The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-09-26 00:00:00, page 2

Extract of a letter from Williamsburg, Sept. ~ 1781.
" Admiral Hood looked in here, and with ten
flips attacked four of the line that were Rationed at
Cape-Charles. On Count de Graffe's appearance
with his fleet, the Admiral pushed off, and could
not be overtaken. The French fleet have again tak
en their Ration in the bay, four at the entrance of
York river, four at each cape, the main body at
Hampton road."
Extract of a letter from Baltimore, Sept. 16.
" I am happy to congratulate you on the junction
of the two fleets, Count de Barras and Count de
Graffe, in the bay. The former has taken a 44 gun
fliip, two frigates, and two transports; and it is
said the latter has had an action with the British,
before the arrival of the Rhode-Illand fleet in which
they took a 64 gun ship, but this is only report."
Yesterday afternoon arrived in this city, on his
return from France, the Honourable Colonel Ar
mand, Marquis de la Roulkie, with a number of
arms and clothing for his legion.
Yesterday arrived from a cruize, the privateer
ship Congress, Captain Geddis. On the sth instant
he fell in with the sloop of war Savage, of 18 guns
and 130 men, Captain Stirling, oft Charleftown,
when a severe action commenced, which continued
five glafles, great part of the time within pistol shot.
The Savage Itruck, with the loss of between 30 and
40 men killed and wounded. The Congress had 25
killed and wounded.
Last week was lent to this city a great number of
letters, found in the baggage taken by General
Marion, at Monk's-Corner, S. Carolina, which
the enemy affe& to make the world believe they
had burnt ; among them is the following, from
Nat Coffin to his brother, a Major in the Britilh
service, dated New-York, June 20, 1781.
" I arrived here in thirteen days, and found eve
ry body and every thing much in the fame situation
as I left them. My intention was to have gone to
England by a fleet that failed the 14th, but the cri
tical situation of affairs at present detains me here.
Indeed, Jack, they are not very encouraging. We
have seen our Admiral, with a superiority of Ships,
fuffer the French fleet to get away, in a manner that
must ever disgrace the British flag. You must have
heard the particulars long since, therefore it is need
less to repeat them to you. There are many other
matters of a publick nature on land going very wrong
in this quarter ; but it is needless allo to repeat them.
Your friend Campbell, who is so good as to take
this, will tell you all. Should the French fend out
a large reinforcement this summer to the Continent,
we shall be a little puzzled ; at present we are under
no apprehension. The French fleet were, by foe
last accounts, at Rhode-Bland. Our fleet have been
cruizing for fomc time off Block-Island, and three
days ago returned into port: they have not been
fortunate enough to meet withthe Hermoine and Ariel,
who, with a convoy of flour, failed from the Dela
ware, and arrived fafe a, few days ago at Rhode-
Island. 'Tis said, and I believe it is true, that a
fleet of victuallers and recruits, under convoy of a
fifty and two frigates, are fafe in from France to
Lofton. The French troops have left Rhode-Bland,
and joined Mr. Washington ; what are their intend
ed operations time will unfold. You will fee by our
papers, that another rebel Mail has been captured ;
it is given out from head-quarters, that a vast plan
is discovered; what it is, or whether there ever was
one, we, the vulgar, are as yet ignorant. It seems
as if all our operations will be to the southward this
summer ; and that here we are to act altogether up
on the defensive. On the 9th instant a fleet of trans
ports arrived here from the Chefapeak, under con
voy of the Charon and Thames, in which came
General Arnold sick. Entre nous, I believe he will
be laid aside; whether his activity and enterprizing
spirit has made him an object of too much envy, or
whether Mr. Arnold has not hurt himfelf by disco
vering too much fondnefs for cash, I am at a loss to
determine : If he is so attached to the latter as is re
presented, he is no loss to the cause he has deserted,
and eventually he can be no acquisition to us—be it
as it may, here he is. General Leslie is at Ports
mouth with about 3000 men ; there is nothing be
tween him and Lord Cornwallis, who, with about
5000 men, by the last accounts, was twenty miles
above Richmond, in pursuit of the Marquis la Fay
ette, who keeps constantly retreating from him, and
believe will avoid an action if he can. Ido net find
that his Lordship gains one material acquisition of
men in Virginia, in the fame manner as in the great
extent of country he has already palled through;
under such immense hardships, the people difeover
no loyalty or attachment to the British government ;
but on the contrary, the instant he has turned his
back, they are all in arms. There is a strange fata
lity attending all our measures, and, I believe, ever
will attend them, under this Commander in Chief.
