The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-12-02 00:00:00, page 1

17//) Light Dragoons, id battalion of Light In
fantry,, Hefian Yagers, if and id brigades BritiJb,
Sterns and Loo's brigades of Hessians, Pennfytoania
Loyalists, IVeft-fcrfey Volunteers, Maryland Loyalifls.
T 16th light Dragoons, Ift battalion of British
Grenadiers, a d ditto, if battalion of Light Infantry,
D'ffian Grenadiers, Guards, 3d, 4th, sth brigades
British.
I desired Lieutenant General Knyphaufen to move
at day break on the 28th ; and, that I might not
press upon him in the firft part of the march, in
which we had but one route, I did nx follow with
the other divisions till near eight o'clock. Soon
I had received intelligence that Generals Washing
ton and Lee had passed the Delaware with their
army, had assembled a numerous militia from all the
neighbouring provinces, and that Gates, with an
army from the Northward, was advancing to join
them on the Rariton. As I could not hope that,
alter having always hitherto so studiously avoided a
general action, General Washington would now give
into it against every dictate of policy ; I could only
fuppole that his views were directed against my bag
gage, &c. in which part I was indeed vulnerable.
This circumstance alone would have tempted me to
avoid the difficult passage of the Rariton ; but when
I reflected that from Sandy-Hook I should be able,
witli more expedition, to carry his Majesty's further
orders into execution 1 did not hefitatc to order
the army into the road which leads through Free
hold to the Navefink. The approach of the enemy's
army being indicated by the frequent appearance of
their light troops on our rear, I requested his Excel
lency Lieutenant General K'phaufen to take the
baggage of the whole army under the charge of his
division, consisting of the troops mentioned in the
m ?!^' n ' Under the head of baggage was com
prised, not only all the wheel-carriages of every de
partment, but also the Bat Horses : A train which,
as tne country admitted but of one route for carri
ages, extended near twelve miles. The indifpeiifible
seceffity I was under of securing these, is obvious,
and the difficulty of doing it, in a molt woody
country, against an army far foperior in numbers
will, I trust, be no less so.
I have the honour to inform your Lordship that,
purfuaat to his Majesty's inftru&ions, I evacuated
Philadelphia on the 18th of June, at three o'clock in
the morning, and proceeded to Gloucester Point,
without being followed by the enemy. Every thing
being from thence palled in fafety across the Dela
ware, through the excellent disposition made by the
Admiral to fecurp our passage, the army marched at
ten o'clock and reached Haddonfield the fame day.
A ftropg corps of the enemy having, upon our ap
proach, abandoned the difficult pass of Mount-
Holly, the army proceeded without any interruption
from them, excepting what was occasioned by their
having destroyed every bridge on our road. As the
country is much interfered with marshy rivulets,
the obitrudions we met with were frequent, and the
cxceffive heat of the season rendered the labour of
repairing the bridges severely felt.
The advanced parties of our light troops arriving
unexpectedly at Croffwicks on the 23d, after a tri
fling fkirmiih, prevented the enemy from destroying
the bridge over a large creek at that village, and the
army passed it the next morning. One column, under
the command of his Excellency Lieutenant General
Knyphaufen, halted near Amely's-town ; and as the
provision train and heavy artillery were Rationed in
that division, the other column, under Lieutenant
General Earl Cornwallis, took a position at Allen's
town, whicli covered the other encampment.
Thus far, my Lord, my march pointed equally to
wards the Hudson's River and Staten-Island by the
Rariton. I was now at the juncture, when it was
necessary to decide ultimately what course to pursue.
Encumbered as I was by an enormous provision train,
&c. to which impediment the probability of obstruc
tions and length of my march, obliged me to submit,
I was led to wifli for a route less liable to obstacles
than those above-mentioned.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
From the LONDON GAZETTE Extraordinary.
Monday, August 24, 1778.
Whitehall, August 24, 1778..
THE following letter from Lieutenant-
General Sir Henry Clinton, Knightof
the Bath, to Lord George Germaine,
one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries
of State, was received on Saturday
night by Col. Patterson, who arrived
in the Grantham Packet, from New-York.
Neou-York, July 5, 1778.
My Lord,
[Vol. I.]
WEDNESDAY, December 2, 1778.
It would be fuffioient honour to the troops barely
to fay, that they had forced a corps, as I am inform
ed, of near 12,000 men, from two strong positions ;
but it will, I doubt not, be considered as doubly
creditable, when I mention, that they did it under
such disadvantages of heat and fatigue, that a great
part of those we loft fell dead as they advanced.
Fearing that my order had mifearried, before I
quitted the ground I sent a second, for a brigade of
Infantry, the 17th Light Dragoons, and 2d battalion
of Light Infantry, to meet me on the march, with
which additional force, had General Washington
I took the position from whence the enemy had
been fiift driven, after they had quitted the plain,
and having reposed the troops till ten at night, to
avoid the excefiive heat in the day, I took advantage
of the moon-light to rejoin Lieutenant-General
Knyphaufen, who had advanced to Nut-Swamp,
near Middletown.
Our baggage had been attempted by some of the
enemy's light troops, who were repulsed by the good
dispositions made by Lieutenant-General Knyphaufen
and Major-General Grant, and the good countenance
of the 40th regiment, whole piquets alone were at
tacked, and one troop of the 17th Light Dragoons.
The two corps which had marched against it (being,
as I since learn, a brigade on each flank) were re
called, as I had fufpe&fd, at the beginning of the
action.
