The American gazette, or, the Constitutional journal — Salem, Mass., 1776-07-30 00:00:00, page 2

Copy of a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Camp,
ball to General Howe.
SIR, Boston, funs 19, 1776.
" I am forr, to inform you that it has been m, un
fortunate lot to have fallen into the hands of the Ame
ricans, in the middle of Boflon harbor ; but when
the circuraftances which have occasioned this dijafter
are underflood, Iflatter myfelf no rftawn will arise
to myfelf or my officers on account of it. On the \6tb
of sane the George and Annabella transports, with
two Companies of the feventy-firft regiment of High
lenders, made the land off Cape- so, after apaßage
affeven weeks from Scotland, during the course of
whiJ> we had not the opportunity of Jpeaking to a
Jingle veffeltbat could give us the fmAh, information
"fb, B r f^ '",, Afro evacuated Refa. On
the 17th, at da, tight.wefound onrfelves eppofite to
she ioaroor s m?uto of BoRon; but, from contrary
winds, it aval necefar, to make federal tachs to reach
it. Four febooners, which we took to be pilots, or
armed vtfeb in the service of his Majef, (but which
was afterguards found to be four American privateers
as eight carriage guns, twelve swivels, and ?ro,
men eacf; were bearing down upon as at four o'clock
in the merging, at half an hour thereafter two of them
'"d a g cu ' % S ^ n d about eleven o'clock the other two
were cloje along fide. The George transport, on board
op which was Major Menzies and mfelf, with eq,
hundred ana eight of tbe faond battalion, the Adju
tant, the Q^artetmufler, two Lieutenants, and five
volunteers were p% e ngers, having o,d» fix pieces of
cannon to oppose them. And the Annabella, on board
of which was Capt. M'Kenzie, together with -two
Jubalterns, two volunteers, and eight, two private
^'n of thefrf battalion, had only two fusivels for
her defence. Under fuels circuraflances I though it ex
pedantfor the Annabella to keep a bead of the George
that our artistry might be uJed with more cfc& and
leys obfruaion. Two of the privateers having Rati
oned themfeives upon our larboard quarter, and two
upon car flarboard quarter, a tolerable cannonading
ensued, which, with few intermifans, lifted till four
0 C:OCR in the evening, when the enemy bore away and
anchored^ cymeuto harbor. Our loss upon this oe
cafion^ was only three men mortally wounded on board
'•" George; one ..Illed and one Rightly wounded on
boardthe Annabelia. As tn, orders were for the port
of Bojion, I thought it my duty, at this happy crisis,
so pufo forward into the harbor, not doubling but T
fa^ld receive proteaion from a fort or feme Rip of
force Rationed there far the fecurit, of cur fleet.
, awards toe close of the evening we perceived
the four febooners that were engaged with as in the
morning,joined by the brig Defence, of fatten carriage
guns, twenty ,w:vs/,, and one hundred ardjeventeen
men, and afebooner of eight carriage guns, twelve
jwiveh and forty men. g,, „Q r way and made to
waias '"' 7 "' "" flood up for Nantafket road, an
American batter, opened upon its, witch was thefrß
famous proc, we bad that there could jcareA, be many
jriends of ours at BoRon; and we were too far e/n
---bayed to retreat fri^j as the wind bad died aw %
^d^e tide of Rood ,:, half expended. After each
™Jjf vtfeishaving twice run unround, we anchored
at George s Ifand; and prepared for aaion, but the
x^apQ, by sane misfortune, got aground so far
o,€,nf^ George we could expel? but a feeble juf
j^tfr^ !1, mufttr,, About eleven o'clock four of
putting a speedy end to the present civil war,
^at once over. The force will be found inade
quate ; and I will fay more, any force you will
or can fend will be so. As to the last point of
domestic defence, how does that Hand ? Let us
presume for a minute, that the military force re
maining in this kingdom, aided by the militia,
was Efficient for the purpose of defending this
island ; will it be pretended that Ireland,' with
a force in it of only 6000 men, will be equally fe
«cre ? I am confident such a monstrous affection
will net be made; 12,000 men, even in times
of peace, has been at all times thought necessary
for the preservation of its internal tranquillity,
f would appeal to a noble Lord near me (Lord
Tewnfhend) supposing no attack had been made
from without, whether the military eftablilhment,
after the embarkation, would be equal even to the
suppression of domestic riot or disturbance, much
lels if a body of French or Spaniards should make
a defeent there. For my part, Ithinkand believe,
the noble Viscount who prefixed there so many
years as Chief Governor, is of the fame opinion,
^at xo,oc>o men might march from one end of
the kingdom to the other without indexation
there being no barrier, natural or artificial, to
prevent them but the Shannon ; so that on the
whole, putting the justice of the war out of the.
qweflion, lam persuaded that the present mea
sures are big with ruin in every light, and can,
in the nature of things, be never attended with
success but are vain, illusory, and chimerical,
and originate from obllinacy or feme hing worse
28
PHILADELPHIA, July 5.
