The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-12-10 00:00:00, page 2

L © N DO N.
Anecdote of the Cabinet Upon the dispatch ar
riving-from fir Guy Carleton, which brought an ac
count of the Cougrefs ref sing ail n gochtion with
him and Mr. Morgan, a cabinet connJl was held, to
confiJer what orders should be sent to fir Guy. The
cokes of Richmond and Grafton were strenuous for
the evacuating o' New York, and f ndihg fir Guy
with his arm} to the Well Indies, in whic°.they were
fopported by the chancellor, lord Ke, pel and Mr.
Townihrnd; but lord Shelburne and all hi party
were violently against it, and carried the negative.
They dil not however, propose any method of re-
Wtwing the war, and urged their opposition on the
footing of d;fficuliy in doing it. The duke of Grafton
Ven urged the fouati n we should be in of having
two important fortr fc fles bridged, deQituteof the pow
er of relieving either, without (acrificing the whole
war : but lord S elbnrne pl dg-d htmfelf, that he
would at the new; council, prop de a Icheme that
Should obviate the difficulty : this was accordingly
brought forward, and wnai thou'd it turn out, but a
proposition to Congress, and the courts of Versailles
end M drid, for a 'ruc^ of two years, each pary re
gaining possess d for tha, t me, of whatever was in
their poffeffou ! The whole cabinet, lord Shelburne's
dependents done excepted, declare! it would be abfo
lately nugatory, for the combined Courts would never
agree to it—and rejeHed the measure. A third coun
cil was afterwards held, and in conference of it, dis
patches were sent to fir Guy: the ruction is, that the
mioifters could agree to no plan; and therefore the
commander was airbed to do the best he could, un
der the a^urance; that if btfi ged, he sh old have re
lief fe.lt very soon. Thus is the„cabinet at prefen f ,
Auguf l7th, in such a Hate ofdivifion that nothing de
cifive can proceed from it. The king (hews, on every
occafioo, the mos tmarked partiality to lord Shelburne's
opinions, but the jealousy of tee rest prevents his
making any great use of it.
Off. 6. A packet has be n received ar the honourable
T. Town(hend's office, containing advices that the com
bined forces commenced their attack on Gibraltar by sea
on the 13th ult. about nine o'clock in the evening, that
general Elliot had prudently waited till the floating bat
teries came within reach, when he began a powerful
and incessant fire with red hot balls, which did such
execution as tooblige them to retreat with precipitation
to Algefiras. The less on the part of the enemy is fop
pofed to have been very great, from the number of
troops that were embarked, 1500 of whom are fid,to
have perilled in this long expefted attack upon our
brave garrison.
" I cannot help remarking that your excellency has
frieral times lately taken occasion to mention that all
hostilities hand suspended on your part. Imuft con
fefs that to me this expression wants explanation: I
can hive no conception of a suspension of hostilities,
but that which arises from a mutual agreement of the
powers at war, and which ex't< nds to naval as well as
land operations. That your excellency has thought
proper, on your part, to make a partial suspension
may be admitted: but whether this has been owing
to political or other motives, is not for me to decide :
it is, however, a well known sass, that at the fame
time the Bri ifh cruizers on our coast have been more
than usually alert; and while Americans are admit
ted to underhand their real interest, it will be difficult
for them, when a suspension of hostilities is spoken of,
to separate the idea of its extending to sea as well as
land.
“ I cannot ascribe the inroads of savages upon
our northweflern frontiers to the causes from whence
your excellency supposes them to originate; neither
can I allow that they are committed without directi
ons from the commander in chief in Canada ; for by
prisoners and deserters, it is apparent, that those
ravaging parties are composed of white troops, under
the command of officers regularly commissioned, as
well as savages; and it would be a solecism to suppose
that such parties could be out without the knowledge
of their commander in chief."
Extra& of a letter from fir guy Carleton, to his excel
lency general Waftlington, dated New. York, Sep
tember 12, 1782.
" Partial though our suspension of hostilities may
be called, I thought it fufficient to have prevented
those cruelties in the Jerfies (avowed) which I have
had occasion to mention more than once. But if war
was the choice, 1 never expected this suspension should
operate further than to induce them to carry it on as
is practiced by men of liberal minds. lam clearly of
opinion with your excellency, that mutual agreement
is necessary for a suspension of hostilities; and that
without this mutual agreement, either party is free to
aft as each may judge expedient ; yet I must at the
fame time frankly declare to you, that being no long
er able to difeern the obj a we contend for, I disap
prove of all hostilities, both by land and sea, as they
only tend to multiply the miseries of individuals, when
the public can reap no advantage by success.
As to the savages, I have the best affuraoces, that
from a certain period, not very long after my arrival
here, no parties of Indians were sent out, and that
messengers were di patched to recall those who had
gone forth before tirat time ; and I have particular as
furances of disapprobation of all that happened to
your party on the fide of Sandusky, except so far as
was necessary for felf defence."
Captain Tho ndike, in a brig from Beverly, bound
to the Weft Indies, was taken in our bay lift week,
by a small privateer from Liverpool, Nova-Scotia. It
has been reported, that (he has also taken several o
ther vessels.
