The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-06-01 00:00:00, page 2

is tne nature of companion to associate with mis
, I fortune; and [ addreh this to you io behalf even
of aneneny, a captain in the British service, now on
his way to the Head Quarters of the American army,
and unfortunately doomed to death for a crime not his
own —A fenence so extraordinary, an execution so
repugn nt to every human sensation, ought never to
be told without the circumstances which produced it :
and as the defined victim is yet in exigence, and in
your hands rest his life or death, I shall briefly state
thecafe and the melancholy consequence.
Captain Huddy, of the Jersey militia, was attack
ed in a Small fort on Tom's river, by a party of refu
gees in tlit British pay and .service, was made pri oner
together with his company, carried to New-York and
lodged in the provost of that city ; about three weeks
after which, he was taken out of the provost down to
the water fide, put into a boat and brought again up
on the Jersey ihore, and there, contrary to the prac
tice of all nations but savages, was hung up On a tree,
and lef harming until found by our people, who took
bit,.down and buried him
'^he inhabitants of that part of the country where
the mnrdrw is committed, sent a deputation to gene
ral Washington wih a full and certified state of the
fad: Struck, as every human Irea f lmuft be, with
such brutish outrage, and determined both to punilh
and prevent it for the future, the general represented
tim case to general Clinton who then commanded; and
demanded that the refugee officer who ordered and
attended the execution, and whose name is Lippencut,
Should be delivered up as a murderer; and in case of
refufal, that the person of some British officer fllould
fuffiin his stead. The demand, though not refufed,
has not been complied with ; and the melancholy lot
(not by Selection, but by calling lots) has fallen upon
captain Afgil, o f the guards, who, as I have already
mentioned, is on his way from Lancaster to camp, a
martyr to the general wickedness of the cause he en
gaged in, and the ingratitude of those he has Served.
The fir#, reflection which arises on this black business
is, wiat fort of men muR Englishmen be, and what
fort of order and discipline do they preserve in their
army, when, in the immediate place of their Head
Quarters, nd und r the eye and nofeof their command
er in chief, a prisoner can be taken at pleafur? from
his co finement and his death made a matter ol sport.
The biftory of the most savage Indians does not pro
duce infiances exactly of this kind. T ey, at least,
have a formality in their punishments. With them it
is the horridness of revenge, but with your army it is
the Ri" greater crime, the horridness of diversion.
The British genera's who have succeeded each other,
from the time of general Gage to y urfelf, have all af
fe&ed to Speak in language they have no right to. In
their proclamations, their addresses, their letters to ge
neral Washington and their applications to congress
(for they deserve no other name) they talk of British
honour, British generosity and British clemency, as if
those things were matters of fa& ; whereas, we whole
eyes are open, wlO (peak the fame language with
ydurfelves, many of whom were born on the fame
spot with you, and who can no more be mistaken in
your words than in your aflions, can declare to all the
world, that so far as our knowledge goes, there is net
a more deteft&ble character, nor a meaner or more bar
barous enemy than the present British one. With us
you have forfeited all pretention to reputation, and it
is only by coding you like a wild beast, afraid of your
keepers, that you can be made managable.—But to re
turn to the point in question.
Tho' I can think no man innocent who has lent his
hand to destroy the country which he did not. plant,
and to ruin those he could not inflave, yet abftracied
from all Ideas of right or wrong on the original ques
tion, captain Afgil, in the present case, is not the guil
ty man. Tie villain and the vidim are here Separated
charters. You hold the one and we the other. You dis
own or affea to disown and reprobate the conduct of
Lippencut, yet you give him fanfluary ; and by so
doing you as effectually become the executioner of Af
g I, as if you put the rope on his neck and dismissed
him from the w orld.
Whatever your feelings on this extraordinary case may
be are belt known to yourfelf. Within the grave of
your own mind lies burried the fate of Afgil. He be
comes the corpse of your will, or the survivor of your
justice. Deliver up the one and you save the other ;
withhold the one and the other dies by your choice.
