Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-11-19 00:00:00, page 5

and dead, for we must all appear before the judgment
feat of Christ; Kings as well as beggars must stand at
God's awful bar, then the wicked will be turned into
hell, with all the nations that forget God, for it is
written, The proud, yea and all who do wicked/,, faa!l
be ftuhble, and the day that cometh fo all burn them up,
frith the Lord of Hofis, and shall leave them neither root
nor branch. Oh that the people of this land were wife,
that they underflood this, that they would consider
their latter end, and apply thei: hearts unto wisdom ;
then instead of flockin, to the Play-House to hear a
number of idle Tories, they would be reading and me
ditating on the word of G O D, which alone is able to
make them wife unto salvation ; if this was more the
practice, we should hear less carfing and {wearing in
our Greets, fefs robbing and plundering one another,
and less debauchery up and down the land ; I fear
there is too much of it among the great, who ought
to set a good examp'e to their inferiors, but we are a
people laden with iniquity, a feed of evil doers, and
the judgments of G.d seem to hang over our heads.
Hov is the day of the Lord prophaned, and is now
become a day of trade, notwithstanding it is both a
giinft the law of God and the land 1 It is high time
for your Majesty to proclaim % faft, and call a solemn
aiTembly, fob in vain do we rail to our fleets and ar
mies, if God lights against us. Hear the word of
the Lord, Cursed is man that trufteth in man and
maketh flefh his arm. Mry your Majesty learn of
your /American fubjech: notwithftgndmg the many
thousand brave fellows their cou ;try abounds with
they have thought it needfuy to impure the Divine
Affiftauce, and proffer what they thipt is lawful, and
God has hitherto given them pVofperky, and made
them various (if the public accounts are true) w^r
your Majesty's forces, almost in every engagement.
May the GOD of mercy soon put a flop to the bloody
war, before this kingdom is totally ruined. Can no
moderate means be used to unke us and the Colonies
once more logger as the heart of one man? then under
God, we may bid d-' ce to all the world, but if the
word Of God is tru% A kingdom divided agaiatt itfelf
cannot stand. Surely no one can deny that to be the
case at prefect with this once happy land. Let mercy
(that darling attribute of God, and the brightest jewel
io your Majesty's crown) sway the feeptre, and con
vince all the enemies of peace, both here and in Ame
rica, that you are indeed a compafonate father of all
your children, notvithWidiug many of them very un
d.riful. That sacred scripture which fe„, Children
•by,our parents, likewise adds, Parents provoke not
your children to wrath. I hope your M^jedy, out of
your wasted goodness, will point out fonae method of
Frsm a ta, LONDON PAPER.
•;: Sunday ffl Mr. P^ie the Constable, better known
by the nime of The Little English Carpenter, pre
footed the foll^big. Petition to bis Majesty. Mr,
Payne delivered it into the King's oven band.
'' Most Gracious Sovereign,
" V°UR Majesty's most loyal and faithful sub
ject ventures once more to approach your roy
al person in behalf of all you, poor fubjetts in every
part of your Majesty's dominions. !he Rev. Mr. Wes
ley has declared, that thousands of them, about 100
miles from the metropolis (on account of the unnatu
ral war now carrying on) are in the utmost distress for
want of employ, and are obliged for want of bread, to
go into the fields and pick up the fragments of turnips
the cattle have left, a dreadful fight in a chriftian
country ! There is a day coming When somebody must
aefwer for this before the awful Judge of the quick
POSTSCRIPT to Dunlap's PENNSYLVANIA PACKET. Numb. 265.
Reconciliation before it is too late, and I doubtnot but
your Majesty's American children will humbly submit
and rejoice at the thoughts once more enjoying peaca
in their borders ; then trade and commerce will soon
flburifh again, and chearfulnels appear m every coun
tenance ; then the people would, as in time past, shout
and fay, God save the King ! May the Lord of
fiofts and the God of Battles, who has the hearts
of ill men in his hand, incline those great men who
are at the head of affairs, to finely for peace, be
fore it is forever hidden from our eyes. BlefLd are
thy peace mikers, for they shall be called the children of
Gpd, if they only are the children of God, who mutt
bc\he father of the contrary party? how many brave
fellows have already fell in battle both of your English
and American fubj^s, (God or/ y knows) but the time
may soon come when they may be wanted to oppose
your Majesty's Popifo adverfar es, who are no doubt
laughing atour pref nt calamity, and longing to (heath
their (words in the bowels of your Majesty's protestant
fubje&, for Popery is frill the fame, and its abettors
only want an opportunity to convince us of it, but may
God preserve your Majesty, with your Royal Consort,
cur gracious and much beloved Q^een. with your nu
merous and tender offspring, who hr like olive branch
es round about your table, from Pfifo dark'nefs and
arbitrary power.
