The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-06-15 00:00:00, page 3

the French line, which was broke, in the utmofi con.
fufion and running away. The signal for the line was
now hauled down, and the one for clofeadion left fly
ing- An ample field now was open for gallantry and
exertion, and it is a particular happiness that no pub
lie censure was thrown out, but captain Cornwallis's
behaviour was very conspicuous and truly heroic.
The enemy-now mere wrecks, surrendered their ships
without much, opposition, and soon after fun set, the
Namur, Formidable, and B/rfleur, being near up with
the Ville le Paris, the count de Graffe surrendered her,
after being defected by his seconds and the'reft of the
fleet, though has he has said since, toe signal for ral
lying was flying, and fever'd fllot fired at them. Not
thing my dear hr, wis wanting but day-light to have
totally annihilated the marine of France; with a part
of the fleet difa : led and much scattered, Ido no think
the admiral could do more that night, and the signal
for battle was hauled down. Tne Ville de Paris,
Glorieux, Heflor, Ardent ard Caesar fell, but the lat
ter unfortunately blew up in the night; there are
Strong presumptions that a line of battle ship went
down in the a&ion, bqt I rather doubt it. After we
bore away for Jam- ica, fir Samuel Hood was advanced
with his division, and took the Caton and Jason, two
sixty fours, with the l'Aimable frigate of forty guns,
and Ceres floep, formerly ours. Ten thousand men
were embarked in the fleet for the attack of this place,
which were to have been joined by t^e Spaniards at
Cape Francois the ex,edit on meh be now given over,
as their fleet cane t p^bly aft for some time. Tim
carnage on board the enemy mull be very great from
the amazing number of men ; I believe they must have
loft in killed, wounded, and taken that day, near fif
teen thousand men : this blow has given spirit and
emulation in the fleet, and hope will be the means
®f future fucceiLs. The French ? r e very formidable
when in the line, (but though hazardous and could be
attempted by no one but by the commanded in chief)
break it, and they are not sufficient teamen, to make
the necessary keps for r cov ring tuemfelves. Sir
Samuel Hood is now cruifiug off Cap, Francois, with
twenty-five fail of die line - when the fleet is all refitted,
J suppose we shall tr :y to intercept the enemy till the
hurricane months, and then go to America."
Extract of a letter from an cricer of high rank, dated
on board the Earneur, at sea, May 14, 1782, to a
gentleman in this city.
“ We were lying at St. Lucia on the Bth, watching
the enemy in Fort Royal, in momentary readiness,
when the signal was made by our frigates on the look
out, a little after eight in the morning, that the ene
my were cut ; upon which our fleet, confining of 36
fail of the line, all in high order, having been com
pleatly victualled and stored from a convoy, just arriv
ed from England; got under way, flood after the
French fleet, and next morning at day-light were close
in with them, at the north end of Dominica. They
had secured to themselves the weather-gage; but as the
whole hopes of the campaign depended on our attack
ing and defeating this fleet' before it got to leeward,
to join their own Chips and those of the Sp niards at
St. Domingo. We were in high feirits at this oppor
tunity, and the admiral determining immediately to
engage them, formed the line, and our van brought
them to aßion at 40 minutes pall nine. We in the cen
ter, and alla-ftern of us were so becalmed under Do
minica, that we coud not get up for an hour after ;
at which time the Formidable got within shot of the
enemy, but was not engaged above 20 minutes, and
only one ship a- flern of us eing able to get into action,
tiie weight of the day fell upon our van; which sus
tained a cannonade from the whole enemy's fleet, with
little intermission, till pall one o'clock Captain Bayne
of the Alired was killed, and we loft lieutenant Hele
(a mod amiable young man, well known for toe
hardfliips he underwent in North America, in attempt
ing to disperse the commissioners manifeflos,) and 3
other men in the Formidable. This was a sea-sight
like all the rest in this war; for the enemy being at a
great distance, and to windward, it was indecisive.
