The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-03-27 00:00:00, page 2

^ore^n intelligence.
L OdV D 0 N. January it.
W fl I T EH ALL, January n.
The king has been pleased to appoint lieuten^nt
gemral fir Charles Grey, knight of the bath, to be
,entl ar.d commander in chief of his majesty's force*
in North A merica, lying upon the Atlantic ocean, in
the .octo of fir Guy Carleton, knight of the bath.
Admiralty Office, December 24, 1782.
Extract of a letter from James Luttrell, efq ; comman
der of bis majefly's ship the Mediator, to Mr. Ste
phens, dated in Plymouth Sound, December 19,
1782.
% 7° 0 U will please to acquaint their lordihips with
my arrival here with the Menagere, one of my
prizes, having bf' the Alexander to follow two
days ago. It was my intention to have returned to
England as soon a r poffible, for the reasons given in
roy letter, dated off F rrol the 6 h instant; but, hav
ing received intelligence from a neutral vessel, that an
American frigate was ready to fail from Bourdeaux,
the wind being eagerly, i returned to the southward
to be aide to fail into uer trail: and,
On the CTh of D cunb # r, at seven A. M. we dis
covered fi # e fail on our lee beam; made (ail and gave
Chafe.
At eight their hulls were above water : they were
forming in a close i le of battle and Shorten'd fail to their
topsails to wait for us, the headmoil was L'Eugene,
ft gate built, of 36 guns, 130 men, commanded by
m>iC le cptame B rudro, laden for the French king,
and bound to Port an Prince, the Dy with a French
pendant and ecfgn Eying ; next to her was an Ameri
can brig of 14 guns, and 70 men, with Ame ican co
lours ; next to her a two-decked ship, the length of a
64, armed en flute, called the Menagere, French pen.
dant and ensign flying, commanded by monf. de Fo
ligve, captaine de Brutol, of the department of Roch
fort, mounting on her main deck 26 long twelve poun
ders, and 4 fix-pounders on her quarter-deck and
forecatlie, with a compliment of 212 men, laden with
gun powder, naval floes, and bale goods, for the
French king's service, at Port au-Prince ; next to her
lay the Alexander, oi 24 nine pounders, and 102 men,
With a French pendant and an American ensign, com
manded by a captain Gregory, w' 0 appears to have
been an Irishman, but has a congress commission, la
den with flores, provisions, &c. for the French king's
u(e at Port-au-Prince ; next to her lay the Dauphin
Royal, of 28 guns, t2o men, bound to the Eaft-fndies,
having a French pendant and ensign flying: and hav
ing determined, without losing a moment's time, to
endeavour to throw their squadron into confufi
-00, and, if possible, to take advantage of some of
tuem ; and relying on the good failing of the Media
tor to bring her off, if I could not fee a probability
of success after a few broadfrles ; I continued bearing
down, with all fail set, on tie enemy, except such fails
as might be in the way of quick manoeuvres.
At ten received a f- w (hot from the Menagere's up
per deck, which convinced me (he had no lower deck
guns, though (he had all the ports complete to the eye;
continued to approach the enemy, and receive fire from
the line, and employed occasionally in tacking, wear
ing, bearing down, &c.
At half paR ten, having very much approached the
rear of the line, it broke, the brig and Dauphin Roy
al crouding fail away from the rest, upon which t; e
Menagere, Eugene, and Al xander wore under an ea
sy (ail.
At eleven I bore down, and cut off the Alexander
from her contorts, employ d fighting both sides occa
sionally ; and the firft broadtide, wuen very close to
the Ahxand r. made her flrike her American colours,
and let fly ter Meets ; the Menagere anl Eugene, af
ter firing at us for some time, crouded all fail, and went
away before the wind ; boarded the prize, and laid her
head towards the enemy, under an easy fail, to per
mit us to take out one hundred prisoners, meaning to
chaf. the Menagere.
At half pad twelve made all fail in chafe, leaving
the prize to follow, or bear away for England, if we
ran her hull down.
