The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1777-12-17 00:00:00, page 2

CHAHLESTOWN, Odder 7.
WE are told, that three weeks ago, there were
not less than between 6 aad 700 Americans
(taken in vessels) closely confined in the goals of An- .
tigua, and that they were treated with so little hu
manity, that collections were making in all the French,
Dutch, and Danish islands, in order to enable them
to procure the necessaries of life.
Last Thursday arrived here a (hip from France, laden
with falt,in which came passenger (highly recommend
ed by the Ron. Dr. Franklin, Mr. Deane, and others)
M.de Bretigney, a French officer of diftin&ion, who,
animated with the fame zeal to serve in the glorious
cause of America as has diftiffguidled the Marquis
de la Fayette, has brought over, at his own expence
z chosen corps of experienced officers, to form a re
gimenr of Chaffeuis, together with 130 stand of choice
arms, and as many genteel complete uniforms, to be
prelented to the regiment. Mons. de Bretigney is
Ailed Colonel; his Lieutenant Colonel is the Che
vaher de Kerangues (who has been in most actions
of note in Germany, since the year 1742) and his
Major, Mons. Mihy.,
Letters from France of the 2 ift of August, advise,
that a ton of Lord North had been in Bordeaux a
whole month, at the boule of a Mr. Barton, and had
suddenly depared on the 18th : that 12 ffirps of the
line at Brest, and three more at Rotchfert, had been
fitted out with the utmost expedition to take in 12000
troops at the latter port: That 12000 more troops 0
were to be embarked at Rotchfort onthe 26th, for
which purpo'e a number of Weft-Ldia drips of 500
tons had been taken into the King's Service: 11121
the clamour for war was f great in England, that the
King seldom went aboad without being idulled;
and the Freeh ambassador in London had To re
ceived feme groh nfuhs; and that a war between
France and Great Britain leemed then inevitable. Yet
another letter, dated Auguit 23, lays, that the pie
ceding day, in confluence of o ders fiern court, by
2nfxtra courier in 46 hours, ali the American vrflUs
at Bourdeaux had been fearehed, and every kind of
warlike ft ores found on boa r d, taken out and tiered:
But the writer concludes, “ the Americans are not
to be alarmed at this."
B O S T O N, /November 21.
We have only time to inform the public, that
yesterday arrived here under an cfcoit us Ame
rican Light Dragoons, the Hon. J O H N
H A N C O C K, Esq; President ofthe Ame
rican CONGRE SS, a.id firft Major
General ofthe militia o' this State ; by hLcon
ing into town sooner than wasexpe&ed he avoid
ed some public marks of reflect which would
otherwise have been paid him ; his arrival was
made known by the ringing the bells, the dis
charge of 13 cannon of Col. Craft's park cf
artillery on the Common, the cannon on the
fortrefs on Fort Hill and the fhippinginthehar
bour—the Independent and Light Infantry
Companies paid him their military salutes—He
received the complements of gentlemen of all
orders; and every indication was given of the
fcnfe the public has of ids important services to
the American cause.
YO RK-T OW N, Remember 13.
Extrafl of a fetter from General Gates, dated
dlbaim, November 25, 1777.
SIR,
TD Y this express I have the p'eafure to fend
J) your Excellency the particulars of tue e
nemy's retreat from Ticonderoga. Incut. Col.
Herrick, and the regiment of militia from New-
Ham,(hire-Grants, under his command, have
much merit, and deserve applause for their sen
sible and piriteJ behaviour, as well before as
after the abandonment of that fortrefs. lam
well pleahd they got so large a booty from the
enemy, which will be some recompense for the
hardfnips they muff have fuffcred, the weather
having been remarkably severe."
Extras of a Letter from ]G igadier Gen, Powel,
to Col Herrick, or officer commanding at Pawiet.
SIR, Mount Independence, Qa. 30 1777.
