The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-09-15 00:00:00, page 2

perfinfive tongue of the most elegant Colo
nel of the Queen's re giment of light dragoons.
Forbear then thou magnanimous Lieute
nant General forbear to denounce vengeance
against vs, forebear to give a stretch to
those restorers of conftitational rights, the
Indans under your direction. Let not the
me fingers of wrath and justice wait us in the
field, and devastation, famine, and every
concomitant horror, bar our return tO the
allegiance pf a prince, who, by his royal will,
would depriveus of every blessing oflife, with
all p< ffible clemency.
We are domestic, we are industrious, we
are infirm and timid, we shall remain quiet
ly at home and not remove our cattle, our
corn or forage, in hopes that you will come
at the head of troops in ithe full powers of
'health, difciplineand valour, and take charge
of them for yourselves. Behold our wives
and daughters, our flocks and herds, our
goods and chattles, are they not at the mercy
of our Lord the King, and of his Lieutenant
General, Member of t h he House of Commons,
and Governor of Fort William in North
Britain.
A. B.
C. D,
E. F. &c. &c. &c.
Saratoga, July ro, 1777.
wm ■ ■ —■■».■■ ■■■■ ■<■■_■ term tap
Copy ofordersfrom Lt. Gen. BURGQYNE,
to Liejut. Col. BERN, datefl near Sara
toga, August 14, 1777.
SI R,
THE accounts you have given roe are
very fatisfaftory, and I doubt not every pro
ceeding under your direction will be the fame.
I beg the favour of you to report, whe
ther the rout you have marched would be
practicable for a large corps, with cannon
without repair, or with what fort of repair.
The deferable circumstances at present for
your corps is to possess Bennington, but
fh>uld you find the enemy too strongly
polled, and maintaining such a countenence
as would make a coup de-main too hazard
ous, Iwifh you to take such a poftas you can
maintain till you hear further from me, and
upon your report, and other circumstances,
I will either fopport you in force, or with
draw you.
Will you please to fend to my camp, as
soon as you can, waggons and draft cattle,
and likewise such other cattle as are not ne
cessary for your subsistence ; let the waggons
and carts bring off what flour and wheat
they can, that you do not retain for the fame
pu pose. I will write to you in full to-mor
row, in regard to purchasing horses out of
the hands of the savages ; in the mean time
lit them be assured that whatever you feleft
from them fit to mount the dragoons, shall
be paid for at a proper price. I have the
honour to be, with gieat esteem;
your's, &c. J. BURGOYNE,
Lieut. Gen.
Lieut. Col. BERN.•
Published by order of Cbngrefs.
JOHN HANCOCK, President.
to tie PRINTER :
Ry inferring the following in your Next, you
may oblige feme of,our Cuftome's.
lAmI Am no Prophet, nor the Son of a Prophet;
yet I believe in the Prophecies of the Old
& New-Teftarfhent, & &Ifo in some other
Prophecies ; nor can I forbear thinking there
is something prophetic and important in the
Number Sem—elfe why do the holy Scrip
tures hold out the Number Seven so frequent
ly, and so remarkable ? There may we read,
that GOD rested from his Work the Seventh
Day, that the Seventh Day is the Sabbath—
of 'he SevenqbYear of Release, of Seven Times
Seven being the Year of the Jubilee, of Seven
Vais, Seven Trumpets, Seven Golden Can
dlesticks, and of the Seven Spirits of GOD.
In civil Story too, the Number Seven is dif
tingtrfhed, Witness the Seven Wonders of
the World, ^even wife Men of Greece, & the
Seven Champions of Christendom. Seven
Days make a Week. The Seventh Son is of
course a Dodor, and nine Sevens form the
grand climaderick Year—ls th6re should be,
indeed any peculiar Significancy in theNum
ber Seven, which I believe no one will be
hardy enough to dispute, the oftner that
Number occurs in any Subject, especially*
in Dates and TEras, the more fignificant &
important mutt be the Subjeft, Date of 7Era;
from hence the Importance of the present
Year, in which three Sevens unite may be
fairely deduced.
I have been led to these Refleaions by a
Tradition which hath been handed down
from the firft Settlements of New-England—
That when three Sevens should meet in the
Date of the Year, the American Colonies would
become Independent States; & a Prophecy
that was some Years ago publilhed ; —that
in the Year 1777, there would be War
throughout Europe, —Whether Appearances
favour this last Prophesy or not, let those fay
who are better acquainted with the European
States than I am, and know how the War
between the United States of America &: Great-
Britain will effea them; but a great Num
ber of Circumstances concur to countenance
the Prophecy refpeding the Eftabljffiment
of American Independency, which are too obvi
ous to be mentioned.
I cannot, however, leave this Subject
without acknowledging my great Obligati
ons to an ingenious Gentleman, who is deep
ly read in Prophecies, for furnishing me with
the following Prophecy, which relates direct
ly to my Subject, and had escaped my Ob
servation, Alexander Pedanan eminent Scotch
Divine, not more remarkable for his Piety
and Sufferings than his Spirit of Prophecy,
hath left it on Record, —that when three
Sevens should meet, a Star of the firft
Luftre & Magnitude would fall from the
Crown of Great- Britain. Most Prophecies
are delivered in enigmatical terms, which
time only can develops. However may
we not conjecture, that this noted divine,
Aexander Pedan, had in idea the present
year ? And does it require much skill in
enigmatical learning to fee ^through these
prophecies, & to conclude, with a great
degree of confidence, that this very year
1777, will be the grand Jubilee of AMERI
CAN FR EEDOM ancHNDEPENDENCT.
