The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-05-06 00:00:00, page 2

L 0 N DO N :
tin AUTHENTIC DETAIL of the probings of the
Cour* Marital, held at Partfaouib on ADMIRAL
KEPPEL.
Portfm uth, January 7, 1779, Five o'clock
in the afternoon.
AT nine o'clock in the morning, Admiral Pye, as
Admiral of the IV ire, and Prefi lent of the Court-
Martial, hoisted his fl ig on board the Brit muia.
At a quarter after nine o'clock, te Union Fl'g was
hoisted, in the larbo rd mizen fhrauds, as toe signal for
a Court-M irtril, and the Royal Standard was hoiked in
the ft irboird mizen shrouds, as a signal that the Court-
Martial was to be held on the Admiral.
At ten o'clock the Britannia fired a gun, and the Uni
on Jack wts hoisted it the fore top mtft head, as a figrial
for all t^e Admirals and Captains in harbour to come on
board. ,
At half past ten o'clock, the signal was obeyed; the
Admiral- and Cipmns going in their refpeaive barges
on to rd the Britannia.•
Tne amis of the thirteen tehior Admirals and Cap
tains, ex^lufive of those (ummoned as witnesses, were then
called over; and with them the Court was constituted.
Captain Walfingham, who is a witaefs, finding his name
not ailed, desired to be informed of the reason Rut an
opinion of the Attorney and Solicitor General, and Mr.
Cuft, the Counsel for the Admiralty, on a case laid before
them by order of the Admiralty being read, and it ap
pearing, that they thought witnesses d (qualified from be
ing judges, Captain Walfingham acquiesced.
Ttie Court was then formed, consisting of the following
Members :
PRESIDENT.
Admiral SIR THOMAS PYE.
Vice Admirals BUCKLE,
MONTAGUE.
Rear Admirals ARBUPHNOT,
RO /PAM.
Captains MILBANK,
DRAKE,\
PENNY,
RENNET,
BOTELER,
MOUTRAY,
PUNCAN,
CR ANSTON.
The Members of the Court Mtrti.il being sworn, the
C art was adjourned to the Governor's house. B mgaft
fe oo!ed taere, tne foliowin • c arge was exhibited agamic
A Imiral K opel and read in Court ; - r
A chared tu ? and N^ of Duty against the
Hon. A )MIRAL KEPPEL, on the „th and 28th
of July, 17,83 in divers inst mces, s under-mentioned.
F I R S T
<That on the morning of the 2 th of July, 1775, hav
< ing a fleet of thirty (hips of the line, under hß,£om
-4 mand, and being taeii in the pr fence of a French et,
' of the like number o' fllips of the line, the sud Admir 1
8 Keppel did not make the necessary preparations for
< fig t, did not put his fleet into a hue of battle, or into
a any order, proper either for receiving or attacking in
' enemy of fac'n force; but on <e contr cy, although his
< fleet was a ! rel lydifperfed and in dis >rjer, he. by inu
-4 ing the signal for several ships, of the Vice Admiral of
< the Blue's division to chace to Win lward, mere fed the
4 disorder of that part of his fleet, and tne ships were in
■consequence, more fcattere 1 than they had beea before;
< arid w'ulft in tneir Disorder he advanced to toe enemy,
4 and madet ^ signal tor battle.
' Thit the dbove conduct was the more urt countable,
< as t so enemy's fleet was not then in disorder, nor beaten,
' nor flying, but found in a regul ir line of battle, on that
< tick approached the British fk% ll their motions
4 iliicating alfoa design to ive battle, and they flood
< lowu nd att eked it w did in disorder. By this unof
' ficer like con^uft, a general engagem at was not brought
s 01 bm the ot er Fla ; Officers and C stains were left to
<m' ge without or ier or re ularity, from wneacegreac
4 coufufion ensued; fine of his lh'ps were prevented get
kti^ i^a^ion at all, others wee mat near enough to
<t^'eriemy, and f me from the confufion fired into others
<of the King's °iip s > an d did tnem coafiderible dama. e,
' and tne Vice-Admiral of the Blue was left alone, to en
' raze finely and unsupported. In these inn inces, the
<^HAin'ir l K b Ppel, negligently performed the d^y
'irfipofed on him h _
SE C ON D.
