The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-03-18 00:00:00, page 2

CHARLES- TOW N, February 9.
Thursday fe'eaaight the Proyiden e and Ranger Con
tinental frigates, with the Eagle tender, returned to the
bar from a cruise ofTy^e ; where, on Monday and
Turfday, they difeovered five Bruiih fllips at anchor, ha
ving the appearance of men of war, and eight ether Ihips
under fail. Toe above mentioned frigates have lent into
this port two large sloops, from New York, bound for
Georgia, which they had taken, having on board 14 offi
cers and pass. ngers, and ^ non commiffioae/officers and
privates of Lord Cathcart's lightdragoons, and a quantity
of horse furniture. It fens they are a part of the fame
scattered fleet with which thebrig Lady Cruiby (mention
ed in our last) failed from New York on the 23d of De
cember, with Admiral Arbuthnot, confiding ofivo fail,
97 whereof were men of war, transports, &c. the rest
light viHuallers returning to Europe, and would probably
be convoyed by the Robufte of 74, and the Romulus of 44
guns. The information we have received of rhe number
of troops embarked in this fleet, and of the General Of
ficers who commanded them, vary so much, that it is yet
impossible to give our readers fatis artery accounts on these
heads. None place their number below B®oo, but tome
raise them as high as 11,000; all agree that Sir Henry
Clinton er Lord Cornwallis is with them, but it seems
most probable that Sir Henry is the General. Weare also
told that 1400 horses were embarked in tee fleet, but that
'tis not proboble they nave laved 300, the bad weather the
fleet met with having obliged most of the blips to threw
them overboard; one of the (loops brought io saved only
one out of 31. On this passage. the prisoners fay they
saw a ship bottom upwards : They also mention the cap
ture of the brig Betsy, George Cross Master, of and from
this port (on her firft voyage) for Cape Francois (one of
the fineft vessels ever built in this State for faft failing) by
the Roebuck man of war, owing to a heavy gale of wind,
wiierein the brig could not carry fill ; and that when the
gale abated, (he out failed the man of war every way
On Saturday fe'ennight a (loop, laden with salt, came in
from Turk's bland . ;by which several vessels were seen at
different times, supposed to be of the scattered Brit sh fleet
from New York.
The fame afternoon the Providence and Ranger conti
nental ship? of war, with the Eagle, came in, upon the
appearance of a British ship of war of 50 guns, supposed
to be the Roebuck, and a frigate, coming up from the
fouthwa^f, the firft of which was almost within gun (hot
of the Providence before she got in. -The weather has
been excessive hazy ever since, but the Eagle went out last
Wednesday to reconnoitre, and difeovered the two larger
ship, off, and so near the bar, that she was obliged to have
recourse to her oars t® escape them.
" This morning a Court martil was held here on
board his Majesty's thip the Blenheim, on an officer to
enquire into the cause of the loss of the Tortoise store ship,
lately commanded by him, when he was acquitted with
honour; it appearing that the Captain had exerted him
klf, and encouraged bis officer; and men to uf© ey^ry
means iu their power to save tbefhip, but in vain. Toe
Tortoise left the Weft Indies with the convoy under Sir
Di,by Dent, from whom she separated in a violent gale ®f
wind, near the Banks of Newfoundland, and soon after
foundered, in which extremity two brigantines very for
tunately hove in fight and saved the ( rew., Capt. Pop
lett and Capt. Beatfon, of the corps of engineers, were
p ffengers on board, who with the rest of the officers, by
their hard labour at the pumps, were the principal means
of keeping the ship above water, when sh was making
fix feet leakage in an hour, the men being fe sickly, and
so worn out with inceMant pumping, that they were una
ble to stand at the pumps, which obliged the ffic rs to
labour day and night till the gale abated, when the brig
antines took them all on board, and brought them fa t to
England. There were infect of water in the well when
the crew left the (hip, and they saved so small a quantity
of provisions, that they were obliged to live for three
weeks on two tea-cups full of water per day, with salt
provdions.”
LONDO N.
19th November. The Hydra man of war, Captain ,
with a number of transports for America, and Duke of
Kingston East Indiaman, Capt. Noto, and York store-
Ihip, Captain Beachmore, failed from Rortfmouth the 16th
inst. for the Bast-Indies; they are to be joined by the
Iris, Captain Hawker, at Plymouth of 32 guns.