The AMERICAN CAZET TE, %. for 1776.
the febooners anchored right upon our bow, and one
right afern of as ; the armed brig took her Ration on
cur Rarboard fide, at the dißaace of two hundred
yards, and bailed us to Rrike the British flag. Al
though the Mate of cue sip, and every falior on
board (the Captain only excepted) refufed pofitivel,
tofight an, longer, I have the pleasure to inform you
that their was not an officer, non- cemmiffoned officer,
or a private man of the seventy frR, but what Rood
to their quarters with a ready and chearful obedience.
On our refußng to strike the Brittfs fag, the aaion
was renewed with a good deal of warmth on both
files, and st was our misfortune, after the foarp com
bat of an hour and an half, to have expended every
foot that we had for our artillery. Under such cir
cumßances, vented is as we were with fix priva
teers, in the middle of an enemy's harbor, beset with
a dead calm, without the power of escaping, or even
the riloft difant hope of relief, I thought it became my
duty not to Sacrifice the lives of galleut men wontonly
in the arduous attempt of an evident impoffbilitj. In
this unfortunate affair Major Menzies and fevin pri
vate soldiers were killed; the Quarter-Mafler and
twelve private jokers wounded. The Major was
buried with the honors of war at B,flon.
" bince our captivity, I have the honor to acquaint
you that we have experienced the utmost civiliy and
good treatment from the people of power at Boston, in
omucb, Sir, that I jhould do injuflice to the feelings
•f generosity, did 1 not make this particular informa
tion with pleasure and fatifaaion. I have now to
reque/l of you, they so fan as the difraßed fate of
this unfortunate controversy will admit, you will be
pleajed to take an early opportunity of fettling a cartel
for myjelj ana officers. I have the honor to be, with
great rejpea, Sir,
Tour moR obedient and mos humble servant,
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL,
Lieut, Col. of the 2d bat. of the 71R regiment.
General How.
" P. S. On m, arrival at Boflon I found that
Capt. Maxwell, with the light-infantry of the frf
battallion of the feventy-frf regiment, bad the mif
fortune to fall into the hands of jomt other privateers,
and was carried into Aarblebead the 10th inf. Capt.
Campbell, with the grenadiers of the second battal
lion, who was as ignorant as we were of the evacu
ation of Boflon, Rood into the mouth of the harbor,
and was surrounded and taken by eight privateers
this forenoon.
" In case a cartel is eßablifoed, the following re
turn is, as near - I an cffift, the number of officers,
non-commiffibnea offices and private men of the 7if
regiment, who ^e prifmen if war at and n the
neig hour hood of Befion.
Ihe George transport. Lieut. Col Archibald
Campbell ; Lieut, and Adjutant Archiblad Campbell ;
Lieut. Archiblad Balneaves ; Lieut Hugh Campbell;
Qtarter-Maßer William Ogilvie ; Surgeon's-Mate
David Burns ; Patrick M'DRgal, volunteer and
aiding Serjeant-Major ; fames Flint, volunteer ;
Dugald Campbell, ditto ; Donald M'Bane; fohn
Wiljon, three Serjeants four Corporals, two Drum
mere, ninety private men.
" The Annabella transport. Capt. George
M Lenzie ; Lieut. Colin M'Kenzie; Ensign Peter
Frazer ; Mr. M'K^zie and Alexander M'Tavijh,
volunteers ; four Serjeants, four Corporals, two
Drummers, eighty-eve private men.
" Lord How transport. Capt. Lawrence Camp
bell ; Lieut. Rober. Duncanfon; Lieut. Archibald
M'Lean ; Lieut. Lewis Cotboun ; Duncan Campell,
volunteer ; four Sojearts, four Corporals, two
Drummers, ninety-fix private men;'
" Ann tranfpors. Capt. Hamilton Maxwell;
Lieut. Charles Campbell; Lieut. Frajer ; Lieut.—-;
four Serjeants, jour Corporals, two Drummers, nine
ty-fix private men.
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL,'
Lieut, Col. 2d Bat. 71R Regt."
PHILAD ELPHI A, July 20.
By an Ex,refs &?rh A liferday from South-Caroli
na, we have the following Important In
telligence.
Extras? of a Letter from Fort-fohnfon, (South-
Carolina) July 2, 1776.
" AI BOUT tlu day month a very fermi
-4-1 dable fleet came over our Bay, con
gaining in all about fifty fail, under the care of
seven or eight men^of war of considerable force.
