The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-10-27 00:00:00, page 1

Head-quarters, before York, 12th O&ober, i/Br.
SIR,
MY dispatch to your excellency was of the 6th.
; I. then informed you that we should open tren
ches on that night ; we did 0, and eflablifhed our firft
parallel within 600 yards of the enemy's works, with
the I fs of only one offi er of the French artillery woun
ded, and sixteen privates killed and wounded, the g,eat
eft part of which were of the French line.
The 7th and Bth we were employed in com pleating
' the ift parallel, and in erefting batteries L.mewhat ad
vanced of it.
The 9th at three o'clock in the afternoon the French
battery on the left, of four 12 pounders, fix mortars and
howitzers; opened, and at 5 o'clock the American bat
tery on the right, of fix 18 and 24 pounders, two mor
tars and two howitzers, opened also. We were inform
ed that out shells did considerable execution in the
town, and we could perceive that our fllot, which were
directed against the enemy's embrazures, injured them
much.
The loth two French batteries, one of ten 18 and
24 pounders, and fix mortars and howitzers, the other
of four 18 pounders, opened; as did two more Amer
can batteries, one of four 18 pounders, the other of two
mortars. The fire now become so excessively heavy
that the ene. y withdrew their cannon from their em
brazures, placed them behind the merlins, and scarce-
Iy fired a fliot during the whole day. In the evening
"° " ar ° n frigate, of 44 guns, was set on fire by a hot
ball from the French battery on the left, and entirely
coufumed. Her guns and stores had been taken out.
By the report of a deserter, our shells, which were
thrown with the utmost degree of precision, did much
nifchief in the course of the day.
Yesterday morning two of the enemy's transports
were fired by hot shot and Burnt. This nas occasioned
them to warp their fllipping as far over t@ the Glouces
ter more as possible.
Head-quartets, Camp before York, October i, 1781.
SIR,
LA^ r evening I was honoured with your excel
lency's favour of the 21st ult. with its inclo
fure. The intelligence it contains refpeding
the Bntifh fleet is very agreeable, and will be
ifhmediately_trahfmitted to the count de Grafe.
Tn my last, which bore date the 23d ult. I informed
that our preparations fora near invefiment of the ene
my at York, were sass ripening to a point. T have
now to acquaint your excellency that I marched from
Williamfburgh, with the whole army, on the 18th, and
approached within about two miles of the enemy at
York. At which diflatice a shew was made of some op
position on our left; but upon the count Rochambeau,
who commands that part of tie army, his moving a
few pieces of field artillery under the direction of the
baron de Viominil, and giving a few shots, the enemy
retired. Od the 29th ttie American troops moved for
ward; and look theit ground in front of the ' enemy's
works on thrift lefty no opposition except a few fcatter
fd fllots from a small work, by Moor's-mill, on Wrrm
fey cheek; and a battery on the left of Pigeon-quarter.
A small fire all day from our rifle-men and the enemy's
jagets. gotfij in tlrf morning We° difeovered that the
enemy had evacuated all their exterior line of works;
and withdrawn to those near the body of the town. By
this means we are in p'ofteffion of very advantageous
grounds, which command in a v^ry near advance, al
znoft the whole remaining line of fheir defence. All the
expedition that our circumflances will admit is using
to bring up ouf heavy artillery and flores; and to open
our batteries. -This work, I hope, will be executed in
a few days, when our fire will begin with great vipor.
The investment of the enemy is now fully compleat
ed, and drawn very near their lines, except on the ri
v& above the town, where their communication is Bill
open. To prevent this, and to compleat the new
blockade, a request is gone to the count de Graffe, de
firiog him to puffi, if he thinks it practicable,-one or
more ships above the town. This, if effeded, will an
swer many very valuable purposes
The pofitiod of the count de Graffe is judicioufl,
taken, the main fleet keeping their Ration in Lynn-
Haven Bay, and detachments made to secure the rivers.
The determination of the count is favourably disposed
to comply with oht wishes in every necessary co-ope
ration.
I shall Continue to keep Congress advised of such oc
currences as are worthy the communication.
With the highest regard and esteem,
I have the honour to be, your Excellency's
Most obedient and most humble servant;
G. WASHINGTON.
His Excellency
The President of Congress.
