The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-10-31 00:00:00, page 1

PHILADELPHIA, October !%.
Head-quarters, Continental fillage, Oa. 4, 1781.
SIR,
INCLOSED I have the honour to present your
Excellency a letter from Major Tallmadge, of
the ad regiment of light dragoons, with my
congratulations on the fucctfs of the American
arms, in the reduction of Fort Slongo, on Long*
Island, the morning of the third instant.
The address and gallantry exhibited by Major
Tallmadge, in planning the enterprize, and by Major
Trefcott, and the officers and men under his com
mand, in the execution of it, do them much honour.
It is said a considerable number of arms were taken
in the fort.
/ have the honour to be, with the greateJi respect,
four Excellency's moJl obedient servant,
W. HEATH.
His Excellency Thomas M'Kean, Esq.
Prtfdent of Congress.
Compo-Point, October 3, 1781.
DEAR GENERAL,
IA M happy in having occasion to congratulate
you on the success of an enterprize against Fort
Slongo, on Long-Island. After making many at
tempts to embark, and being prevented by bad wea
ther, last evening at eight o'clock, I ordered 50
men from Captain Richards's company of the Con-
D^fficut line, and 50 more from Captain Edgar's
dismounted dragoons, to embark at this place. The
smallness of the garrison at Slongo aAd th^ difficulty
of procuring boats, making it unnecessary to employ
but a part of my detachment in this service, at the
reqaeft of Major Trefcott, he was honoured with
th t command. Having obtained several very accu
rate drafts of this post, and even the places where
the centinels flood, I made every disposition for the
at tack, previous to the embarkation of the troops.
I have enclosed a copy of my orders to Major Tre
fcott, which he has most faithfully executed, and
bis return of prisoners, &c. &c. It becomes necef
ftry tor me to obterve, that for the execution of this
ferviee, Captain Edgar's dismounted dragoons were
ordered to firrprize the garrison and carry the works,
while Captain Richards, with his company, were to
surround the fort, and prevent the garrison from
Leaping. Lieutenant Rogers, of the 2d regiment
if light dragoons, with ten chosen men, was ap
pointed to lead tirc attack again ft the fort, followed
y Major Trefcottand Captain Edgar, with the re
mainder of the dismounted dragoons, the rear of
which was brought up by Cornet Pike; Captain
Richards, lieutenant Holt and Ensign Pinto, were
d<foofed of as above observed, to f#round the gar
rison. The attack commenced at three o'clock this
morning, and was conducted with great good order,
but notiw:hfanding the greatest exertions of Captain
Richards and his officers, some of the garrison jump
ed over the works and escaped. Major Trefcott
speaks highly of all the officers and soldiers under
his command, as well as of the boatmen employed
on this service. It was fortunate for Major Valan
ftine, «ho commanded the garrison, that-hc was
absent at New-York.
It gives me peculiar fatisfaction that I have occasi
on to report, not a man killed of our detachment,
and but one wounded. After the troops have re
frefhed themselves, I shall forward the prisoners,
together with the standard of the garrison, to Head-
Quarters. The plunder that was brought off from
the garrison, I presume may be divided among the
troops and boatmen, who were on the expedition.
The piece of bras& artillery I fyll annex to my com
mand for the present.
Some of our baggage being left at Fairfield, and
other reasons of a private nature, which I shall soon
communicate, have induced me to march the detach
ment to Fairfield, from whence I shall write you
again to-morrow.
lam, my dear General,
IPith every sentiment of e/leem,
Your most obedient servant,
BEN. TALLMADGE, Maj. 2d reg. L. D.
Major General Heath.
Return of Prisoners, Ordnance, Military Stores, %.
taken in Fort Slongo, October 3 , i 7 Bx,
,Prisoners. Two Captains, 1 Lieut# 18 rank and
file.
Ordnance. One three-pounder (brass) compleat,
brought off; a four-pounders, double fortified (iron)
dedroyed; 10 cases fliot, three-pounders; 32 ditto,
three-pounders; 24 blank cartridges, three-poun
ders; 40 dozen of mnfquet cartridges.
