The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-09-25 00:00:00, page 2

STATE of PENNSYLVANIA.
In General Assembly, Saturday, 22d Sept. 1781.
Ordered, That the bill for making provision for the
defence of the fiate, &c. be printed for public conside
ration. SAMUEL STERETT, Clerk.
An all to make more effectual provision for the defence
of this Rate, in case the motions of the enemy should
indicate an invasion thereof.
WHEREAS the intelligence received, of the pre
parations made by the enemy at New-York, in
dicate an invasion of the state, against which
it is our duty to make every provision of defence, which
the circumstances of this commonwealth admit; and
that the executive authority of the fiate be furnifhed
with fufficient powers to draw forth the resources there
of, with the utmost vigour and dispatch:
Be it therefore enabled, and it is hereby enabled, by
the representatives of the freemen of the commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, and by the
authority of the fame, That the president (or vice pre
sident) in council, be and is hereby authorized to call
forth such and so many waggons, as shall appear to
them necessary for the transportation of the necessary
baggage and flores of such troops, either continental
or militia, as may be called forth into aftual service on
this emergency, or for the transportation of the re
cords, books and papers, or other public property,
either of the united Rates or of this Rate.
And be it further enacted, That the late waggon
mafters, of the several counties in this Rate, and their
deputies (or such other persons as shall be appointed
by the supreme executive council) and the constables
be impowered and are hereby required to do the seve
ral duties in the premises, which were enjoined by the
former waggon law of this Rate, and that the owners
of all such waggons, be entitled to receive the sum of
twenty five (hillings specie per diem for a waggon and
four horses, and the sum of fifteen Killings specie per
diem for a waggon and two horses, they the said own
ers finding the driver, and necessary forage for their re
fpe&ive teams.
And be it further enabled, That, in case a fufficient
number of waggons cannot be procured in the manner
above-mentioned, the president (or vice-president) in
council, be and hereby is authorized and impowered,
to direct his warrant, under his hand and teal, to such
persons in any city or county in this Rate, as shall be
deemed proper, authorizing such persons to seize and
impress any waggons, horses, boats, Roops or fhallops,
for the transportation of the feverai articles above-men
tioned, and in the mean time to detain all waggons,
horses, boats, or other vessels, which any persons may
endeavour to remove.
And be it further enafted by the authority aforefaid,
That the president (or vice-president) in council, be and
hereby is, in like manner, authorized and impowered
to seize and impress arms, ammunition and military
flores, and provisions, and forage of all kinds whatfo
ever, belonging to any private persons or companies,
and apply them, if need be, to the public use ; such
seizure to be duly certified, and the value thereof
ascertained, as nearly as possible, in specie.
And be it further enabled, That the president (or
Vice -president) in council be, in like manner, authori
zed and impowered to billet and quarter such troops,
as may be called together for the special defence of the
state in this emergency, upon any public houses, or, in
case of their infufficiency, upon private houses, having
due refped to the number and convenience of families.
And whereas the usual mode of calling out the mili
tia by classes, may be attended with fatal delay to the
intereßs and property of the good people of this Rate:
Be it therefore further enafled by the authority
aforefaid, That the president (or vice- president) in
council, be and is hereby authorized and impowered
(if the designs of the enemy shall, in their judgment,
make it necessary) to call forth the whole of the militia,
without any refped to classes, and in that case every
person now serving on a tour of militia duty shall re
pair to and join his own proper battalion, orders being
firft received therefor, and be allowed for the service
already done.
And be it further enabled, That if any person or per
sons so called forth by the president (or vice president)
in council, in manner aforefaid, shall refufe or negled
to perform a tour of militia duty, the person or persons
so neglecting or refufing, shall be fubjed to the fame
fines and penalties, as in other cases when called forth
in classes by virtue of the law for regulating the militia
of this Rate, any thing in the said law to the contrary
thereof notwithstanding.
And he it further enabled, That the president (or
vice-president) in council, be authorized to draw upon
the treasury for such money as may be necessary, in the
present emergency, for preparing and procuring arms,
ammunition, and for other contingent expences attend
ing the present service.
