The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1777-12-31 00:00:00, page 3

N E W-Y 0 R K, December t.
The Cong efs have ratified Mr. Goes's Conveh
tim, and in corf quence/ thirty il of traHp^t.
h;,ve failed for the eastward, to receive on board the
troops under the command of General Burgoyne.
About one o'clock in the morning of the tgrh about
5000 men matched on a (ecret expedition.
The levies of loyal provincials go on very fucce's
fully at Phiadelphia; William Mien, Eiq; and —
Chambers, Esq. are Letrenent Colonels of the two
battalions, of which his Excellency Sir W. Howe,
K. B is Colonel, and Chiton, Eq; Colonel
of the battalion of faithful catholics.
The following two letters which pdTd between Ge
neral Parlons and General Tryon, ffiew the lire
of canduff the enemy m^n to purine. S. me in
ftrudion may bejearnt from the r cope, it exhibits
their determined invention to burn and lay waste
our habitations, and imprison owr per Kris. They
will drive us to retaliate with equal Severity, if
•they go on in this way.
SIR, AZ ironeck, Nov 21.
ADDING to the na'utai horrors of war, the
most wanton definition of property, is an at of cru
elty unknown to cvTzed nations, and umiccuftorned
in war, until the fervams of the King of Grea' Bri
tain have convinced the impartial wmid, no adts of
inhumanity, no stretch of defpotilm, are too great
to exerede towards those they term rebels.
Had any apparent advance been drved from
burning the houses cn Philip's Manor, last M nday,
there wou'd have been feme rearm !o juifity the mea
sure; but when no benefit uh tever can be propped
by burning thole buildings, and dropping rhe an men
and children of rec^ffary apparel, to c.,ver then. from
the feverjty rs a cold night ; a^d captivating and lead
ing in triumph to your lines, in he most ignomnious
manner, the heads of those families, t know not
what juftifiabie can e to affi'gn fir those afls of cruel
ty; nor can 1 conceive a necessity for your farther
order to destroy Ta r ry 1 own.
You cannot be insensible, it is every day in my
power to destroy the hcubs and but dings of Colonel
Philips, and those belonging to the family of DJan
cy, each as near your lines, as those buddings were
to my guards; and. notwith/UMing yom umroft vi
gilance, you cannot prevent the definition of every
house on this fide King's Bridge. It is not 'ear, it
is not want of opportunity, has piefeived those bidd
ings ; but a sense of the injuhice and lavageneis of
such a line ofcondut, has hitherto saved them; and
nothing but nee fry will induce me to copy the ex
amples of this fort, frequent y fee by you; troops.
It is not my inclination, Sir, to war E this man
ner, against the inhabitants within yiur lines, who
fuppole themselves within your King's protection.
But necessity will oblige me to regalia e in kind upon
your friends, to procure the exercise of bar justice
which humanity used to dictate, unlels your explicit
disavowal of the conduct of your two Captains. Em
merick and Barns, shall convince me th fe houses
were burped vi bout your knowledge and against
your order. I am, Sir,
Your humble fervent,
(Copy) SAMUEL H. PARSONS.
Cen. Trycn.
King's Bridge, Camp, NTO. 23. 1777.
SI R,
COULD T poffidy conceive myKlf accounrab'e
to anv revt Led rid j At < f the Ki, v of Grear Bruin,
I might answer ,ur letter, received by tie fig
of truce yefte day, 'effecting the curduA of the par
ty under Capt. Emmerick's command, upon the
taking of Peter and Cornelius Van TaffJl; I have,
however, candor enough to assure you,- as much as
I abhor every principle of inhumanity or ungene us
condut, I should, were I in more aurhoriy, burn
every Committee Man's hcu e within rey reach, as
I deem those agents the wicked inftrumerrs of the
continued calamities of this country: And in order,
the sooner to purge this colony of them, I am wil
ling to give Twenty Silver Dollars, for every anting
Committee Man, who shall be delivered up to the
King's troops : I gue!s before the end of the next
campaign, they will be torn to pieces by then own
countrymen, whom they have forcibly dragged, in
opposition to their principles and duty, (after fining
them to the extent of their property) to take up
arms against their lawful Sovereign, and compelled
them to exchange their happy constitution lor paper,
rags, anarchy and distress.
The ruins from the conflagration of New York,
by the emissaries of your party, last year, remain a
memorial of their tender regard for their fellow be
ings, exposed to the “ Severity of a cold night."
This is the firft correspondence I have held with
the King's enemies, on my own part 1 America,
and as I am immediately under the command of Sir
fleary Clinton, your future letters dictated with de
FISHKI L L, December ;8.
