The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-08-18 00:00:00, page 1

Mr. COLLINS,
FIND ihany people rejoicing at the news of
Lord Corn-wallis's superseding General Clinton,
but I confefs this intelligence is no joy to me.
For tho' I fcarqely remember an instance of any
man's coming from that country who gave the ieaft
proof oi his being possessed of common sense, till he
had been seven years in America, (and before the
expiration of such apprenticedip, the British Generals
will either be recalled across the ocean by their mat
ter, or be put under ground by us;) yet there is as
much difference between one blockhead and another,
as there is between any two men of sense. I don't
indeed pretend to know what Cornwallis will do, be
sides filling his pockets and doling his character, (as
all his predecessors have done) but I am pretty con
fident that he will neither mistake darkness for moon-
Jbine, nor campaign it f^m April till July to make us
a present of foe bundftl men, which he wants more
than we do ; —and a> &) the dirty bufmefs of burning
house% (which immediately originates from the two
principal sources of all evil, the Devi! and hrs Majefly)
it is not likely to Hop by Clinton's removal, while our
quondam Sovereign remains the vicegerent of Solan,
and employs such a detestable salamander as Tryon
for his Deputy. Horatius.
Extras of a letter from Deal, April 22.
" Of the four Ruffian men of war just arrived in
the Downs, three are line of battle ships, and the
officers who have been on shore here, talk of a dozen
more. From the time of their casting anchor here,
they are under the direction of the Lord High Ad
miral of Great-Britain, and now wait orders whether
they are to proceed to Portsmouth or continue here.
Their commanding officer or Commodore, set off for
London this morning. It is Did, that the Ruffian
Admiral, Spiritoffe, comes with the next ships,
which are expected in about three weeks. The
Downs have made but a poor figure in refped to
Whipping, not having a fleet here as in the last war,
tho' the cutters are continually bringing in prizes,
Mr. Collins,
If youfbine tbe enclosed merits a place in your paper,
by injecting it you will much oblige'
An Officer of the American Army.
LE T venal poets praise a King
For virtues unpoffefs'd,
A Volunteer, unbrib'd I sing,
The Hero of the Weft.
When Gaul came on with rapid stride.
And vid'ry was the word,
First shone his country's future pride,
And flclh'd his maiden sword.
,With conquest crown'd, from wars alarms.
To iludy bent Lie xririxd i~'
" Equal to both, to arts or arms,'
" Indiff'rently inclin'd."
Elate with fancied pow'r and pride,
Impell'd by angry Jove ;
Nor fates nor justice on their fide,
The British legions move.
With them a tribe of foreign slaves,
A mercenary band,
For plunder bold, inur'd to blood,
Invade his native land.
L O N D O N, April c 4
IN the debate yesterday in the H.rife of Peers, on
the Earl of Bristol's motion, a noble Duke in op
position averted, that he had positive advice, that a
French General bound for tne Mauritius, hearing
that Pondicherry was taken by the English, had fail
ed there with the forces under his command, and
retaken it.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
His country calls, to arms he flies.
Nor fears a tyrant's frown;
Leads heroes, favour'd by the ikies,
To glory and renown.
In vain the British tyrant florins,
His thunders fright no more, —
His hardy vet'rans, vainly brave,
Shall fly the happy shore.
The willing Chiefs around him throng,
Impatient of delay;
Their noble ardor he retrains,
And points the surer way.
Pursue, Great Chief, the glorious race —
Thy country's sword and shield ; —
Thrice happy! born alike to grace
The senate and the field.
July 20, 1779.
[Vol. ll.]
W E DNESD A Y, August 18, 1779.
to Seize the mutineers, and lodge them in the cattle.
A detachment of 200 men were accordingly sent to
Leith, under be command of one Major, three Cap
tains, and fix Subalterns. Wpon their arrival, they
found the mutineers drawn up, with their backs to
the walls opposite the quay. The Fencibles furround
cd them ; and ^ b - f l !'^^ taking alouu.wAh tn-m ^
rojornt nno l,oke Erie, realbncuWifli them on the
folly of their behaviour, and endeavoured to prevail
with them to return to their duty, which they posi
tively refufed, and laid they would die to a man firft.