' We minceuvered between Guadaloupe and Domi
nique, to gam the wind, and by carrying fail, and
threatening their crippled Chips, thereby bringing them
down, we had the good fortune at day-break on the
12th, to find ourselves to windward of great part ofthe
enemy's fleet. The line was formed on both sides and
admiral Drake, who commanded the rear division, be
ing ordered to lead, as the van had Offered so much
before, they were again brought to a&ion at half past
seven ; the signal being made for close action, and it was
the keeping up to the spirit of this signal that brought
on the success of the day. Our headmoft ship fell in
about the enemy's center, and the two lines run along
each other on different tacks, the French flill to wind
ward, till it came to our turn, and after running a
^ng fourteen of their Chips, the Formidable broke the
French line, by cutting through it: two or three
foipsa flern ofthe Ville de Paris, passing within pistol
Xhot of the last ship to windward of us, and thereby
bringing the rest of their line to leeward of us. This
happened a little after eight o'clock, and when the
smoke cleared away we perceived the enemy in com
plete di order ; one of their Chips with every mast and
the bowsprit gone by the board, and lying like a hulk.
They were soon in total rout and flight, and the signal
fern/ made for the van to tack, our whole fleet gained
the weather-gage; the signal for the line was hauled
dow r , every ship attacking the enemy where file best
could. The firing was incessant till sunset, at which
time die Ville de Paris, being oppressed by numbers,
and abandoned by her friends, flruck her colours.
F^ur others of the line had flruck before in thecourfe
of tk^ day; and one is said to have funk.
" I have but a moment to tell you, that we have
given such a beating to the French fleet, as no great
fleet ever received before, and totally put it to flight.
" I am now cru^n,, fir George is at Jamaica, the
captain of the Fury will be able to give you the parti
culars of the a&ion, but you will doubtless hear them
from others."
We have been favoured with the following extract of
a letter from a gentleman on board the Formidable,
dated April 22, 1782, then near the end of Hispa
niola.
" The British retailers here fell at, and often under
the wholesale price in London. Now, fir, can you ex
ped that I shall be in a situation to fulfil my engage
ments with you? Indeed 1 cannot.
Extract of a letter from a merchant in Lancaster coun
ty, to his correspondent in Philadelphia.
" Dear Sir,
^ Such is the hiflory of one of the most glorious days
this country ever saw; and what pleases me most in it is
the manifeft fuprriority of British valor and British fire
in close fight lean 1 peak to this as an eye witness,
having b-en on the quarter deck all the time, and ob
terved that their fire slackened as we approached, till
they were silent upon being close alongside The tri
fling superiority we had, is a proof of this also; for
though we had three more Chips, they had a greater
weight of metal, and more men.
'' There were 6,400 on board of this fleet, and were
certainly intended to co-operate againt Jamaica, with
a great French and Spanish force already assembled at
Cape-Nickola Mole. We are now fleering for that
island with gr ater part of our fleet.
" Our prizes, besides the Ville de Paris are, the
Glorieux, of 74 guns, the Caesar, of 74 (burnt and
blown up by accident the fame night) the Hedor, of
74: the Ardent (retaken) of 64 guns. The whole
fleet displayed the greatest forwardnefs. Of those in
my view captain Cornwallis fingnalized himfelf most,
having lung upon and stuck to the Ville de Paris to
the lall, and had a pricipal hand in taking her.
"I had a great deal of conversation With count de
Graffe and his officers- He was two days on board the
Formidable, but is now in the Ville de Paris, which
we are towing into Jamaica. He was affable and com
municative, and bears his misfortune well. He im
putes his misfortune not to his inferiority, but to the
base def rtion of the other fllips and particularly Bou
gainville*. I told him the people of England had des
paired of the fafety of Jamaica, thinking he was to
complete his career of glory by taking it. He said he
would, had his court kept them word to him, by fend
ing twelve ships of the line in November, as they pro
mised.