" So prays and so wiihes your Majesty's most dutiful
and loyal lu^fh
WILLIAM PAYNE,
Carpenter, Temple bar.
3b H 7 6-,
On Monday morning, between eight and nine o'clock,
our advanced gdard bo^t down the lake made the digital
for the approach of the enemy's fleet. In about an hour
five cftheir larger boats or gondolas appeared in f<ht,
and a number of troops, Indians and Canadians, were
seen lending upon Three imile point. S ton after, two
of the armed boars flood over to the cad fide of thelike,
inclining upwards, as if font to reconnoitre. When they
came considerably within foot, they were fired upon from
two redoubts very near the thore, and by a rowgall&y
that was Portioned to cover the boom. They thereupon
retired. In the mean time the enemy's troops were dif
tin&ly seen to land upon the back of the point, and
presently after thirteen (mall bat cut and birch canoes
croflfed from the wdl to the erst fide of th) lake, into a
bav about four miles below our redoubt.
Upon thebe threatnin^, of an attack, cur lines, re
doubts, and polls were all manned/ and as the motions of
the enemy seemed to indicate they we e gathering thur
main force irponAlje weft file of th'' .lake, as if intending
to make their*ivafh there, three regiments (Poor's Read's,
and Gieatoni) vere ordered from Mount Independence
to reinforce this fide. The orders were instantly obeyed,
and nothing could excee I the spirit and alrrtnefs which
were dhewn by all officers and folders in executing every
order that was given.
About four o'clock in the afternoon, the boats and
canoes that had passed to the weft fide of the lake, re
turned, and the enemy were fsen plainly to re-embark
at the rhre? Mile point. The guard boat was imme
diately ordered to resume her fiation, and by sunset it
was observed : he body of theen^my had retired.
BOSTO N, Goober 31.
CAPT AIN Simmons, who arrived at Dartmouth
on Friday last, in twenty days from St. Euftatia, in
forms that the Gov. of that place allured him, that a war
would soon be declared by the King of France, ayainft
Geat-Britsin ; that one of the British pirate's (hips,
being in that port in pursuit of American property, had
actually been fired upon from their forts, and that great
encouragement was given to all American vessels,
throughout the French dominions.
N E W-H A V E N, Noro. 6.
A few nights since, between three and tour hundred
troops from the State of Rhode-Inland, crossed the found
and landed on Long-Island, near Setalket, where they
engaged a party of the troops newly inlifted into General
Howe's army, commanded by one Smith; five or fix of
bis men were killed in the action, and hirnfelf and twenty
three of his company made prisoners, who were brought
off, with feventy-five excellent muskets. The prisoners
are a motly herd, about one half of them be r ag Negroes
and Indians. Of the Rhode-Inland troops one was killed
and ore wounded.
WAilear that near two hundred fail of the enemy's
fleet are on this fide of Heli-gate, the chief cf them lying
near Hart-Idand.
PHILADELPHI A, November ,^.
Intelligence from Head Quarters, White Plains, November
6, 1776.
,We hear that the morning before the enemy made a
fiidden and unexpected movement from the several ports
they had taken in our front?
They broke up their whole encampments the proceed
ing night, and have advanced towards King (bridge and
the North river.
Some accounts make the loss of th n enemy on Monday
fe'nnight about four hundred in ki^dand wounded
All accounts agree that Col. Carr, of the 55 th regiment,
is among the number of the (lain.
Intelligence from Head Quarters, Ticonderoga, October
PubliJbed by order of Congress,
Nt"!. 12, 1776. CHARLES ibiOMSON, Sec.
Ectratl of a letter from North Cyftle, Nov. 7, 1776.