To the Printer of the Pennsylvania Packet.
S I R,
The folding f wPl enable the public to judge properly
of the conduß of Gen. Home, towards thoje who by
, the fortune of war become his prisoners : Tour insert
ing it wid oblige one who was an officer on board the
Delaware frigate when foe unfortunately fell into
the enemy's bands.
ON the 27th of September last, by unavoidable
accident, the Delaware frigate was captured
by Gen. Lord Cornwallis, at Philadelphia. The
treatment received from the officers and soldiers at
their firft coming on board I (ball wave, and only
inform the public that several of the fame soldiers
since, while on guard over us, declared that the Ge
neral ordered them to plunder whatever might be of
use to them; which order was exactly obeyed.
On Christmas Day a brigade of Mihtia marched
down within musket sh ,t of the enemy's lines near
Philadelphia, and taking post between 1 hird and
Fourth streets continued, alarmed them by lending
eight twelve pound balls among them. The enemy
beat to aims and fired their artillery, but happily
did no damage, although the (hot raked both in the
right and left of oar people. The Miliria brought
off one prisoner and several horses.
By a letter from Naotz, of the ioih of October,
we lea r n, that the brig Lexington, of 16 guns,
commanded by Captain Johofton, was taken after a
very severe engagement, in which the (. aptain and
all the other officers were kited, except one, who
loft I is leg.
By General Howe's proclamation cf the Toth of
December, we find that he has appointed Joseph
CaT way to be Superintendant General ; his autho
rity to extend through the county lying between
the rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, as far as the
chain of redoubts, which begin at or rear Kensing
ton, and reach across the eurfkirts of the city to the
Upper Ferry.
Yesterday a report prevailed here, that a party of
our army had fell in with a Qrong detachment of the
enemy near Wilmington, having with them abtut
two hundred waggons, when after a smart fkom|E
our peoile drove the enemy from the ground and
took possession of ad the waggons. We hope to give
the public a confirmation of this affair in our next.
cency. would be more properly directed to his Ex
cellency. I am, Sir,
Your meft obedient servant,
(Copy) WILLIAM TRYON, Maj. Gen.
To Gen. Parsons.
This came out on Sunday the 23d inst. and by
f me means or other General Delancey's house, at
Bicomindall, on York-Bland, tock fire, the 25th at
nigho
On the 27th u't. General Putnam with the troops
und^r his command, marched down towards King's
Bridge, with a view to draw cut the enemy to bat
tie; apd for this purpose, he detached Col. Meigs
over the Brunx, near the fort, with orders to retreat
in such a manner, as w uld most probably draw the
enemy ou: to the main body, posted advaniageoufly
about one mile distant. This was attempted by Col.
Meigs, but the enemy cautiously avoided the danger,
only feeding a small party of rangers, who ced'd not
be drawn over the river; a fkirmilh ensued between
this party of the enemy and Col. Meigs, in which
they loft three men killed, about the fame number
wounded, and one or two made prisoners; MOgs
had two men slightly wounded. The following nigot
several (mail parries were lent down to alarm the
enemy's camp, which they did. and turned them nt
in the severe ft.um and left them, bringing off Col.
James Delancey, Mr. Ogilvie, a Lieutenant io Ro
binfords regiment, and four other prisoners. The
polls, at the Bridge, are strongly so tified, but with
a rid ab e Tree and preparations, may soon be re
duced.
BUR I. ING I ON December 24.
We hear that on Friday last Lord Cornwallis, Ge
neral Chevland, Sir George Ofb >rne, and the Rev
Jacob Doche\ failed fr< m Philadelphia for England
Che LeJflamre ofNew Jersey, at theirla'firing
at Princeton, appointed the Honourable John Wi
therfpoon, Abraham Clark. Jonathan Elmer. Na
thaniel Scudder and Elias B<udinot, Efqrs delegates
to represent this Stare in (Orgrefs.
A Correspondent informs us, that Conqrefshavn re
commended a convention of Commiffiorers of all be
States to form a plan of general rep Tarion receding
the limiting the prices of sundry articles of produce
manufacture and trade—that rhoe from the DHa
ware State, irc'vfive, northward, are to meet the 1 sth
day of January next at New Haven—and that Com
miflioners are appointed for that purpose for this
State, viz. the Hon. John Cleves Symmes, Esq;
Moore Furman, Esq; and Col. John Neifon.
L A NCA SrE R, December qi.
c^^^^^^^^^rt^^tt^^
La^cafer, Dec 19T, 1777.