" Our whole lots is about 250 men killed, and about
800 wounded. One of the great advantages of the day
was, in every ships being engaged pretry equally, so
that no one has been particularly cut up, but the Roy
al Oak rn®ft of any. The only captain we loft in the
laftaction was Biair of the Anson. Lord Robert Man
ners loft a leg, and is gone to England in the frigate
that carried the dispatches.
“ The British prisoners have xeceived upwards of 50
waggons loaded with European goods of every kind.
Under the cover of furnifhing their fellow prisoners with
necessaries, and to abuse the mercy of general Wafliing
ton,as well as the too generous condefeenfion of congfefs,
who accepted their capitulation of York-Towe, they
ipfidioufly cram us with their abominated manufa& ures.
They have openly erected a store for this purpose ; but
the soldiers, their wives or flrumpets, hawk about di over
the county and its neighbourhood, all forts of goods out
of that store- And it is evident from the nature of those
goods that they never were intended for the foldi^ry ;
but that the capitulation of York-Town is to serve
the most impudent and perfidious smuggling which can
be conceived.
“ Britons are knaves but no fools. Conscious that we
are their genuine defeendents, they conjectured that
the avaricious principles we possessed from them, would
induce not only our council, but congress themselves,
to wink at their fraud.
" We could hot pursue the enemy on account of
he darko f s o f the night, and many of us being d fa
bled and encumbered with prizes, we have made flow
progress in our passage, having lain to repau, and hav
ing been detained by calms. Sir Srnuel Hood was feot
a-head wi’h his division on the 17th, and has joined
us since; I began this letter with the account of his
having fallen in with, and taken the Caton and Jason,
French fllips of 64 guns, the Amiahe of 32, and an
other small frigate,
' I (half add to this letter when we get to Jamaica
'' Port Royal, May 6. We arrived here on the
29th ult. without a: y new occurrence worth mention
ing. ir Samuel Hood with 25 of the soundest ships,
was left to cruise off HTpaniola ; and we arrived here
fafe with the rest, and all the prizes."
An >ther letter retentions, that count de Graffe, who
during the aftiori. behaved as a gellant officer,' higly
reprobates the conduit of several captains in his fleet
who, when they found him hard preffeJ by the Britifh'
fhamefnhy left him so is fate ; notwithflanding his re
peat'd signals to form the line, and Support h : m, at
last provoked at the pufilanimity and difgraceful re
treat, be fired into several of their ships as they passed
him, previous to his hauling down the flandard of
France. That the crews of our ships were highly ela
ted with the vitory, and had made uncommon exer
tion to get the disabled fllips in readiness, w- ich they
had nearly accomplished for immediate service. That
one of our line of battle ships .v j ci had got a mast
rendered unferviceable had if hoified out at Port Royal
and a new one putin its place in less than twenty four
hours.
" I this day received your's, in which you kindly in
form eof your frefh supply of European goo s. 1
must let you know, that not only I am unable to make
new purchases, but that I am neceffiated to beg v o ur
generous forbearance for the difeharge of the old score,
unless you will take back again, at a moderate difeount,
so much ofthe articles I had of you as will pay the ba
lance. For my own credit, as a merchantile man, I
shall fairly account for this unexpected and woful revo
lution in our inland trade-
* It may not he improper to inform the reader, that
mon' Bougainville (an officer of the firft diftinaion)
severely reprobated the compt de Graffe's conduct in
the ^ion off the Chefa peak last September ; fine- which,
great jeal ufies and emulations have subsisted between
tef officers: It will therefore be proper to suspend an
accession 0 this charge until further information re
fpe&mg it is received. -
Philadelphia, June 15.
“ We shall not have a coined (hilling left in this couny
ty, nor perhaps in the whole fiate, if proper measures
be not taken to flop this ingenious contraband scheme.
The laws in force against unlicensed pedlars, with the
necessary assistance of the commissaries of prisoners, a&e
fufficient. It is true that the well known partiality of
these commissaries of prisoners damp our confidence.