6 Tk~t after tne van and center divifons of the British
4 fleet 0 I'l the rear of tne eneny, tne A Imiril did n^t
< imm^utely tack and double up m the enerny with tnofe
4 tvo divifiohs, and continue toe battle nor did he collet
4 them together at that time, and keep f^ near the enemy
<as tonet readings to renew the battle, as fo^ as it
4 might be proper; but on the contrary, he flood away
4 beyond the enemy to a great diftauce, before he wore
< to stand towards them agam^ leaving tae Vice AJ^ral
4 of tne Blue engaged with the enemy, and exposed to be
'cutoff. t n n
THIRD
* That after the Vice-Admiral of the Blue tad passed
<laft of the enemy's (hips, and immediately wore and
4 laid his own flip's head towards the enemy %rnn, being
< then in th^r wake, and at a lit ledtftanceon% and ex
-4 peeing the Admiral to advance with all the (hips to re
< new the fight, the Admiral did not advance lor that pur
-4 but flnrtened fail, hauled down tne signal for bffi
4 fie nor did he t tuat time, or any otjr time wuilft
4 ft ndin> towards the enemy, call the flips together in
ordert^ete v the attack, a^e might nave done, p?r
---4 ticulirly the vice Admiral of tne red and his divujn,
.had Reived tne lead dft, had beta the
. < fell oat of were ready and fit to ft it,
4 were then to windw rd, and could have bore down and
< fetched any part of tne French fleet, if the a nil for
4 battle had not been hauled down ; or i_the Lid Alm^
< ral Keppel uad availed himfelf of the signal appoi^ed
4 by taefirft article of the fighting inftruUion^ by which
4 he m ht nave ordered those to lead with tneir starboard
4 racked board by a wind; which signal was applicable
4 to tne occafi m tor renewing the engagement with ad
< vantage alter the French fleet had been beaten, their
0 iine ixekou, and in disorder. Eithefe mhances, he did
6 not do the utmost in his power to take, fink, burn, or
4 destroy the French fleet, that had attacked the British
' fleet.
F OU RT H.
' That, instead of adv mcing to renew t-e engagement,
* as in the preceding article is aliened, and as he might arid
' ought to have done, tne Admiral wore and made fail di
' reAly from tne enemy, and thus he ted the whole Britidi
' fleet away from them which gave them the opportunity
' to rally uiimolefte.l, and to form again into a line of
4 ba tie and to stand after tne British, fieet. This w.s
4 disgraceful to the British fla;, for it had the appearance
' of a flight, and gave t e French Admir il a pretence 0
4 claim tme victory, and to publish tb the world, that the
4 British fleet ran away and that he pursued it with the
6 fleet ot France, and off red it battle.
FI F T H.'
' That on tae morning of the 28th of July, 17,8,
' when it was perceived that only three of the French fleet
4 remained near the Brituh, in the fituatibn the wuole had
4 been in the night before, add t at thg rest wore to lee^
4 ward at a greater lift mce, npt in a line of battle but in
4 a heap, the A imiral did not cause tne fleet to pursue the
4 flying enemy, nor even to chace the three (hips whiah
4 fled after the rest, but on t^e contrary he led the British
4 fleet another way, directly from the enemy
4 By these in&nces of mifcondud and ne left, a glori
-4 ous opportunity was loft of doing a most ffential fervie
4 to the date, and the honour of the Britifli navy was tar
-6 nfhed'
After this, Admiral K ppel requeued, 6 that the log
4 books of the several mailers might be ordered to be de
-4 livered into Court, and lie on the table for the infpedi
-4 on of tue Members' At firft Sir Hugh Pallifer object
ed to th^s, on the groimi of ts not being possible to au
thenticate them until the masters were sworn, but finding
an in^ hnatin prevail to have there produced immediately,
least they fhouid fuder any alteration, Sir Hugh waved
the objection.
The Court was then adjourned until next morning, Fri.
day, ten o'clock.
(iQ be c ntinued, as fron as the remainder comet to band )
MEMORIAL presented left week 10 bit Majefly b, the
Duke o, Biton.
WE the fubfer'bihg Admirals of your Majesty's roy
al navy, having hitherto, on all occasions served
your Mj sty with zeal and fidelity, and being defirpus
0 denoting every action of our lives, arid our lives them
feives, to your Majesty's service and the defence of our
country, tuink nurfcl.es indifpeafably bound by our duty
to that service a;ri tha country, with all poffiblehumility,
to represent to tour wifaom ad justice.