“ Since I wrote you the oilier dry an event has taken
pGe which I think will fisifi this campon; theen^my
have hiddenly and unexpectedly decamped. ^The gene
ral opinion is that they are going into Writer quarters at
New. York, and indeed fame of the d.Sorters or prisoners
told us this was what they intended, but I think the lh
fon is not yet (o far advanced as to render this step im
mediately necessary. It^ probable they will take Fort
Wafhingten in their return, <•. • rather th^t our people
will abandon it, by which means they will at left become
matters of New-York Bland. They have become pof-.
sassed of more territory this campaign than the I It, but
they will derive very little if any more advantage from it
than from their peffefnons in and about ißJton:—of
be^ur, they will hardly gain so much, for they do hot
deserve it. Let us reviow their mighty deeds. Two
hundred fail of British blips gained peffrffion of Staten-
Island, a findy foot of very small extent, inhabited by
Tories; who surrendered it to them without firing a gun.
At Long-Island they gained "tore credit, for by fighting
they obtained a part of r, but much the larged part re-,
mains in our poffeftion yet. The city of New. York, and
every other place the enemy became masters of, was eva
cuated by us, and not conquered by them, except a fmalj
hill at White Plains, which they bought and paid a high
price for (bv their own accounts) in British blood ;
this very hill they have now given up to us, as they did
Bunker's lad campaign. In every battle, and fcirmifh,
except at Long-Inland and the hill above-mentioned, we
have been victorious. Now what have they to boast of?
Nothing but a little territory which we evacuated, and by
evacuating it obtained important advantages. Will this
repay the expences of the larked fleet and army Great-
Britain ever lent to America? Have all the enemy's ex
ertions efL&ed the so much talked of junction with Bur
goyne, which was to produce wonders ? Have they sub
jugated the '' rebellious Americans,"---the grand dtfigu
of their coming here? Nothing of all this, but to the
eternal disgrace es Lord and Gin. Howe, impartial his
tory wid record that they eroded an ocean of 3000 miles,
with a fleet of 3 or 4.00 fail, an army of near 30,000 men,
and a very large train cf artillery, to subdue men who had
been declared in the British Parliament to be " Co%6ard„"
and after all marched but twelve miles from their (hips,
during a whole summer and part of the fall, and then
want jhto winter quarters. How is tb glory of 3duia
fallen, hew have her arms been Allied I I think General
Howe must feel very much ashamed cf himfelf. Six Lilort
and three soldiers (prisoners) are brought in this morn
ing; the faims were sent on Ihore to get wood. I have
been talking with the prisoners., Theloldiers fay the talk
in their ca>p is, that the enemy intend attacking Fort
Washington, and then retiring into winter quarters at
New-York. 3
“ I must hot omit telling you of a clever exploit of
some Connecticut Rangers under Major Coltinrn. Whew
the enemy attacked the lines at Harlem, th^fe rangers
took a fore wheel and a hind wheel of a waggon and fix id
an axletree to them ; upon the axletrec tin v placed a keg
which would contain about ten gallons, mounted like a
mortar; in this they put a canteen with two cartridges
in it, and fixed a rope to each end of the axletree. Ano
ther person got a pitchfork and wrapped some rags about
it to make it lock like a sponge. Thus equipped about
40 of them marched off dragging their mortar with them :
When they got within a proper distance c&° the,enemy they
set fire to the cartridges in the canteen, and fired a volley
cf final! aims. Tile enemy observing the keg, miito&k
it for a mortar, and ranaway with great precipitation.—
I have this piece of intelligence from an officer who saw
the whole transaction, and from another who was told of
it at Fort Wafliingtoh. I think the epithet of esevards
may be justly retorted; not, from this instance only, but
from others which might be mentioned; The light horse
are certainly a set of poltroons; I have already lent you
several inftarces of their cowardice; such as.their retreat
ing upon a single foot being fired at them at Waite Plains ;
fuffering a few,cf our rifle men to take thirty Amp from
them, &c. which you will easily recoups,
." Since*writing the above two mdre.prifoners have
been taken ; they are a feijeant and private of the grena
diers, and a drummer and fifer have deferred from the
enemy. We are this, minute informed, that ten mere
prisoners have been taken by one of cur scouting parties.
