The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-01-20 00:00:00, page 3

PHIL 4DELPIH4 January 4.
Last Monday morning the prifomrs taken at
Trenton, with a number of women and children,
amounting in the whole to near one thousand, were
<brought to this city. The wretched condition of
these unhappy men, most of whom were dragged
from their wives and families by a despotic and
avaricious Prince, must sensibly affect every ge
nerous mind with the dreadful effects of arbitrary
power
Col. Rohl died at Trenton on Thurflay the
26th of December, of the wounds he received in
the engagement that morning.
PROVIDENCE, January 4.
We learn that the enemy have sent a number of
women and children from Newport to Narra
ganfet.
Capt. Jones, in the Retaliation Privateer, of
this port, and Capt. Dennis, in a privateer be
longing to Newport, have taken a brig from Scot
land, bound to New-York via Antigua, and Jen t
her into a fafe harbour. Her cargo, we hear,
consists of dry goods, &c. to the amount of Soool.
Jterling.
Undoubted Intelligence is received from New
port, that the enemy conjider the Inhabitants on
the island as prisoners of war, and have absolute
ly refufed to grant the benefit of their boaftea par
dons to a number who made application for the
fame.
It is said that the enemy's troops at Newport
have received orders to hold themselves in readi
ngs for embarkation at a moment's notice, but
whether on board transports or their flat-bottomed
boat! is not mentioned : A number of carpenters
have been busily employed in repairing the latter.
HARTFORD, Jan. 20.
Last Friday the General Assembly of this
State ended their adjourned Session at Mid
dletown.
We have various Reports of Successes
attending our Arms in New Jersey, but
nothing particular has been received from
that Quarter since our last.
Lail Saturday about twenty British offi
cers and loldiers came to town from theWeft
ward ; about 160 more are on their Way to
this place ; they are part of the 500 who
were lately taken prisoners at Princetown,
as mentioned in our last.
To the melancholly picture already exhi
bited of the brutal behaviour of the Britons,
(who vainly boast being ever pre-eminent in
Mercy) aided by Hessian and Waldeck
Mercenaries, in New-York and New-Jer
sey, it gives us pain to add, that they have
not only outraged the Feelings of Humani
ty to many people, who were so unhappy as
to fall into their Hands, particularly the
Fair Sex, but have degraded themselves be
yound the Power of Language to express,
by wantonly destroying the curious Water
Works at New-York, an elegant public
Library at Trenton, and the grand Orrery,
made by the celebrated Rittenhoufe, which
was placed in. the College at Princeton---a
Piece of Mechanism, which the most untu
tored Savage, staying the Hand of Violence,
would have beheld with Wonder, Rever
ence and Delight!---Thus are our cruel E
nemies warring against Liberty, Virtue, and
the Arts and Sciences.---" How are the migh
ty fallen !''
At a General Assembly of the Governor and
Company of the State of Connecticut,
holden at Middletown, by Adjournment,
on the 18th Day of December, Anno
Domini 1776.
An ACT for securing Boats and other small
Craft, and for preventing any Persons go
ing out of any Harbour, River or Creek
without Licence.
I}E it enabled by the Governor, Council and
D Representatives in General Court afembled,
and ay the Authority of the fame. That no Per
son or Persons shall, under am Pretences what
ever, depart from any Port, Harbour, Bay,
Creek, River, or any other Place whatever
within this State, in any Beat, Skiff, Canoe, or
an, other small Craft without Libert, in Writ
hg, fi^ bad and obtained from one bf more of tie
Select-Men of theTown from whence such Person
or Persons would depart,
And it is further enabled and refolded, That
the SeleEl-Men belonging to the federal Towns on
the Sea Coafi witbin this State be, and they a, e
hereby empowered and directed 10 cause said small
Craft belonging to their refeePive Towns to be
drawn up in fame convenient Place or Places as
to them shall fe^n meet, who are to take such
Measures properly to secure them, as the Circum
stances of the Case may require.
And it is further enabled by the Authority a
forefaid, That if any Person or Persons whatever
shall presume, contrary to the true Intent and
Meaning of this All, to depart from an, Part,
Harbour, Bay, Creek, River, or any other Place
whatever on the Sea Coast, in an, such Boat,
Skiff, Canoe or other small Craft as aforefaid,
without such Liberty firft had and obtained of the
Selell-Men, or an, one of them as aforefaid, such
Person or Persons shall, on Conviction thereof, be
fore an, one Afliftant or Juftic: of the Peace, pa,
a Fine to the Treasury of the Town where such
Conviction shall be had, according to the Nature
and Circumstances of the Offence, not exceeding
Fort, Shillings.
A true Copy of Record,
Examin'd, by
GEORGE WTLLrS, Sec'ry.
At a General Assembly ot the Governor
and Company of the State of Connecti
cut, in New-England, holden at Middle
town, in said State, by Adjournment, on
the 18th Day of December, A. D. 1776,
ffTHEREAS the sick and impotent Soldiers
of other States, as they pass and re-pass
through this State, while in the Service of the
United States, do often stand in need of Support
and Relief.
RESOLVED by this Assembly, that the
Select- Men of the several Towns, shall,
and they are hereby ordered, to afford pro
per and necessary Support and Relief to such
sick and impotent Soldier or Soldiers, be
longing^o any other State as may be pass
ing or re-passing through this State, in the
Serviceof the United States, and not able
to Provide for themselves, and Exhibit an
Account of the Expence that hath or shall
Accrue therein, to the Committee of the
Pay-Table, which for the Future shall be
acknowledged by such Soldier or Soldiers,
under his or their Hand, also lignifying to
what State he or they belong, and what Re
giment and Company heor they are of with
in such State, provided he or they are capa
ble of giving such Information and fubferib
ing such Acknowledgment, and the Com
mittee of Pay-Table are thereupon directed
to adjust said Account of Expence, and
give an Order for the Payment thereof upon
the Treasurer, and Charge the fame to the
State to which he belongs, or the United
States of America, in Order thai it may be
re-paid.