The following extracts of letters, which passed be
tween his excellent y general Waftlington and fir Guy
Carleton, are said to be genuine.
Extract of a letter from his excellency general Wash
ington, to fir Guy Carleion, dated Head-Quarters,
Bth September, 1782.
SALE M, November 21.
BOSTO N, November 25.
Vrfttrday a cartel arrived from Halifax, with about
250 prisoners.
Nov. 29. Tuesday evening arrived here a brig from
Cadiz, which place file left the 26th ult —By this ves
sel we have received intelligence that lord Howe with
the British fleet having appeared in fight of the combined
fleet before Gibraltar, induced the latter to pursue them,
when they immediately flood for the Coast of Barbara,
and taking the advantage of a fair wind, flood for, and
(as the account fays) effectually relieved that fortr-fs.
One Spanish fllip of 74 guns, 'tis said, was taken. We
must Wait a I iter arrrival for particulars of this event.
It is with great regret that we inform our readers,
that the ship Argo, captain Trevit, from France, was
loft on Moon-Island on Thursday night in the (now
storm. All the crew were saved, and a small part of
the cargo.
[Another Roflon paper of the fame date fays.]
Lad Tuesday arrrived here a brig from Cadiz, in 28
days; by tier we learn that the siege of Gibraltar was
raffed, but we beg our readers would suspend their judg
ment 'till we receive it more particular.
N F W-L O NDO N, November 29.
We hear, that a few days fence the dead body of a
man was found drove a-shore near Fine Neck, north
shore of Long Island, and that near the fame place a
number of dead sheep, &c. were found drove ashore,
having their legs tied. From the above circumstance
it is judged that some boat from the main, in the illi
cit trade is loft, together, with the people on board.
As this is not the firft inflance of people losing their
lives in this pernicious trade, it is hoped others will
take warning, left they meet with the fame judgment.
HARTFOR D, December 3
RECEIPT of continental taxes from the state of
Connecticut.
For the month of November, 1782, received fourteen
thousand and eight dollars.
HEZ. MERRILL, receiver
of taxes for Connecticut.
FIS H-K I L L, December 5.
The enemy we learn, are fortifying at Huntington.
They have pitched on a burying yard for their pur
pose, arid have dug up graves and grave flones, to the
great grief of the people there, who when they remon
ttrated against the proceeding received nothing but
abuse in return.
We learn that Mr. Rivingtor, received a severe repri
mand for a late forgery of a letter, he published under
the signature of Elliot, commanding at Gibraltar,
NEWYOR K, December 4.
Last night arrived his majefly\ (loop Savage, in 11
days from Penobfeot, the garrison of which post were
all well, after having been reinforced from Halifax,
where the Magnificent's leak had been difeovered, the
ship thoroughly repaired, and the Caton was hove
down and near ready.. On the passage, in Boflori bay,
the Savage retook a brig transport, with lumber, bound
from Quebec for Europe, that had been made prize of
by a Boston privateer; the brig is arrived here with
the Montague transport ship, with lumber from Pe
nobfeot.
On Monday evening came up a brigantine, in nine
teen days from Montserrat, by which we are informed
that a Britifh.fleet, (aid to confit of men of war and
transports with troops (reported to be that for the
Well Indies, convoyed by the grand British fleet un
der lord Howe mentioned in our last paper) hadarri
ved at Barbadoes - and, by the fame channel we are
told, that do French fleet had yet reached the Weft-
Indies.
T RENT O N, December 4.
RECEIPT of continental taxes in the state of New
Jersey, for the month of Nov. 1782, three thousand se
ven hundred and Seventy-nine dollars and fix nineti
eths.
WM. C. HOUSTON, receiver.
CHATHAM, December 4.
Desertion, for some weeks past, has been very fre
quent, particularly from the 40th regiment and tne new
levies.
Tnere are a number of transports gathering at New-
York, but for what purpose time will determine.
CHARLESTOWN, (South Carolina) September 7.
By accounts from the country we leain, that Mr.
John Laurens, a lieutenant colonel in the rei>el army,
and son of Mr. Henry Laurens, now in London, was
lately killed near Combahee river, in attempting to
impede the operations of a detachment of his majesty's
troops.
When we contemplate the character of this young
gentleman, we have only to lament his great error on
his outlet in life, in espousing a public cause which
was to be sustained by taking up arms against hrs
sovereign. Setting aside this single deviation from the
path of rectitude, we know no one trait of his hiflory
which can tarnish his reputation as a man of honour,
or affed his character as a gentleman. His generosity
of temper and liberality of opinion, were as extensive
as his abilities ; as a soldier, he fought for glory, and
as a citizen he pursued what he thought to be the
true interests of his country: he condaotly condemn
ed every oppressive measure adopted against the I yal
ifts, and always contended that a fleady and difin
terefted adherence to political tenets, though in oppo
fition to his own, ought to render their possessor an ob
jed of esteem rather than of persecution. His huma
nity can be no better illufirated than tyy mentioning
what we are well assured was the case that he highly
reprobated* the refufal of Matthews, the rebel govern
* We are informed from the best authority, that
this is totally fa|fe ; colonel Laurens having been one of
the firft who proposed the confifeatien of the property
of the difaffeaed.