The ferjeant, upon this, told the Major these men
wete desperate, and advised him to come out from
among them. A mutineer having attempted to make
hi- escape, one of the Fencibles took hold of him, in
order to prevent him ; and in the feuffle the Fencible
received a wound in his arm : That immediately one
of tile mutineers filed and wounded a Fencible, upon
which a general firing entiled. Capt. Mansfield was
killed by some of the firft Shots of the mutineers ;
two privates of the Fencibles were also killed 011 the
spot, and several wounded.—The mutiny was quel
led, but not until a good number of the Highlanders
were killed, the number not yet certain, but sup
posed to be about 15, and a good many wounded.
Tiie detachment from the castle returned there about
seven 0 clock, bringing with them the remainder of
the Highlanders prisoners.
A porter was also seized by the Fencibles, who
had been attempting to incite the mutiny, and bro't
to the castle. it is said that this porter had also fur
mibed the drafts witli ammunition; but of this we
cannot be as yet certain. The Sheriff who set cut
for England yesterday, had an express sent to him,
v hich ovci took h:m, and he returned this morning ;
and a precognition is just now going on, in order tj
accomplifli a difeovery of the guilt of the said porter,
and others fufpe& d of having incited the mutiny.
Yesterday at 12 o'clock the corpse of the unfor
tunate and much lamented Capt. James Mansfield
was brought up in a hearft from Leith, and deliver
ed over at the north end of the bridge to the regi
ment, which attended under arms; they proceeded
in solemn, procession to the Grayfriar's church-yard,
the Duke's company, being the one Capt. Mansfield
as Captain -Lieutenant commanded, having a knot of
crape upon their firelocks, and the ferjeant's halberts
in fcarfs, the music playing the dead 'march, and the
drums muffled. The pall-bearers were, the Duke of
Buccleugh, as chief mourner; Col. Pringle, Majors
Sir James Johnson and Hay; Captains Scott of Galla,
Rutherford of Egerton, Scott of Malleny, Lord Bin
ning, and Sir Alexander Don. The grenadiers fol
lowed the pall, the relations and friends of the de
ceased next, and a train of gentlemen's carriages
doled the procession. The Duke's company only
fired over the grave.
which are carried to Do&r, this keeps that town a
kve. Our hospital is fhR of tick French prisoners.”
Governor Johnftone has got the command of a
small squadron to cruize off Lifoon, and other parts
of Portugal, which is laid to be the best Nation for
prizes.
Upwards of 400 vessels failed in company on Sa
turday last from Spithead. They conlifted of the
New-York, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Irish fleets,
with many other ships that were going their way, and
therefore took the benefit of the convoy, which con
fided ot fix ships of the line, besides frigates, and
armed transports. So large a number of vessels has
not failed together from England for near 20 years.
Fhe grand fleet goingbut is ordered to be victual
led for five months, and those ships which are ready
for lea have taken that quantity on board, with alike
proportion of stores to serve that time.
May 10. They write from Gibraltar, that the new
battery on the Red Sand fs entirely re-mounted with
30 pieces of heavy artilh^y, which commands the
whose bay, so as to annoy any ship that might make
an attempt on the fortrefs from that ride.
Government (fays a correspondent) have certainly
no other chance left to subdue America, but by lay
ing waste their towns upon their coasts, and villages
and settlements up all the navigable rivers.
Edinburgh, April 21. Yesterday afternoon some
drafts for the 71st regiment, to the number of between
40 and 50, having been hid to Leith in order to be
Whipped on board the transports, refuted to embark ;
upon which orders were sent from the Commander
in Chief to the Governor of the cattle, and Com
mander of the South Fencibles, to fend a detachment
PHILADELPHIA, Angfoi.
Yesterday arrived here from Martiaico the brig
Achilles, late commanded by Cart. Murdoch, who
died the day before in coming up the river. By her
TH E
we have the following authentic intelligence, viz.
