The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-07-13 00:00:00, page 2

Newark, November io, 1776.
' When I applied to Dr. Morgan for the sick he had the
' care of, on this fide the North River, he told me, the
' Congress only meant the sick of the army acting on this
' fide, agreeable to my commission, and has persuaded Ge
-6 neral Washington to be of the fame opinion. This made
' it necessary to apply to Congress for inßruflion. lam
' moved by the misery, I know the soldiery fuffer, to so
, licit this extraordinary trouble. Would not a new com
, mission be necefar), de/robi^g the Inhere of m, a^ion ?
' I can't with propriety fay w'-.at I know, least it look like
, finding fault with a man I have not had a good under
* Handing with. Consult Mr. John Morris, Col. Potter,
, and Dr. Binney, who have seen and heard enough. My
' best compliments to Mr. Geary, and thow him this let
* ter. Do write to me on theft heads as soon as you can
' conveniently.
'WILLIAM SHIP PEN, Junior.'
It is necessary for the vindication of my condud that I
should now flrow how replete with falsehood and slander
this letter is, and with what assurance he has dared to abuse
the confidence of Congress, and that of the public with the
grossest forgeries and fictions, to undermine and ruin one
of their confidential servants, placed at the head of a most
important department, and which he conducted with ap
probation and success, ti I ',Dr. Shippen firft conceived the
defigin of interfering in that appointment, and of getting
him displaced for his own private emolument and not the
public good.
In the firft place Dr. Shippen never applied tome for
the care of the sick, tho' his letter insinuates he did, or I
should have willingly resigned them to him, if he could
have convinced me that he had the means, or knew how
to take care of them. The only shadow for such an insinu
ation is a demand, why I was not at my post on the other
fide the river. And pray, what will General Washington
think, that neither I nor you Are with him at this time ? If
this is an application for the sick, I own I was too dull to
perceive it.
So far from persuading General Washington to be of my
opinion, as Dr. Shippen expresses it, if he meant to insi
nuate that I used arguments with'General Washington
to incline him to think differently from Doctor Ship
pen, concerning the resolves of Congress, October 9, 1776,
I beg leave to inform this Committee that General Wash
ington, in flead of being perfhaded to think as I did of the
intention of those resolves, induced me td acquiesce in his
opinion, of which General Green, who was present when
General Washington firft shewed me the resolves, and be
ing now present, is a witness. General Green was likewise
of the fame opinion. Whilst he looked upon it as a cori
fufed, ill judged affair, he supposed if it was intelligible at
all, that it meaned no more than to make Dr. Shippen
answerable for the care of the sick, not only of the Flying
Camp so called, but of all the army posted on the east fide
of Hudson's River, to leave him without excuse for neglec
ting them, but that I was still Director General, and was
to have the care of his army then polled on the eafl fide of
the River, and that 1 might eflablifh Hospitals forthem in
the Jerseys, at a proper distance from the army, if more
convenient than any where bn the east fide of toe River.
Hackiafack being considered, in every refped, as the most
suitable place for an Hospital for his army as then polled,
agreeable to the notion he entertained of the meaning of
the before mentioned resolves, General Washington gave
me orders for providing and superintending an Hospital at
Hackinfack.
To Dr. RUSH, one of the Hon. Continental Congress.
Whilst every perlon; except Dr. Shippen, looked upon
those resolves as only a temporary regulation upon an
emergency, the confiruftion and use he made of them was
to centrad and limit my authority How was it peffible
then, that he, being a ftibordinate officer, a novice, as he
confeffed hinmfelf to me, in the etiquette of Military Hospi
tals, should not, by that limitation of my authority con
troul, or interfere, with my exertions in aid of the sick in
the Jerseys. It is plain, however that this appointment of
Dr. Sbippen by Congress, to take the sole charge of the
sick in the Jerseys was in virtue of his having earnestly
' solicited it, (by his Friends;) as extraordinary trouble on
6 pretence of being moved by the fufferings which he affert
*ed he knew that the soldiery endured." Yet that this
was not his real motive for fo!icit ; ng that extraordinary
trouble is difeovered by the next sentence of his letter, in
which he drops the mask and difeovers what it is, namely
' to obtain a nenv commiffon, describing," or in Other words,
enlarging ' bis sphere of a&ion" and circumferibing mine.
It cannot be. denied that this is theobvious meaning of it,
and that his friends understood it to be so, by the life they
made of it.
