The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette — Portsmouth, N.H., 1778-01-06 00:00:00, page 1

THE courage, and fortitude of the A
meric^ns by many glorious exertions,
have been proclaim'd throughout the
world. —their valour, and intrepidity will be
ever admir'd while patriotism, and virtue are
deftinguifh'd with honor. in milatary a
chievements, we ftan'd on equal footing with
the most refpeitable, and diiUnguifh'd nati
ons !-= the name of Americans will be hand
^J.^wn with venerpron, while Liberty, ^d
Independence are valued by the brave aha
virtuous.—when the power of Britain,aided
by whole bands of mercenaries, endeavour'd
with all the malice of Hell, to destroy the
fair inheritance given us by our fathers when
like internals, these herds of myrmedions fal
ly'd forth, havoc, and deftruaiem witnefs'd
the dire determination of their purposes . —
fire, sword, and desolation, proclaim'd the
doom of these Rates, if we fuffei'd them to
proceed in their career—our towns now stand
monuments of British cruelty ; —the inno
cent inhabitants turn'd from their dwellings,
to combat the rigours of famine and poverty,
and distress in all its forms ; even the Appli
cations of the helpless mothers with their in
fants, were treated with all the insolence vil
lains could invent, and cruelty inflict——a
nimated with that spirit, which diftinguifhe^
the character of the brave, and patriotic, we
boldly asserted the rights of men, and deter
min'd, to live, or dye freemen:— we girt on
the sword in our own defence,and flood forth
^oirp^dekhe progress of, defol ding army :
—like men sensible of liberty, and the pri
viledges that diftioguifh Americans, from
slaves, we rufh'd on our foes, with that ar
dor,which nothing but our noble cause could
inspire ; we mark'd their paths with blood ;
and taugh^hem by fid experience, the dan
ger of rousing the spirit of freemen.—we
have now my brethren, if we rightly im
prove our advantages, nothing to fear from
them ; since we have engag'd in the con
flid, to the present day, we have made our
selves glorious in vidory.
How will it damp the front of our ene
mies in Britain, when they hear the fatal ca
tastrophe of Burgoyne ! the high expectations
they had of conquests, when every thing
fcem'd to favour their progress : when the
faviges were encourag'd to lay desolate our
defencclefs frontiers ; when all the terrors of
Burgoyne's vengeance were issued forth in
proclamations, and success on their fiJe\
VOL. [I.
BURLINGTON, (New-Jersey) Dec 17.,
We hear from good authority, that this day fe'night
flit enemy entirely den '1 shed and evaculated Billings
fort ; and that since our people left Red-Bank, several
of the enemy's ships have been loft on the chevaux
de frze, one of which is said to be 36 gun frigate.
On Wednesday night the 10th infant, a considerable
part of the British forces wernt over Schuylkill at the
middle ferry ; and about two o'clock the next morn
ing our arn^ymoved from Whitemarih to the Swedes
ford where they crrflfed. Since this movement there
have been feverab fkimifhes: Ore on Thursday be
tween General Porter's corps of militia and an ad
vanced party of the enemy. The next day the ac
tion was renewed,and was more considerable, in which
the enemy is said to have feffered very much ; and,by
several p^fons from Philadelphia since it happened,
we learn, that all the people were turned out of the
house of employment rthe reception of the wound
ed—aid that the enemy acknowledge themfebes to
Lave bra. much wcr^ed.
TUESDAY, JANUARY, 6, fy?
New-Hampshire Gazette.
The FREEMANS JOURNAL,
feem'd certain : in the mihd of their carouf
ings, to hearche tydings of the defeat, of this
almost certain victorious army ; to hear chey
are now not the conquerors,but the priDners
of America — this information must Arike
them with astonishment, at the valour of the
Americans, and make us as terrible., ^ we
were before thought despicable. —an army
of American militia, will go longer be treat
ed as bugbears, by a deceiv'd ministry, but
fear'd as veterans. —these things my-bre
thren^c have done ; we have hitherto, act
ed worthy of our characters; we have made
ourselves formidable,by our courage,& good
conduCt.—one part of our country, we have
frec'd from all the horrors of war; and is now
become an affylum of peace, and security ;
this we have done by bei^uniied, in one
general, determin'd sentiment to conquer,'or
dye.'