December a. The Spanish advice fly boat that was
taken by one of the New-York privateers, had eight chests
of inflruaions and other dispatches of the utmost impor
tance on board, all of which were secured by the British
Captain failing In company with the fly boat for a whole
day under American colours, and being invited on board
theS,aniard to spend theevening, when he immediately
informed him', that he mull instantly surrender his velfel,
or fuffer herto be feat to the bottom. An attempt was
made to throw the papers over beard, but it was prevented
by the fortitude and address of the Captain of the priva
teer. They Contain the mod important intelligence of
every kind refpe&ipg American matters; amengft which
they comprehend the whole system of Count D'Eftaing’s
intended opt rations ; and what is no (mail furprize to o*r
mmifters, the name of every friend to the British govern,
meet throughout the rebel colonies, with his rank, &c.
was there particularly, and fully registered.
Extract of a letter from Sheerness, Dec. 11.
PETERSBUR G H, November s.
THE Senate has received from the inhabitants of
Kamthatzka advice, that according to the custom
of their country last year, about the time that the leave#
though still green, began to fall from the trees, two large
veffeis arrived on their coad, one of three, and the other
of two mails, that they landed some men, and beiiaved
with great ceurtefy to the inhabitants, giving them pre
fects, that the inhabitants in return offered them some
whales flefh, which they refuted after fuelling it; that
they could not understand any thing they laid, that these
vessels afterwards faded towards the north, and touched at
different parts of Kamchatzka, where the fame occurren
ces happened as before mentioned : That they faded out of
fight towards the north, but in some days returned, and
failed to the south, since which they have not been seen.
We do not know what vessels these can have been, un
lefsthey are Captain Cook's, who failed from England
three years ago to make new difeoveries, and who has
not been heard of since he was at the cape of Good Hope.
We hear from Georgia, that they have 100 Indians and
about 400 armed blacks encamped in the late French lines
gear Savannah.
It seems not improbable, from some particular circum
flances, that the French frigates which failed from hence
last week, on a cruise, under the command of M. Duru
main, have gone 011 a visit to Bermuda or New Provi
dence#
We have the pleasure to observe, that every preparation
seems to be making hete for a proper reception of the ene
my, fhuuld either a part or the whole of the late embar
kation from New-York be deflined this way. Succours
come in from different quarters, and our own people seem
much animated.
BALTIMORE, March 7.
A gentleman who arrived on Sunday evening from
Charleftown, South-Carolina, which he left the 10th ult.
informs us, that on the 12th, in the vicinity of that capi
tal, he heard the alarm guns fired, announcing the ap
proach of the long-expected British enemy, and was af
terwards assured by a gentleman in a few hours from
Charleftown, that the enemy had entered North Edifio
Inlet, about 40 miles from that place, with 45 or 50
small tranfporis, and that a body of troops, fnppofed to
be commanded by Sir Henry Clinton or Far! Cornwallis,
had since been landed on Wockmalaw Island, opposite
Stono-Ferry, about twenty five miles from the capital
afore mentioned; that the further progress of the enemy
had been checked by the feafomable appearance of a gal
ly or galleys, which had been dispatched by General
Lincoln, from Charleftown, to interrupt that important
passage—The fame/gentleman adds, that the garrison of
Charleftown appeared determined to defend that place to
the last extremity ; for which purpose they were making
all paffible preparations by land and water ; and that 5000
men were ready to man their formidable lines, at a mi
nute's warning.
Another gentleman, who arrived here the preceding
evening from Petersburg, in Virginia, advises, that on Sun
day the 27th ult. an officer of Col, Baylor's dragoons ar
rived there express from Charleftown (in two weeks) with
orders from General Lincoln, to General Scott, to come
forward with the troops under his command with all pos
sible difpateh in coofequence of the approach of a for
midable body of the enemy for the siege of that place. —
Our informant fays he conversed with the officer who
told him, that the day he left Charleftown the enemy had
landed 6000 men within fifteen miles of the town, that
the Americans, at the moment of his departure, were
said to be engaged with them —and that he met General
Hogan, with his brigade, within fifty miles of Charles
town. ,„
General Scott was nearly ready to march with his divisi
on of Virginia troops on the'azft ult.
Several vessels are arrived within fight of this town, hut
ar 1 preyented entering our harbour by the ice. One of
them is the ship Felicity, Capt. Bryfon, with rum, sugar,
coffee, salt, &c. from Cape Francois.
BOSTO N, February 19.
