The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-08-20 00:00:00, page 2

light in the morning of the nth ; and accordingly the
forming party, composed of 450 seamen and marines,
and their officers, with each flank covered by a com
pany of pioneers, and twenty seamen carrying the scal
ing ladders, and armed with cutlasses, with a reserve
of three companies of seamen, and three companies of
marines, with two field pieces to support it, followed
by the companies troops, advanced at day light to
ward# the fort, and the ferjeant's party in fornt get
ting in at the embrazures unperceived by the enemy,
was immediately followed by the whole of our form
ing party, who soon drove the enemy from their works,
and possessed themselves of the fort; and all the flips
and vessels in the harbour immediately surrendered.
In this assault I had the misfortune to lose lieuten
ant George Long, my second lieutenant, a most
worthy and defervin, officer, who was killed in advanc
ing bravely to the assault at the head of his company,
and also twenty nou-commiffioned and private seamen
and marines Lieutenant Wolfely, who commanded
a company of seamen, lieutenant Samuel Orr of the
marines, who commanded their grenadier company,
and did duty as brigade-major, and 40 non commissi
oned and private seamen and marines were wounded.
The enemy loft but few men, as they moftiy threw
down their arms, and iheir forfeited lives were ' spared
by tha^ difpofitiun to mercy which ever distinguishes
Britons.
Prisoners t ken in the garrison. The governor, one
captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 250 European infant
ry, i captain lieutenant and engineer, 2 subalterns,
50 European artillery, 55 seamen from the&ips, and
io artificers, 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 2 ehfigns, Ma
iayes.
In the hrbour we found two of the enemy's Clips,
cneth^cor lady's, the other private, bothrichly laden,
and fv^^. indi vessels of no consequence.
I beg y a will also acquaint their lordships, that the
whole of" the officers who have be'en landed from the
.fquad^j, for theattack of Negapatam, and this place,
have on altoccafions manifefted much honour courage
and good conduct and the private seamen and ma
rin^ ^veao.ed with great fleadinefs and bravery. The
public service has received great affißance from ma
, Grils, an excellent , officer and able engineer in the
companies service, who conduced as engineer 'in chief,
tw attacks ot Negapatam and this place, with much
fpi-it and propriety ; and I have the pleasure to aflure
' their lordships, that the mod perfect harmony has fuh
fifled between the officers' and men of his majefiy's
squadron, and those of the company's forces co-oppe
rating with them.
As the knowledge of these successes, by which the
Dutch are driven entirely from the coast. of Coroman
del, and a fair beginning made towards getting polled
fion of alt their valuable settlements on the island of
Ceylon, may be attended with many good consequen
ces to the public, I have ordered his majesty's sloop
the Nymph, captain John Sutton, commander, late
my firfl lieutenant, to proceed to England immediate
ly; and I have delivered to captain Henry Ball, my
captain in the Superb, (who has been of infinite use to
the rrvice in superintending the landing the heavy
guns, stores, provisions, and other articles, both at
Negapatam, and at this place) my letters for their
lordihips, and the earl of Hillfborough, with the co
lours of the citadel of Negapatam, -and of fort Often
burgh, which I request their lordships will permit him
to lay at his majesty's feet.
Extras of a letter from vice-admiral fir Edward
Hughes, K. B. commander in chief of his majesty's
fhrps and vessels in the East Indies, to the earl of
Hillfbtrough, dated Superb, in Trincamale Bay, Jan.
17, 1782.
I AM happy to observe to your lordship, that the
fall of Negapatam fully answered my expectations, for
immediately after Hyder Ally's troops evacuated all
the forts and strong posts they held in the Tanjore
country, and the polygars, or petty princes, in the
Marawa Trinaville provinces, who at the instigation
of Hyder, had rebelled against the Nabob of the Carna
tic, and talgen up arms against us, are returning to
their obedience on the best terms they can make for
themselves.