That Southern Hero, who has been so fhamefully
neglected, and would, if it had not been for the molt
decisive conduct, and amazing exertions, have been
long since facrificed, is now doomed to act in the
middle of summer in a country where the climate
will make more havock than the sword. lam far
from being a competent judge, but I cannot help
being apprehensive that that brave and good man
will lose a great many fine fellows, and encounter
great hardships, without being able to do any thing
effectual —in that I am afraid it is too late in the
day—but I may be, and I most sincerely hope I am,
mistaken. The political machine is now become so
complicate and perplexed, that it is far beyond my
capacity to understand it, and therefore I may form
a very erroneous opinion of our affairs ; but though
possessed of Render materials, an opinion of some
fort or other will intrude itfelf upon me, and such
as it is you have it.
" We are extremely anxious to hear from your
quarter, not one arrival from Charleftown since zzd
of May. All the intelligence we have from you, is
via the rebels, and God knows it is bad enough ;
Greene's letters to Congress give us the disagreeable
news, that every important post in that province is
either taken or evacuated, and we are since inform
ed that you are cooped up in Charleftown, so that
all our efforts in that extensive province have proved
abortive. I hope, my dear Jack, it will please the'
Supreme Being to preserve you amidst the dangers
of the climate and the sword, and that after combat
ing so many difficulties and hardships, you may be
Rill referred to enjoy some repose. I could with
that you were away from that infernal climate, and
let me beg of you, if you find your health upon the
decline, to delay not a moment coming here to re
cftablilh it. Your services have been long and faith
ful in that country, and you arc certainly entitled to
some indulgence. I expected the pleafurc of a line
or two from you, after the battle of Habkirk's Hill,
the particulars of which we have never yet been in
dulged with, but from Mr. Greene, to whom (to
our eternal shame be it spoken) we are indebted for
any accounts from that part of the world; but I
suppose the confufion and hurry you were in imme
diately after, did not give you many moments of
leisure, and therefore I excuse you ; indeed the hand
some manner in which you are mentioned upon that
occasion, and your general character in the army,
give us all great pleasure. Pray how came the re
bels in possession of three letters after the evacuation
of Camden, written to Lord R. two from the Earl of
Huntingdon, and one from Governor Martin ? Ri
vington in this day's Gazette, has republished, from
a Philadelphia paper, the two from the Earl ; but (in
my'opinion very foolifhly) has left out fume very
material parts. These ratcals are surely very fortu
nate, as nothing could give the people more spirits
than those three letters; they are publishing them
throughout the country. In one letter the Earl fays,
the conduct of our commanders have so depreciat
ed Great- Britain in the eyes of Europe, &c. &c.
Governor Martin seems much chagrined, that the
Scotch emigrants in North-Carolina have deceived
him. All this for your own information, in case you
should not have seen the rebel papers.
" Upon my arrival, I found Callbuk here- he
comes upon an errand that I am afraid he will' not
succeed in : he had railed a company at the island
which the Commander in Chief, upon the arrival of
Colonel Hurlyhoy, ordered to be disbanded ; Call
buk, however, upon the advice of the Governor and
Council, still kept it up, and has now taken a trip %
to head-quarters to get it eftablilhed, and to get re
imbursed for the pay and cloathing; but he has not
yet been able to fee the Commander in Chief. Heis
considered as being d—d cruelly used ; but he is not
lingular in this instance, many a poor fellow Ihares
the fame fate.
" Pray how will our John's Island friend Rand af
feded upon this unfuccelsful turn that our affairs
have taken ? the little Cockney will bless his stars for
having remained upon parole, and the rest will be
damning John Coffin for haying persuaded them to
become fubjeds; but may they all be d d. I
hope that should we be obliged to quit that coun
try, they may all have their dose of fire and sword.
I must now conclude with begging you to write me
by every opportunity ; for we are all very anxious
about you. Good God! I had almost forgot to
mention to you what had become of Isaac: by a
recommendation from his old patron Colonel Mon
tague, he has been some time upon the Admiral's
quarter-deck, and is now the eldest Lieutenant—of
course he comes in for the next vacancy—there is hardly
a doubt but he will be made—he is a great favour
ite with old Square Toes, whose reputation I wish
Rood higher as a naval commander. The Royal-
Oak, the Admiral's ship, is gone to Halifax to repair
a stroke she received on the chevaux de frize ; she
may be very shortly expected. Isaac is gone in'her,
but this will not obftrud his promotion. Remem
ber me to Gibb and all the rest of your lads; God
knows, I wish them all well. My belt refpeds to
Jack Massey, also Jack Scott."
L OND O N, July 18.
A letter from Cadiz arrived at Dublin July 12,
mentions, that by the arrival of a Danish Indiaman
from St. Helena, who reports that four days before
he left that island, Commodore Johnftone with part
of his convoy, arrived there in a very disabled condi
tion, in consequence of a second engagement between
his fleet and the French, who had attacked him at the
island of St. Jago, in which one of the French men of
war was funk, but it was feared by the English that
two of their East-India ships and one of the transports
had fallen into the hands of the enemy.