~ .''' a \ Grtat-Britain had totally refused the me
ciatiou or Spain i hat in consequence the latter
would Speedily declare herfeif without reserve in fa
vour of France and America---! hat on the 20th of
Count d'Orvilliers bad failed, with go lhipv of
tile line, towards Corunna, where he Should bejoin
ed by 20 Spanish---That 25,000 men were ready on
the coaks of France tor a ueicent upon Ireland
that Britain was determined to mane a mad-dying
c ,° r ' ? against America, and had sent out 6000 addi
tionals, and alio given orders to the Genual in the
Weft-Indies to embark 3000 men from thence for the
fame purpose, but that the lucecfs of the French fleet
had occasioned the detention of those 3000 for the
defence of St. Kitts and Antigua."
Extract of a letter from St. Pierre, Martinique, dated
„ f^y,ztb, !„%
1 have already mentioned the capture of St.
Vincents, which has been followed by that of Gre
nada and Tobago, trio very important pohcinoiD cf
our enemy.
" Admiral Byron, with 21 ships of the line, and
3000 troops under the command of Gen. Grant, tail
ed fi om St. Lucia to relieve them ; an engagement
between the two fleets enfaed, 111 which the Eugufh
were beat, routed and diiperfed, and dole off under
the friendly protection of the night, and a, rived one
alter the other at St. Kitts in the molt shattered con
dition.
"Count d'Estaing remained matter of the field of
batik, ready to renew the combat in the morning of
the Exceeding day, but to his great Surprize found
the enemy had disappeared.
"From the advantage which Admiral Byron had
°. being to windward, Count d Eitting could not
bring but halt of hi, fleet to action.
'• Alter having garrihmed Grenada with fifteen
hundred troops, he immediately took his departure
on an expedition agairdt St. Kitts; but as Admiral
F%ron„ with the tr-nfports containing 3000 troops '
are at that island, he will perhaps change his desti
nation, and attack some other of the English Dof
lefiions.'
" The happy effeds that must arise to America
fioin the lucccfsful efforts of the French arms are too
obvious to be enumerated.
„“ The 3000 troops that were embarked at St. Lu
cia had positive orders to fail for America to join the
British army there, and they only meant, er. pafant,
to endeavour to release Grenada. At prefent'l am
fully confident that they will be retained to garrison
&t. Kitts and Antigua, which ill mds without troops
will be greatly exposed, as the English can no longer
have any confidence cn the superiority of their naval
force in these seas for their protection.
“ Immense debts due from the conquered islands
to Great-Britain, which they will not be fuffered to
pay until the end of the war, will occalion consider
able bankruptcies amongst the merchants, and will
deprive our enemy of g;eat and valuable resources,
drawn from the profitable trade of her islands."
Extract of a letter from tbe fame place, dated July 22.
A packet has just arrived from France in 31 days
passage, bringing certain advices of a speedy decla
ration of Spain, and that the French fleet consisting
ol 32 fllips of the line has failed towards Corunna to
join 20 Spanish ships. An expedition is carrying on
ugainft Ireland; 25,000 troops are ready to embarlc
on the coast of France, in order to attack it. 6,000
troops have failed for America, where the English
mean to make their last expiring efforts this year."
Subflance of tbe account of tbe naual engagement which
happened, between tbe French fleet, commanded by tbe
Count d bj^aing, and tbe Britijb fleet, commanded by
Admiral Byron, off tbe iflar.d of Grenada, after its
furrercler, on tbe 6th of July, 1779. Extracted from
tbe Martinico Gazette.
" The French fleet, preferring the station they had
occupied since the 2d instant, the fort on the Hospi
tal Hill having been taken sword-in-hand in the night
between the 3d and 4th, had not changed its position,
when the fort of St. George's and the colony cf Grc
nada, commanded by Lord M'Cartney, surrendered
at diferetion. By the bad quality of the anchoring
ground in the Bay Molinicr, some of the fllips were
scattered to seek for better births.
" Advice was received from St. Vincent's 011 the
Ihe haughty and domineering pride of Britain
must be greatly humbled, when flic finds the has left
the empire of the sea, 011 which her greatness and
glory were founded ; when the observes the navv of
France (that by a teeming magic power has been
created in the space of a few years) assume such a
deceive superiority over the boasted bmnipotence of
her fleets.
[Numb. 86]