The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-12-27 00:00:00, page 2

L O N D O N, September ,
,9ft 11 E-Swediih sixty-sour gun (hip, la ely loft on
J thecoart of Holland, was absolutely freighted with
timber for Breit ; and the empre sos Ruflii has decla
red no power on earth shall hinder her fubjeds from
the free exportation of the produce of the country.
" Free Ihips Free goods!" is now the language of the
northern pow rs; and huw jhah we (fays a correfpon
d^nt)prevcnt their doing what they fay they are deter
mined upon?
The Jamaica fleet, now daily expeHel home under
convoy of the Frincefs Royal, Albion, and Ruby men
of war, is eftimited worth two millions furling, nor
is the fleet rom the Leeward islands of lets value.
The d^ke de Crillor, who commands tne expedition
against Minorca, is a lineal defeendant from the brave
Crillon, who once had the boldness to give the lie to
his royal mafler, Heney IV. of France; but in such a
manner that the king could not be offended with him.
His m jelly wa,(peaking to some ladies one-day, when
Cril on entered the p efence chamber, the king on fee
ing him, immediately said, " ladi s, t ere is die bra
belt man in France." Crillon instantly replied, " you
lie, Sire, the king i; the braved." -——,
Henry smiled at the compliment, notwithfianding the
rough manner in which it was paid by the blunt vete
ran, who was (like admiral Parker) a better fighter
than courtier.
Sept. 13 By a letter from an officer at New York by
the last mail, we are informed that the rebel army,
with the French, were then encamped within figut of
the British lines, and that they expected daily to be at
tacked ; their force was reported to confi tt of near
12,000 men, with 70 pieces of brass cannon, and 30
howitzers ; that monf. de Graffe was daily expended up
on the coast from theAVeft Indies, when some impor
tant blows would certainly be flruck, which might pro
bably bring thia long, ill-looking, and ill conducted bu
siness o a crisis. Admiral Rodney's fleet was expect
ed at New-York abou the middle of August.
From the above account, i fef-ms strange, that cur
commander in chief, who has spent so many campaigns
in marches anl counter marches in pursuit of an ene
my who he could never come up with, thould now fuf
fer himfelf, with so fine an army, to be cooped up in his
entrenchments, waiting an attack, when, by a well
conduced coep-de-main, he might most probably fl
nilh the rebellion. It surely appears difgraceful for a
British army to Hand upon the defenfive only, against
an enemy they have always leaten with inferior num
bers, and especially now, as their force is rather supe
rior, or at lead equal to their opponent.
September 25. Friday last, at 11 o'clock at night, we
received the tollowing advices from the Weft-Indies.
They inform, that the Constantine, captain Wright,
had arrived at Bristol, from Jamaica, which he left the
beginningofJuly ; that aiter firuggling three weeks with
the . difficulties peculiar to the seas, in those latitudes,
on the 21st of July, at the moment that the commodore
despaired of being able to get through the windward
passage, he met the Fox frigate, which informed him
that the count de Graffe was arrived at ca pe Francois,
with 28 fail of the line and about 400 fail of merchant
men ; that in consequence of this information, the com
modore judged it bell as soon as possible to regain Port
royal, where he anchored the 21st of July with the mer
chant fleet. The Conftatine re urned to Jamaica, but
failed again the gift of July, in company with the Tar
tar, the Rose, and the Nancy. Captain Wright informs,
that the movement of the count de Graffe had thrown
Jamaica into the grealeft conflerna'ion. One cannot
help trembling at tne great rifque to which the most va
luable fleet that ever failed from Jamaica has been ex
pyfed. For to conccivethe immensity of the loss that
the commerce of England would have fuffered, let us
cait ®ur eyes on the following lift of vessels which failed
from Jamaica, in July, und r convoy of the Princess
Royal, Ruby, and the Janus. For London 95 , Bristol
32, Liverpool 18, Lancafier 5, Ireland 4, Whitehaven
2, Deptford 4, Scotland 12, America 18. Total, 186
vefFis 42,509 tons, 3733 men and 1909 guns.