The troops from their transports landed about a
fortnight since on Long.lfland, a little to the
northward of Sullivan 's-lfland, only parted by
a final! creek, fay kom fifteen hundred to about
two thousand rco, uncertain exactly how
many. 1 hefe were to force a pass across the
creek and attack bur fort on Sullivan's.lfland
on the back, w b ift Commodore Parker with
his fleet cannonac^d it in front. On the twen
ty-eighth, accordingly, the Commodore came
up in the Briftof of fifty guns, with him the
Experiment, of fifty guns, the Active frigate, of
twenty-eight, the boicbay, of twenty-eight, the
Syren, of twenty-eight, the Alteon, cf twenty
eight, the Sphinx, of twenty guns ; the Thunder
Bomb, and the Frierefnip transport mountirg ~
twenty.fix guns. The Syren, A^^on, anb
Sphinx very providentially got foul of each other,
and aground on the shoal called the Middle, be
tween Sullivan's fort and this post; the Syren
got cff, the Afl^on and Sphinx were so foul,
that the Sphinx was obliged to cut away 1^
bowsprit, to save the Action's mainmast ; in
that condition the Sphinx with difficulty got
off. The Ae^'n, a fine new frigate not twelve
months old, the enemy was obliged to quit and
burn. The four firft, the Bristol, Experiment,
Adive, and Solebay came to anchor within
about five hundred yards, and kept up a mo^
furious cannonading from eleven o'clock in tha
morning, until ten at night ; at the fame litre
the Thunder bomb threw her bombs at tha:
battery for several hours. The Friendship tran
sport also fired no inconsiderable *number of car---
non. The fort on Su'livan's-lfland, contain^
ing thirty-two cannon mounted, was command
ed by Colonel Moultrie, of the second regi
ment of cur provincials, who had only his own'
regiment of three hundred and fix'.y men ranK
and file in it—he made a molt noble defence -
and obliged them to Ineak off in the dark,
about ten o'clock, leaving their anchors and :&
bles behind them. Hardly less than twelve
thousand cannon were fired at that fort, and had
my friend had but a ton or two of powder more,
he would have disabled them effectually. The
fleet are so Shattered that I believe they will
hardly trouble us again, unless reinforced. T h =
Commodore is now altogether unrigged, hit
mizenmaft gone, and fishing his matemafl.—
The enemy's troops attempted to pass from
Long-Island to Sullivan's, but were entirely re
pulfed.—ln this long engagement, we had twelve
men killed and twenty wounded."
N E W- YO R K, July 13.
On Sunday afternoon a barge from the fleet, a^
feared in our Ba, with a white flag which wa.^
there met by the General's barge with jever^k
Gentlemen of the arm, on board. The flag w^fa\
by Lord Howe with a Letter to bis Excellency Ge
neral Washington. But as the letter was impro
perly diverted it was not received, though m^
Jolicired by the officers, who, we hear, said it .
tamed noting of a hojiile nature, that. Lord '..
cams over pefeftd of unlimitffd pre^. a,d r
much concerned he had nos ^f^ ^ so f <o
sooner, which would have effected a reconciliatifr
&fc. However it seems his unlimitted power did no?
extend even to the necessary preliminaries of a negotia
tion—t acknowledgment of the right of the perfn
to whom be came, to treat with him.
Indeed the idea of coming over to propose a plan
of reconciliation is in every view absurd and ridi
culous for as the Colonies never invaded the rights of
Britain, an only defended their own, there was nw
occafon at all for negotiation. The moment Great-
Britain recededfrom her unjufl claims, the war wet?
at an end.
The ver, proposition, therefore, of a n&iation,
was a proof that Groat-Britain perjifled in her en
croachments on the rights of the Colonies, and was ix
"f^f an act of a hoßile nature.
On Tuefda, another R^gfrom the fleet appeared©
and was met ns before, when a letter was again
offered, butfor the fame reajen as the former, rejected.
N E W-YO RK, July 22.
Wednesday several Ships to the Number of a
bout 16 or 20 Part of the Fleet at Staten-Jfland,
got under Way and flood through thu narrows,
but we have not been able to get an, certain Is
tedigence their Destination—Some conjecture
they are bound to the Eastward to attempt <^
Entrance through the Sound ; ffiould that be I ~
Case, it affords us Pleasure t@ think we are in 0
fit Condition there also to give them a fuitabie
Reception.
On Friday another Flag from the Fleet appear. ~
ed, which we hear brought only an open Letter
diredeed te Miss Magaret Moncrieffe
Saturday Forenoon our people difeovered a
fourth Flag of truce, where upon the Mechanick,
Barge was sent to meet it and conducted the Office?
(said to be adjutant General of the forces under .
the Command of Lord Howe) to the Dwelling of
Colonel knox jn this City, where his excellency
General %/hington, attended by his body Guards
waited his Arrival, which was a little past one '
o'clock the Interview was short, and the particu
lars we believe are as yet not made known ; we
can therefore only fay, that at parting much cour
tesy was seen to pass between the Gentleman who
bore the Flag and those of the Continental For
ces who had the honor to be present.
s Clement Biddle, Esq; of Philadelphia, is afc _
pointed Deputy Quarter-Mafler- General to th
Flying camp in &w,erfey, with fn rank of c^ '
knl." -
July t