The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-10-15 00:00:00, page 2

horn the Political 'M&gaftne'for 'June, i„2 #
STATE PAPERS.
lubftance of the Correspondence between lord -George
Germain, fir Henry Clinton, earl Cornwallis, rear
admiral Graves, &c. &c. &c. laid before the House
of Lords, on the late enquiry into the loss of earl
Cornwallis's Army at York-Town, in Virginia.
(Continued from our last.)
Sir Henry Clinton to lord George Germain, New York,
June the 9th and 12th, 1781.
INFORMS his lordfllip of the melancholy news ofge
neral Phillips's death, that as lor Cornwallis had en
tered Virginia, he thought it unnecessary to fend lieut.
gen. Robertson. Inclofed a letter from lord Cornwal
lis dated Peterfburgh, Virginia, the 20th of May, and
as his lordship would be informed next day of the ar
rival of the la ft reinforcement in the Chefapeak, suppos
ed that La Fayette could not escape him. The formid
able force now in the Chefapeak might incline some of
the provinces tofubmit; but he believed, that the firfl
turn of fortune, should that be the arrival of a superior
French fleet, they might revolt again, and render our
situations every where critical. Admiral Arbuthnot
had put to sea, and promised to cover the operations in
the Chefapeak and every other quarter, notwithfland
ing which, fir Henry feared he had failed to Boston bay.
He had sent him all the intelligence, which might pro
bably decide him to come off Rhode-Ifland which fir
Henry thought would flop the enemy's operations,
both against the Chefapeak, of which he was most
jea'ous, and also against New-York. He should fend
fir George Rodney copiesof the intercepted letters, who
of course would watch de Graffe, and if he came to
America, follow him; for if the enemy remained but
a few weeks superior at sea, our situation would be
come very critical.
June 12th. Admiral Arbuthnot returned to the Hook.
Sir Henry Clinton to lord George Germain, New-
York, July 13.
Sir Henry mentions that he had formerly informed
his lordship, that he only waited the arrival of a rein
forcement from lord Cornwallis, of between two and
three thousand men to fend off on an expedition ; these
he thought his lordship could have spared out of his
7000 effedives ; but he had received a letter from his
lordship, dated June 30th, on which fir Henry expresses
himfelf as follows : " lord Cornwallis does not think he
“ will be able to mantain the healthy and important
“ station I had recommended to him, if he complies
<' with any part of my requisition, the utmost extent
“ of which did not exceed 3000 men. Brigadier ge
“ neral Arnold's information gave me every reason to
" suppose 200 men might bid defiance to every effort
<' which could be made agaiuft it.* And it further ap
« pears from his lordship's letter, that he purposes
“ quitting the neck of Williamiburgh altogetner, and
'' retiring with his army to Portsmouth, a measure
6< which I however Bill flatter myfelf his lordship may
" possibly wait to receive my opinion about, before
" he carries it entirely into execution ; especially if
" he gives my requisition another confideration.'' Sir
Henry mentions, that as not only this was like to be
the consequence of his withdrawing any part of his
lordship's force, " butthat even the possession of the
“ Chefapeak became a quertion with his lordfhip,"-.-
he, fir Henry, immediately gave up all ideas of offen
five operation, and requeued a conference with rear
admiral Graves, commodore Affleck, and lieutenant
general Robertson, the result of which was enclosed.
That he had written to lord Cornwallis, and the general
officer commanding the troops who might be embark
ed for New-York. That he was mortitied at not be
ing able to carry his intended expedition into executi
on.' That though he wished that lord Cornwallis
should remain on the defenfive in the Chefapeak during
the summer months, and should in that case fend to
New-York 'uch a portion of his force as he could spare
from the completest and m,fl refpe&able defenfive,
" yet left the polls he was to occupy, as wed as the
" number he was to keep, totally to his lordship's
"judgment; only with rtfpea to the firh, recom
“ mendink to his attention my correspondence with
“ general Phillips, where n I had fuegefted the pro
“ priety of poKeffing the heights of York and Gloucef
" fter,as a prop r station to secure a harbour for line of
" battle (hips, which the enemy would probably lay
" hold of, if we did not. I cannot, therefore, be no
" less furpr zed than concerned, to find his lordship,
" in consequence of my requisition to him for a rein
“ forcement (wiiich he was left at liberty to comply
" with dr not, as he might fee expedient) has thought
" proper to retire from a diftrid of so much impor
" tance ; nor can I comprehend why, because his
“ lordship cannot aft offtnfively during the severity of
<' the present season, ht should advise the totally giv.