At three the Eugene hauled her wind away from
the Menagere.
At five began firing at the Menagere, to prevent
her aiming at our made, by covering ourselves with
smoke.
At half paR five had gained very cordi drably on the
Menagere, and occafiooal'y fired broadsides at each
other.
At fix a sudden squall caught me, with three of my
lover deckers run out and obliged m° to put before
the wind, the water rushing in till knee deep on the
deck, but with the chain pumps we soon cleared our
ship, and as soon as (he was fafe I hauled towards the
enemy, crouding fail to regain her.
At (even began again to fire at each otlpr, and our
main top gallant-mad and fore top gallant yard were
(hot away : continued conflantly firing at each 0-
ther
'Till nine, when I had got within pifol foot of the
Menagere's quarter, and put my helm a weather to
pour in a broadside # f round and crape (hot from all
my guns, which Ik} being awa-e of, threw up in the
wind, hauled down her colours, and hailed that (he
had Bruck. linftantly ordered my people to defifl fir
ing, Shortened fa I, and judging myfelf then within a
bout five miles of theentrance of Ferrel, where they must
have heard our guns, I battened to get both (hips from
off the land.
At eleven P. M. my prize the Alexander joined us.
The fore (hrouds and a gre t deal of running rigging
being (hot away, detained us, but in two hours we
received two hundred prisoners more, and were able
to make a little fail together to weßward off shore.
At day-break we saw the island Sifargo, distant a
At ten at night I felt a terrible fllock from feme ex
plosion, aid heard a cry of fire: I was soon after in
formed, that the lee port was blown away by the gun
into the tea, and the water making in. As soon as I
had wore fllip on the other tack, to get tie port hole
covered with taupaulins, and secured, I went down
found the gun room on fire, and every thing matter
ed that was near the explosion; Gregory, with his ac
complice, dressed, though they had pretended to go
to bed ; and in their cot was found gunpowder, which
they had provided to prime the gun with ; and in short,
every proof necessary for a conviction of Gregory's
having fired it for an alarm to make the prisoners rife;
he had also endeavoured to provide himfelf with a
sword, but being disappointed in hi? project, he beg
ged his life. A cry of fire forwards was heard among
the prisoners when rhe signal gun was fired : but all
being difeovered and fettled, I ordered Gregory, to
gether with those of his officers and men, whom I (us
pelted concerned in the plot, to be put in irons, and
kept on bread and water. I think it my duty to trou
ble their lor ships with this narrative, in juflice to his
majefty'scolours, under which no prisoners are tin
deservedly treated with rigor. The officers of tte Me
nagere having always conduced themselves like men
of honour, I was happy to have the pleasure of con
tinuing them at my table, with the usual confidence
in their parole; and the prisoners in general have had
every mark of humanity and attention (hewn to them
that our ownfafety would admit of.—When their lord
ships confider the force off ° ring us battle and at fi,ft uni
ted to oppose us, they will, I trnft, he cotviced, that
our success was chiefly owing to the exertions and acti
vity of the officers and men in working the (hip, as well
as in fighting her.
The enemy's (hot having been entirely aimed with
a view to dilmaft us, fortunately prevented my officers
and men from receiving any hurt; my lower rigging
forward, and some abaft was (hot away • also the main
top gallant-mafl, Rodding fail and yard, and fore top
gallant yard, top-mafl, rigging, fads, and running
rigging in general much cut, which with a few (hot in
the Lows, is all ts e damage we have as yetdif overed to
have happened to his majedy's ship Mediator in the
afiion.
bout five or fix leagues, aid in the effing fheDzupldn
Royal, with her main-top-mast gone, and otherways
disabled; and the brig with all her mails gone, except
part of her lower mads: I thought it however impro
per to rifle the king's ship, by leaving curfelves with
fewer men; for having lent fifty on board the large
ship, and twenty on board the Alexander, besides
manning the opanifh priz p , I had remaining on y one
hundred and ninety ; halfofwhom mud deep at nights,
and the rest were few to work the ship and guard three
hundred and forty prisoners ; for this reason I hope
their lordships will approve of my not chafing the
Dauphin Royal and brig ; the former flood in towards
the land, the brig fiemed returning to Botirdeaux, from
whence this armed convoy failed on the 9th instant.