But tho' we have hitherto acted with this
resolution, and perseverance, yet further ex
erfions are nec^ffary : the sword must remain
unsheath'd ; and we must (till continue the
havoc of our foes, 'till we exterpate them
from our land— let us not remain inactive,
while the residue of our enemies are Bill
planning our ruin, and will become formida
ble, unless we persevere with refolution,their
deftruCtion—witnefsPhiladclphia,NewYork
and Rhode Island ; let every American ask
his conference, whether he ought to remain
inactive, while those places are ganifon'd ;
can any man that regards the welfare^d se
curity of his country, be long urg'd to join
one general army, and rush on to decisive
battle.— what can we expect, by delaying
our present glorious opportunity ! if we right
ly improve the present winter, conquest will
certainly establish our independence, on the
firm bottom of peace,and liberty l ; but if we
negleCt it, we only allow our enemies time
to recruit, from the many severe repulses we
have given them, and again become formi
dable by our own negka. the infuirig spring
will open further campaigns, and introduce
new feenes of blood and daughter ; our ene
mies will be again frefh for the combat, and
will be animated, by our (offering them to
remain unmolested ; they will confture their
security, our weakness and irresolution.—can
we propose to have a more favourable op
portunity ! we have now only one object ;
if we rout them from Philadelphia, all their
profpeds of a spring, or summer campaign,
We also learn, that at the enemy's return from their
late excursion to Chefnut-Hill, they turned all the in
habitants in fix bftreet out of their dwellings, in the
moil cruel manner, throwing their goods in the street:
Their treatment to the farmers in the country was not
less cruel, as they plundered, bu nt and destroyed al
most all before them, without the leatt diferiminati
on, —and that they had feveVal officers and a great
number of privates killed and wounded in the a&ion
on Sunday, as mentioned in otr last.
The day before yesterday, about 20 British f^ilors
were taken prisoners at or near Cooper's ferry, oppo
site Philadelphia, bv a party of Jersey militia.
NEW-HAVEN December 24.
Monday the 15 Infant, nine of the enemy's light
horfemen were taken prisoners by one of our foraging
parties near Kings-Bridge.
Ina late New York paper, there is an account of
Capt. Johnson of the Lexington p.ivateer being taken,
and carried into Dover in Engiin],
Sunday, the rfh of Sept. I^, there was 2 severe
The important Period,
O R,
must dye in consequence. —the only hopes
the ministry have, replac'd on Howe's
keeping puff ffion of Philadelphia thtywin-
CT ;it he does that, together with & .force
mems, they exped for to mate further ef
forts.— this b@ g the date of affairs, can we
half between two options ! shall 3 millions
of Americans,fuffi^^e^ihot-xand enemies,
to have quiet pcfftHioi of iheiru.pi^i f-fuf.
fer it as a nest to nourish iroofands more,
for-our defiru^u'u ' imp'^inh nrbid <
the manes of Warren, Montgomery, and all
the host of heroes, who hive i^ur their blood
in the cause !—let us again rouse as one, &
become as formidable to Howe, as we have
already been to Burgoyne:—the power ftili
remains in our hands, and we fin even against
the Almighty,who put it in our hands,il we
do not improve it. — this is our season for
fighting ; we have nothing else to do; in
stead of setting around our fires, content
plating further efforts of Britain, let us warm
ourselves in subduing our enemies, and de
clare to Britain, in characters of blood, we
will be free !— in the spring we flhall have
famething elle to do, besides fighting ; our
farms will then call us forth to agriculture ;
but with what spirit, can you sow your feed,
when the produce is left in the power of your
enemies, to pillage, and destroy !—thefe are
advantages they have already reap'd, and c
ver will, if we let flip this precious opportu
nity.— [ might venture to fay, this winter
might fettle the controversy, and the spring
might open with peace, liberty, and latety ;
every one might fit down under his own
vine, and his own fig tree, and have none to
make him afraid.
If there is any virtue left among the A
mericans, let the crys of our brethren now in
the hands of our cruel enemies, urge you to
battle ! ye that have fathers, brothers or re
lations, can you set still, and hear the groans
of their distress, when it ir in your power to
refeue them !—the blood of our flaughter'd
brethren, cry aloud for vengeance ! 1 may al
most with the spirit of prophecy tell you, ne
gled the present opportunity at your peril. 1
—again 1 fay, and let my words have due
consideration, arise with one determin'd spi
rit, and 1 doubt not, yea I am persuaded, the
God of our fathers, will pour his vengeance
on our enemies, and raise America the g'ory
of the world. A. Z.
January I, 1778.
shock of an earthquake felt in many parts of England
HARTFORD, December 30.
Last Sunday an express palled through this town,
on his way from Head-Quarters to Gen. Heath, He
reported that war was proclaimed between France and
England.
PORTSMOUTH, January 6, 1778.
I WOULD Aik, why the Journais ci our
General Court are not Printed from time to
time, that the People at large, may be ac
quainted therewith? I would likewise Ask,
whether the Money emitted by this State has
been Expended in Defraying the Charges
thereof ? Or that any Parts of it has been
Appropriated to the use of the Continent ? If
so, why may not that Sum be as so much al
ready Paid towards our Continental Tax ?
Monthly Publications of the T ranf,&ions of
the Court will no doubt prevent any such
Questions to be A/ked in future. A, B.
No. go;