IN obedience to a Refol/e of Assembly, The
Committee 0 Public Accounts hereby give notice
to all persons accountable tor Pwb ic Monies in their
hands, Tht they have appointed Mnday the 12th of
January next, to m< et at the Court-House in Lancas
ter ; where they will continue to fit from day to day,
ill the^nd of the month, in order to fettle the public
accounts. And ail former or present County Treasur
ers, Collectors of Excise, County Lieutenants, and 0-
thers concerned, whose Accounts have net either been
finally fettled by former Committees, or adjusted by
the late Committee of Assembly to September last, are
hereby required to attend at the time and place above
mentioned, to exhibit their refpr&ive Accounts, and
pay the Balances. Those who do not comply with
this Notice, will certainly be treated as Public Default
ers, with the utmost rigour of the Law.
JAMES READ.
JOSEPH GARDNER.
JAMES ANDERSON.
LUDWICK LAWMAN.
PHILIP MARSTELL ER.
All the officers, arid as many others as made 20
in number wete for three days locked next to the
dungeon, vithout vrtfua s, &o. and were obigediu
eaie nature in the fa^e place. We were kept nie
da)s in the Provott. during which time we received
about 41b. of flop biead, one ha sos which was of
such a quality as not to be fit for use; and as to meat,
one pound arid a half was the extent.
The tenth day we we # e removed to the S ate
houfe, as were the officers of out army: The fi>ft
week cur case in regard to provisions w^s the fame
as io the Fuv„ft, being Served only or.ce tfrh a small
loa' of bread, and once with beef, not exceeding
two pounds.
From the ffiip we were taken to the Provost. (the
New Jail) where we werec mplimected vi h hav
ing our cockades pulled bur and hove in our faces,
with—“ Damn you, ye rebel b—is, how dare yew
wear cockades "
In order to know whether General Howe would
remove any cf these severities, we remunerated and
prayed for relief, but relief was only to be found in
fortitude. One part of his answer, receding provi
fiong and wood, I (hall lay before the public, viz.
" Ifror enough, we might take the benefit of the
market." I would alk any man how we were to avail
ourfe'ves of a market, when his orders were such as
I have described above. And in order that the pub
lic may the better judge whether we had reason to
complain or no, I d > declare, that for the nine weeks
I was a prisoner the:e was never more served than
from 4 to 6 ounces per day, and if the time fhou'd
be reckoned that we were without any, it would re
duce that quantity to from 3 to 4 ounces per day,
and about halt a pound of (hip bread such as it was.
Well may the public b lieve the many reports refpeft
in, the cru I treatment of prisoners in New-York,
&c. when officers are used as above.
The case of the privates confined in the Prevoft in
Philadelphia is ready melancholy, and the mote so
as the charity of certain inhabitants is rendered less
useful than it would be by the cruelty of him that
has the care of said jail (Cunningham is his name)
who has deliberately overfet at the door, visuals sent
to the needy within, and laughing said, “ Damn
them, let them swallow their (pittie and be damn'd,"
However the serious mind may despise such a wretch,
most certain it is that for his good and faithful Ser
vices he has been preferred. W. G.
To be SOLD by PRIVATE SALE?
SEVERAL HOUSES in Que^n-ftreft, the cor
° ner of Oran e ttreet, in Lancaster. For further
particulars enquire of the owner on the premises.
As to the test of our treatment, it exceeded any
thing tha~ can be conceived : We weie excluded
from feeing our nearest friends; prevented from the
use of the Sta>e house yard, although we only re
queued a few hours in the middle of the day : One
perfn only was allowed the use of the neceffary
houfe, and he with a bayonet at his back, notwith
standing our number was about seventy: We were
forbid lifting up any of the windows, so that we were
prevented from receiving the benefit of what frefh
air might have been communicated that way: And a
certain Captain Hogfhaw not only refu'ed to punish
a negro for ftrikiog cne of cut officers, but in dited
words said that the negro was as good as any of us.
AT a Court of Enquiry, held at Whitemarfh, No
vember 18th, 1777, at the request of Col. Price,
and by order of his Excellency General Washington,
whereof Co 1 . Humpton was President, to examine
into the conduct of Col. Price, of the second Mary
land regiment, reported their opinion in the follow
ing manner, viz. “ The C urt, after considering
the evidence that appeared, are of opinion that the
reports circulated to Col. Prices prejudice are en
tirely without foundation."
MATTHIAS GRAEFF.
Claret in bhds. and barrels, and Allum, for sale.