The New-England chronicle — Boston [Mass.], 1776-05-23 00:00:00, page 3

, WILLIAMSBURG, (Virginia) April 27.
^ There have, within these two or three weeks,
been taken and bro't into Norfolk, by the ten
ders, &c. the following vessels, viz. The sloop
Congress, with iro barrels of gun powder, and
a large quantity of cloth, linens, ofnaburgs, &c.
a schooner, with a very large cargo of medicines,
particularlyjefuits bark. A large new ship from
Baltimore, bound to Liverpool, with 1900 bar
rels of flourand bread, and 5000 bushels ®fwheat;
this last taken by old Goodrich, who commands
a privateer, fitted out by himfetf, and has likewise
fitted out two others, one commanded by his son
Willjam, the other by a certain William Pickett.
A brig, outward bound, loaded with provifiqns,
And a New-England schooner, supposed to be
bound for Maryland.—There were taken and
brought in, some little time before, three vessels
with gun-powder, about 5600 stand of arms, &c.
also a New-Englandman, bound for Baltimore,
With cheese, cyder, potatoes, chefnuts, &c.
We have advice from Portsmouth, that our
troops entered that town without opposition, and
have taken a number of waggon loads of effe&s,
viz. rum, sugar, malaxes, and a variety of dry
goods, belonging to persons who are enemies to
the American cause ; they have also destroyed two
or three houses which were the property of John
Goodrich, and brought off some prisoners. Lord
Dunmore is very strongly entrenched at Tucker's
mills, and has a greatnumber of cannon mounted,
defended by about 500 men. His Excellency
General LEE, returned here from Portsmouth
last Thursday evening, having made federal ne
cessary regulations for crushing the Tory interest
in those parts.
BOS I O N, May 231
Early last Friday morning, theFranklin schoo
ner, ©ne of the Continental cruizers, commanded
by Capt. James Mugford, of Marblehead, fell
in with one of the enemy's transport ships from
Cork, bound diredly into this harbour, the Cap
tain not knowing that the place had been evacu•
ated by the British fleet and army, Notwith
standing she appeared to be an armed ship, and
was in fight of the enemy's men of war laying in
Nantafket, Capt. Mugford relolutely bore down
upon her, and took her without opposition. She
mounted 6 carriage guns, a number of swivels,
and had on board 18 men. The Franklin, at
that time, had only 21 men. Capt. urford,
determining to bring her into this harbour^ the
inhabitants, on leaving their refpe&ive places of
worship after forenoon's service (it being th© day
of the Continental faft) had the pleasure of feeing
the most valuable prize, taken since the com
mencement of the war, entering the harbour.
But it being ebb-tide, (he run ashore in Pulling-
Point gut, where she lay till the ensuing night.
As her cargo was of almost inestimable value to
these colonies, it was thought prudent to bring up
to town the greatest part of it in boats ; and a
large number being immediately dispatched, the
fame was soon fafely landed and properly d&pofited.
The fliip is about 300 tons burthen, Alexander
Lumfdale, Matter. She had 5 weeks passage ;
,and failed from Cork in company with 12 or 13
other transports, all bound to this place, from
which she parted a few days before she was taken.
Th^ others, it is concluded, hearing of the eva
cuation of the town from one of their cruizers,
fleered for Halifax. The Captain brings no
material advjces.'
The following is an inventory of the cargo of the
abovementioned prize Jhip, taken and brought in
here last Friday, viz.
Carbines, with bayonets, scabbards and
steel rammers 1000
Carbine cartouch boxes
Slings
q 4 1000
Spare travelling carriages—24pounder,heavy, 1
I 2 do. —light 4
Traversing hankfpikes for do.g
Handsaws 0
Sand bags-bushel 5000, half buffiel 5000, 10,000
Mantelets of cured hides
Broad axes
Hand hammers"
Grindstones, with troughsQ
Felling axes °'
Hand hatchets N '
Hand bills
Barrows—wheel 268, hand 150 418
Spades common 1000, ditching 250 1250
Shovels—shod 750, iron 250 1000
Carpenters tools—sets 6
Handsaws, whet and set, 6 ; tennant do. 6 ;
turning do. 6 ; broad axes, helved, 6; adzes'
h^ved, 6 ; penmauls, helved, 6 ; hammers;
The body of one of the Marines, killed in the
above engagement, and one of the enemy's 13-
oar'd barges, have been taken up at Chelsea.