" l was very mhch surprised three days a^o,
when informed that Capt. Aller:, under the
fanffion of a white bag, without a drum or even
a letter from you, had presumed to approach
this garrison; but imputing it to ignorance of
the rules of war, I have filtered him to return,
after informing him that no more flags would be
admitted under such trifling pretences. Not
withflahding which, Capt. Clark came here
yesterday in the fame unmilitary manner, and
with (till more trifling excuse.
c< As I am determined not to admit any more
flags of truce, unless upon occasions of real con
sequence, and properly attended, I fend Enlign
Crawford, of the King's royal regiment of
New-York, to inform you of my relolution to
look upon all such persons as spies, who approach
the garrison in that very improper manner, and
to treat them accordingly. Enlign Crawford
returns with Captain Clark, which makes it
unnecessary to fen.l a drum with him.
I am, Sir,,our most obedient fe'iant,
H. Watson Bowel, Brigadier-General.
Colonel Herrick's ans ver to Brigadier Gen.
Powel's letter.
To the Honourable Brigadier-General Bowel, com
manding at Mount-Independance.
S I R, Pallet, Nov. I. 1777.
" By the time this comes to hand, I hope
you will ha e recovered from .the surprise with
which you have been repeatedly affected since
my correspondence with you. You impute my
conduct to ignorance of the rules of war. 1
hope, Sir, I have not been guilty of ill-manners.
" If ybu please, Sir, I am ready to conclude
tSe trifling correspondence with you, provided
you will quit the ground immediately, on
which you new pretend to teach me military
rules; otherwise 1 shall endeavour to convince
you, at the head of my Green Mountain Boys,
that your dominion is but temporary.
I am, Sir, fmceref your most obt. humble fervt.
Samuel Herrick, Colonel Commandant.
Leiterfrom Col. Herrick, to the Prefdent of the
Council of the State of Vermont.
S I R, Pawlet, Nov. 14. 1777.
" I have the pleasure to inform you, that the
enemy have abandoned Ticonderoga, Mount
independence, &c. on Saturday last, after de
molishing all the fortifications, bridges, burning
all the houses, aid destroying all stores, : can
non, &c. which they could not bring off: Their
retreat was precipitate indeed, as appears by
many circumstances.
" A few days before I was informed by de
serters, that their Flipping and a number of
boats were loaded for St. John's, who had or
ders to return immediately to fetch more load
ing. About that time 1 ordered Capt. Eben
ezer Allen, with 60 rangers, down to Lake
Champlain, with oilers to take two armed ves
sels by stratagem, and to secure what provisions,
forage, &c. he could. Capt. Allen was joined
by Capt. Lee at Rutland, and a considerable
number of the inhabitants and hunters a few
days after, which enlarged Capt. Allen's de
tachment co about 200 men.
" I suppose they had not yet recovered from
the surprise, which my let er of Nov. 1. occasi
oned them , when ( apt. Allen's detachment was
difeovered on the Lake a few days after, and
being afraid that their retreat would be cut off
at the Narrows, they immediately began their
retreat on the 3d instant, and finished the whole
on Saturday lats.
" Major Wait is gone with 7; men to take
pofi'e rfion and to fecure^the Hores, cattle, horses,
o-id boats, if the enemy have left any. Capt.
Alien is now harraffiog the enemy's rear, endea
vouring to take some (catering boats.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
Samuel Herrick."
In Council, Bennington, Nov. 22. 1777.
Dear General,
" I have the pleasure to inform you of the
success of our Green Mountain Rangers in har
iraffing the enemy's rear, on their retreat from
I Ticonderoga ; in which Cap. Ebenezer Allen,
Iwith 50 rangers, has taken 49 prisoners, up
ward of 100 horses, 12 yoke of oxen, 4 cows,
3 of the enemy's boats, &c.
" Major Wait, who was sent to take poffef
fior of Mount Independence, found nothing
of consequence, except several boats, which the
enemy had funk, in-which there was some pro
visions. Ail the barracks, houses, and bridges
were burnt, cannon, to the number of forty,
broke and spiked up. He was so fortunate as to
take one French furtler, with some rum, wine,
brandy, &c. Beg your Honour's direction how
to dispose of the prisoners. I have the honour
to be, by order of Council,
Tour Honour's mos obedient bumble Jervant,
Thomas Chittendon, / rejident.