And be it further enafted by the authority aforefaid,
That in case it shall become necessary to remove the
prisoners of war to distant parts of the Rate, the late
commissaries of purchase, or such other persons as the
supreme executive council shall appoint, be directed to
procure subsistence for them in the most expeditious
and frugal manner, keeping regular accounts thereof
to be laid before a future assembly, and that the faith
of the state be pledged for payment thereof.
And be it further enacted, That the president (or
vice president) in council, be authorized and impower
ed, when occasion shall require, to impress by warrant
under hand and seal, such and so many horses and wag
gons, as he may judge necessary for the removal of the
families and property of those inhabitants of the city
of Philadelphia, and the northern liberties, and the dif
trids of Southwark, who may be in actual service
against the enemy, and of such other citizens and per
sons who in his opinion may be entitled to and requre
the fame ; the hire of all such horses and waggons to be
paid by the persons making use thereof: Provided ne
vertheless. That if any horses or waggons shall be im
pressed by virtue hereof, and no use made thereof by
the citizens and persons for whom they may be impress
ed, the expence thereof Riall be paid by the state trea
surer, upon the order of the president (or vice president)
in council. ' '
And be it further enacted, That this aA shall be
and remain in force until days after the meet
ing of the next general assembly of this commonwealth,
and no longer.
From the Royal Gazette, N. York, Sep 19.
An account of B. Gen. Arnold's expedition to New-
London.
SIR, Sept. 16, 1781.'
You are desired to publish the enclosed letter from
brigadier general Arnold to his excellency the com
mander in chief. I am, Sir, your most obedient ser
vant, O. DELANCEY, Adjutant General.
T o Mr. James Rivington.
SIR, Sound, off Plumb Island, Bth Sept. 1781.
I HAVE the honour to inform your excellency, that
the tranfporis with the detachment of troops under
my orders, anchored on the Long-Bland shore on the
sth inflant, at 2 o'clock, F. M about 10 leagues from
New London; and having made some necessary ar
rangements, weighed anchor at 7 o'clock, P. M and
flood for New-London, with a fair wind. At 1 o'clock
the next morning, we arrived off the harbour, when
the wind suddenly fhifted to the northward, and it was
9 o'clock before the transports could beat in. At 10
0 clock the troops in two divisions, and in four debark
ations were landed : one on each fide the harbour about
3 miles from New-London ; that on the Groton fide,
confining of the 40th and 54th regiments, and the 3d
battalion of New-Jersey volunteers, with a detach
ment of Yagers and artillery were under the command
of lieutenant-colonel Eyre, The division on the New-
London fide confined of the 38th regiment, the Loyal
Americans, the American Legion, Refugees, and a
detachment of 60 Yagers, who were immediately on
their landing put in motion, and at 11 o'clock, being
within half a mile of fort Trumbull, which commands
New London harbour, I detached captain Millet, with
four companies of the 38th regiment to attack the fort,
who was joined on his march by captain Frink, with
one company of the American legion. At the fame
time I advanced with the remainder of the division,
weft of fort I rumbull, on the road to town, to attack a
redoubt which had kept up a brisk fire upon us for
some time ; but which the enemy evacuated on our ap
proach. In this work we found fix pieces of cannot)
mounted, and two dismounted; loon after I had the
pleasure to fee captain Millet march into fort Trumbull
under a ftower of grape (hot from a number of cannon,
which, the enemy had turned upon him ; and I have
the pleasure to inform your excellency, that by the
sudden attack and determined bravery of the troops,
the fort was carried with the loss of only four or five
men killed and wounded. Captain Millet had orders to
leave one company in fort Trumbull, to detach one to
the redoubt we had taken, and to join me with the
other two companies. No time on my part was loft
' n f?'°' n ^the town of New London. We were oppo
sed by & small body of the enemy with one field piece,
who were so hard pressed that they were obliged to leave
the piece, which being iron was spiked and left.