A considerable quantity of English goods and
clothing were taken in the fort and brought off.
LEM, TRESCOTT, Major 9th Mass. reg.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. IV.]
WEDNESDAY, October 31, 1781.
N B. Two of the enemy were killed within their
works, and two mortally wounded and left.
PubliJbed by o"der of Congress,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
October ^o.
May Brick's Creek, South-Carolina, Sept. 5, 1781.
SIR,
I DID myfelf the honour to inform your Excellen
cy, in my letter from Camden, that General Marion
was dispatched on a secret expedition towards Pon
pon. The General succeeded in the enterprise, and
merits the highest encomiums for his good conduct,
judgment, and personal bravery. Enclosed is his re
port, from which your Excellency will learn the par
ticulars of the expedition.
I have the honour to be, with great re/pe#,
Pour Excellency 'c most obedient,
And most himble fertant,
NATH. GREENE.
His Excellency the Proficient
of Congress.
St. Steven's, September 3, 1781,
SIR,
I N my last I acquainted you of my being ready
to march to the southward, to the support or Colonel
Hardin. On the aid of August I began my march,
and the next day arrives at the Round O, where I
expeded to make a junction with the Colonel, but
found him very lick and his troops not collected. I
halted the 24th, and the next day marched to the
Horie Shoe; on the 26th, at night, I was joined by
Colonel Stafford with 150 men, and Major Hardin
with 80, which made our numbers about 400. The
27th I crossed the Great Swamp at the head of Afhepo,
and encamped within j miles of the enemy, at
Middleton's plantation, on the south of Godfrey
Savanna. The day before I detached Colonel Hugh
Horry to Chehaw, where, I was informed, were
three schooners taking in rice, with a guard of 30
men, but unluckily th^ - heard of my approach, and
went down the river bcfbre"the party arrived there.
I sent out parties to reconnoitre the enemy, who
found them in post too strong to make any attempt:
their force by information confided of 180 Hessian,
150 British, 130 tories, and 80 of the Queen's ran
gers equipped as dragoons, under the command of
Major Frazier. I was determined to take advantage
of Situation; the causeway at Godfrey Savanna was
a good one, and I placed a guard there (my whole
body laying two miles from it) with orders to defend
that pats until I could come up. The night of the
27th, about twelve o'clock, my patroles met the
enemy, two miles from this past, moving down upon
me, and before I could get my troops in motion the
guard quitted the pass without firing a gun; the
enemy passed it and proceeded to Mr. Hyrne's plan
tation, near the Fish Ponds. The morning of the
28th I marched after them, but found they were
posted too advantageously to attack. I drew up in
order of battle in a wood, in fight of them, some
few shot palled between my reconnoitering parties
and their picquete; they had two men wounded; I
remained several hours on the ground, but finding
nothing was to be done I retired to my camp. The
enemy immediately marched to Afhepo; on the 29th
they palled the river and marched to Col. Hayne's
plantation; I, at the fame time, passed the Fish
Ponds, five miles above Afhepo, and encamped with
in three miles of them; the 30th I went below them
and formed an ambuscade in a thick wood, within
a mile of Parker's ferry, about 40 yards from the
road which the enemy mutt pass. Here I was in
formed of their being upwards of 100 tories, under
a Colonel Cunningham, from Dorcheftcr and Stono,
laying on the banks of the river at Parker's ferry,
waiting for Lieutenant Col. Berrin, whocommanded
the enemy's force; my right division, of about 80
men, was commanded by Major Harden, who I
ordered to retire 100 yards from the line, and to
march up when the firing began on the left; my
fwqrdfmen, of 60 horse, I sent under Major Cooper,
to fall in the rear of the enemy to draw their attenti
on that way, and to follow them whenever they
moved, and to keep m fight, with positive orders to
charge their rear, at all hazards, so soon as the firing
became general. In this position I waited until sun
set, when part of the tories, from the ferry came on,
which I intended should pass, but they discovered
one of my men, and challenged, no answer being
given they fired, and I could not refrain the men
longer, they returned it, which made them run back
on the four. I sent a few horse after them which
forced them acrofsthe river; the enemy hearing
the fire and being on their way down, immediately
sent their cavalry to their support; they came on in
THE
full speed, and received the fire of our whole line,
The infantry immediately appeared before ns, and
a heavy fire commented, which continued for feme
time; but unluckily some villains cried out, they
were flanking us on the right, which threw us into
confufion, and while we were rallying and forming,
the enemy took that opportunity, carried off their
field-pieces and wounded, and retreated on a trot,
leaving 20 men and 23 horses dead on the foot. We
immediately marched up and took possession of the
ground, and remained there three hours; but my
people having been without provisions for 24 hours,
I retired two miles to refrefh them. E^ly the next
morning I sent a party to bury the dead; but the
enemy coming up with their field-pieces an# a supe
rior force, they withdrew.