Dr. Shippen observes, 'he can't with propriety fay what
'he knows, leaf? it should look like finding fault." I pray
why not if he can fu'pport the charge. I have doneevery
thing in my power to oblige him to do it. Have I not in
the printed vindication of my character at Boftoh, a book
in the hands of all his officers and of the public for more
than two years past, and which I am assured has reached
his hands, held him up as a man destitute of the principles
of honour, to which by his silence, he has fufficiently plea
ded his being guilty. * He is pleased to insinuate as a
For the fatisfaftion of the public I add this note.
* The following are the passages I allude to in which it
will be now feeh how exactly I drew the picture to the
life.
' Is it not manifeft that Dr. Shippen and his attachments
' have, from his firft coming into the service, pursued
6 such measures as they conceived were best calculated to
' raise him over the shoulders of every man wk® flood in
'his way, and to coaftitute him head of the department.
< How truly Machiavelian has been his conduft, and those
< who have assisted him,per fas atque nefas, to accomplish
< his ends, whether right or wrong, to make all things
' subservient to them, to cousin and deceive, so long as it
<anfwered any purpose, and might contribute to what he
« desired upon motives, how foreign soever ; and when
< that failed further to serve his purposes, to compel fub
' mission by force, to what persons are not able to oppose?
' How consistent is such conduct wit 1 such principles?
< Where men have entertained designs that are void of all
<confcience, they must net think to prosecute them by the
6 rules of conscience, which was laid aside, or subdued, be
' fore they entered upon them, and must make no scruple
< of doing all those things which are necessary to compass
' that, to which they have devoted themselves. Tam ful
< jy persuaded that both he and his adherents have not
reason for not telling what he knows, 'that I am one he
' has not had a good unterftanding with.' I wonder he is
not ashamed to confefs it, or to fuffer his former disposition
for undermining me to break out a frefli, and to interfere
with the public service, or to make this a foundation to
calumniate and misrepresent me.l must fay there was no fnif
underftanding on my part, whatever there might be on the
part of Dr. Shippen. But enoy is an incurable difeafa
Nay I know not even ®fa pretence for any mis understand
ing betwixt us, except what arose from an attempt of his
about 13 years ago, similar to the present, to injure my re
pretation by dark and sinister praoices. I shall briefly re
late it.
On the loth day of May 1765, about a month after my
arrival from England, at a public commencement of the
college in this city, I had the honour of laying before the
Trustees a plan for ingrafting schools of phyfick on the
original design of the indention and thereby enlarging it r .
Ufefulnefs. I was already elected profeffor of the theory
and practice of phyfick, (the firfl medical prefeffor in that
college) in the above mentioned discourse, which Was af
terwards printed, I recommended Dr. Shippen to the
Trustees for an appointment to the protefforlhip ofanato
my. He was chosen to fill that place fix months afterwards.
Depending however upon the influence he supposed he had
amongst tee Trustees to degrade me from my rank as el
dest profeffors, which he pretended to claim, and to usurp
a precedence over me, he made the attempt, but was foi
led in it. The Trustees at a full meeting confermed me
in the rank of senior profeffor of which the Hon. Edward
Shippen Esq. and Dr. Redman two of the,Truftees, were
appointed to give us notice refpeftively. Nothing but his
envy then produced a contest for pre-heminence, which he
cdis a misunderstanding. The fame malignant spirit has
again aduated him th attempt to undermine me as Direc
tor General in which he has had more success, but atchiev
ed it in a manner that cannot fail to reflect a lading difhon
our upon him. Fn a future day, he may again call the
sinister arts he has put in practice to defame and injure
me a second time a mis-understanding, and plead it with
equal propriety as authority dor endeavouring to do me
further mifehief in the good opinion of the public. But if
there was a mis understanding betwixt us, why, I pray,
did he apply to me for my interest t® have him c@ntinued
in the service, after the dissolution of the Flying Camp
should take place. Is tkis the usual conduf lof one man
towards another With whom he has a mif-uhderftanding at
the very time tie is labouring to destroy, the reputation,
and intreft of tab perlon to whom he applies for his affift
ante.
He is pleased to refer to Mr. Morris, Col. Potter and
Dr. Binney as to what they knew of me, having seen and
heard enough as he thinks proper to insinuate. The firft
and the last of these gentlemen I have consulted, who are
shocked at this piece of conduH of Dr. Shippen in firfl
throwing out his own dark insinuations, and then calling
on them to support him therein, without their having given
him the least authority for so doing ; hay they have declar
ed to me, that they were no ways privy to it. I asked Mr.