" s '°° n as 'he enemy were alarmed in the morning,
we could perceive they were busily employed in bend-
L S ' a °" endeavouring to get their privateers,
and other (hips up Norwich river, out of our reach,
but the wind being small, and the tide against them,
they were obliged to anchor again.—From informa
tion 1 received before and after my landing, I had
reason to believe that Fort Griswold, on Grotton fide,
was very incomplete ; and I was assured (by friends to
government) after my landing, that there were only
twenty or thirty men in the fort ; the inhabitants in
general being on board their ships, and busy in saving
their property. On taking possession of fort Trum
' found the ene my's ships would escape unless
we could possess ourselves of fort Griswold; I there
fore dispatched an officer to lieutenant colonel Eyre,
with the intelligence I had received, and requefled
him to make an attack upon the fort as soon as pof
-7f ' a '' me ' expe&ed the howitzer was up
and would have been made us e of.-On my gaining a
^° u " d 111 th e rear of New London, from
which I had a good profped of fort Griswold, I found
n ? ore .formidable than I expeded, or than I
had formed an idea of from the information I had be
fore received; I observed at the fame time, that the
men who had escaped from fort Trumbull, had crossed
in boats and thrown themselves into fort Griswold, and
a favourable wind springing up about this time, the ene
werf escaping up the river, notwithstanding
tf '°™ '° rt Trumbull, and a fix pounder which
I had with me. I immediately dispatched a boat with
an officer toheutenant colonel Eyre, to countermand
my firft order to attack the fort, but the officer a r -
Minutes too late Lieutenant colonel
Eyre had sent captain Beckwith with a flag to demand
a , rre , d , of the fort, which was peremptorily refuf
ed, and the attack had commenced. After a most ob-
Rinate defence of near forty minutes, the fort was
C CT r 'i' d ^?™° r brave ry and perseverance of the
a ' tack was judicious and spirited, and
refleds the highest honour on the officers and troops
wh ° feeraed to vie with each other in being
firft in danger. The troops approached on three tides
of the work, which was a square, with flanks, made
a lodgment in the ditch, and under a heavy fire which
they kept up on the works, effected a second lodgment
upon the fraizing, which was attended with great dd
ficu ty, as only a few pickets could be forced out or
broke in a place, and was so high that the foktiers could
not ascend without assisting each other. Here the
coolness and bravery cf the troops were very confpicu
ous as the firft who ascended the fraize were obliged to
u %-p,md e r, which infiladed the place on
which they Rood, until a fufficient body had collected
to enter the works, which was done with fix'd bavo.
S ' -""''^b the embrazures, where they were oppos
ed with great obstinacy by the garrison with long fp% s
On this occasion I h^ve to regret the loss of major
Montgomery who „ as killed by a spear in entering I he
enemy s works ; also of ensign Whitlock, of the XLth
'l'^°'} ^°, WaS kiiled in the attack - Three other
officers of the fame regiment were wounded - lieue
nant colonel Eyre, and three other officers of the LlVth
regiment were also wounded, but Ihave the fatisfaai
on to inform your excellency that they are all in a
fair way to recover.
Lieutenant-colonel Eyre who behaved with great gal
lantry, having received his wound near the works, and
major Montgomery being killed immediately after,
the command devolved on major Bromfield, whose be
haviour on this occasion does him great honour.
Lieutenant colonel Bufkirk, with the New Jersey
volunteers, and artillery, being the second debarkation,
came up soon after the work was carried, having been
retarded by the roughness of the country ; lam much
obliged to this gentleman for his exertions, although
the artillery did not arrive in time.
I have enelo fed a return of the killed and wounded
by which your excellency will observe that our lofs'
though very considerable, is very Short of theenemy's;
who 101 l most of their officers, among whom was their
commander colonel Ledyard. Eighty five men were
found dead in Fort Griswold, and Sixty wounded, most
of them mortally ; their loss on the opposite fide must
have been considerable, but cannot be afeertained. I
believe we have about 70 prisoners, besides the wound
ed, who were left paroled.
Ten or twelve of the enemy's ships were burned,
among them three or four armed vessels, and one load
ed with naval flores, an immense quantity of European
and Weft India goods, were found in the flores, among
the former the cargo of the Hannah, captain Watson,
from London, lately captured by the enemy. The
whole of which was burnt with the flores, which prov
ed to contain a large quantity of powder, unknown to
us ; the explosion of the powder, and change of wind
soon after the flores were fired, communicated the flames
to part of the town, which was not withftand:ng every
effort to prevent it, unfortunately destroyed.