" ing up of the Chefapeak, whereby we should proba
<<bly have our future operations there to begin with
" a siege, in case the enemy should take the advantage
'' of our absence, and fortify.'' Sir Henry then men
tions that lord G. Germain would perceive by the
letters enclosed, that lord Cornwallis and he differed
in regard to the operations in the Chefapeak, when the
season would admit of them. That he did not accede
to lord Cornwallis's opinion, which was, that until
Virginia is in a manner subdued, our holding the Ca
rolinas must be difficult, if not precarious. On this fir
Henry obfe ves, that though he never had a doubt of
the important advantages of possessing Virginia, he
thought the affidance of friends was absolutely neces
sary to attain it, which could not be accomplished in
so populous a country, unless the inhabitants were dis
posed to join us. " I therefore judged it best to con
" tent ourselves at firft, with laying hold of a refpeft
" able naval station in that province, from whence we
" might command the entrance and the waters of Che
“ fapeak, and then carry our arms to the head of the
" bay."
Sir Henry Clinton to lord George Germain, New-York,
September 7, 1781.
Informs his lordship of Washington marching from
the White Plains, about the middle of Aug. and of his
seeming to threaten Staten-Island until the 29th when
he marched for the Delaware. That rear admirals
Graves and Hood had failed the 31st of August. That
in two letter, from Lord C irnwallis, dated August the
gift, and the 2d instant, which he had received on the
4' h and 6th instant, his lordship informed him that de
Graffe was in the Chefapeak with a considerable arma
ment. That he expelled hourly to hear that admiral
Graves had intercepted Barras, or attacked de Graffe,
or perhaps'both. That he had embarked 4000 troops,
with which he should proceed to relieve lord Corn
wallis, as soon as he knew that the passage to him was
open. Sir Henry then dates lord Cornwallis's force at
nearly 8000 men, regulars, exchanged men, sailors,
marines, and refugees who had joined him. The force
of theenemy at about 12,000, and in all probability a
numerous militia, Sir Henry then laments that go
vernment had not reinforced him as he had wished, and
that even what they did fend him, had not joined him
earlier. That infiead of three battalions from the Lee
ward Islands, ondy one very weak battalion had yet
arrived. That inflead of receiving a reinforcement from
lord C rnwallis as he had expelled lart year, he had
been obliged to detach about 8000 men to his lordship;
besides leaving in Carolina the three regiments lately
from Ireland. " But this, my lord, is not a time for
" vain limentatiou; things appear faf fcoming to a
" crisis ; we are therefore no longer to compare force
" with the enemy; but to endeavour to a& in the bert
" manner we can againrt them : and your lordship may
" be assured, that with what I have, inadequate as it
" is, I will exert myfelf to the utmost to relieve lord
" Cornwallis."
N E IV-Y O R K, October 9.
Extraß of a letter from Bermuda, dated Sept. 8, 1782.
'' A valuable brig from Amflerdam to Boston, prize
to meffrs. Goodrich's sloop Tryal, value fifteen thou
sand pounds Bermuda currency, is fafe arrived here.
" By letters found on board to the 22d of July they
seem dou ! tful of American independence or a peace ; all
agree that Russia and Denmark are friendly to Great-
Britain."
When the little vessel (which yeflerday brought the
above advio-s) was coming out of port, a ship of 20
guns from Havamri, and four other prizes to the Bri
tifh cruiers were going into Bermuda harbour.
Translation of a French account of an engagement be
tween his maiefty's sh p the supposed of 74
guns, and two French frigates, L'Aigle, and La
Gloire. The original was feund on board L'Aigle
frigate; sh uld it not prove to be the genuine pro
duction of captain de la Touche, he will be pleased
to disclaim it.