On the 14th of December, at ten P. M. captain Ste
phen Gregory of the Alexander, laid a plot to occa
fidn the prisoners to rife, and hoping to have taken
the Mediator from me; but through the indefatigable
attention of lieutenant Pankin of the marines, in the
disposal and regulation of centries, &c. as a guard, and
the lucky precaution we had taken of ordering the grat
ingsofafl the hatches in the lower gun deck to be bat
toned down with capflon bars, leaving room for only
one man to come up abaft, where, in case of an alarm,
we had fixed our rend zvous, the defperaie fcherne of
Gregory was prevented without bloodshed, the pri
fouers finding no passage where they could get up.
Tie alarm he fixed on was to fire an eighteen poun
der gun in the gun-room where he lay, for he messed
with my lieutenants, and had received every friendly
attention.
Killed and wounded on board the Menagere.
Monsieur Darmaignac, a gentleman of property in
the island of Sr. Domingo, killed.
Thr^e seamen killed
Killed and wounded on board the Alexander.
Six seamen killed.
Eight or nine ditto wounded.
This lift is taken from the report of their officers, not
having had time as yet to examine the prisoners by
N. B. An account is received from the purser of
the Mediator, of his arrival at Portsmouth with the
Alexander.
Yesterday's letters from Portsmouth advise, that the
greyed exertions are now making in the different docks,
and that upwards of fifteen line of battle Mips have re
ceived orders to equip for foreign service.
Dec. to. The late dec : fion of lord Man<fi4d, in the
cause of Barry and Nugent, upon a writ of error,
br ught from Ireland, at firft gave great alarm in
that country, as it was uuderilood to be an empeach
ment of the validity cf the Irish aft passed lafi session.
However we are happy to inform our read rs, that no
ill consequence or jealousy cf any kind can proceed
from it. It appears that in this case the writ of error
was brought into the King's Bench, and proceeded in
previously to the aft in question; the decision upon it
therefore followed as a matter of course ; and as that
decision was in affirmation of the judg meet of the
Irish court, no process upon it was necessary, such de
cision operati g only as a difmiffion of the appeal.
After the case was proceeded in, the parties could not
plead or object to the jurifdiaion of the court, nor the
court properly wave the difeu ffion of it ; though it
may be a qutflion, whether it would nor have been
better, that the parties (hould have been recommend
ed to withdraw the suit.
The fate of the Palmier of 74 guns, is at lad ascer
tained. (he failed with a fleet of French merchant Mips
from Sb Domingo for Old France, on the 2d of Octo
ber, and on the cad of the fame month a fiorm arose,
and that ship, which escaped deftruflion on the 9th
and 12th of April, foundered, and was totally loft in
this gale ; her crew was taken up by the convoy.
ANECDOTES of the prefect Negociation.
The French, throughout the whole of it, had noob
jr&ion to our keeping Canada, and offered to guaran
tee it to ns as limitted by?our own aft o' date, before
the war broke out. Lord Shelburne, infinitely to his
honour, replied that Great- Britain should not acquire
nor retain any thing, under any guarantee ; that France
Mould have no right to interfere in the possessions of
the crown of England, which file would have in case
cf dispute, was (he accepted as guarantee. This hau
teur was objefled to in council by the duke of Grafton,
but lord Shelburne replied, that it was permitting
France to be a guarantee of the Germanic eflablifh
ment at the peace of Westphalia, that since introduced
her into every German dispute. De Vergennes offered
Grenada ^nd all its dependencies for a confirmed and
fortified Glare of Newfoundland and its fifhery: but
was refuted. Spain offered Porto Rico for Gibraltar •
but we demanded that, and a very extensive territory
on be Mufquito shore also.—Spain offered the Floridas
acd the Bahama iffands, for a (hare of the Newfound
land fi fhery ; but refuted—as the Floridas are efleem
ed nothing worth. France offered St. Vincent, Toba
go, and another island, for St. Lucia, and giving up
the point of the flag in the narrow seas ; refuted,-
lord Shelburne offered to put claret upon the fame
footing as Port at the English custom-house, if France
would, under regulations, and at regulated ports take
woollen manufactures in exchange; this proposition
came back amended, to take under different regulati
ons our hardware, inflead of woollens ;—confidering
of. The French drove very hard for not only the re
stitution, but an increase of their power in India :—
totally refilled, at the firft blush. England 'as a flake
there that may repay her ; —(he will fight till the last
gasp, before file will part with, or hazard it. We
flruggle hard to keep them entirely out of India. It
was made the chief point, but they were firenuous for
their refloration.