On Thursday the 17th inflant arrived in Nantafket
road, from a cruize, the armed ship Thorn, Daniel Wa
ters, Esq; commander. T^e following particulars taken
from the firft Lieutenant's journal, on board the said ship,
viz.
“ December 24, clear and pleafaut weather, at 10, A.
M. difeovered two fail to windward, bearing N. N. W.
we lay by till we difeovered them to be armed brigantines,
at 4. P. M. they wer^diftant about 4 milts upon our wea
ther quarter ; we|roade fail and haul'd our wind from them,
in order to draw them within (hot. At , P. M. almost
calm, our ship in order, men at their quarters and in
high spirits for engaging. Calmad night. The next
morning, December 26, at 6, A. M. the two brigs were
03 our larboard beam, about two milesdiftant light bree
z s from the weft, they to appearance were making pre
p rations for engaging; at 9, A. M. the wind sprung up
from the S, W. made fail towards them in as good order
as circumflances would admit; at to, A, M. came up
with the fli rnmoft as ihe was the heaviest, and he hailed
from White Hall, and asked Capt. Waters, what right he
had to wear the Thirteen Stars in his pendant? Capt.
Waters answered, ' I'll let you know presently :" Then
fnifted our ensign aud,ave her a teroadfide, within piflol
(hot, which she returned, as did the other brig, on our
wether ^ow. A warm engagement commenced on both
sides or about two glafffy when the larged brig laid us
on board, on our weather quarter, whilst the other amu
frd us on our weather bow, who kept up a regular fire;
but she upon our quarter was fooh convinced of his error,
receiving such a warm and well directed fire from cur ma
rines, and feeing his men running abcut deck with pikes
in their backs inflead of their hands, were undoubtedly
glad to get off again ; but soon dipt alone fide again and
renewed his cannonade with furprizing spirit; but after
twoor three broad sides, w is obliged to haul down what
remained o' his colours : There must have been great
fl tighter, as the blood was fetn to run out of the scup
pers. The other brig, feeing her conforf had flruck, made
what fail she could to ma ke her efca[e, but they found us
as ready to follow as file was to run ; after Capt. Waters
bad ordered the captured brig to follow. This engage
ment lifted about four glasses; Capt. Waters received a
wound in his right knee, about one glass before the firft
flruck. #
" At 3, P. M. came up with the other, after firing se
veral chafe shot through her quarter ; when with reluc
tance, they hauled down their colours. Capt. Water's
ordered me on board, to fend the officers on board the
Thorn, and immediately made fail for the other brig,
which was making from us : Fresh breezes and cloudy
weatier. At 8, P.M the Thorn have teo, losing fight
o' the chace ; squally weather. The next morning saw
several oars, beds, coins, grateings, which we judged
were from the brig, and that she funk. These two brigs
prove to be privateers from New-York. One the Try
on, commanded by George Sibbles, mounting 16 twelve
fix and four pounders, and 86 men : The other was the
Sir Willian/Erlkme, Alexander Hamilton, commander,
mounting 18 fix and four pounders, and 85 men : In the
engagement, the loss fuflained by the Sir William Ers
kine, was 20 killed and wounded, the damage of the
other not known, but in all probability toa much greater
amount than the other, from the closeness of her Gentire
to a well directed fire; and her fluttered appearance when
she struck. Our own loss in the aftion was 18 killed and
wounded ; the chief of the latter in a fair way of a speedy
recovery.
" Sunday January ?. Saw a fail, gaye cha^e and carce
up with her. She proved a brig from New. York, in bal«
lafl and under jury main mast, wlich we let go, after put
ting on board ail our prisoners.
“ Thursday, January 13, Siw a fail to leeward, gave
. chace and came up with her ; she proved to be the Spar
ling, from Liverpool, bound to New York, Jonathan
Jackson, commander, mounting 18 fix pounders and 75
men, laden with coal, provisions and dry goods. We
engaged her about forty minutes when she struck. Our
loss w@s i killed and 2 wounded ; theirs was 3 killed,
and the Captain, 2 Lieutenants, and 7 privates wound
ed."
Yesterday morning a firing was heard towards
Marblehead, it is conjeaured to be the last mentioned
prize.
The Thorn was lately taken from the British, and mounts
18 fix pounders.
T E ENT O N, M rch 8.
Extria of a letter from J^fey Camp, near Morris-Town,
dated Feb. 24, 1780.