SIR,
In the night of the 4th September 1782, in the lati
tude of 39. to. N. longitude 67. 53. W. from the
meridian of Paris, I difeovered a vessel to leeward
fleering the fam' course with us, as near the wind as
she could lie, with her larboard tacks on board, the
wind then blowing f r efh from the weft. I immedi
ately bore down on her to reconnoitre her, and being
within half cannon Ihot, I concluded by her looming
to be a two deck r; La Gloire being to leeward of
me, and much nearer the vessel than myfelf, I judged
by the number of lights between decks, file intended
to engage her. — Considering her to be a vessel of
much superior force to L'Aigle and La Gloire, and
the importance of the commission entrufled to me, I
thought necessary to haul our wind, hoping La Gloire
would fol'ow my example, without my having re-
Course to night signals for performing that manoeuvre;
but monfi-mr le Chevalier de Vallogue was then within
half mufict (hot of the ship who hailed him, when I
gave orders to prepare for engaging, M. de
Vallogue, judging the enemy would improve his ad
vantageous situation, and pour in a broadside on him,
courageously determined to give him a general dis
charge of all his cannon that would bear upon him
firft, which was instantly returned, and the engage
ment began within piflol (hot, this put an end to all
refleaion on the inequality of the engagement, and I
immediately brought the wind aft, and bore down to
support La Gloire. After she had exchanged some
broadsides, the firing mutually ceased, and they reci
procally interrogated each other concerning their co
lours. The English captain having declared his,
M. de Vallogue, told him he was French, and or
dered him to strike, to which he ironically replied, he
intended it, at the fame time endeavouring to gain an
advantageous situation to bear upon la Gloire, which
M. de Vallogue prevented, and gave her a volley
which must have been very deftrußive. The engage
ment was then renewed, and I just then fell in between
La Gloire and the enemy, and immediately made a
discharge of all my artillery which appeared to me most
likely to do the greatest execution ; the fire of the ene
my did not appear to me so lively as I expected, and
from their disposition I concluded without doubt their
determination was to board me. Observing I had
to deal with a ship of 64 guns or upwards, and
feeing no other chance of success but that they were
going to offer me, I resolved not to disappoint them
of the opportunity, having on board 500 fighting
men, animated by the examples ®f monsieur Ie Baron
de Viomenil, monsieur Ie due de Lauzun, marquis
de Laval, marquis de Cbampande, Mr. M'Mahon,
Sheldon, of the comte de Chahamer, vifeount de
Fleury and de Melfort, the comtes de Bauzon, de
Rue and de Langeron, the son and son in law of M
Ie Baron de Viomenil, and other officers, whose
exalted courage flimulated the whole crew ; the fprit
fail-yard of the enemy was across our bow', when we
fired a volley, and called out to board her and vive
Ie Roy. M. Ie Baron de Viomenil prepared to board
the enemy, followed by all those I have above-named,
when she manoeuvred to throw herfelf farther distant,
without giving me a single gun, which I impute to
the panic with which my resolution had struck her
whole crew, which to all appearance was not numerous
* Getfer 1 Arnold must have meant every rebel effort.
For when he gave his opinion; he probably was not in
the secret of 8000 regular troops of France, an immense
train of artillery, and 34 ships of the line joining the
rebels to attack York and Gloucester.
we were till then so close, that in cbargirg the cannon,
the men of the enemy's lower tier struck each other with
their rammers.——Separated thus to the difiance of a
musket shot, we renewed the engagement ; the fire of
the enemy's ship decreased in an extraordinary manner;
towards day, La Gloire who had taken an advantage
ous position, began on her part, afrefh the combat,
raking her fore and aft ; her rigging was so much shat
tered that it was with great difficulty she could be
worked; this circumflance enabled us to engage her in
such a situation, that we could keep up a constant fire,
which she was incapable of returning; I should have
continued the engagement, the event'of which must
doubtless have terminated in our favour, had not my
man at the mast head difeovered several fail. Having
reviewed the enemy's ship, we found her to mount 74
guns, 36, 32, and 18 pounders ; fearing the belonged
to the squadron in fight, and having fulfilled the duty
I owed to the honour of the French flag, I made a sig
nal to La Gloire to make fail and follow me, the ene
my was not in a condition to pursue us, her fails being
much torn, the parrels shot away, and the yards kept
to the mast only by the braces; the engagement lasted
two hours and fifty minutes, in which the crews of the
two frigates gave proofs of the greatest courage and
most d'term ned valour, my ships company and that
of La Gloire, were animated by the brilliant examples
of M. Ie comte de Segue, the prince of Broglio de Litch.
orne, a Swedish cornel, Le chevalier de Lameth, vis.
comte de Vaudreuil, Le baron de Montesquieu, and Le
vifeomte Palefki. I judged by the caliber of the 36
pounders, some of the balls of which struck our ship,
and from her conftrudion, that she was the Hedor,
which the enemy took in the engagement of the 12th of
April. The loss the frigates have Curtained is very tri
fling—l had no more than 4 men killed, and 19 wound
"a Gl°' re > 3 killed, and 2 wounded. I cannot
fufficiently applaud the conduct and courage M. de
chevalier de Vallogue shewed in engaging and main
taining the conflia ; he was well supported by his offi
cers, monsieur Le prince de Guemene, and Le cheva
lier de Montulay, of the marines—they particularly
distinguished themselves.