Upwards of fifty pieces of iron cannon were deflroy~
ed in the different works (exclusive of the guns of the
fllips) a particular return of which I cannot do myfelf
the honour to transmit to your excellency at this time.
A very considerable magazine of powder, and bar
racks to contain three hundred men, were found ia
Fort Griswold, which captain Lemoine of the royal
artillery had my positive directions to destroy & an at
tempt was made by him, but unfortunately failed, he
had my orders to make a second attempt, the reasons
why it was not done, captain Lemoine will have the
honour to explain to your excellency.
I Should be wanting in jufiice to the gentlemen of the
navy, did I emit to acknowledge that upon this expe
di ion I have received every possible aid from them,
captain Beasley has made every exertion to assist our
operations, and not only gave up his cabbin to the Sick
and wounded officers, but furnifhed them with every
assistance and refreshment that his Ship afforded.'
Lord Dalrymple will have the honour to deliver my
dispatches ; I beg leave to refer your excellency to his
jordihip for the particulars of our operations on the
New London fide. I feel myfelf under great obligati
ons to him for his exertions upon theoccafion.
Captain Beckwith, who was extremely serviceable to
me, returns with his lordship. His spirited conduct in
the attack of fort Griswold does him great honour;
being one of the firft officers who entered the works.l
beg leave to refer your excellency to him for the parti
culars of our operations on that fide, and to fay I have
the highest opinion of his abilities as an officer.
I am gre itlyindebted to captain Stapleton (who afted
as major of brigade) for his spirited conduit and assist
ance ; in particular on the attack upon fort Trumbull,
and his endeavours to prevent plundering (when the
public flores were burnt) and the deflru&ion of private
buildings.
The officers and troops in general behaved with the
greatest intrepidity and firmnefs.
I have the honour to be, with the greatest refped,
Your excellency's most obedient and most
humble servant, B ARNOLD.
Return of the killed and wounded.
I major. 1 ensign, 2 ferjeants, 44 rink and filekdled.
I lieutenant colonel, 3 captains, 2 lieutenants, 2 en
signs, 8 ferjeants, a drummers, 127 rank and file,
wounded
Of the wounded officers, one captain, one lieutenant,
and one ensign are since dead.
„ JOHN STAPLETON.
[Here follow returns of Fores, &c. destroyed, which
we omit for want of room.]
GENER AL ORDERS, head-quarters,
New-York, 17th September, 1781.
Brigadier general Arnold, having reported to the
commander in chief the success of the expedition under
his direction against New London, on the 6th instant,
his excellency has the pleasure of signifying to the ar
my the high sense he entertains of the very diftin
guiffied merit of the corps employed upon that ser
vice : But whilst he draws the greatest fatisfa&ion from
the ardor of the troops, which enabled them to carry by
assault a work of such strength as fort Griswold
is represented to be, he cannot but lament with
the deeped concern the heavy loss in officers and
men fullained by the ^o'h and 54th regiments, who
had the honour of that attack ; and as no words can
do proper jufiice to the difcipiine and spirit which they
shewed on that occasion, his excellency can only request
they will accept his thanks, with assurance that he will
not fail to represent their conduct to their sovereign, in
the most honourable terms.
Tne commander in chief begs leave to express his ob
hgitmns to brigadier general Arnold, for his very spi
rited conduct on the occasion ; and he assures that general
officer, that he is convinced he took every precaution
in his power to prevent the deftrußion of the town,
which is a misfortune that gives him much concern.
His excellency also fe^ls himfelf greatly indebted to
all the officers of the regular and provincial corps who
accompanied him on that service, but more particularly
so to lieutenant colonel Ey r e, maj r Bromfield, and
captain Millett, who commanded the attacks, and to
lord Dalrymple, captains Beckwith, and Stapleton, of
whose very able assistance and distinguished gallantry
the brigadier makes the most honourable mention.
The commander in chiefhas likewise the greatest plea
sure in taking this public occasion of lignifying to the
army,how much they are indebted to the great hu^ani