The remains of Capt. Mugford have been
carried to Marblehead for interment. No other
life, on our part, was loft.
So rapid is the increase of the nianufadube of
falt-petre in this Colony, that one day last week
was received at the Commissary General's store
in Watertown, 12,310 lb. of that excellent arti
cle ; for which the sum of fourteen thousand
three hundred and sixty dollars ahi two-thirds of
a dollar, was immediately paid out of the Colony
treasury, being at the rate of 7s. per pound.
c o76',rr Atting,6 ;. chizzcls, broad-helved 6.
fcribin, .•, heading 12, paring 6, firmer 36,
mortice 4, and large 12, Gouges, helved,
mmei 3., peeking 6, and trunnion 12; piercers
or pads,flocks and fprings,6; bitts for do. 72 ;
draw borers, helved, 24 ; pairs of pincers 6 ;
iron squares 6 ; brass chalk line, rolls 6 ; chalk
line, Knots 12 ; iron compares, pairs 6 ; en
gineers augers, 8 to a set, .sets 6 ; thrifts for
do. 48 ; two feet rules 6 ; black lead pencils,
dozens 6 ; stones, rub 6, rag 6, Turkey oil 6 ;
rasps 12 ; saw sets 6 ; files lor do. 18 ; gim
blets, sorted 124, large spike 12 ; glue i 2 lb.
copper glue pots 6 ; fifh skins 6 ; mallets 6 ;
betties, or small iron crows, 6 ; planes of all
forts 132 ; Hambro' line, fkains 5© ; spikes,
from 5 to 8 and an half inch, 29C. gqr. alb.
nails, 24d. 38,500 ; pick-axes with helves
500 ; hammers with helves, fledge, 25; augurs
with thrifts 75:
Rope, tarred, from 2 to 4^ inch, coils 5
Ditto, white, from i| to 3^ inch, coils 4
Powder, copper hooped, whole barrels, 1500
Office of Ordnance, 4th Nov. 1775.
The enemy, on board the men of war Below,
intolerably vexed and chagrined that the above
ship should be taken and unloaded in their open
view, formed adefign of wreaking their vengeance
on the gallant Capt. Mugford, who took her.
The Sunday following, Capt. Mugford, in com
pany with Capt. Cunningham, in the Lady
Waffiingt®n,a small privateer armed with swivels,
blunderbufles, and mnfquets, fell down in order
to go out in the Bay. The enemy observed their
failing, and fitted out a fleet of boats for the pur
pose of furprizing and taking them in themght;
and the Franklin's running aground in the Gut,
gave them a good opportunity for executing their
plan. The Lady Wafhjngton came to anchor
near Capt. Mugtord ; and between 1 and 10
o'clock he difeobered a number of boats, which
he hailed, and received for answer, that they were
from Boston. He ordered them to keep off, or
he would fire upon them. They begged him, for
God s fake, not to fire, for they were going on
board him. Capt. Mugford inllantly fired,'and
was fallowed by all his men ; and cutting his
cable, brought his broadside to bear, when he dis
charged his cannon, loaded with mufquet ball,
dire&ly inupon them. Before the cannon could
be changed a second time, two or three boatswere
along fide, each of them supposed to have as many
men on board as the Franklin, which were only
21, including officers. By the best accounts,
there were not less than 13 boats in all, many of
them armed with swivels, and having on board,
at the lowest computation, 200 men. Capt.
Mugford and his men plied those along fide fa
clofoly, with fire arms and spears, and with such
intrepidity, activity and success, that two boats
were soon funk, and all the men either killed or
drowned. But while the heroic Mugford, with
out-stretched arms, was righteously dealing death
and deftruaion to our base and unnatural ene
mies, he received a fatal ball in his body, which
in a few minutes put a period to a life,from which,
had it been spared, his oppressed country would
undoubtedly have reaped very eminent advantages.