Philadelphia, Dec. To.
Extract of a letter, dated Uxbridge, near Charleftown,
South-Carolina, October 5; 1782.
"To write news I have none sca r ce worth commu
nicat ng, except that the fleet of transports from Ja
maica are arrived, and which, with the fleet arrived a
few day, before, make upwards of ninety fail: they have
tirec ened to carry away theigoo negroes they have
collected; but if they do, our government is determin
ed to confiscate every marriage f ttlement of their
friends, and ail the debts due to Great Britain by the
Igood citizens of this date. Every preparation is mak
-liig by them for a speedy evacuation, and orders are
issued 'to the troops to be ready toembark on the loth
of this month, but I imagine they cannot go before
the third division of transports from Quebec arrives ;
indeed I look for to enter Charleflown the 25th or 26th
at farther —The tories are in a moftcurfed plight ;
they are ill u^d by the British and despised by the ho
nest Americans. Inclofed I also fend you one of
their orders for the poor devils of loyalists, in order
to (hew you how they are to be disposed of.
<' This day they have evacuated their works on
James-island, and the refugees are on board the trans
ports.
“ Our army, under that gallant major general
Greene, has been very sickly, but is now tolerably
healthy, and few deaths have happened among them."
(C O P Y.)
Charleflown, 29th September, 1782.
THOSE persons who have given in their names to
the Q M. G. D. to go with the army are informed,
that the the commander in chief will not permit the
troops to be incumbered with followers; but they will
be accommodated with passages for themselves and
families, either to Europe, N. Scotia, E. Florida, St,
Lucia or Jamaica, as may suit their convenience.
It is recommended to th m to decide as soon as pos
sible, as the embarkation for E. Florida will commence
tomorrow morning,
JOHN M'KINNON, D. Q M. G.
On 'he 4th of October departed this life, in South,
Carol na, deeply regretted by all who had form'd an ac
quaintance with him, captain lieutenant Samuel Story,
RICH M O N D, November go.
We hear from the westward that general Clarke has
adually set out with sor 600 men on an expedition
against the northern Indians ; and should general Ir
win have co operated with him from fort Pitt, as was at
firft intended, it is hoped the enterprize will be attend
ed with every success.
Reports from the northweflern settlements mention,
that the inhabitants of that quarter have thrown eve
ry obftrudion in the way to prevent the running the
temporary line between this state and Pennfyivania,
which was to have been begun the sth of this month,
comp aining in a very heavy manner of the facrifice
which they alledge has been made of their interests to
the claims of Pennsylvania, by adeviation from the
boundaries mentioned in the charter.
Yesterday was executed near this city, pursuant to
his lenience, Maurice Wheeler, from Lancafler, for
murder.
ANNAPOLI S, December 5.
Receipt of continental taxes from the state of Mary
land published in pursuance of the 6th article of in
- ftruriions from tne office of finance, dated the 12th
da; of February last.
For the month of November, 1782, received 1024
dollars and 8 goths.
BENJAMIN HARWOOD,
receiver of continental taxes for the state of Maryland.
nr, so the proposal from this garrison, refpeaing the
purchase of a quantity of rice ; on this generous prin
ciple, that it was cruel to withhold from those per
sons whom the assembly o f the province had banished,
the provisions which were necessary for the fopport, in
a foreign country, of the flives they were to carry with
them.
While we were thus marking the death ofan enemy,
who was dangerous to our cause from his abilities, we
hope we shall hand excused for paying tribute, at the
fame time, to the moral excellencies of his character.
Happy would it be for the distressed families of those
persons who are to leave this garrison with his ma
jefly's troops, that another Laurens could be found %
Sept. to. Last Saturday arrived the armed fphooner
John, captain Lucas, from New-York, after a passage
of 24 days. In her came passengers, lieutenant-colonel
Mufgrave, major Coffin, John Cruden, esquire, doctor
Spence, and sundry other gentlemen.
Charleflown, 9th September, 1782.
T HO S E persons who have given in their names t©
the quartermaster general's office, to go to Florida, are
advertised that vessels will be prepared for them in the
course of this week. All other persons intending to go
there, and who have not yet given in their names, are
requeued to do it before Thursday next, after which
day none can be received.
On Saturday next, they will be informed of the time
and place of embarkation, by calling at the quarter
master general', office.
Sept. 12. The editor of this paper finds himfelf un
der the neceffty of difeontinuing its publication, but
cannot take leave of his indulgent readers without re
turning his warmest acknowledgments for the kind re
ception given his endeavours to gatify their curiosity,
or add to t<eir amusement- He assures them, that he
is deeply impressed with a sense of their favours, which
neither change of place ,or alteration of circum flances
can ever possibly eradicate. .However gloomy the pro
(peri may at present appear to those who have so long
and strenuously contributed their b-ft endeavours to
support the royal cause at the rifque of their lives, and
expence of every thing that was dear—he still hopes,
that 'ere long, a ray of light will illume these wehern
regions, and that their views and expectations will yet
be happily terminated.