The relation of captain Wrignt is confirmed by the
following extract of a letter from Greenock, of the
17th instant. " The Bird, captain M'Donald, is ar
rived here from Jamaica, which he left the 271 b of Ju
ly, alone. He relates, that the whole fleet had failed
from theist to tne 4th of the fame month ; but in pro
ceeding through the windward passage, they had been
informed that the French and Spanilh fleets were lying
in wait for teem, upon which the whole fleet returned
to Port Roy. I, after having been as far as Cape Meafe,
in the island of Hispaniola: that its sudden return threw
the island into great coniternation, because de Graffe
was then (t e 21 ft) but a few leagues from t'edulleft
failers, and they conjectured hat, in concert with the
Spanish forces t the Havannah, he would make a de
feent on the island; * conjecture much more alarming,
as it was general y believed at Jamaica, that admiral
Hood had failed wih his squadron for New-York,
through the supposition that de Graffe had gone there.
They began to ta^k of proclaiming martial law.
The Hero, captain Moulton, a flag of truce arrived
the day before yelierdayat Portfmo t°, from Charlef
to*p, bavin, on board governor Chester and several
other officers that were made prisoners with him at
Penfacoa. It is said they bring disagreeable ne^s.
When they le t Charleftown, the sth of August, the
whole provuce was most dep orab y exhaufled, a fear
city, bordering upon a famine, was experienced, as
every species of provisions were extremely scarce and
dear. The army, under Sumpter, encreafing every
day, and harraffed with an inconceivable inveteracy
and perseverance, the advanced posts of the army,
which were kept extremely confined, and cut off from
all kind of communication. Lord Rawdon was to fail
eight days after the flag of truce, on board the packet
boat C arlotte. An a flag of truce tie Hero could not
bring any letters or news-papers. The packet-boat,
Carteret, arrived the day before yesterday from New-
York, from which she faied the 20th of August, has
brought letters, but they are not yet delivered, and
some papers, which contain nothing new; but the peo
ple or the Carteret fay, that the 13th of August, the
German recruits that wire expeded, had airiv^d; that
they had heard that lord Cornwallis, having met with
more opposition than was expelled from the marquis
de la Fayette, found it impractical le to penetrate fur
ther into Virginia; but to com penate for this, the
Englilh cruizers had made very coofiderable prizes, to
wit, one frigate of 32 guns, two of 24, a sloop of 16,
two of io, and eight trading vessels, two of which car
ried 20 g.ns. This is all we know at this time irom
North America, whence we every moment look for the
most important newi, for it is not believed here that
de Graffe has formed any irojett for attacking Jamai
ca: but it is thought, that having obtained from St.
Domingo some necessaries that w re not to be had at
Martinici, he has but just touched at the Cape, from
whence he failed a few days a ter with 400 tail of
merchantmen ; that was convoyed to a certain la itude,
where confiding the trade to the care 6f two fail of
the line and f. me frigates, he, with 26 tail of the I ne,
has taken the direct rout to Chelapeak, where he has
landed 4 or 5000 men that he had at Martinico, for
to reinforce li e army of the marquis de la Fayette,
whild in forming a junftion with M. Barras, he en
deavoured to decide his superiority on sea, by fight ng
admiral Hood wherever he should meet him.
P S. If what we have said in ref, est to American af
fairs tnis morning, was only from uncertain reports,
what we read in tne evening papers are not less so, so
that, until we have more authentic advices, our read
ers had better suspend their judgment, as well upon
what we have said, as on what we are going to fay.
The di patches brought by the M'Leod fay, as they
pretend, that the generals Wethington and Rocham
beau, afte ha ing retonnoi red New-York,hd found
i r impregnable, and had retreated with precipitation
to N rti; Castle, that lord Co nwallis had added to his
eonquefts the towns of Gloucehe and York, an . that
they expe&ed at New-York admiral hood, with 10 fail
of the line, 11 others having been sent to Jamaica by
admiral Rodney,and the remainder 01 the li e of battle
ships being in dnfrent flations in the Leeward Llanes.
A piece 01 news that ap ears to e more certain is, the
near arrival of the Leeward Islands fleet; which failed'
theist of Augurt, escorted by the Triumph of 74 guns,
the Panther f 60, and wo frigates. They were on
the ißtn instant, in the latitude of Cape Cear, and
consist of 130 fail.
Extract of a letter from Port Mahon, dated August 21.