On our part the case is exceedingly plain ; an of-
FIC?^ HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM HIS CONFINEMENT
AND MURDERED, AND THE MURDERER IS WITHIN
your lines. Your army have been guilty of a thou
sand infiances of equal cruelty, but they have been
rendered equivocal and Sheltered from personal detec
tion. Here the crime is fixt; and is one of those extra
ordinary cases which can neither be denied nor paliat
ed, an to which the cuflom of war does not apply ;
for it never could be supposed that such a brutal out
rage would ever be committed. It is an original in the
hist ryo Jvilized barbari: ns, and is truly British.
On your part, you are,accountable to us for the per
sonal fafety o' the prisoners within your walls. Here
can be no niflake they can neither be Spies nor fuf
pefted as such ; your security is not endangered, nor
your operations Subjected to mifearriage, by men im
murred within a dangeon. They differ in every cir
cumßance from men in tne field and leave no pretence
for Severity or punishment But if to the dismal con
dition of captivity with you, muff be added the con
flant apprehensions of death ; if to be imprisoned is so
nearly to be entombed: and, if after all, the mur
derers are to be prottAed and thereby the crime encou
raged, wherein do you differ from Indians either in cha
raffer or conduct.
We can have no idea of your honour or your jus
tice in any future tranfaHion, of what nature it may be,
while you shelter within your lines an outrageous mer
dererand facrifice in his Read an officer of your own.
If you haveno regard to us, at least spare the blood
which it is your duty to save. Whether the punish
ment will be greater on he, who, in this case, innocent
ly dies, or on he whom fad necessity forces to retaliate,
to S IR GUY CARLETON.
is, in the nicety of sensation art undecided cueftion ? It
refs with you to prevent the sufferings of both. You
have nothing to do but to give up the murderer and
the matter ends.
APRIL 27.
ON Thursday his majesty's ship la Nymphe arrived
at Port-Royal, whi h enables the Editors of this
paper, with supreme pleasure, to announce to the pub
lic a moR Splendid and brilliant victory obtained by
admiral fir George Bridges Rodney, and the British
fleet under ids command, oyer the count de Graffbj
who led the fl et of his Moss Christian Majesty.
About noon the fame day a letter from fir George B.
Rodney to his honour the commander in chief, was
delivered at the king's house in Spanish Town, by
capt. Sankey of the ,99th regiment, brought from on
board his majesty's frigate La Nymphe, of which the
following is a co y.
Formidable, between Guadaloupe and Montserrat,
April 14, 1782.
SIR,
I AM this moment favoured with your excellency's
letter, and have the happiness to acquaint you, #
that, after having had a partial engagem nt with the
enemy on the 9th, wherein fxte-n of my rear were
prevented by calms from joining in the action ; on the
I2tn 1 hud : ' good fortune .to bring them to a general
a£Lon, which rikd from seven o'clock in the morning
till half puff fix in the afternoon, without a moment's
intermission. Count de Graffe, With the Ville de Paris,
and four other ships of the line, and one funk, graced
the vidory. The remainder of thch fleet was so mis
erably fluttered, and their loss in men so very great,
from their having their whole army, confining of 5500
men, on board the ships of wa., chat I am convinced
it will be almoß impoffble to put them in a condition
for service for some onfiderable time.
In addition to the above, it appears, through other
channels, that by a lucky fhift of wind in the nig tof
the iith, the British fleet on the morning of the 12th
were in the midst of th i enemies, the very position
which fir George from the 9th to that mom nt had
so ardently and anxiously laboured to attain, he in
stantly threw out a signal for every ship in his fleet,
except four, under commodore Affleck, which he Ra
tioned in the rear as a reserve to single out an opponent
in the enemy's fleet, and to lie alongside of her to the
last extremity, ordering them at the fame time, by an
other signal, to dispense with the modern mode of form
ing lines. This order was most speedily and punctual
ly executed, and the action soon became general, con
tinuing without respite, and with great violence, from
seven o'clock in the morning till half paR fix o'clock
in the evening, in which dreadful interval the greatest
repeated exertions of skill, courage and discipline were
exhibited, and at last terminated in the total rout and
difperfiou of the enemy. La Ville de Paris, of 110
On Thursday, the long expected fleet from London
appeared off tis harbour, and next day the flips
bound for Kingston, confining of 2/ f ail anchored at
Port-Royal, under the convoy of his majefly's ships
Intrepid, of 74 guns capt. Molloy, Shrewsbury, of
74, capt. Colpoys; Princess Caroline, of 54, captain
Bromedge ; the Sybil frigate, capt. Rodney ; and Sa
lamander fire-ship, capt. Lucas.