I have the pleasure of informing you, that Colonel
Stafford, who sustained the heaviest fire, and Colonels
Erwin and Horry behaved like the sons of liberty^
The enemy loft no time, but passed the river and
retired towards Charleftown. A party sent after
them found a number of hprfes dead and wounded
on the road, amounting to upwards of 40 in the
whole. The enemy had upwards of eighty men 40#
fcveral officers wounded.
I stayed the 31st to give some orders to Colonel
Harbin, and put that part of the country in a better
and more regular way of doing their duty; and on
the firft instant, at n o'clock, I left the Roupd O,
and marched 42 miles that night. Yesterday I arriv
ed here and found the enemy at Eutaw. As soon as
my horses are a little recovered from their fatigue, I
shall endeavour to annoy them..
Jhave the honour to be, with refpe<ft,
Your obedient servant,
FRANCIS MARION.
PHILADELPHIA, Oft 24, 1781.
This morning Colonel Tilghman, Aid-de-Camp to
His Excellency General WASHINGTON, ar
rived here with Defpatches for His Excellency the
President bf CONGRESS, containing the fyh
lowing GLORIOUS INTELLIGENCE:
Head-Quarters, near York, Odober jg, 1781.
S I R,
IHAVE the honour to inform Congress, that a re?
duttion of the British army under the command
of Lord Cornwallis is most happily effected. The
unremitting ardour which actuated every officer and
soldier in the combined army on this occasion, has
principally led to this important event, at an earlier
period tSan my most sanguine hopes had induced
me to e.peft. ;'
The singular spirit of emulation, which animated
the whole army from the firft commencement qf our
operations, ha filled my mind with the highest plea
sure and fatisfadion, and had given me the happiest
presages of success.
On the 17th instant a letter was received from Lord
Cornwallis, proposing a meeting of Commidioners to
conduit on terms for the surrender of the posts of
York and Gloucester. Ttiyidhr(the firft which
had passed between us) opened a correspondence--.
a copy of winch I do myfelf the honour to inclofc;
that correspondence was followed by the definitive
capitulation, which was agreed to, and signed the
19th; copy of which is also herewith transmitted,
and which, I hope, will meet the approbation of
Congress.
I should be wanting in the feelings of gratitude,
did I not mention on this occasion, with the warm
est fcnfe of acknowledgments, the very chearfiil and
able afliftance which I have received in the course of
our operations, from His Excellency the Count de
Rochambeau, and all his officers of every rank, in
their refpedive capacities.—Nothing could equal'the
zeal of our allies, but the emulating spirit of the
American officers, whose ardour would not fuffer
their exertions to be exceeded.
The very uncommon degree of duty and fatigue
which the nature of the service required from the
officers of engineers and artillery of both armies,
obliges me particularly to mention the obligations
I am underto the commanding and other officers of
those corps,
I with it was in my power to express to Congress,
how much I feel myfelf indebted to the Count de
Grade, and the officers of the fleet under his com
mand, for the distinguished aid and support which
has been afforded by them, between whom, and the
army, the most happy concurrence of fer.timerts
ano views have lubfifted, and from whom every pcn~-
fible co-operation has been experienced, which the
most harmonious intercourse could afford.
Returns of the Prisoners Military Stores, Ord
nance, Shipping and other matters, I shall do myfelf
[Numb. 2qiJ.