" From Mr. Ludlow,who haskf New York and thrown
himfelfupon the mercy of that State, besides other performs
from the fame place, we learn, that the situation of the
Refugees is more doleful than ever. No supplies have ar
rived from Europe since the Tre part of the fall of any
kind, nor any intelligence of the troops since their depar
ture, except what has been conveyed themthro'our h.nds.
The high rated loyalists sing small, and hang their droop
ing guilty heads.
Bucks County, March loth, 1780.
Mr. DUNLAP,
STR,
THE Quakers in this county, contrary to any known
or former rule of the Society, but from a blind and
flupid attachment to the British tyrant, are excommuni
cating every member of their Society who is a Whig, and
take the least part in this glorious revolution. I have col
leded a few of the teftireonies thereof, and beg you will
be so obliging as to give them a place in your next paper,
and you will oblige many Whigs here, as well as your
humble servant, &c.
B C.
From our monthly meeting of Friends held at Wrights
town, the 4th day of the 11th month, 1777.
WHER E A S John Wilkinson bath had his birth and
education among ft Friends; but hath so far difr'egarded
the peace of Society as to have served as a member of the
late Convention of Pennsylvania, and also a member of
the Assembly in the prafent unsettled state of affairs con
trary tp the advice of Friends, and a lfo repeatedly admo
nished on the occasion, doth not manifeft a difpofaion to
make the meeting a proper acknowledgement-tor is out
goings, therefore for the clearmg of truth and our Socie
ty, we give f®rth this our teftimoey agairft such practi
ces, and can have no further unity with him the said John
Wilkinson as a member of our society, unt. Ihe ccne to
a sense of his error, and condemn the fame to the fatm.ac
tion of Friends; which that he may, we desire for him.
Signed in and on behalf ot oor said meeting, by
(A true copy) J CHAPMAN, Clk.
From our monthly meeting held at Wrights town the 7th
of the 12th' month, 1779.
WHEREAS Thomas Refs junior, having had his
birth and education amongst Friends, but having fe far dis
regarded the teflimony of truth against wars and fighting,
as to pay a fine demanded of him, lor not associating to
learn the art of war, and Friends having treated with him
in order to bring him to a sense of his mifcoaduq ; yet he
continues to juftify himfelf in so doing,therefore we give
forth this as a teftimeny against such practices, and can
have no further unity with him as a member ofour Socie
ty, until he comes to a sense of his error, and condemns the
fame, to the fatisfaflion pf Friepds, which he may do is
cur desire for him. Signed ;n and on behalf of our said
meeting, toy
(A true copy) J. CHAPMAN, Clk.
WHEN the Clerk had finished reading the above testi
mony, Mr. Ross flood up, and read the following de
claration to the meeting:
Whereas the Society of the peoplecalled Quakers, in
North America, in several important particulars, both in
theory and pra&ice, kave departed from their ancient
Creed, and in as much as in their ecclefiaflic decisions and
tranfadions, they are become extremely partial, incon
sistent and hypocritical. Ido thereforegive forth this my
testimony again ft their present practice and innovations,
and can have no further unity with them as a member of
their Society, until they shall add to a profeffion mere con
sistent with the doßrine of chriftianity, a practice more
agreeable to their profeffion. Signed on behalf of him
felf, by Thomas Ross Junior.
(A Copy)
From our monthly meeting held at Buckingham , the third
day of the firft month, one thousand seven hundred and
eighty.
JOSHUA ELY Timior, hath had his birth and edu
cation among the people called Quakers, and made pro
feffion with them, yet be has been so unguarded in this
time of commotion, and unsettled state of public affairs,
as to take a test of allegiance and abjuration, and altho'
he hath been laboured with to convince him of the incon
fifteocy thereof, with ovr peaceable profeffion, so as to
contemn hisfo doing, but it has not had the desired effe ct,
he endeavouring flill to juftify bis conduH, Therefore
we do give forth this our teflimony againff him as a mem
ber in Society with us, until he comes to a sense of bis er
ror, and make fatisfadion to the meeting, which be may ,
is our desire for him. Signed by order, and on behalf of
onr said meeting, by
(Atrue copy) ROBERT KIRBRIDE, Clk.
*q # The CONSTITUTION AL SOCIETY will meet
this evening at 6 o'clock, at Mr. Kidd's school house in
Vidells Alley, near to the Golden Fleece, in Second street
a few doors below Chefnut street.
March Is, 17S0, EDWARD POLE, Sec'y.