VOL. X.l
SATURDAY,
|^Bffl^®§m|^
O R, THE
GENERAL ADVERTISER.
Published every TUESDAY, THURSDAY and SATURDAY.—Price Six-Pence.
! We last night advanced our second parallel withiri
300 yards of tle enemy's works with little or no an
noyance from them. Only one man was killed and
three or four wounded. I Shall think it firange indeed
if lord Cornwallis makes no vigorous exertions in the
course of this nightor very loon after.
I cannot but acknowledge the infinite obligations I
am Under to his excellency the count de Ro'chambeau,
the marquis St. Simon, commanding the troops from
the Weft Indies, the other general officers, and indeed
the officers of every denomination in the French army;
for the affiftarice which they afford me. The expe
rience of many of those gentlemen in the business be
fore us, is of the utmost advantage in the present ope
ration. And lam fenftble it mud give your excellen
cy and Congress the highest pleasure to know that the
grfateft harmony prevails between the two archies.
They seem actuated by one spirit, that of supporting
the honour of the allied arms, and pushing their ap
proaches with the utmost vigour.
I have the honor to be, with
perfect refpec tand esteem,
Your excellency's most obedient
and very humble Servant,
g. Washington.
His excellency the President
of Congress.
Head Quarters before York, 16 th October, 1781.
S I R,
I HAD the honor to inform your excellency in my
last, of the 12th instant, that We had the evening be
fore opened our second parallel; the 13th and 14th
we were employed in compleating it. The engineers
having deemed the two redoubts on the left of the
enemy's line Sufficiently injured by our (hot and shells,
to make them practicable, it was determined to carry
them by assault, on the evening of the 14th : the fol
lowing difpof>tion was accordingly made. The work
on the enemy's extreme left to be attacked by the
American light infantry, under the command of the
marquis dela Fayette ; the other by a detachment of
the French grenadiers and' chaffeurs, commanded by
major-general the baron de Viominil. I have the plea
sure to inform your excellency that we succeeded in
both. Nothing could exceed the firmnefs and bravery
of the troops. They advanced under the fire of the
enemy without returning # (hot, and effected the bu
siness with the bayonet only. The reports of his excel
lency the count de Rochambeau, the marquis de la
Fayette, and lieutenant-colonel Hamilton, copies of
which I enclose, enter more particularly into a detail
of the mode in which the attacks, on the part of the
French and American columns were conducted. We
made prisoners, in both redoubts, one major, two
captains, three subalterns and Sixty seven privates.
The works which we have carried are of vast impor
tance to us. From them we shall enfilade the enemy's
whole line ; a'nd I am in hopes we shall be able to
command the communication from York to Gloucefier.
I think the batteries of the second parallel will be in
fufßcient forwardnefs to begin to play in the course of
this day.
The enemy, faft night, made a sortie for the fifft
. time. They entered one of the French and one of the
American batteries on the second parallel which were
unfinifhed. They had only time to thrust the points of
their bayonets into four pieces of the French and two
of the American arti lery, and break them off, but the
spikes were eaffly extraßed. They were tepulfed the
moment the supporting troops came up, leaving be
hind them seven or eight dead and fix prisoners. The
French bad four officers and twelve privates killed and
wounded, and we had one ftrjeant mortally wounded.
I enclose your excellency a return of the killed and
wounded, of both armies, up to the present time. It is
much smaller than might have been expeded.
I have the honour to be,
with perfect refped,
Your excellency's
' most obedient servant,
G. WASHINGTON.
' -His excellency
the Frefident of Congress.
Copy of the Report of his excellency the Count de
Rdchambeau.
QN the night between the 14th and i§th instant, the
French was mounted by the regiments of Gatinois
and Royal Deux Ponts, commanded by the Baron deVj.
ominil ; to which were added four companies of French
auxiliary grenadiers. We had resolved to attack, as
as soon as dark, the two redoubts on the left of the
enemy, that were detached from their other works.