May HE that holdeth the seven Stars
in his right hand accomplish the prophecy !
Thus devoutly wifheth, thus prayeth
BEHMAN.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 3 .
Since the enemy have landed at Elk, we
hear a number of them have been taken
prisoners, several of whom were brought to
this city ; and deserters are daily coming in.
By the accounts of deserters from the ene
my, their situation must be very disagreeable
and distressing, as the number of sick is con
siderable, having increased greatly since they
landed,and they are so closely observed by the
militia that they dare not venture far to pro
cure ftefh provisions. That numbers of
seamen as well as soldiers are determined to
desert the fiift opportunity ; the latter in par
ticular are greatly diffatisfied, on account of
their bad provisions, for which even best part
of their pay is flopped, as they do not receive
more than twopence halfpenny a day, and
when that happens to be paid them it is not
in their power to purchase any vegetables,
which the poor fellowsare now more desir
ous of than ever they were of liquor. And
that soon after their landing they loft near 30
horses, having turned them into a corn field,
where the creatures eat to such excess -that
they expired before the English farriers could
difeover their disorder, and administer any
thing to their relief.
'ln CONGRESS, June 14, 1777.
Resolved, That the FLAG of the United
States be THIRTEEN STRIPES alternate
red and white ; that the Union be THIR
TEEN STARS white in a blue .field, repte
fencing a new constellation/
Extras from the Minutes,
CHARLES THO vIPSON, Secretary;
In CONGRESS, September 1, 1777.
Resolved, That General Washington
be directed to appoint a Court of Enquiry,
relative to the late expedition by General
Sullivan against the British forces on States
Island. Copy from the Journals,
WILLIAM C. HOUSTON, Dep. Set;
FIS H - KIL L, Sept. n.
From good intelligence from the south
ward, we are informed, General Howe had
sealed orders from home, which he was not
to open till he arrived at the Delaware,,
These directed him to go to the head of Elk
river, whence he was to take hs route to
Philadelphia; but wq trust he will be ftopt
in his march. His army now is near Iron
Hill, about thiee miles advanced from the
head of Elk, towards Philadelphia. Our
army is so near him, that the advanced cen
tries es both armies are within shot of each
other. The militia are collecting very faft
to reinforce our army, and in such numbers
that we doubt not will oblige General Howe
to repent his manoeuvre to that quarter, if
he should be so hardy as to advance We
are entrenched on the roads that lead to
Wilmington. A great spirit of desertion
prevails in the enemy's army. Seventy have
Gome in since they landed there. They have
sent out parties to forage, and to plunder,
as usual ; but they have bee^d^ ve in with
considerable loss, and about Uventy made
prisoners.
Another account further adds, that Gen;
Howe's array extends from four miles be,
low the Head of Elk, to Grey's Hill, to
wards Wilmington ; that his encarapmenc
is surrounded with 72 pieces of canned, of
18, 12, 6,4, and 3 pounders, all brass;
and that our army is advantageously posted
on the heights at about three miles dis
tance.
.We learn from Pecks-Kill, that about a
week ago, a midlhipmS of the enemy's
ship deferred to us; and yesterday an enfiga
of theirs, (an Englishman) came in. Our
troops at that quarter are in good health and
spirits.
A gentleman from Pecks Kill fays, a per
son was just arrived there from Philadelphia,
who said that a hand bill was pubhfhed
there, informing that a large body of the
enemy had come out, ind made an attack
on our advance guard, which being fnperior
in number, drove them some time ; —
that a number of riflemen, advantageous,
posted, gave them a few volleys, which
made them retreat with precipitation and
considerable loss. We are sorry that it is
not in our power to give farther particulars.
BOSTON, September 1 1.
Last Tuesday arrived faje in pert, a prize
brig, w ith a valuable cargo of iron, &c.
Wednesday last arrived at a fafe port, a prize
brig, laden with dry fife, taken by a small priva
teer belonging to Salem, which also took two
vefels leaded with coals, who were taken by the
enemy and burnt lag Thursday, night, of Mar
blehead.
The Creature, a privateer brig of 14 6
pounders, owned at Salem and Beverly, has ta
ken and carried in at a Jase port at the Eafr
ward, a (hip of 600 tons burthen, laden with
Jugar, &c. bound frem Jamaica to London.
Capt. Bunker from Machias, informs. That
on Thursday ihe i%th ult. three of the enemy's
frigates with a brig commanded by the noted
Dawson, paid h visa at that place ; the fri
gates anchored at Jome didance below the town,
while Dawson kept under way till be came op
posite a breadwork thrown up abcut a half a
mile from the town, garrisoned on) with
12 men, when he saluted it with a broadside,
which was returned with a two plunder arid
two swivels several rounds, when Daufa fat
bis b^at to go afoore, but a few of our men br
ing in ambufbjuft when they were about to lard.