Morris, if he knew what Dr. Shippen meant by those
slanderous suggestions, or if he gave him premiffion to
make use, of his name to cover them. His reply was by
letter as follows.
Philadelphia, December 16, 1778.
'To your queries I answer explicitly in the nagative;
' and further fay I do not remember ever to have had any
' converfatioli with Dr. Shippen since November 1776.
' except only this day, when meeting Dr. Shippen in the
' street, I alked him, whether ever we had such converfa
' tion, to which Dr. Shippen answered, be believed not, that
' he did not remember any'
JOHN MORRIS'.
(To be continued.)
' only watched fob, but made occhfions, to serve as a plau
' fible pretext, for displacing me. Ha^ any other person
' been Director of the Flying Camp, and were it not for
'that object, no clamours of the fufferings of the sick, which
' were trumpeted thro' every State, nor any other charge
' of mifmahagement would have laid at my door, or I
' should nave had an opportunity given me, of being heard
' in my defence, and my conduct would have been (im
' mediately) fully vindicated, and my reputation for dili
' gehce and fidelity in the difeharge of my trust, have been
' (without delay) eflabliflled beyond the reach of calumny.'
BOSTO N, July 1.
FRIDAY lafi the privateer ship General Putnam,
Capt. Saltonftall, belon ing to New-London, arrived
in this port from a fuccefsful cruise, having taken fix pri
zes, one of which freighted with Invalids, a leg or an arm
each, bound from New- York for theifland of Tyranny, he
premitted to be presented to their master, three others ar
rived in fafe ports, and a snow from Liverpool tor New-
York, laden with pr®vifions and dry goods, he brought
in with him. The other prize, a brig, from Liverpool,
arrived here last Saturday evening.
Nine privateers, from New York, have been captured
and carried into New-London, since the firft day of March
last.
Thursday lass arrived in port, a brig loaded with pro
visions, and some dry goods. She was one among a num
ber from Ireland, bound to New York ; but not inclin
ing to prosecute their intended voyage, they concerted a
plan, left them in the night, and proceeded accordingly.
A vessel arrived in this slate, a few days ago, from
Martinico, brought important dispatches for Congress,
which were accordingly immediately forwarded to Phila
delphia.
NEW LONDON, July 1.
On Friday last at 12 o'Clock Meridian, we were in
formed of a Fleet being off Point Judith, by the firing
of alarm Guns at Stonington, directly after which the
alarm Guns were fired at Forts Trumbull and Griswold,
and kept up the whole Afternoon, and several Expresses
sent into the Country directing the Militia f® prepare to
march at a Moments warning; at which time Orders were
sent to the four nearest Regiments to march in immedi
ately ; and we have the Pleasure of informing the Public
that the militia in the Neighbouring Towns (if possible)
turned out on this Alarm with greater Cheerfulnefs and
Alacrity than ever; within two Hours after the Alarm
was firft founded Numbers had arrived at this Post.
About 7 o'Clock P. M. the Fleet consisting of upwards
@f fifty Sail, viz, 7 Ships, the rest Brigs, Schaepers,
Sloops, and two Row-Tallies, appeared off Filler's if
and Point, standing to the westward; in the evenin the ne
cessary Care was taken to observe the Motion of the Fire ;
at 1 1 o'Clock the whole of them anchored opposite Plumb
Island, and at 4 o'Clock A. M. weighed Anchor and
continued their Course to the Westward; at which time
counter orders were sent into the country to prevent any
more Militia from coming in ; at 11 o'Clock A. M. Bri
gadier General Tyler's Brigade that had got in upon the
Ground, were paraded and dismissed with the General's
Thanks for their Alertness and spirited Behaviour on the
Occasion.
FISH-KIL L, %/,8
Extras of a letter from an Officer at Salem, Jul, 3.
" Yesterday morning, about fun-rife, a detach ment of
the 2d regiment of light dragoons confining of ninety men,
commanded by Col. Sheldon, polled near Poundridge
Meeting-houle, were notified of the advance of the enemy
by our videtts; our horses beihg previously (addled and
bridled, the men were ordered immediately to mount:
As soon as we were paraded, the enemy's horse were dif
eovered rapidly advancing, about 360 or 400 in number.
The enemy having drove in our advanced parties, they
began the charge on the detachment, which, from the
great superiority of the enemy, was obliged to move off.