" The duke de Crdl n effected his landing this mor
ning about two hours before day, and had nearly fur
prized the enemy, who had left two battalions with
out their principal fort ; the one at Mahon, re other
in the suburbs of Ravalle. If some cucumfianees vad
not retarded the debarkation, these two battalions
w uld have been made prisoners, and the fort have been
deprived of the choicest troops of their garrison. The
duke is master of Mahon, of the harbour and light
houses. There was not the least opposition, of co'urfe
he has not loft a mn. He has already taken one huo
dred and fifty prisoners, among whom are m ny of
ficers, besides one hundred and sixty pieces of cannon,
from four to twelve pounders, which he took at the
port. He has seized on many stores, containing a vast
quantity of rich and valuable merchandize ; so great
is the quantity, that it may reasonably be compared
to the plunder made by Rodney at St Euftatia, and it
is a fact, that the English have met with as great a loss
on this occasion, as the Dutch when they loft that isl
and. All the island has submitted, except fort St. Phi
lip; the towns of Citidella and Fornetta, with their
forts, surrendered without a blow. The enemy reti
red with such precipitation, that they had not time to
destroy their arfenai and magazines."
Eart India affairs. Last Saturday's Gazette makes
no mention, as we expected, of tne victory of general
Goddard, and of the defeat of liy tr Aly, &c. &c.
but the directors of the Eart India company have pub
lilhed the following accounts in all tne newspapers.
From the Eart India office, Sept. 17, 1781.
" By advices received from Bombay over land, of
the 30th of March u and the 30th of April, 178 , the
Eaft^ndia company is informed, that the terms offer
ed to the Marattoes. in refpeft to peace had not been
accepted. That all the acquisitions that the govern
ment of Bombay had proposed making in the course of
the war, having been made in concert with general
Goddard, he had taken the resolution of limiting the
future operations to a plan of pure defence, to the (e
curity and preservation of tiiofe acquisitions, as well as
of tne other possessions of the company ; to the fecu
rity of Bombay ; to4.hr reduction or the extraordinary
expences of the military department; and to assist as
much as it would be possible the presidency of St.
George, Madrafs. 111 consequence of this last resolu
tion, the neteffary preparations were making to fend
to this presidency all the ti oops which belong to it; so
that the army of general Coote will be considerably re
inforced.
According to this plan, general Goddard evacuated
Bhoreguet, wht re he had proposed to eflablilh a forti.
fied port, and marched the army towards Panwell to de
pufit his ammunition, his baggage, and to ad in con
formity to the fy fiem of d fence before concerted. The
rear guard was very considerably harra ffed on its
march by the numerous corps of cavalry and infantry
who charged the company's troops, with a degree of au
dacity, that cannot be attributed but to the sentiment
of exultation that the appearance of a retreat produced
in them. The company's troops behaved with their u
sual firmnefs an 1 intrepidity, rendering all the effects
of the enemy fruitlefs, whe her in breaking our line, or
against the baggage; but as the country was favourable
to the enemy's mode of attack, during the two days
march, tne troops of the company had 3 officers and 55
men killed ; 15 officers and 393 men wounded ; among
the killed and wounded of the soldiers there are very
few Europeans; but colonel Parker who commanded
the rear guard, is one of the officers who are mortally
wounded. The fame letters from Bombay contain also
the most recent advices that were received from Fort
St. George, and confirms the account of the French
squadron having quitted, in February, the coift of Co
romandel, without landing any fuccours for Hyder Al
ly, and without doing any considerable damage. The
position of the army of general Coote, and his precau
tion of burning, at Pondicherry, all the boats that were
there, had prevented the French from drawing from
Terra Firmi provisions, and the want of these appear
ed to throw them into great diftrels."
P O RTSMOU T H, December 8.
We hear from Charleftown, in the county of Che.
shire, in this state, on the east fide of Cc,ne&icut river,
that colonel Enoch Hale, of Rindge, the high fheriff
of said county, having received orders to proceed to
that town, and there to liberate two prisoners who
were confined in the county goal by the usurped au
thority of Vermont, having demanded the keys, and
being denied, he attempted to break open the prison
doors, but was knocked down by two men, and much
wounded: and application being made to one Giles, a
new made justice 111 Vermont (who has been in com
mission under New Hampshire, all the war till lately)
very readily made out a warrant, and committed the
high fheriff clote prisoner, where he remained at the last
account.