After our brave men had maintained this Unequal
contest for about half an hour, the enemy thought
proper to retire. The carnage among them must
have been great ; for, besides the two boatloads
killed and drowned, many were doubtless killed
and wounded on board the others. Great exe
cution was done by the spears. One man, with
that weapon, is positive of having killed nine of
the enemy.
The number of boats which attacked the
Franklin was about Bor 9. Fhe remainder, to
the number of 4 or 5, at the fame time attacked
Capt. Cunningham, in the Lady Washington,
who then had on board only 6 men, besides him
felf. I his brave little company gave the boats
such a warm reception, that the enemy were soon
glad to give over the contest, after fuffering, it is
thought, considerable loss.
;" Died, vhe ro'h infant, at the small. pox heftital, at Stwill'd
po^t, ne # , BUUn, John Rice, Esq; Caplin in the jfhh regi
jpent ot\fo% „hm<4Ecmuuq Pbinhey u Colonel, in the a>mj
cf the Unite, Qlonits, of ahe flic fever, tfitt h&vug recovered
of the Imell.pex.
“ Aseb^iy & fill hit btteaft.
And Jaitb and befee p r ffefs'd his mind ;
So ail have hope, lie's gone to trft,
__And with th€ heavenly choir join'd."
THE gentlemen lubferibers for fortifyirg
the harbour, f Rifton, are most earnestly nqinftd to fu fi thL?
fopfeription, etihtr in petfon or by prix,, as soon is a., be
The fybferiptien bock it yetrpen : And all persons *t, , r x .
ceptioo, who have not signed it, are hereby invited to go co the
work#. . . JOSEPH RUSSELL, Cl^k, per order.
Eoffan, May ej 1776. +
1 The gre.t number of gentlemen From the country, who have
so cherful) rffifted in this very import>ntbufineft,h&ve he beer y
thanks of the fubferibers..Any other gentlemen in the neigh
bouring to^ne who have icifure and inclination to go on rhe
woiki, are requeftrd to meet on the floor of the town-house,
Boftan, any morning, at eight o'clock, or fend aJi eto the clerk,
notifying the time of 1 heir coming, and boati fhaU be proviced
foruranfportiog them.
NOTICE is hereby given to the inhabitants
of the town of Cherlcftown, that there will be a meeting at 'he
house of Mr. Jeremiah Snow, innholder, in said town, cn Tues
day the 28th of May, ioftan; at g o'clock, afternoon, to kne w
the mind of the town, whether it will, in conformity to a ufolv«
of the Hen. House of Reprefeotatives for thia Color y, advise cur
Remfentativea, " that if the Hon Gongrefr should, toi thc f .fe ^
of t|ie Colonies, declare them independent of the kingdom eg
Great. Britain, they, tke said inhabitants, will fo'en niy eng gc
with their lives and fortunes to fupj ort them in the meaftue."
B, order of the SekH-Men.
SETH SWEETSER, Tev in Clerk.
May 16, 1776.
A Marc of about 8 years old, that will both
pace and trot, andje a lively handfen:e creature, to be fold. In
quire of the Primer,'
NOTICE is hereby given to all perlons
tha* have, or fh.l; bereafTer have, so, : good SALT RETRE.
whch has been manuf <?irgd in this colony, that the Gercral
Court has .paoittad the fubferiber to exrmjr e, receive and pay
for all tharmay be brought to ihe colony pi wJer.mil! at Suveh
ton; at which pl.ee cor fant atrendance will by given on Tuef
d,y the 21st, and Oo Froid# the gift of this instant, May, frorp
nice o'clock in the morn to sunset, on each of Did days, rnd
on 1 u fday thrinh day ,00# next, and on every other Tuff
day b foc !>nr ,l farther, TEO: CRANE#
ANI country t< n, either in this, or the
province of New-Ham, fh're, that wants# peibn, in the ceptyty
of a Schoolmastfß, for the term c fone year, by appl,in, to the
Printer hereof, or to Mi. Jonathan Weiher, cue of ihe Select-
Men of she town of Hf.vcih:ll, may be informed of cne, who
will fciv^th£ro _Dn _mfonotle terms. Bfom, May 23/17-6
ALL perfohs having demands on the estate
of WILLIAM €LARK, hw of Towrfand. dreesfrd, are de
sired to bring in their accounts to JAMES LOCKE, administra
tor, or SAR,H CLARK, adminiftratdix, on said t£,e ; those
indebted to said estate, arc defined ,0 make fyeedy payment.
