The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-06-05 00:00:00, page 2

.WORCESTER, My §:
A eorrefpondent, at Cambridge, has favoured us
With the following authentic account of the fkirmilh
on Hog and Noddle islands, in Bolton Harbour, viz.
" On the 27th inst. a party of the Massachusetts
forces, under command of Col. Nixon,together with
a party of the New-Hampshire forces, joined byCol.
Putnam, in all about 600, were ordered to drive off
the sheep and other sock on Hog-Island; whilst this
was compleating, a party of the King's troops came
out of a barn on Noddle-island and were driving off
a number horses from thence : Between Hog-island
and the aforefaid barn on Noddle-island, there is a
level marlh of about half a mile in length, surround
ed with water, and entirely open to the enemy ; not
withstanding this about fix of the provincial forces,
animated with that spirit which is natural to Ame
ricans,landed onNoddle-ifland, and altho' the marsh
was void of any cover, and the enemy might secure
ly fire upon them from the barri; and a stone wall
adjacent to it, they marched up in open view, and
without the loss of a man dispersed the enemy who
fled with precipitation ; they then recovered the
horses which the enemy were driving off. About
this time an armed fchooner^ with a number of
barges came up the creek, keeping up a constant fire
upon our men at Winnifimet- ferry and the parts
adjacent: About 20 or 30 of the Provincials had
how landed on Noddle-island to fopport the afore
faid party of fix. As the schooner had arrived long
fide the marsh, and our people found it impoffibfe
tocarry off the stock on Noddle-island, they were
obliged to kill 1 1 horses, and bro't off onlyfone, and
two horned cattle, the schooner together with the
barges armed with swivels, immediately fird grape
shot at the party off the marffi, and altho' the party
were entirely exposed to their fire without any cover,
and the schooner was not more than fifty rods dif
°tant they providentially neither killed nor Wounded
one man,and the party regained Hog-island in fafe
ty, secured only by the fire of 12 provincials on ah
eminence who obliged 100 of the King's troops to
retreat. About this time a. party of regulars to the
number of 50 advanced platoons upon a number of
provincials who were on guard on a marsh on Hog
ifland; a very brisk fire immediately commenced
from said party, and from the provincials on the
fuinmit of Hog-island, likewise from the regular
bodies who fapported thefifty,and from the schooner
& barges: This lasted till about fun-down when the
schooner & berges fell down the creek keeping a con
tinual fire. After this the wind dyingaway,the barges
towed her back to Winnifimet, out people put in a
heavy fire of final! arms upon the barges, and two
3-pounders coming up to our assistance began to play
upon tl^m,and after two or three hours engagement
obliged the barges to quit her, and to carry off her
crew: After which our people set fire to her, and
notwithstanding all attempts to prevent it by the
barges she was burnt on the Ways of Winnifimet
ferry. Through the kind interposition of divine
providence, we have not loft a single life in this en
gagement, which was very hot from the armed
schooner which mounted 4 fix-pounders and 12
swivels, and also from an armed sloop that lay with
in reach of small arms, and from two twelve-pound
ers on Noddle island, and from one or two of the
men of war in the harbour ; only three of the Pro
vincials were wounded, butneither of them mortal
ly. What number of the enemy were killed and
wounded we cannot ascertain, but it is thought
their loss is very considerable. Our people have got
in possession the cannon & every thing else on board
the schooner which was not destroyed by the fire."
Perhaps History cannot furnifh us with a more
miraculous interposition of divine Providence :--Al
though our Enemies kept a warm Fire, both Cannon
and Small Arms, yet we have but three Men wounded,
two of which received their Wounds from our Men ;
none of them supposed to be mortal?
We Rill beg the most earnest and conftantPrayers of
our pious Friends, that our Heads may always be
covered in the Day of Battle. The Lord is a Man of
War ; let Salvation be ascribed to the Lord.
Our Enemies in Boftnn, we are informed, are very
confident of having made a great Slaughter in the
above Engagement. They report various Accounts
of the Number of our Men whom they killed and
wounded ; some of them are so moderate as to mention
only 2 or 300 ; others of them make our Loss amount
to about 600.
CAMBRIDGE. June 1.
On the 6thof January 1773, ThomasHutchinfon,
Esq; late Governor of Maflachufetts-Bay, made a
speech at the opening of the General Assembly, in
support of the claim of Parliament of a right to
make laws binding on the Colonies in all cases
whatsoever.
On the 21st of August, in the fame year, he wrote
toa gentleman in London on the fubjed, in words
following, as appears by his Letter-Book, in his
own hand writing, ready to be produced.