The speech of his Grace William Henry Cavendish,
Duke of Portland, Lord Lieutenant General, and
General Governor of Ireland, to both Houses of Par
• liament, on Monday, the 27th day of May, 1782.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
^T gives me the utmost fatisfadion, that the firfl time
^ 1 have the occasion to address y'ou, I find myfelf
enabled, by the magnanimity of the king, and the wis
dom of the Parliament of Great Britain, to assure you,
that immediate attention has been paid to your repre
sentations, and that the British legislature have con
curred in a resolution to remove the cause of your dis
contents and jealousies, and are united in a desire to
gratify every wjfh expressed in your late addresses to
the throne.
If any thing could add to the pleasure I feel in giv
ing you these assurances, it is, that I can accompany
them with my congratulations on the important and
decisive vi&ory gained by the fleets of his majesty over
those of our common enemy in the Weft-Indies, and
on the signal advantage obtained by his majesty's arms
in the island of Ceylon, and on the coast of Coroman
del.
By the papers which, in obedience to his majesty's
commands, I have directed to be laid before you, you
will receive the most convincing testimony of the cor
dial reception which your representations have met
with from the legislature of Great-Britain; but his
majesty, whose firft and most anxious with is to exer
cise his royal prerogitive in such a manner as may be
inoft conducive to the well fare of all his faithful fub
jefts, has further giving it me in command, to assure
you, of his gracious disposition to give his royal assent
to ads to prevent the suppression of bills in the privy
council of thiskingdom, and the alteration of them any
where, and to limit the duration of the aft for the better
IRELAN D.
regulation and accommodation of bis majesty's forces
in this kingdom to the term of two years.
These benevolent intentions of his majesty, and the
willingness of his parliament of Great Britain, to se
cond his gracious purposes, are unaccompanied by any
ftipnlation or condition whatever. The good faith, the
generosity, the honour of this nation, afford them the
surest pledge of a corresponding disposition on your part
to promote and perpetuate the harmony, the liability,
and the glory of the empire.
On my own part, I entertain notthe lea f? doubt, but
that the lame spirit which urged you to share the free
dom of Great-Britain, will confirm you in your deter
mination to share her fate alfo—flanding and falling
with the British nation.
I am directed further to inform your excellency and
the council, that although Mr. Temple was the bearer
of some letters from the honourable John Adams, at
Amfterdarn, yet the fubjed of the letters with which
he was intrufted, and of those which Mr. Adams chose
to fend at the fame time by another conveyance fuffi
ciently evince that he had not the full confidence of
that minister; and that the letter which Mr. Adams
took the-trouble of writing refpeding Mr. Temple,
did in no wife account for his past conduct, or explain
his future views and designs ; therefore as the united
, S AL E M, August 1.
Mr. Benjamin Hathorne, who was taken, some
months since, in the privateer brig Chace, of this port,
and carried into Charleftown, South-Carolina, arrived
here, on Thursday lafl, from that place. He informs,
that on the evening of the 3d ult. he effected his escape
from the lord Howe prison-ship, and with 'great diffi
culty landed fafe at Charleßown, after swimming up
wards of half a mile: that he was. accompanied from
the (hip by fix others, one of whom, die afterwards
heard, being unable to reach thefhore, was drowned:
that he remained in the town till the night of the sth,
when, by the help of two or three Negroes, he finally
escaped from the enemy, and got to Georgetown, from
whence he took passage for Swanfey, and arrived here
as above Mr. Hathorne further informs, that the
number of prifonerson board the lord Howe, before he
left her, amounted to about eighty: that the greater
part had been confined a long time, and had fuffered
much from their scanty allowance of provision: that,
previous to his leaving the town, he had reason to con
clude, from the opinion of those he ventured to con
verse with, and from the general appearance of things,
that it was.in contemplation to evacuate the place:
that from the confined situation of the garrison, the
sickness and difeontent which prevailed among the
troops (chiefly Heflians) with the want of frefh provi
sions (there being scarcely an ounce to be purchased
at any price) the situation ' of the enemy in that quar
ter was rendered (as in justice it ought to be) very
mortifying and distressing.