From this melancholy circumflance, learn, fir, a
I ffon of morality. The refugees are men whom yoqr
predecessors have intruded in wickedness the better to
fit t.em to their master's purpose. To make them ufeful
they have made them vile, and the consequence of their
tutored villainy is now defending on the heads of their
encouragers. hey have been trained like hounds to the
(cent of blood and cherished in every Species cf disso
lute barbarity. Their ideas of right and wrong are
worn away in the constant habitude of repeated infamy,
till like men pratWed in executions they feel not the
value of another's life.
The talk before you, the' painful, is not difficult ;
give up the murderer, and save your officer, as the firft
outlet of a necessary reformation,'
PhiLdHphii, May 31, 1782. COMMON SENSE.
I am hastening with my whole fleet to the fuccour of
Jamaica, and you may hourly exped me, with such
ships of my fleet as are in a condition to keep the sea,
off the east end of your island ; not a few will be oblig
ed to repair to °ort Royal. I have the honor to be
with he highest regard, your mod obedient and most
humble servant, G. B* R 0 D N E Y.
His excellency general Campbell.
The vessels mentioned in the preceding letter are as
But to protest him, be he who he may, is to patro
nize his crime, and to trifle it off by frivolous and un
meaning enquiries is to promote it. There is no de
claration you cad make; no promi'fe you can give,
that will obtain credit, ft is the man and not the apo
logy that is demahchd;
You fee yoorfed pressed bn all sides to spare the life
bf your own officer, for die he will if you withhold jus
tice. The murder of captain Huddy is an offence not
to be borne with, and there is no security we can have
that such inions or similar ones shall not be repeated,
but by making the punishment fall upon yourselves.
To deßroy the lift security of ca pt ivity, and to' take
the unarmed, the unresisting prisoner to private and
sportive execution, is carrying barbarity too high for
fifence. The evil must be put an end to ; and the choice
of perfens rests with you. But if your attachment to
tne gaky is {Longer than to the innocent, you in
vent a crime that must destroy your character, and if
the cause of your king needs to be so supported, for
ever cea^e, fir, to torture our remembrance with the
wretched pnrafes of British honour, British generosity,
and British clemency.
follows:
La Ville de Paris 110 guns taken
Le GlorieuX 74 dittoditto
L'Ardent 64 ditto ditto
L'Hedor 74 ditto ditto
Le Diadem 74 ditto funk
Le Csefar 74 ditto taken, but as
terwards blew up, when unfortunately 250 men from
the Centaur were on board.
KINGSTON, (Jamaica) April 20. •
Certain information is received from the prisoners be
longing to the Ceres, that admiral Kempenfelt, in the
channel has intercepted a French fleet on their passage
to join the Dutch in the Texel ; four fail of the line
were captured, and three drove on shore, which are ir
recoverably loft on the coast of Normandy.
CHARLESTOWN, May if.
Gentlemen who came passengers in the above veffe!
inform, that the day before they left Kingflon the pac
ket arrived from Falmouth, and brought a confirmati
on of the success of admiral Kempenfelt in the chan
nel.
A letter from Kingston to a gentleman, mentions,
that the marquis de Bouille was taken with' the compte
de Graffe, in the Ville de Paris.
We have been informed of another letter from King
flon, of as late a date as May iff, which fays, that
martial law had been taken off in Jamaica, that an ex
pedition either had, failed or was about to fail from
thence against Curaffoa.
Extraft of a letter from a gentleman in Jamaica, to his
friend in Georgia,dated Kingflon,2Bth April, 1782^
Capt. Cadogan, of his majefly's ship Licorne, who
arrived this day also, from a cruise off Cape Francois,
saw three disabled ships of the line enter that harbour,
and was informed by a prize which he brought in with
him, that three others in a torn and mangled condition
hardly able to swim, had put into Guadaloupe.
In consequence of the above recited important intel
ligence this town was illuminated in a very folendid
manner. A band cf mufick was also polled in the bal
cony of the British coffee- oufe, which played " God
save the king," and many other favourite pieces, a
mid ft the joyful and repeated acclamations of a great
number cf inhabitants and others.