46 I Ihould not do myfelf justice if I did not tell
you, that! have all the reason that can be to sup
pose the controversy between me and the two houses
will have a good effect in the other colonies. When
I wa; at Hartford, Dr. Johnson allured me, he had
never fan the right 'of Parliament so unanswerably sup
ported before."
On the 23d of the fame month, he wrote also to
Mr. Secretary Pownall in the following words, viz.
" From conversation with Dr. Johnson, of Con
nefticut, as well as the gentlemen of New-York,with
whom I was upon a treaty at Hartford, I have all
the reason that can be to conclude that the contro
versy between me and theAffembly has already been
of service to the cause of government in those two
colonies, and that more has been done to prevent a
claim to independency, upon any constitutional
principles, than ever had been done before."
We hear that forty thousand pound sterling is ar
rived in the Merlin for the use of the King's forces.
The Cyberus frigate of 36 guns is arrived at Bof
ten, on board of which were the Generals Howe,
Burgoyne, and Clinton.
PHILADELPHIA, May 24.
In CONGRESS, May 17, 1775.
Resolved Unanimously,
That all exportations to Quebec, Nova-Scotia,
the island of St. John's, Newfoundland, Georgia,
except the parish of St. John's, and to East & Weft
Florida, immediately cease ; and that no provisions
of any kind, or other necessaries, be furnifhed to
the British fifheris on the American coasts, until it
be otherwise determined by the Congress.
We are assured from good authority, that our most
excellent Queen, often sheds tears in interceding
with a great personage in behalf of the devoted town
of Boston, and province of Massachusetts Bay.---
God bless her !
Last week the committee of this city, received a
bill of 601. sterling from one gentleman for the use of
the poor of Boston.
His Excellence theßight Honourable John Earl of
Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, has issued a Pro
clamation, appointing Thursday the firft of June
next, for the meeting of the General Assembly of
that Colony, at the City of William fburgh.
The Countess of Dunmore, and the rest of the
Governor's Family,, are returned to Williamiburgh,
from oh board the Man of War.
Lift Wednesday the Hon. Peyton Randolph, Esq;
set off from Philadelphia for Virginia; to attend his
Place as Speaker of the House of Burgeffcs of that
Province ; when the Hon. John Hancock, Esq; was
appointed president of the Continental Congress in
his Room.
NEW-YOR K, May 25.
It is reported that the forces diftined for Boston,
New-York, &c. will not Be sent off before the Sth
of June, in expectation of the good effects of Lord
North's conciliating plan.-—What infatuation ! to
imagine such a scheme would be productive of any
thing but disgust and contempt!
In PROVINCIAL CONGRESS,
New-York.
May 2§. Whereas the Enemies of American Liber
ty are indefatigable in their Endeavours to disunite
the Colonies ; and in prosecuting of this Measure,
evil minded Persons may insinuate that the northern
Colonies have hostile Intentions against our Fellow
Subjects in Canada.
Refolded, that this Congress do most earnestly re
commend it to all Persons whatsoever, not to commit
any Hostilities against the People of that Country,
and do hereby declare to the World, that we do con
fider every fuchStep as infamous and highly inimical
to all the Colonies.
ROBERT BENSON, Secry.
In PROVINCIAL CONGRESS,
New-York, May 29, 1775.
Refolded, That it be recommended, and it is here
by accordingly recommended to all the counties in
this colony, (who have not already done it) to ap
point countyCommittees,and also Sub-Committees,
for their refpedive townships, Precinfis, & Diftrids,
without delay in order to carry into execution the
Resolution of the Continential, and this Provincial
Congress :---And that it is also recommended to eve
ry inhabitant of this Colony, who has hitherto neg
leded to subscribe the General Association, to do it
with all convenient speed. And for these purposes,
that the Committees in the refpedive Counties, in
which Committees have been formed, do tender the
said association to every inhabitant within the seve
ral diftrids in each county; and that such persons
in those counties, or diftri£ls, who have not appoint
ed Commitees, as Ihall be appointed by the mem
bers of this Congress, refpe€ting such counties and
diftrifts refpedively, do make such tender as afore
faid, in such counties and diftrids refpe&ively. And
that the said Committees and persons refpcdively,
do return the said association and the names of those
who shall neglect or refufe to sign the fame, to this
Congress, by the 15th of July next, or sooner if
possible. A true copy from the minutes,
ROBERT BENSON, Sec'ry.
HERTFORD, June 5.
We bear from Albany, that the General Committee for
that City, have refolded to raise 800 Men for the De
fence of American Liberty ; and that as fan as said Re
five was made public, three Companies were immediately
inlifled, c wbo haveface marched for the Defence of the im
portant Fortress of Ticonderoga and Crown-Point.
Extras of a Letter from Portsmouth to the^ Provin
cial Congress, Massachusetts, and from thera
forwarded to the Committees of Correspondence
in Connecticut.