Nov. 8. “ The enemy's left wing is at Dobbs's Fery;
their right ;bout three miles nearer New-York, Entre
nous, I think the enemy must try to ftrike.fome important
stroke, which will make a noise, before they go into win
ter quarters. From their lying along the river I fufp.ct
they intend either to enter New-Jersey, or make a puffs,
up the North, River, in either case we are ready for them.
“ I have heard nothing about the Packet, except that
some women who live about two miles below the White
Plains, at whose house some British Officers lodged, heard
one of the officers fay to the ohsr that a packet had ar
rived which had brought d--d bad news. Ths very next
morning the army began topeniove." ,
Extras of a letter from North-Cuflef November ^.
" The enemy are retreating upwards New-York ; thfe
is a very fulden manoeuvre cf theirs, aiid occafcons much
{peculation ; some think they are going into Winter quar
ters immediately, but the mere judicious fa< General
Howe cannot answer it if he does that, without perform
ing some greater exploit, than he iris ,-t, ard there
fore they suppose he will attemit some Rroke in New-
Jersey. We watch his motions narrowly, and fliall fol
low wherever he leads."
Extras of a letter from Boflon, November 4,
" A vessel belonging to Congress is arrived m one cf
opr p <ts with 3000 stand of arms, 300 barrels of powder,
too chuffs of tin, dry goods, fait petre, &c. She has
brought over a declaration of war ageinft the United
States of America by Portugal, who has taken about a
dozen of our veflels. In France they are marching their
troops down to the sea coaff, and arming at every point."
Extract of a letter „om Fort Lee, November 10.
“ The enemy have not deca?npe,t, as was reported,
but are still at Dobb's Ferry. Part of our army have
come this fide the river. General Washington will cross
to-day. Deserters confirm the suspicions of the enemy's
design to pay us a visit in the Jerteys ; but the attempt
is so dangerous, and so long delayed,^hat I can scarcely
believe it is fericufly i n agitation. YefUrday Col. Ma
caw's men killed thirteen IL ffians and an officer, and
flipped them. This little enterprize gives (pints to our
men, and insensibly reduce the number of the enemy,"
From the army in the province of York we learn, that af r
ter the zrtb of Oflober nothing material happened, except
some fmallj'kirmijbes in which we always came off viNori
rions, and often took prisoners: Ihat many deleters had
cerne off to our army, araongfl which were between thirty
and forty Hcfians: That fuddew) on the night of the gb in
fant the enemy filed off the right of their army to the Eafl
river, and the left, about % or 10,000 men, to Dole's Ferry :
That General Wafoingtod in the morning sent several parties
to barrafs their rear, who returned with a few prifeners,
and two or three baggage nvaggons: That on the 7th the
enemy's transports, 40 in number, (being the fame which
landed the troops at Frofs Point) were seen going down the,
Eafi river towards New-York: That on the loth the part,
that filed off towards the North river lay between Dobbs's
Ferry and Phillips's Mills: That the General being appe
benfive that they intended making an incurfan into the Jer
seys, bad sent General Putnam avitb 4000 men across the
river, to join General Green, who has 6coo men at Fort
Lee, with an intention to fop their progress foould they at
tempt the fame —Several letters of the bes authority from
Head- Quarters fay, they have great reason to eNpefi Howe
will vijit this city ; therefore they urge us to be on the watch,
and be ready for them, foould they attempt such a thing.
^^M^^ MMMMMM^^^M^.^^'M
Oflober 5, 1776.
EIG FIT DOLLARS REWARD.
DESERTED irom Captain Jacob Humphrys's
company, of Colonel John Moor's battalion of the
Flying Camp for Philadelphia County, a certain George
James, about 22 years of age, lays he is a Welshman,
is about 5 feet sor 6 inches high, clumsy built, and
when spoken to his head (hakes as though he had the
palsy ; he is fond of strong liquor, and very abusive wheat
drunk. He was formerly a servant to Jacob Biderman,
late of Kensington, near Philadelphia, and since came to
Arabey in Captain Prefman's company of Militia, com
inApded by Colonel Potts. Whoever takes up said dc
ferter and will bring him to the Barracks at Perth-Am
bov, find receive the above Reward, or F ORTY
S H(ILLINGS for securing him in any gaol, and
reasonable charges, paid by
JACOB HUMPHRYS, Captain.