It is with great pleasure we can announce to the pub
lie, that this town has paid, within a few days past the
sum of SEVEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED
and SEVENTY-NINE DOLLARS, as part of its tax
for the service of the united Rates the current year ;
which sum has been received by the continental receiv
er of taxes for this Rate.
Lately arrived in a lase port, a prize ship of about
250 tons, from Quebec, bound to New York. The
gallantry exhibited in the capture of this ship deserves
to be particularly noticed: She mounted 10 four
pounders and 4 fixes, and had oh board 24 men. She
was attacked by captain Gregory Powars, in a priva
teer belonging to this place, called the Dolphin, a
schooner of 30 tons, mounting 6 small carriage guns,
and carrying 25 men and boys.—After an engagement
of three glasses the ship struck. Captain Gordon, who
commanded her, received a wound in his hand, but loft
none of his men in the a&ion. Captain Powars had
three men killed, and one badly wounded. The car
go of the ship consists principally of lumber.
The Dolphin, in returning from her cruise, was loft
on Cape-Sables, but the men were all saved, and ar
rived here yesterday.
B O S T O N, Auguh 3.
It is with pleasure we inf. rm the public, that the
state sloop, commanded by captain Little, has taken
three prizes, a ship and a brig, bound from N^w-York
for Penobfcot, and a small privateer, after a short
cruise.
August 8. The receiver of continental taxes for this
commonwealth (agreeable to Mr. Morris', direction)
has published that he has received, in the month of
July last, fifteen thousand dollars#
Copy of a letter from his excellency the prudent of
congress, to his ex llency governor Hancock, now
on the files of the general court.
Philadelphia, March 1, 1782.
S I R,
IT is the pleasure of congress that I inform your ex
cellency, and' the council of Massachusetts, that
matters of public concern, and the pressing necessity of
making provision for the ensuing campaign, have hither
to prevented them from attending to a fubjeft, which
though it refpeas an individual, may havean influence
on the public affairs of these united Rates.
The suspicions and j^loufies excited by Mr. John
Temple's return to America in 1778, and the reports
currently circulated in England, relative to his mission
are notorious —the time and manner of his coming to
America, as well as the person accompanying him, who
is now relident in, and a fubjed of Great-Britain, gave
great force to the suspicions then raised :' these suspici
ons instead of being allayed, were encreafed by Mr.
Temple's return to England, and by the rumours and
publications, refpeaing his intercourse and conferrences
with the British ministry. His coming again to Ame
rica without explaining his views, and as far as is come
to the knowledge of congress, without any leave previ
ously obtained, and this at the very time when the ene
my entertained the fond hope of having subdued the
southern Rates, cannot fail to excite new jealousies, and
a suspicion of his being employed as an emissary from
the British crown.
NEW - LOND O N, August 9.
Friday night laR, one Bliss, a likely young man
belonging to Hebron, who was on guard in the prifon-#
ship in this Hatbour fell over the waist of the ship and
was drowned.
Saturday a flag of truce from Bermuda, bound to
Newport with 50 American prisoners, put into Ston
ington, and landed part of their number, viz. captain
Jason Chester, late of the sloop Caroline (who was ta
ken three days after be left this port by the brig Expe
riment of Bermuda,) captain Riley of Connecticut ri,
ver, and captain French of New- Haven.
Friday night laft', a small privateer schooner from
New-York, cut out of Newport harbour, a brig load
ed and ready to fail for the Weft-Indies and a coasting
sloop of about 30 tons, and was bound with her prizes
to New-York, when on Saturday the fl,op Randolph
fell in with and captured the schooner and sloop in the
found, and on Sunday morning the continental frigate
Alliance, being bound out, 'fell in with the above brig
and (ent her into port.
Last Saturday night, three horses and two cows were
killed by lightning, at Lebanon.
