el. On the weft fide of the river, a number of houses
were burned, many of them belonging to people whose
fi uadon in life did not admit of their distinguishing
themselves in this controversy; among others a log
house, inhabited by a woman with a numerous family
of child;en.
18th. They set fire to the house and barn of Mr.
Nicholas Hoffman, a young farmer with a large fa
mily, whose father had loft his house in Kingston two
days before. They then moved on to Claremont,
where they set 6re to the house, out houses and barn
of the Hon. Robert R. Livingston, Esq; an injury
which easily may be pardoned in the little, peevish,
petulant Gen. Vaughan, or in his fore disappointed
coadjutor,-- the brave only know hew to esteem a
frank and active enemy; or to resent with digniry. It
may be more difficult, perhaps, to apologize for their
burning the dwelling b use, mills, bans, and out
boufes of Mrs. R. Livingdoo, the widow ofthe late
Mr. Judice Livingston, who died in the year 1775,
a lady distinguished for her charity and hospitality;
at whose house, if I miftrke not, Gen. Tryon and
many of those Aho h«v. now feJKd on its ruins, had
been frequently and ho r pitribly fr'ertaired. Perhaps
the General a'pired tonhe honour of knighthood; as
hemeur, which beaten Generals and barbarous in
cendaries may, after the example of Sir Henry Clin
ton, and Sir Wallace, realonably hope to attain.
The fame dav they burnt a brigantine belonging to
Mr. Samuel Bayard; when finding the militia gather
ing and Gen Pu nam moving 0% they remained on
board their (hips for two days, wi:hout offering to
come on shore. After which they went down, de
ftroymg by rhe way the barn of 2 man at Rhyne
beck, who had entertained them hospitably on their
way up, the house and (lore of Mr. Samuel Hake,
merchant in London, and a few boats and pertiaugers.
Thus ended this inglorious expedition, from which
much good has reflated to us:
\fl. By convincing the people of the cruc't) and de
spair of ihe enemy. For it needs but little capacity
to infer from the definition of a country, that the
destroyers no longer hope to possess it.
idly, Py weaning us from those attachments which
many of us still had, to a people from whom we ori
ginally iprung.
%d), By improving us with detestation of a govern
ment, which can so far debase the louis of men, as to
render them forgetful of the common rights of hu
manity.
4/^), By affording us just ground to detain Gen.
Burgoyne and his army,till ample reftittition is made,
which will probably ^ot be till the end ofthe war.
A. Z. D.
BURLINGTON, Dec. 17.
On Friday kft a brigade of Highlanders and
Anfpachers, embarked at Phil Helphia on board
transports, said to be defined for New-York.
We hear from good authority, that this day
fe'nnight the enemy entirely demolished and e
vacuated Billingfport; and tkat since our people
left Red-Bank, federal of the enemy's vessels
have been loft on the chiveaux de frize, one of
which is said to be a thirty-fix gun frigate.
The day before yefterday^ about twenty Bri
tish sailors were taken prisoners at or near
Cooper's ferry, opposite Philadelphia, by a party
of Jersey militia.
L A NCA ST E R, December 24.
The following is part of a Resolve paged by the General
4fembly of Maffachufetis Bay; by 'which the public
mill observe, that the Boflonians mean t® keep up &
commendable difance from their British neighbours.
" Refolded, That the troops under General Bur
goyne, be quartered in the barracks on Profpe& and
Winter hills, and fueb others as a committee of both
houses, hereafter to be appointed, shall judge most
fafe, retired, and easily guarded; and that they ob
tain suitable houses for the general officers, and pro
per rooms for the other officers of rank; the foreign
troops to be kept separate from the British as far as
practicable; both officers and soldiers to be prevent
ed coming into the town of Boftont or on this fide
Charleftown neck; and the committee aforefaid are
direfled to fix such limits for the restraint of officers
and soldiers, as may secure the public from any ill
consequences, so far as may be confident with a ftrid
fulfilment of the Convention.
" And it is further Refoived, That no inhabitant
of the United States, or any other person whatever,
shall at any time enter the limits assigned for prevent
ing their communication with the prisoners, without
a written hceefe obtained for that purpose from the
Council or General Heath, under pain of military
discipline, which Gereral Heath is hereby empower
ed and requested to infhft.— That the Honourable
Council be requested to order one thousand men,
including officers, and as many more as they shall
find necessary, from such parts of the militia of this
state, as they shall judge equitable, to serve as guards
and to be under the command of General Heath."
By accounts from the eastward we learn, that
Gen. Burgoyne had taken an house (the Rev. Mr.
Apthorp's) at Cambridge, near Boston; that trans
ports for his army were not expected to arrive at
Boston before next spring; that he had sent Capt.
Lord Peterfham to England; that the Canadians,
tories, &c. in his army, who were by the Capitula
tion to go to Canada, after marching to the lakes
and trying to pass, had been difappoiated, and almost
starved, from whence they returned, and proceeded
after Gen. Burgoyne to New England; that desertion,
as wed of British as Germans, was thinning his ranks,
and that none of his soldiers were suffered to enter
the town of Boston.
The Hon. JOHN HANCOCK, Esq; late
President of the Continental Congress, has resigned
that eminent ftati: n on account of the ill state of his
health. This molt worthy Gentleman's long, faith
ful and fpiriied exertions for the good ofhis country,
intitle him to the refped and esteem of every friend
to American freedom.