I was equally well affixed by my officers on board L'
Aigle: monsieur Duquefne lias gained an additional
claim to the favour of the king : and I had the fatis
faaion to observe the effed of my cannon, which was
conducted by my brother, answer my highest expecta
tions. lam much indebted to the conduct of monf.
De Harang, Chadirai, Malon, La Paline, &c.
The Printer has not yet been able to procure the con
clusion of the above detail.
FIS H-K IL L, Oflober to.
We learn from Long Island, that the enemy have
evacuated their port at Lloyds Neck,the 22d ult.
That the loyalists on that part of the island had the
indulgence offered them of emigrating to Nova Scotia
on certain terms of encouragement. That many of
them chose rather to risk the forfeited mercy of their
country, than accept so precarious a profpea of emo-
#** Monseigneur le comte de la Touche, is pro
bably right in his conjectures concerning the ship he so
heroicly engaged, with L'Aigle and La Gloire French
frigates; the one of forty 24 and 12 pounders, with
500 fighting men ; the other of 32 guns and equally well
manned. We know the Heftor, captain John Bour
chier, separated from the Jamaica convoy, and we are
also refpeaively informed, that she had no more than
about 250 men, with a few invalids, and 150 French
prisoners on board, which accounts for the very small
number of people the comte discovered in her : she had
some of her lower deck guns in the hold, to ease the
ship in her passage to England, and not having men to
station at them. —Monseigneur has omitted noticing the
Sophia, a letter of marque, carrying 20 nine pounders,
and 140 men, who, it is believed, was in company with
him, and might have assisted in this gallant a&ion.
On Saturday brigadier general Browne arrived here
from England, but lart from Halifax, in his majesty's
sloop of war Lively, captain Stanhope, commander,
charged with dispatches for his excellency fir Guy
Carleton, commander in chief; when the Lively left
Ha ifax eight days since, every thing was in a perfect
state of tranquility, and the garrison, confining of up
wards of fix thousand men, were in perfect health and
spirits. Brigadier general Browne likewise confirms
the fafe arrival of major general Patterson at Halifax,
that brigadier general Campbell had failed for Penob
fcot on the 26th of September. The Caton, a French
man of war of 64 guns, one of lord Rodney's prizes,
was arrived at Halifax to be repaired, under the care
of the Pallas frigate, as was also his majefly's ship
Magnificent of 74 guns, which wanted some trifling re
pairs, both those ship ' it was supposed would be ready
for sea in about ten days.
On Sunday evening, the 29th ult. a party of Din
ners, came over in a whaleboat, and landed at Cow.
Neck, on Long Island, where they robbed two fami
lies, of the name of Hewlet, and committed several 0-
ther ads of violence: some of the inhabitants fufpe&-
ing where they landed, captured their boat and keep
er which the Dinners soon came to the knowledge of,
when they took the route to Mr. Butler's creek, at Oy
rter-bay, where they seized a boat, and made their
escape to the main with only the lot's of one of their
party. —
SALE M, September 26.
Yesterday arrived at Beverly a brig of 16 guns, late
in the service of his Britannic majesty. The crew of
the Hope (a small privateer lately captured by her) be
ing prisoners on board her, to the number of 2t, rose
upon the brig's people, in number 62, while laying in a
small harbour on the Labrador shore, overcame them,
and took the command of the vessel, with which they
have had the good fortune to arrive fafe in port.
N E WH A V E N, Oftober 3.
We hear from Long-Island, that orders were receiv
ed for the evacuation of the enemy's port on Lloyd's-
Neck, on account of the scarcity of wood, in its vi
cinity, and that the garrison were s o take port farther
eastward, a regiment of light-horse having come from
New-York, to protest them in their removal.