Rates ought to be on their guard, is well against the
secret arts as open force of their fubtil and inveterate
enemy, it is the wish of congress, that your excellency
and the council would enquire firidly into theconduft,
views and designs of Mr. Temple, and if you are not:
fully convinced of the uprightness of his intentions, or
if you have any apprehensions that he has in his visit
to America, been countenanced or employed by, or has
a&ed in concert with the British ministry or their a^
gents, that you take such measures respecting him, as
may put it out of his power to injure the cause of these
united states.
Such is the evident magnitude and importance of the
investigation above recommended, and so essential is it to
the happiness and political salvation of the citizens of
these states, that the secret machinations of our enemy
be guarded against, that I rest assured your excellen
cy's attention will be direded without delay to this ne #
ceffary business.
I have the honour to be with great refpe&,
Your excellency's obedient, and
very humble servant,
JOHN HANSON, president.
Mis excellency the governor of Massachusetts.
NEWPOR T, Auguft.g.
Last night a brig and sloop loaded for the Weft-In
dies, were cut out of this harbour, and both carried
off. Several boats are gone in pursuit of them.
HARTFOR D, August 6.
RECEIPT of Continental Taxes from the State of
Connecticut, published in pursuance of the 6th article
of inftrudions from the Office of Finance, dated the
12th day of February last :
For the month of July, 1781, Received Seventeen
Hundred and Ninety-Seven Dollars.
HEX. MERRILL,
/' Receiver of Continental Taxes for Conneaicut.
fr'
ALBANY, (New-York) July 8.
The following deposition was made by James Butter
field and John Brown, who have made their escape
from the enemy in Canada, and just arrived in this
city.
Albany, ff.
JAMES BUTTERFIELD and John Brown, of law
ful age, depose and fay, upon the holy Evangelist
of Almighty God, that they the deponents were con
fined with a number of other prisoners on an island for
ty-five miles from Montreal, up the river St. Lawrence.
That on the 14th of February last, a certain Anthony
M'Alpin, a lieutenant in the firft battalion of the
Corps commanded by fir John Johnftone, took the
command of the guard on the island. That a day or
two after ho intimated his wishes of having some pre
tence for wreaking his vengence on the damned rebels
(as he called the prisoners) for the injuries, as he said,
his family had received by the war. That the third
day after he came to the island, one of the prisoners
passing by the quarters of the said M'Alpin, he requir
ed him to remove the snow from his door, whoanfwer
ed, ho was no gentleman's servant, but a prisoner of
war; M'Alpin drew his bayonet, put it to the prison
er's bread, and swore he would run him through, un
less he immediately did as was requested, the prisoner
persisting in his refufal, M'Alpin called for the guards
and had the frifoner's legs bound together, irons put
on his hands, and confined in an open ash-house, where
in the snow was mid leg deep; M'Alpin then sent for
another of the prisoners and ordered him to remove the
snow from his door, the prisoner taking the spade in his
hands, and fhtwing a willingness to do it, he dismissed
him to his barracks. The prisoners now finding that
it was M'Alpin's intention merely to degrade them, re
solved, if he again gave the like orders, not to obey
him. Accordingly when he ordered another prisoner
to do the like, he refufed ; whereupon M'Alpin had
him carried to his room, gagged by putting an iron in
his mouth, beat severely with a walking Rick, then put
in irons, and placed in the ash-house; and thus he pro
ceeded on, nearly in this manner, until he got twenty
one of the prisoners in the ash house, ironed by the
hands, two, three or four together; where they re
mained two days and three nights without any allow
ance of viftuals or drink, and without fire though the
weather was extreme cold. That after that time was
expired, M'Alpin ordered the prisoners from the afh
houfe, by two, three or four as they were hand-cuffed
together, to the guard-house; and then asked them if
they would shovel snow, and swore that if he could not
Rarve or freeze them to it, he would Rog them to it.
He then began with one Albright, a continental soldier
who received from him about a hundred strokes with
a heavy walking-flick, near two inches thick, by which
his body was beat to a jelly ; in consequence whereof
he remained confined to his barracks for near two
months. M'Alpin then proceeded to the punifhmeut
of the rest of the prisoners, some of whom were cruelly