Yesterday afternoon le Glorieux and le Heßor, of
74 guns each, two of fir George Rodney's prizes, ac
companied by his majesty's ships Royal Oak, Alcide,
Centaur, and Alarm, anchored at Port-Royal, and a
Spanish fchoonef their prize.
By the arrival of the Centaur we are further inform
ed, that fir Samuel Hood has taken in the Mona Passage,
le Cato and le Jason, 0164 guns each, L'Aimable of 32,
and the Ceres of 18; the Warrior, fir James Wallace,
was left within gun shot of the Aftrea of 44 eighteen
pounders on one deck. —Sir George Rodney, with his
fleet; la Ville de Paris, and the other disabled fhipsf
may be expected here in a day or two, as they were
left off Cape Tiberoon.—The French loss in killed,
wounded, and taken, is supposed on a moderate com
putation, to be more than 8000 men ; ours did not ex
ceed 1000
“ On the 7th and Bth instant, at day break, the French
fleet, commanded by the count de Graffe, said to con
sist of 33 of the line and many frigates, with near 6000
troops on board, flipped out of Martinique in two di
visions, with the design of forming a jundion with the
Spanish and French naval and land forces, collected at
Cape Francois, to proceed for the inv: fion of this island,
where they intended to land 30,000 men. On infor
mation of the enemy's last division having put to sea, fir
G Rodney failed from St. Lucia inßanly with his whole
force, confining of 37 of the line and frigates; and in
the morning of the 9th, brought the enemy into a par
tial engagement, in which some of their ships were dis
abled. But on the 12th, by maneuvering to cut off
their disabled ships, the French were brought to a ge
neral adion, which, without intermission, lafled from
seven in.the morning, till half past fix in the evening,
and a glorious viHory, by the British flag, was then
graced by the capture of the count de Graffe in the
Ville de Paris, of no guns, together with the Glorieux,
I'Heaor, le Caesar, and l'Ardent, and the Diademe
funk in action. Sir Samuel Rood's division was detach
ed in pursuit of the crippled ships, and took the Ca
to and janus of 64 guns each, l'Aimabte of 32 guns,
and Ceres of 18 ; and fir James Wallace, in the War
rior, was in chance and within gunshot of the Aftrea,
a new 44, carrying eighteen pounders, which we are
as sure of as t^ofe in our possession.
Tne French fleet was so miserably Shattered, that if
day-light had lafled two or three hours longer, 10 or
12 fail more of their ships would have been taken.
They are, however, in such a condition as not to be re
paired in a considerable time. Not a few of our ships
must have Suffered, of which, and the captured Ships
Some arrived.
This action happened between the islands of Guada
loupe and Dominica, in which the French loss in killed
wounded and prisoners, is computed at 9000 to 9500 ;
and ours killed and may die of their wounds, about, 500,
To this food news I.have to add, from intercepted let-
Le Caesar, after being two hours in our possession,
and having 100 of our people on board, blew up—15
French capts. were killed in the battle, and a crowd
of lieutenants.
The hon. captain Cornwallis, in the Canada, in sem
blance of a body of fire, pressed ufi®n La Ville de Paris
foreiy. The count de Graffe rather than strike (wore
he would fkuttle the ship.—The Formidable coming up
gave him an opportunity of lowering his flag to the
vice-admiral of Great-Bruain.
brass gnns, on board of which the count de Griffs
commanded, carrying the Randard of France at his
main-top-gallant-mast head, and four other line of
battle fliips, surrendered, and one was funk.— The
bloodiest execution took place during the battle, par
ticularly in the ships of the enemy, which were all
Crowded with troops.—La Ville de Paris, it is said, loft
no less than 400 men slain, and a greater number wound
ed, mod of whom so dangerously that it is fufpeaed
they cannot recover.—The British fleet confided of 37
fail of the line and 10 frigates, whilst that of the enemy
numbered only 33 ; but as fir George reserved four of
his ships in case of an emergency, and the enemy fought
every one of theirs, no engagement ever happened up
on more equal terms. The Formidable's foremaft was
(hot away, and lord Robert Manners, of the Refolu«
tion, who was at the point of death when these advices
came away, loft a leg and an arm — When la Nymphe
left fir George he was in close pursuit of the flying ene
my, and in all probability, before this time, has ad
ded many other trophies of his glorious vißory to the
invincible arms of Great Britain.