A letter from an officer under the command of
Lord Cornwallis, in Carolina, fays, " We have paid
very dear for the advantage lately gained over the re
bels, as we have loft many of our best officers, and a
great number of men; several of those who were
wounded die daily, so that our army is much redu
ced. It was the meft bloody battle that has beea
fought lince the American war firft broke out. Poor
Colonel O'Hara was Rabbed in many parts of hi^
body by bayonets, by which you may suppose the
action was very close and obstinate. Our General
on his meeting with success at firft, thought he should
soon have brought the rebels to submit, but he is
now convinced that he was mistaken, and that an
entire conquest will be a very difficult matter."
All the private letters from Barbados, give a de
plorable account of the Rate of that island: The drv
nefs of the season has destroyed great part of the pre
sent crops, and burnt up the young canes, so that
the wretched inhabitants, planters, must be reduced
to the greatest distress. Plantations which used to
make 3000 pots of sugar in a season, have not made
300. This calamity following so close upon the heel
of their former misfortunes, renders their situation
truly miserable.
A private letter from Paris, fays, “ Eight ships of
the line, the largest and best failing vessels, are or
dered immediately to Cadiz. M. D'Eftaing goes
with them, and it is very Rrongly reported he is to
command the Spanish squadron, as well as our own,
and take upon him the principal management of the
siege of Gibraltar by tea.
BOSTO N, September 13.
Extract of a letter from New-Hamp/bire, dated August
a 25, 1781.
We have at last had hostilities committed in
New-Hampshire. Mr. Joseph Whipple was made pri
loner at his plantation of Dartmouth, beyond the
white mountains, about a month ago, and his effects
plundered and destroyed by a party of tories and
Indians from Canada. He made his escape and got
to Portsmouth. Another pm-ty came upon Shelburne,
where they broke up four or five families, killed two
captivated several, and carried off what plunderthey
pleated. A party went from Pigwacket in pursuit
of them, but the captives left written advertisements
on the trees, begging they might not be pursued, as
they were threatened with death in that case. The
puhuers finding this, returned. Application is made
to our General Court (now fitting) to feud men to
guard the frontiers."
" A RTF OR D, September 18.
Thursday fe'nnight arrived at Boston His Most
Chriflian Majesty's frigate Engageante, in a short
paflage from France. She brought a large sum of
money for the service of His Moil. Chriflian Majesty's
troops.'
By the Engageante we are well informed, that a
British frigate having met a Dutch one captured her
after a smart engagement; and that not long after,
a French frigate coming up with them, took them
both, and had arrived with them in an harbour of
France.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman of character, at
Anafterdam, May 10, 1781.
"His Excellency Mr. Adams, who has been well
received at the Hague, presented last week a me
morial to their High Mightinesses, which will bring
on the great question of your independence, and
which we hope will turn out well."
NEW-LONDON, September 14.
Last Tuesday morning the privateer ship Marquis
la Fayette, arrived at Newport; the Captain informs
that on the sth inst. off Cape Charles, in to fathom
water, he saw an action commence between lofhips
®f the line on each fide, which continued from half
after four, to half after 7 o'clock, P. M. between 4
and 5 miles from him; they were before the wind
which was light, at east. Thirty fail of frigates and
other vessels lay off at a distance during the action:
how it terminated he could not determine.
The following savage aCtion committed by the
troops who subdued Fort Griswold on Groton ' hill,
on Thursday last, ought to be recorded to their
eternal infamy.
Soon after the furrendry of the fort, they loaded
a waggon with our wounded men, by order of their
officers, and set the waggon off from the top of the
hill, which is long and very Reep; the waggon went
a considerable dißance with great force, till it was
suddenly flopped by a tree: the shock was so great
to those faint and bleeding men, that part of them
died inftantlv: the officers ordered their men to fire
on the waggon while it was running.
NORWIC H,
Sept. 13. On Thursday morning the 6th instant,
this town was alarmed with intelligence, that a body
of the enemy were landing at New-London; the
particulars of which melancholy affair we have since
found to be nearly as follows:
At day break, 24 fail, great and small, of the
enemy's shipping, appeared a little weft of the har
bour's mouth; at firft it was supposed to be only a
small foraging party, but in a short time tbeir move
ments indicated something threatening ; a considerable
body was seen to land, who marched very rapidly
for the town, where they arrived about 8 o'clock,
going round on the back part ofit, and proceeded on
to Meeting-House Hill, where they made a small
Rand for the purpose of concerting such measures as
might best effect their purpose. They then proceed
ed to Fort Trumbull, which they made an easy
acquisition of, (there not being a fufficient body of
our men to defend it, they had previously, after