No whig has more confidence in them at this juncture,
than in the quarter maftersor commissaries of purchases
under the arrangement of 1778. Let us however do all
we can. We must get the better of the wretches, unless
a pedlar with epaulets should secretly countenance the
Captivated smugglers.
“ I fee but too well that the British tyrant, his coun
cil and parliament have altered their mode of carrying
on this war. I trust my dear fir, that we are not defi
cient in generalship, and that we have enough of the
good sense, virtue, felfifhnefs and vices of Britain to
counteract our enemies."
RECEIPT of Continental Taxes from the state of
Delaware, published in pursuance of the 6th article of
inftrußions from the office of finance, dated the twelfth
day of February last:
For the month of April, 1782, received nothing.
For the month of May, 1782, received nothing.
New-Castle, June 1, 1782.
JOHN REA D,
Receiver of continental taxes
for Delaware.
^^^^^^
A young Woman who has a
frefh Breast of Milk, is wanted
immediately as a Wet Nurse.
Enquire of the Printer.
A FEW CASKS -OF"
Currants, Raisins, & Sweet Oil,
TO BE SO L D, BY
Josiah Hewes,
In Chefnut Street. June 14.
T^^ Kleck & Barton,
Have Opened, at their Store in Market street, between
Front and Second- streets, three doors above Lxtitia-
Co r—A Fresh Assortment of
MERCHANDIZE,
To be Disposed of by WHOLESALE:
Confining of
AASSIMERS,
v Jeans,
Fustians,
Rattinets,
Durants,
Corduroys,
Plated and enamelled But
tons,
Sc-rs T%ift,
Treads,j
Pcifians, I
Taffites,l
A Variety of Looking Glasses.
GOODS are received for SALE on COMMISSION.
CAME to the place of the subscriber,
living in Charming towrfhip, Philadelphia coun
ty, Two Brown M ARES; one witn a lock on her
near fore foot, branded with an H. on her near but
tock, and has a star in her forehead; the other has
neither brand nor ear mark. The owner is desired to
come, prove property, pay charges and take them away.
June xo, GEORGE HOCKER.
A LL perfens indebted by bond, note, bock debt or
.prize shares ? to the estate of Captain PETER
D A Y, late cf thii city, mariner, deceased, are desired
to make immediate Payment ; and all thole that have
any Accounts against the deceased, are in like manner
r qu fted to bring them in properly attested, in order
that they may be fettled,, by, ~
Two Dollars Reward.
STRAYED away from the Commons, on the 2tft
of May, a small Brindle COW, four or five years
obl, it is not known that she had brand or ear msrk,
or any white. Any person that takes her up, and will
bring or give notice where fee is t 5 the fubicriber, at
the corner of Pine and Second streets. fh?ll receive the
above Reward, paid by THOMAS FRANKLIN.
Philadelphia, June 10.
RAN-AWAY from the lucci on rhe 13th in-
Itant, an Apprentice L A D, by trade a
Shoemaker, between 15 and 16 years of age, fl : m built,
black hair, brown complexi. n: had on a striped lin
fey jacket, coarse linen tiowftr#, old shoes with brass
luckles, a new wool het. Whoever takes up Did Ap
prenrce, so that the fubferiber can get him again,
hull receive the above Reward and reafonabk Charges
paid, by, CHRITIAN HELM.
N, B. All masters of vessels are forbid taking him off
at their peril. Philadelphia, June 13.
A Woman who can be well re-
conimecdeb, wifim to take a CHILD to NURSE.
Enquire of the Printer. June 14.
Philadelphia, JAMES HOOD,
June i 3, 1782'. CHARLES MILLER,) Executor '
Eight Dollar Reward.
Bandanas,
Fine Britannias a
Calicoes,
Brown Hollands,
Checks,
Mullins,
Cambricks,
Lawns,
Prunellas,
India Luteftrings,
Brocaded Tabines,
&c. &c. &c.