A true Copy of Record
Examined by
George Wyllys, Sec'ry.
M r . wn^ —
The cauft of justice obliges w th# committee of the
town of Titi, field, in corj^ndion with said town,
to drfire ,oo to give the following declaration and
resolves a place in your public papers, in order that
the public may not be willed by an enemy.
^S evwry mar?; principles &e best known by their
conduit, so it appears that Capi. Charier Good
rich, who was advertised by the committee of fafety,
in Sept. 2; 1776 ; in order to exculpate himfilf from
the charge of bong an enemy to li country, has en
deavoured to turn the charge of inimical condua on
the committee, and has carried hit unlimited satire,
even against # he council cfthe State of the MHTchu
feib Bay : He tells the public in Sept. 16, 1776, that
the council had judged him to be a friend to nis coun
try, & condemred th crmrrittee, as being entirely ig
norant of the lime cfthrir duty, and guilty of great in.
decane, towards the ccnftitutional authority of this
Stet?.- If there,war sny such resolve, it mull be judg
ing expartie ; for the committee were neither cited nor
called upon by thec.uncil, no, any body else, to a^-
f?er for their conduit ---So ti hat it appears said
Goodrich has reprinted the council tc be the most
partial, arbitrary bodycf men that ever existed, not
giving th# cerium the pririhdp of a hearing or
^y trial la the Me : fi this light fe^ &?ocric': - ^
fee forth the conuitutional authority of this State,
hecalls i%
I But that there is no such constitutional authority ifa
this State, is evident, for in Sept. 1776, the fioule of
representatives, have sent cut their hand-bills to each
to vn in this State, to fee if they would give i^xv^.to
the pfefent house to form the meddle of a new scMi
tution, and weather they, the people, choose to have
it sent abroad to the people at large, to be infpe&ed,
before its ratification; by all which it appears said
Goodrich has set the honourable council in the most
odious andconteptable light possible. If any should
be so bold as to fay we have a coaftitution; we afl^
what is ii ? w 3 never had but one confutation,
which was that of our charter, which we have fom^
time ago rejected, and now we are to fak for another*
The committee being thus irjurioufly treated, re m
fer^d the metier to the town, to whom they are re
fponfib!e, who has taken th^ matter into hand, and
passed .he following refolvez^
First, The queflion being put, whether the towA
will adopt th. above declaration ?
Voted ' the affirmative.
Second, The question being put whether the town
is fatisfied, refpeding the fads charged against Capt^
Charles Goodrich, in an advertisement, bearing date,
Sep', ad, 1776, a^d whether the town will juftify th#
committee ia publishing said Goadrich?
Voted in the affi mative.
Third, The question being put whether Captain
Charles Goodrica has a&«d as an enemy to the uniore
of the people and the cause of justice,in publishing th^
committee in an advertisement bearing date Septem
ber 16th, 1776?
Voted in the affirmative.
Fourth, The question being put whether the town
will order the above declaration and resolves to b$
published in the Coxneairta Courant, for the restoration
of the character of their committe?
Voted in the affirmative.
By order of the town of °it?sfield,
ELI ROOT, Moderator.
Atrue c 0,,, Israel Dicken son, Town-Cleik.
NEW-LONDONJan. 1%
Last Monday Capt. Tobaoda arrived
here in a sloop from Curracoa, which place
he left the 22d of November, and 13 days
after having sprung a leak he put in 0
Ocouy ; eight days before he left Ocouy a
ship arrived there from Havre de Grace, the
matter of which informed him that a decla
ration of war had taken place between Spain
and Portugal, and that the fame was daily
expected between France and Great Britain.
The cargo of the above sloop is very valua
ble, consisting of blankets, duck,fome Pow^
der, &c. The sloop run into Newport har
bour last Saturday, and narrowly escaped be^
ing taken by the enemy before they perceiv
ed the harbour was in their possession.
The following is an Extract of a Letter from
a Gentleman of Honor and Diftindion, a
Prisoner in New-York, dated 26th De
cember, 1776.
" The distress of the prisoners cannot:
be communicated by words, 20 or 30 die
every day, they lie in heaps unburied, what:
numbers of my countrymen have died by
cold and hunger, perished for want of the
common necelfaries of life, I have seen it.
1 his fir is the boasted Britifo clemency, (I my
felf had well night perifhedunder it.) The
New-England people can have no idea of
such barbarous policy, nothing can stop fuch
treatment but retaliation. 1 ever despised
private revenge, but that of thepublic must:
be in this caiejutt and necessary, it is due to
the manes of our murdered countrymen,
and that alone can protest the survivors, in
the like situation, rather than experience a
gain their barbarity and insults, may I fall
by the sword of the Hessians."
I am, &c.
F I S H-KI L L.
By a gentleman just arrived from Phila
delphia, we are informed, that shortly after
the battle at Trenton, a party of 120 of the.
troops under Gen. Walhington, fell in with
about 200 of Gen. Howe's Tory soldiers, de
feated them, took 23 prisoners, 7 baggage
waggons, and 12 horses :---The gentleman
fays the prisoners arrived in Philadelphia be
fore he left it.
On Sunday the sth infant one of our
scouting parties met with a party of the ene
my, at Connecticut Farms, in New-Jersey,
killed 17, and took 57 prisoners.