Tut Sir Hugo Pali (er,Vi e-Admiral of the Blue, late
ly ferviug under the comm md ofthe Hon Augufius Kep
pr, did pre er certain articles of accufition, containing fe-'
vr a Matters of heinous offence against his fiid command?
er in chief, to t,e Lords Commissioners for executing the
office'of Lord Hi?u A im-ril of Great Britain, he the said
Sir Hi,: Puffer being himfelf a Commissioner m the said
comtrnffim. This a cufifion he the said Sir Hugh Palli
fer withheld from t e twenty seventh of July last, the time
of the fuppoUd .fen l es c unfitted, until the ninth day of
ths pr sent De ember, and then brought forward for the
purpose of recrimination against charges conjedured by
him tee said Sir Hu h Pallifer, but which in fad was ne
ver mad.
That the Commiffinners of the Admiralty, near five
mon hs after hie pretended offences aforefaid, did receive
from tueir f id colleague in office the charge made by him
ag inflhis faiJ Comman ter, and without taking into con,-
f iierataon tne rel jive filiation of the accuser and the par
ty at used, or attending as the avowed motives of the ac
cusation, or tne len tiio time of withholding, or the oc
casion of maKin tne fame, and without any other deli
beration 'whatsoever, did, on the very fame day on which
the charge was preferred, and without previous notice to
the party accused of an intention of making a charge
a^dnft im, give notice of their intending that a Court
Mirtial should be held on tire farl A !miril Keppel, ifter
forty ye ms of meritorious service; and a variety of acti
ons in which he ha 1 exerted eminent,courage and conduß,
by which the honour and. power of this nation and the
glory of toe British flag, had been maintained and in
creaffrl in various parts of the world.
We beg leave to express to your Majesty cur concern at
this proceeding, and to represent eur appreheufion of the
d'iffi uties and discouragements which will inevitably arise
to your service therefrom ; and that it will not be easy for
men, attentive to their honour to serve your Majesty,
particularly in fixations of prim i,al command, if the pr c
tice now fitted to your M tjefty be ounten meed, or the
principles upon which the fame has been supported, shall
prevail with any Lord High Admiral, or with any Com
miflioner for executing that office.
We are humbly of opinion, that a criminal Charge against
an officer (rising in importance according to the rank and
command of that officer) which suspends his service to
yeur M jelly perhaps in the inofl critical exigencies of
tne public affairs, whi h calls his reputation into doubt
and difchffion, which puts him on trial for his life, pro
feffion and reputation, and which, in its consequences,
may cause a fatal ceff tion in the naval exertions of the
kingdom, to be a matter of the most serious nature, and
nearer to be made by authority but on solid ground, and
on mature deliberation. The honour of an officer is his
most precious possession and best qualification ; the public,
have mfereft in it and whilst those under whom we serve,
counten mce accusation, it is often impossible perfectly to
restore military fame by the mere acquittal of a Court
Martial. Imputations made by high authority remain
long, nd affect deeply. The sphere of action of Com
manders in Chief is large, and tneir business intricate, and
subject to great variety of opinion, and before they are to
be put on the judgment of others for ads done upon tneir
diferetion, the greatest diferetion ou ^ht to be employed.
Whether the Board of Admiralty hath by law .any such
diferetibn, we, who are not of the profeffion of the law,
cannot positively assert; but if we had conceived that this
Board had no legal use of their reason in a point of such de
delicacy and importance, we should have known on what
terms we served. But we never did imagine it poffi de,
that we were to receive orders from, and be accountable to
those who, by law, were reduced to become passive inflru
ments to the possible malice, ignorance or treason of any
individual who might think fit to disarm his Majefifs
havy of its best and high' fl officers. We conceive it dif
refpeaiul to the laws of our Country to suppose them ca
pable of such manifeftinjuflice and absurdity.
We therefore humbly .represent, in behalf of pu lie or.
der, as well as of the discipline of the navy, to your Mam
fly, toe dangers of long concealed, and afterwards precis
pit.t'ly adopted char es, and of all recriminatory accufi
tions of fubordin te officers against their Commanders in
Chief and particularly the mifehief and scandal of per
mitting men, who are at once in high civil office, an" fw
bordifcte military command, previous to their making
such accusations, to attempt to corrupt the public judg
ment, by the publication of libels on their offi.ers in a
common newspaper, thereby exciting mutiny in your Ma
jefly's navy, as well a§ prejudi ing the mindsof those who
are to try the merits of the accusation against the said su
perior officer.