The day is at length arrived, big with the Fate of
Vermont and of New- Hampshire; now we feel the
want of a well efiablifhel government, to put in force
its laws, and which we hope soon to fee. If the higli
fheriff can be imprisoned within his own county goal,
of which he was appointed the keeper, by the laws of
this fiate, and in tne execution of his office, and that
too by the authority of a man a&ing under the pre
tended hate of Vermont, without a spirited resentment
to the audacit of the attempt, adieu to all government;
the way is now clear, and the remedy is at hand : this
attack upon the perlon of one of the executive offi ers
of th s date will convince the honourable congress of
the necessity of quelling these insurgents; for by in
dulging them with only a hearing on the,fubjea of a
union, they have taken it for granted, they are really
recognized as a Rate ; but if any thing might once be
said in their favour before, this prefumptious conduct
will obliterate every favourable impression ; and if the
United States can be thus trampled upon, and their
resolves diffegarded, the confederation is set at nought,
therefore nothing less than a solemn resolve to annihi
late this usurped Bate, can te the consequence of an
application from this state.
BOSTO N, December 14.
On Monday last arrived hereon public bufinefs,the
marquis De la Fayette, major general in the army of
tne united Hates. As soon as it was known that the
marquis was in town, all the bells rung to welcome his
arrival. Only the name of the marquis De la Fayette
immedia ely calls to our mind, without a recapitula
tion, a series of various and important services render
ed by him to the cause of America, besides his late
brillian ones in Virginia.
Extract of a letter from Connecticut, dated Nov. 26.
“ Let the letters published at New-York, under the
namevf Silas Deane, be true o falfe, they can do no
hurt, since the reasonings they contain are so weak and
ridiculous. If they are genuine, thanks to our ene
mies for having ex posed a traitor. As to the opinion
I have formed of these letters, I will freely give it to
you Had they been genuine, our enemies would
never have published them: in that case Deane would
have been a man too ufeful to them to expose, I should
be lengthy indeed, were I to mention every thing that
induces me to conclude they were forged. Riviugton
has never mentioned the vessel on board of which these
letters were taken, nor where the originals were to be
seen; we are left to find out these material circumstan
ces where we can. We may recoiled that Rivington
told us three months ago, that a French lugger brought
into New York, contained near four thousand letters,
written by Americans refidett in Europe; and that
they would be pubfifhed ; not a single one however has
been seen. Time was necessary to give them a British
dress, and fit them for British purposes. At last some
of Deane's are found to give a pretext to the forgers !
and now at the end of three months we fee the fruits of
their labours. It is not, however, my design to juftify
Mr. Deane. There are writings undoubtedly his own,
from which we may form a just idea' of the principles
of the man. I only with it may be Known to our ene
mies that we are not to be the dupes of their paltry ar
tifices and forgeries, holding up a falfe idea of our
weakness and divisions, let them be published under the
name of any secret or open friend or foe to the cause
of America. Such things my have their operations
in Englan , for which no doubt they were partly de
signed ; but in this country we are too sagacious to al
low them any such effed among ourselves."
A southern gentleman lately feeing his excellent
horse, which had been flolen some months since, order
ed the thief off, when no less a person than colonel Tarl
ton h n d the mortification to dismount.
Killed by accident the 30th ult. a young store cow,
belonging to major John Gardner, of Cambridge. Her
meat, hide, and tallow, weighed 1183 lb. which is 139
wt. more than that mentioned in our fa ff.
Died at the siege of York-town in Virginia, Mr. Sa
muel Rogers (of Bilerica in this Bate) lieutenant in the
9th Massachusetts regiment: he was an honest, worthy
man, and deserving foidier, and his loss is much lament
ed by the regiment.
It is laughable enough to fee how concerned Riving
ton, and our dear friends the Britons in New-York:
affed to appear for the fafety and happiness of the U
nited States, and the honour and author ty in Congress.
"We can assure the publ c, fays this eminent news writer,
that the continental army is in actual Service of his most
chrifiian majefly," What a pity it is that they are not
at this moment in the adual service of his most human
majetiy the king of Great Britain, toglut his revenge
by burning all the dwelling-houses and cutting the
throats of the inhabitants of the ftate* fr m Georgia to
Hampshire; for shat this is his wish rather than we mould
not become his haves is evident from the whole con
cud of the war. But France has lent money to Con
gress to pay our army to the great difirefs of Mr. Ri
vington and his employers, who have repeatedly told
us, that our allies had nei her the abi'ity nor inclina
tion to give us any assistance ; and now in the moment
victory,Congrefs is dethroned,we are all become French-