JAMES LOCKE.
Towrfhrnd, Ms, 8, 1776. SARAH CLARK.
.Elijah frenc'h;
WOULD inform the public, that he has engaged to carry
and bring letters to and from Quebec,for CoL.-Greater.'a
regiment He intends to fetont for that place ths 2d Monday ini
June nexi ; any persons wanting to fend letters or other papers,
may have a fafe conveyance, by leaving them at either widow,
Cowen,'s n Braintree, Capt. Davis'# j n Milton, Mr. Patridge's,
barber, in Roxbury, or at the sign of the Lamb in Boston.
To be SOLD b,PUBLIC VENDUEL^hVhLu^^^
' y Mr. Nathaniel Brindley, at Framingham, by
the Cemmittee of Correspondence of laid tewn, on Monday
th, 27th day of May, in slant, at £ o'clock in the morning,
A Valuable flock of cattle, cohfifting of
three yoke of working oxen, eleven milch cows, four colrty and
a number of fleets and heifers, part of the eflete cf the Aid
Bitrdley. By order of the Aid committee,
Frawingbam, May 15. EBEN. FEMENWAY. Ctok.
ALL persons having any just demands
.gainft the estate o f SET H HASTINGS, toe of Cambridge,
a " d .' fired 10 biir & in their accounts
HANNAH HASTINGS, bis widow, and gdminiftr#tr ¥ on said
; and these who are indebted, are requested to raike:m
mediate payment to said afoiftr.tiix, in order for a fp^y
fet&ment of faid.deceafed't rft/tei''
_C>mbr&,May 17th, 1776.
L'EB 1 at Winter-Hill, feme time in
January last, a SADDLE, almost new. The \er may have
It again, repaying to Mr. Wat son, the fiddler in foefad, tcßirg
the ma kt, and prying for this a veftifr%cnr.
N B The ? e was neither pirth nor croo?%r„
Cepny of the M^fljebujttti- bay, Pumeuth, fl."
A Libel is filed before me, against the sloop
called the Sally, burthen ab&ut feventy-five tons, coo niauded by
Cornelius White, and said to be improved in suppl,i r g the fleet
and army employed #,ir ft the United Colonies, ardfr eight into
the County of Piimeuth. Ard the court trifled to try and con
demnall vessels that shill be found inching theses-coast of
America, and brought into either of the Counties of Plircowh
Babble, Briflol, Nantucket, or Dikes County, will be held
at the court h<ufe in Plimouth, cn Thursday the i 3 h day of
June, 1776, at the hour of ten in the forenoon, to try the foflice
of the said capture, of which this notice is given, [ufont rp
the laws of the Colony aforefaid, to all perfen, claiming property
in vrffel or cargo, or any ways concerned therein, that they
and ffiew mfe (if ^y they have) why the Lid-viffel.
with her cargo and appurtenance,. 1 should n c t be condrmned.
— ________N^ CUSHING, Judge of Lid Court;
ALL persons who have any demands on
° f .J°. SIA& Bacon, late of Hutchinson, deceafed/ara
desired to exhibit their accom p ce to Josiah Holoern and So
^irifato„ o f ,h, ,so of fa d deceased ;
end all those indebted to said effete, art trqieftrd to make freed,
payment to sud adminiftraton. H u i&,J% % 10, 1 7 ;6
ZF'e have intelligence ft cm Canada, that the ot
m, have received a reinforcement at Quebec, and re
ports that our army have been obliged to raije the siege
of that place ; but as the accounts are very imperfect,
we muji defer tbe publication of particula s till next
week.