Hawke, John Moore, Bolton, Samuel Graves, Hugh
Pigot, Robert Harland; Bristol, James Young, Mat
thew Barton, Francis Garey, Sbuldham, Clark Gay
ton
Tottis memorial the King is Aid to have given the
following anfwec.—" That he fhcrtild always receive the
repr~fent.itions of his Admirals with pleasure and t'his, as
it deserve 1, (0 it certainly should receive his most feripus
attention.",
Feb 6. David G rrick, Elq; the pride and ornament
of the British fit, died the id infiant. Tiie Dutch are
equipping th men of war The fauadron that failed from
Brest for Africa, with 4.000 troops, has been driven by a
violent storm on the co ? ft of Portugal, and the Commo
& re's ship, the Pendant, of 74. guns, is totally loft. Thir
ty flups 0 the line will Ail from Portsmouth to cruize in
the bay by the latter end of this month. Nineteen French
Blips and five frigates are said to ' be out, in consequence of
which all the ihips at Spithead are ordered for sea.
4ti„sfr¥4h, $# 0 sys 4*+ ^**
Philadelphia, May 14.
To be SOLD by Public Vendue,
On Saturday the eolith instant, at len o'cock in the
forenoon, at the house of Divio D uninick, deceased,
in Second ftuet, near Rac%ftfeet,
OUNDRY Hou food #nd Kitchen Furniture, Prints
„er Col.ur„\&. \jz. a high ch^it of drawees, a
bo k-cast, a fix slate ftuve, fix w lnuf leather- bottom
chains, some. p flutes, two beefteads and three lacking
bottoms, a I rg' bible, ana a nm^r of other banks ;
a paint mill, a parcel of yellow ochre, sundry painters
Co on s, puts, &c. some window Oats, and a number
of bottles, with a variety of other articles too tedious to
mention,
.w_u CT—~tpctfyfezrcQ ..Ct*-t- CT —~c^^t,^..otat. —
Philadelphia, May
To be SOL D by Public Vendue,
On Weinefda the twelfth day of this infOn, at Fve
o'clock in tre a ttrnuon, ^t th. t.cufe of Piter Hay,
tavern-keeper, in Taitd-ftreet nexr Safariafs-ftreety
in die citv of P u^delflia,
AT W 0 itory brick m ffir:ge or tenement, brick
kitchen, ft file arid fhughter house, and lot of
ground t^reunto hdongin,, fouatc hp the east fide of
tne third ft" t from the ri^r D lawAie, in the quare
between SafTatrats-ftnet and Vne ftvt, in the Lie city;
the lot contains in bre dth on Third ftret taforefaid
thirty feet, and in length or depth one hundred and
ninety five feet, b unded icuthward Ay ground of Tho
mas Mfyer, weft vard by Third street as refaid, north
w rd y ground of Edward Shipper, Jug. Eq; and
eaftw,d with the back ends of the See nd street Li„
fu j ata tne yearly ground rent of 7). ids. lawful rao
n<y o Pennsylvania, and also fialj & to a mortgage
made of the premises for securing the payment of 500!.
with interest on ady yet to come; Lite the estate of
Magdalen Diub-n ftle, deceased A tendance will be
given at the time of fa e, and the conditions made
known by WILLIAM DEWEE S,
Affing Executor.
IN pursuance of an order of Orphans Court,
will t)e fold „ public vindus, at the Coffee-houfe
i, ithe city of Philadelphia, on W dnefday the twelfth,
day of Mio next, at Twelve o'clock at neon, a Hnufe
and Lot or Piece of G ound, lituate on the weft fide of
the main street in Germantown, containg in breadth on
said ft Ait fifty feet, and in length or depth two hundred
and frventeen feet, opposite to the White Horse Taverns
There i dn laid lot an rlegant n*w stone house two To
ries high, with two rooms on a fl or, genteel finifheJ,
and a good cellar under the whole hcufe; also a good
ftabJe and other out-houfet, and feme fruit trees; the
whole lot is inclofed with a good board f nee; free
from any ground-rent. Late th- estate of Daniel
Meredith, deceased.
The UNITED STATES
MA G A Z I N E,
For A PR I L,
Is just published and to be fold by FRANCIS
BAILEY, in Market-street ;
Containing, amongtt a variet <f rearer,
HISTORY of the present W. r: A British pub
lication.—Eftahlifhmeßt of the United States: An
American Account —Publication of General Lee, with
his fecund letter to Miss Franks.—Reply to General
Lec's publication, &c. &c &c.
Eenfalem, May
THIRTY DOLLARS REWARD.
CTRAYED or STOLEN from the plantation of
' J.deph Penrofe, on Wednelday the twenty-eighth of
April, a fcrrel MAR E, neither branded nor ear
marked, several fiddle spots on her back, food behind,
a natural trotter, about fourteen hands high and four
years old. Whoever can give intelligence of the said
mare, jo that (he may be had and the thief be brought
to justice, shall receive the above reward, or FIFTEEN
DOLLARS for the mare only.
ISAAC JOHNSON.