The enemy pushed hard on our rear for more than two
miles, In the course of which a fcatrering fire was kept up
between their advance and our rear, and a conflant charge
with the sword. The country through which we passed
being very mountainous and rocky, caused many of cur
horses to blunder and fall, which occasioned some to fall
into the hands of the enemy. We immediately collected
some of the militia, and begad to pursue the enemy, fol
lowing them below Ndirh Cafile church. They moved
off with such great precipitation, that we could not come
up with them; Before the enemy moved off they burnt
the Meeting-house at Poundridge, the dwelling-house of
Major Lockwood, together with nearly all his furniture,
and the house of Benjamin Hays at Bedford. They, as
ufuaf, plundered most of the horses they came to, and set
fire to several other houses, which were fortunately ex
tinguished.
" Our loss, on this occasion, was, io wounded, 8 mif
fing, and 12 horses miffing. The enemy's l@fs, 1 killed,
wounded uncertain, 4 prisoners, 4 horses taken, and one
ditto killed."
CHATHAM, July 6.
Last Tuesday night about 40 regulars, and as many re
fugees, from Staten-iflearid, made an excursion to Rah
way and Woodbridge, where they fliot Captain Skinner,
of the militia, and took off about 15 of the inhabitants,
among which were Capt. Samuel Meeker, of the light
horse, and Capt. Christopher Marsh, but by the timely
exertions of a few militia, who colle&ed immediately,
they were retrained from committing any further mif
ehief. Several of them were wounded, one of whom fell
into our hands, and expired the fame day.
We hear from Brunswick, that last Wednesday night
a party from rhat place brought off of Staten Island,
Col. Cortleyou, and Mr. William Smith, late of Smith's
Farms, Woodbridge. The latter was a prisoner with us
daft summer for high treason, but being admitted to bail
deserted to the enemy again.
PHILADELPHIA, July 13.
On Sunday last arrived here, th Brig Holker Captain
Gaddis, from St. Euftatia. On his passage he took a va
luable prize, bound from Georgia to N^w York, and
sent her into Egg Harbour; The Captain brings us the
agreeable news, that the troops of our ally, his Most
C^riftian Majesty, are in possession of the Island of St.
Vincents--- He aifo spoke with an outward bound fleet,
from Baltimore, coafifting ofio fail, all well.
The fame day arrived here, the schooner Cap
tain Taylor, wih a valuable prize, from Jamaica to
New-York, loaded with 190 hogsheads of Jamaica spirits.
And yefterd y arrived in this river, a large ship of 300
tons burthen, loaded with molasses and sugar, ret ken
from the enemy by Capt. James Montgomery, in the
State ship General Green.
Extract of a letter from Boflon, dated June 31.
" All kinds of goods have fallen (I mean necessaries)
25 per cent, within a fortnight."
Extract of a letter from Fifb Kill, dated July 8.
" This moment the Eastern Post arrived, confirming
the report of the enemy's having been at New-Haven, and
that they were obliged to retreat with loss."
Extradl of a letter from Baltimore, dated July 10.
“ Since writing the above a Capt. Waters is come up
her® from Pertfraouth ; on his way up he fell in with a
ship, two brigs, some sloops and schooners; fearing they
were enemies he did not like to go near them. But he
was afterwards informed that the ship was the Washington
from France for Alexandria, and that the other vessels
were also from that quarter. This account I fancy may
be depended on."
Extrad of a letter from an Officer of Rank, in the arm, of
the United- States.
A few days ago the officers of our army on this fide the
Hudfo 's River, undertook to regulate the price of all ne
cessaries, a copy of their proceedings I inclofe you ; we
are determined to live on our rations rather than exceed
those flipulations, and we hope the combined virtue of tho
arm, and the numerous Committees throughout America
will give an effectual check to the depreciation of our mo
ney. In the present Regulations, we held in view the
current prices in Philadelphia, but we shall shortly meet
again to reduce several of the present rates, and include
many things omitted, previous to which I think we shall
form a correspondence, with the Philadelphia Committee,
and I make no doubt a Board will be appointed for that
purpose.
GENERAL ORDERS.
Head Quarters, Smith's Clove, Jul, r, 1779.
THE Board, appointed in the order of the 29th of June
last, to meet for the purpose of fixing the prices,
make the following report. June 30th.
Agreeable toa General Order of the Right wing, dated
June 29, 1779, the Field officers, commanding officers of
regiments, and principals of departments, and other gen
tlemen of the army, being assembled to regulate the pri
ces of frefh provisions, vegetables, spirits, sugar, &c. &c.
hereafter to be given to farmers and others, felling to the
army, have formed themf^ves into a Committee, and ap-