Gentlemen, Portsmouth, 29th May, 1775.
'' We had two provision Vessels fiezed at the Mouth
of our Harbour last Night, by the Scarborough, and upon
Application made to Cafet. Barclay for their Release, find
he bas positive Orders from 'the Admiral to fake PoJeffion
of all Peffels Laden with Provisions, Salt, and Molasses,
and sent them to Boflon---and fays further, those Orders
are circular- through the Continent. By Order
of Committee, B. WFNTWORTII, Chairman.”
Lafi Week the 4th Regiment of Troops raised by tbir
Colony, under Command of Col. Benjamin. Hinman,
marched for their Station at Ticonderoga.
Wednejday las ended the Spring Session ofthe General
Assembly at this Place.-
Extract of a letter from London, dated-March 2.
" The ministry, it is now generally thought, are inflex
ible. Lord North was asked again and again, this week
in the house of commons, whether he bad any thing more
of a lenient or conciliatory nature topropofe. He said
there was nothing further of that kind intended; and ac
knowledged that the remainder of the scheme was entirely
coercive. When he was asked whether the three bills of
the last year were to be repealed, be replied that when the
colonies bad come to an unconditioned submission par
liament would confides what was ft to be done. [Tery
gracious indeed !],
" The ministry are now in pretty good spirits, on ac-
count of what they conceive to be a division among your
felyes in favour of government both in New. York and
New-England. We think that, like drowning men they
are catching at every firaw. —Such however we hope
their prtfent expeßations ' will prove.".
Lht following is General Gage's accotmt of the Battle
sent by him to the several Governors cm the Continent.
A circumfantial Account of an attack that happened on the
I tyh of April, 1775, 0% ^ Majesty's Troops, by a
number ofth&People of theProvince of Mafachufettsßay
ONTuefday che 18th of April, about half pad
ten at night, Lieut. Col. Smith, of the 10th
Regiment embarked from the common at Boston,
with the Grenadiers and Light Infantry of the troops
there, and landed on the opposite fide, from whence
he began his march towards Concord, where he was
ordered to destroy a magazine of military stores de
posi ted there for the uie of an army to be assembled,
in order to aft against his Majesty, and his govern
ment. The Colonel called his Officers together,
and gave orders, that the Troops ffiould not fire,
unless fired upon ; and after marching a few miles,
detached fix companies ofLight Infantry, under the
command of Major Pitcairn, to take poffeffiou of two
bridges on the other fide of Concord. Soon after
they heard many signal guns, and the ringing of
alarm bells repeatedly, which convinced them that
the country was riling to oppose them, and that it
was a preconcerted scheme to oppose the King's
Troops, whenever there should be a favourable op
portunity for it. About three o'clock next morning,
the Troops being advanced within two miles of
Lexington, intelligence was received, that about five
hundred men in arms, were assembled, and deter
mined to oppose the King's Troops ; * and on Ma
jor Pitcairn's galloping up to the head of the ad
vanced Companies, two Officers informed him, that
a Man advanced from those that were assembled, had
presented his mufquet and attempted to shoot them,
but the piece slashed in the pan : On which the Major
gave directions to the Troops to move forward, but
on no account to fire, nor even to attempt it without
orders. When they arrived at the end of the vil
lage, they observed about 2CO armed men drawn up
on a green, and when the treops came within ahun
dred yards of them, they began to file off towards
some stone walls, on their right flank: The Light
Infantry observing this, ran after them ; the Major
instantly called to the soldiers not to fire, but to sur
round and disarm them ; some of them who had
jumped overa wall, then fired four or five Ihot at
the Troops, wounded a man of the 10th Regiment,
and the Major's horse in two places, and at the fame
time several shots were fired from aMeeting- House on
the left : Upon this without any order or regularity,
the Light Infantry began a scattered fire, and killed
several of the country.people ; but were silenced as
soon as the authority of their officers could make them
fAfter this CoL Smith marched up with the re
mainder of the detachment, and the whole body pro
ceeded to Concord,.where they arrived about , o'
clock, without any thing further happening ; but
vast numbers of at med people were seen assembling
on all the heights: while Colonel Smith with the
grenadier, and pit of the light infantry remained
at Concord, to search for cannon, &c. there ; he de
tached Capt. Pa ifons with fix light companies to
secure a bridge at some distance from Concord, and
to proceed from thence to certain houses, where it
* At this time tie advanced Light Companies loaded,
but the Grenadiertram not loaded when they received the
firft Fire.
f Notwitbftewing the Fire from the Meeting House,
Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn, with the greats, dif
ficulty, kept the soldiers from forcing into the Meeting
&l' eand putting all those in it to &tb.