The Hon. Major Gen. Gates.
Publifoed b, order of Congress,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
Extraa of a Letter from Williamsburg,(Virginia.)
" In hopes to throwin a body of men, which
may enable Gen. Washington to do something
this winter, we have palled a bill to fend him
five thousand men immediately as volunteers,
to serve fix months after they join him."
Extract of a Letter from un Officer at the camp,
.dated December ic.
“ It is probable that by this time you expect
ed to have been informed of a third general bat
tle between the royal army and that of the Unit
ed States---The former marched from its lines
in the night of Thursday the <th, leaving only
its sick, and a small neceffajy guard---passed
through Germantown, driving before it our pa
trols of horse, and exchanging lire with our
pickets and advanced parties of infantry. The
British soldiers, as they advanced through the
village, forced, the doors of the inhabitants with
the butts of their muskets, uttering execrations
against the rebels and all their abettors. On
the morning of the 6th tye received intelligence
that the enemy had encamped on Chefnut-hill,
and from the enormous fmeke, too large for the
purpose of a camp, which appeared at , different
times and in different directions, we fufpe&ed
that they were venting their spleen in wanton
conflagrations; but we found afterwards that
there was no house of consequence destroyed in
this quarter-two barns, and a square tower
which had been built as a look-out, were the
only facrifices they offered to tyranny in this
neighbourhood,---Webb's regiment and the
Pennsylvania militia, which in our order of bat
tle were destined to a& in small detachments for
the purpose of galling the enemy's left flank,
were ordered to advance and (kirmidi with their
light troops---the militia behaved as usual, and
Brigadier- General Irvine was wounded and ta
ken prisoner, while he was making fi uitlefs at
tempts to rally them.
" In the morning of the 7th, at five o'clock,
the enemy filed off by their right—a party of
them halted near Jenkin's town; by their move
ments it appeared they were endeavouring to
turn our left—we changed our disposition in
consequence, and upon hearing they were ad
vancing in two columns, Morgan's corps and
the Maryland militia were ordered to harrafs
their right flank ; there was some very smart fir
ing in conft quence, between Morgan's and the
British light infantry— the latter having made
an imprudent use of their extraordinary allow
ance of rum, fuffered, and every man that ap
peared would have been killed or taken, if the
rifle men had been armed with bayonets. We
had great reason to fear a no&urnal attack, but
there was nothing more than a little bickering
between our pickets.
" On the Bth the enemy remained in the fame
position—and, under cover of their usual strata
gem. .leaving great fires on their ground, de
camped in the evening. It was doubted at firft
whether they meant to retreat, or whether they
were only filing off in order to prepare for an
attack on cur right. Count Pulaski with a par
ty of horse, and a few infantry which he had
collected, followed them, watching their moti
ons. As soon as the real design of the enemy
was afeertained, light parties were ordered to
pursue, and a larger body to support them; but
the enemy's march was too rapid to allow of their
being overtaken, by any hut Count Pulaflci's
party, who, with his handful of men made an
attack upon their rear-guard. Very early yef
terdav morning, after burning a tavern called
the Rising Sun, near Philadelphia, and Healing
a few milch cows and horses, they harboured
tbemfelves. Thus an expedition which raised
the expectations of every body, and from whence
it was thought some great decisive stroke would
arise, terminated in degiading the whole British
army to a foraging party.
“ I he loss of Morgan's rifle-men was 27
killed and woundcd---among the latter is the
brave Major Morris---what the enemy loft in
the several (kirmifhes is not known. Col. Mor
gan, who has no need of boasting to establish the
reputation of his corps, fays, the British light
infantry loft a great many in their skirmish with
him. While the armies were in presence we
had several deserters and prisoners from them ;
those taken the firft day by small parties of horse
in Germantown, in the rear of the enemy, were
for the most part drunk. These parties of ours
had been posted at Frankford, and as the enemy
did not extend themselves to the right of Ger-