The marquis de la Fayette undertook that on our
right with the American troops. The Baron de Viominil
that on our left with the French. Four hundred gre
nadiers, commanded by the coußt William Deux Ponta
THE
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to render you an account of tb6
$ corps under my command, in your attack of last
nig!t upon the redoubt on the left ot the enemy's lines
Agreeable to your orders we advanced in two co
luft^th, unloaded arms, the right composed of lieut.
col. Gimat s battalion and my own, commanded by
major rilh. The left of a detachment commanded by
beat. col. Laurens, defined to take the enemy in re
verte, and intercept their retreat. The column on<h®
right was preceded by a van guard of twenty men, Ted
by lieut. Mansfield ; and a detachment of sappers and
miner., commanded by capt. Gilliland, for the purpose
of removing obfiruafons. rr
The redoubt was commanded by major CampbelL
with a detachment.of Britilh and German troops, and
was compleatly in a state of defence.
The rapidity and immediate fucceTs of the assault
are the bed comment on the behaviour of the troops'
Lieut, col. Laurens distinguished himfelf by an ex
ad and vigorous execution of hjs part of the plan, b.
Qamp before York, 16th October, 1781.
MY DEAR GENERAL,
VOUR excellency having personally seen our difpof
1 fitions, I shall only give an account of what passed
in the execution.;.
, Colonel Gimat's battalion led the van, and was fol
lowed by that of colonel Hamilton, who commanded
the whole advanced corps; at the fame time a party
of eighty men, under colonel Laurens, turned the re
doubt. I beg leave to refer your excellency to the re
port I have received from colonel Hamilton, whofa
well known talents and gallantry, Were on this oCca^
fion, most conspicuous and Serviceable ; dur obligati
ons to him, to colonel Gimat, to colonel' Laurens, and
to each and all the officers and men, are above ex
predion : Not one gun was fired, and the ardor of th®
troops did not give time to the sappers to derange the
abattis; and owing to the condud of the commanders
and bravery of the men, the redoubt Was ftormedh
with uncommon rapidity.
Colonel Barber's battalion, which was the firft in th®
supporting column, being detached to the aid of th®
advance, arrived at the moment they were getting o
ver the works, and executed their orders with the ut
most alacrity The colonel was slightly wounded.
The remainder of the column, under ' generals Mu
lenberg and Hazen, advanced with admirable firm^
nefs and discipline. Colonel Vote's battalion display
ed to the left, a part of the division successively dreff
mg by him, whilst a kind of second line was forming
columns in the rear- It adds greatly to the character of
the troops, that under the fire of the enemy, they dis
played with perfed silence and order.
Give me leave, particularly, to mention major Bar
ber, division inlpeflor, who distinguished himfelf and
received a wound by a cannon ball.
In making the arrangements for the support of the
^orks we had reduced, I was happy to find general
Wayne and the Pennsylvanians so situated as to have
given us, in case of need, the most effectual support,
I have the honour to be, with the
most perfect refpeft, your Excellency's
most humble servant,
LA FAYETTE.
His Excellency General Wafhingtom
and Mons de L'EOrade, lieutenant colonel of Gati
nois, opened the attack; they were supported by th e
regiment of Gatinois. The marquis de la Fayette and
the baron de Viominil made so vigorous and ffrong a
disposition of their troops, that they carried the two re
doubts sword in hand, and killed, wounded or took
the greater part of those who defended them. The
number of prisoners amounts to 73, tne major and §
other officers included.
The troops; both American and French, have (hewni
the most distinguished courage. The count Williara
dux Ponts was slightly wounded by a cannon ball ; ha
is not in the le.ft danger. The chevalier de la Me.th,
adjutant quarter-mailer general, has been severely
Woundfl in both knees by two different musket balls.
Mons. de Sireuit, captain of the chaffeurs of the , regi
ment of Agenois and two other officers of the fame re
giment b^ve been wounded. 'Tis the third timejhat
Mons. de Sireuit, tho' very young; has'been wounded^
unluckily this time, the wound is very dangerous^
We have had 100 men killed, or wounded. The troops
are full of the highest praises of the baron & Viomi
nil, who likewise is exceedingly pleased with their
courage and firmnefs.
I have ordered two days pay to be diftribufed to
the four companies of grenadiers and chaffeurs of the
regim nt of Gatinois and Royal 'Deux Ponts, besides a
more considerable reward to the ax-bearers and car
penters, who opened the way for the troops through
the albattis and pallifadoes.
OCTO ber 17, 17Q
[NUMB. 799.