American News.
N E W - Y O R K, March 22 .
Extract from a letter dated London, Dec. 9 1782,
" The independence of America (supposing the pro^
vifional articles of treaty Mould be ratified) i eflablifr
ed, an event that wi'l for ever fill me with amazement.
The people of America owe * their independence (whe
ther abirffing or otherwise, time will evince) to the
ambition of some individuals, who have fought fuc
cebful batt'es for them in St. Stephne's chapel; and to
do them jufl'ce, they merit applause- unwearied zeal
and Ready perseverance are objeds of great admiration
when employed in a good cause. I leave you to judge
how to apply this paragraph. England's fun of g'ory
perhaps, is now set, to rife no more.—People here are
on tip-toe to go to America. Many glory in this ad
vance towards a peace. Lands will rife, and America
be the empire of Englishmen, from the north to the
foutb.
Extras of a letter, dated January 3, 1783.
" There is one man | who, I hope, has virtue, and
can save this greatand late glorious empire. He holds
the greater influence in the house of commons, and
can do it if his inclination is equal to his abilities and
power I hope he intends it, but I fear he will fuffer
the treaty for peace to proceed too far before he at
tempts it. You perceive I can write you nothing cer
tain. Providence holds the fate of Grsat Britain, sus
pended in rhe balance. Which scale (hall be decreed
by his wisdom to preponderate, I think we (hall
know after, if not not before, the end of the holidays."
Extraft from another correspondent, dated London, Ja
nuary 5, 1783.
« There is a report cf a separate peace with Ame
rica, but this the wiser fort do not seem to credit, for
reasons obvious to every one who confiders their en
gagements with France; but the American war never
was popular, and it is good policy in the minifler to
inculcate such a belief, which must greatly facilitate
the operations of this country against her combined
enemies"
(Vednefday last, arrived the (loop Charlotte, captain
Getcheus, which left the Cove of Cork the 16th of Ja
nuary; previous to her departure, one of the vessels
which failed with the fleet from this port, defined for
England and Ireland, in December last had arrived
there; and two day after (he put to sea : eighteen fail
supposed to be the Warwick's convoy from New York,
appeared (landing for Ireland or the British channel.
Gent'emen in arrears for this Gazette will be pl af
ed to pay off their accounts without delay : the present
critical filiation of every citizen Mr. Rivington hopes,
will excuse him for the freedom of this renewed ap
plication to his good friends.
f Lord North.
* The unit'd Rates have gained their freedom and
independence by the victorious exertions of their vir
tuous citizens, and the generous help of the illndrious
Louis XVI, under the auspices cf a superintending
Providence.
1 0 be LET and entered upon immediately,
c \Goo! two flory (lone;dwelbng HOUSE witha piazza
C* round it, a kitchen, a mi'k house, a frame barn
and a ftabie, with a good garden and ne^r 12 acres of
land, p'esfantL Routed at the four mile (tone, on the
road lending from Philadelphia to the Falls, very fuit
ahle for a gentlemen's country feat, or a person who
tends the market with mi kor garden truck. Also to
be LET, a small neat Brick TENEMEN T, in a pri
vate alley leading into Lactitia-court. Erquire at th,
City Vendue itoic in Front street, between Market and
Arch streets. March 26.