I ordered the Light Infantry to rejoin me, but a
strong detachment of the enemy, having possessed
themselves of a post, which would have annoyed
them in their retreat, the 33d regiment made a move
ment towards the enemy, which, with a similar one
made by the firft Grenadiers, immediately dispersed
them.
after I had marched, reconnoitring parties of the
enemy appeared on our left flank. The Queen's
Rangers fell in with and dispersed some detachments
among the woods in the fame quarter. Our rear
guard having descended from the heights above Free
hold, into a plain near three miles in length, and
about one mile in breadth ; several columns of the
enemy appeared likewise defeending into the plain,
and about ten o'clock they began to cannonade our
rear. Intelligence was at this moment brought me,
that the enemy were difeovered marching in force
on both our flanks. I was convinced that our bag
gage was their object ; but . being in this juncture
engaged in defiles, which continued for some miles,
no means occured of parrying the blow, but attacking
the corps which harraffed our rear, and prefling it
to hard as to oblige the detachments, to return from
our flanks to its assistance.
I had good information that General Wafhingtbn
was up with his whole army, estimated at about
20,c00 ; but as I knew there were two defiles between
him and the corps at which I meant to strike, I judged
that he could not have passed them with a greater
force than what Lord Cornwallis's division was well
able to engage ; and had I even met his whole army
in the passage of those defiles, I had little to appre
hend, but his situation might have been critical.
The enemy's cavalry, commanded, it is said, by
M. La Fayette, having approached our reach, they
were charged with great spirit by the Queen's Light
Dragoons. They did not wait the shock, but fell
back in confufion, upon their own infantry.
Thinking it poflible that the event might draw to
a general action, I sent for a brigade of British and
the 17th Light Dragoons, from Lieutenant General
Knyphaufeh's division, and having directed them on
their arrival to take a position effectually covering
our right flank, of which I was most jealous, I made
a disposition of attack on the plain, but before I could
advance, the enemy fell back, and took a strong po
sition on the heights above Freehold Court-house.
The heat of the weather was intense, and our men
already fuffered severely from fatigue. But our cir
cumstances obliged us to make a vigorous exertion.
The British Grenadiers with their left to the village
of Freehold, and the Guards on the right of the
Grenadiers, began the attack with such spirit, that
the enemy gave way immediately. The second line
of the enemy flood the attack with greater obftinancy,
but were likewise compleatly routed. They then
took a third position, with a marshy hollow in' front,
over which it would have been scarcely poffiblc to
have attacked them. However, part of the second
line made a movement to the front, occupied some
ground on the enemy's left flank, and the Light In
fantry and Queen's Rangers turned their left.
By this time our men were so overpowered with
fatigue, that Icould press the affair no farther; espe
cially, as I was confident the end was gained for
which the attack had been made.
THE
1 Lieutenant-Colonel, 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants,
4 Serjeants, 56 Rank and File, killed ; 3 Serjeants,
45 Rank and File, died with fatigue; 1 Colonel, x
Lieutenant Colonel, 1 Major, 7 Captains, 5 Lieute
nants, 7 Serjeants, 137 Rank and File, wounded; 3
Serjeants, 61 Rank and File, miffing.
TOTAL GERMA N.
I Rank and File, killed ; it Rank and File, died
with fatigue; 11 Rank and File, wounded.
GENERAL TOTAL.
i Lieutenant Colonel, 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 4
Serjeants, 57 Rank and File, killed; 3 Serjeants, 56
Rank and File, died with fatigue; 1 Colonel, 1 Lieu
tenant Colonel, i Major, 7 Captains, 5 Lieutenants,
7 Serjeants, 148 Rank and File, wounded; 3 Ser
jeants, 61 Rank and File, miffing.
Names and rank of the officers returned killed and
wounded on the 28th of June, 1778.
Royal Artillery. Lieut. Vaughan, killed
Ift Grenadiers. Capt. Gore, of the sth company,
killed.
2d Grenadiers. Lieut. Colonel Hon. H. Monckton,
of the 45th company, (commanding the battalion)
Lieut. Kenedy, of the 44th company, killed.•
ift Grenadiers. Capt. Cathcart, of the 15th com
pany, Capt. Brereton, of the 17th company, Capt.
Willis, of the 23d company, wounded;
2d Grenadiers. Major Gardner, of the loth com
pany, Capt. Leighton, of the 46th company, Capt.
Powell, of the 52d company, Lieut. Gilchrist, of
the 42d company, Lieut. Kelly, of the 44th com
pany, Lieut. Paumier, of the 45th company, Lieut.
Groffe, of the 52c! company, wpunded.
Foot Guards. Colonel Trelawney, Captain Bellew,
wounded.
15th Regiment. Capt. Ditmas (attached to the 2d
Grenadiers) wounded.
shewn himfelf the next day, I was determined to
attack him ; but there not being the least appearance
of an enemy, I fufpeded he might have passed a
considerable corps to a strong position near Middle
town ; I therefore left the rear guard on its march,
and detached Major-General Grant to take post there,
which was effected on the 29th. The whole army
marched to this position the next day, and then fell
back to another, near Navefinle, where I waited two
days, in the hope, that Mr. Washington might have
been tempted to have advanced to the position near
Middletown, which we had quitted ; in which case
I might have attacked him to advantage.
During this time the sick and wounded were em
barked, and preparations made for passing to Sandy-
Hook island by a bridge, which by the extraordinary
efforts of the navy was soon compleated, and over
which the whole army passed in about two hours
time; the horses and cattle having been previously
transported.
Your Lordship will receive herewith a return of the
killed, wounded, miffing, &c. of his Majesty's troops
on the 28th of last month: That of the enemy is
supposed to have been more considerable, especially
in killed.
Marines. Lieut. Defborough (attached to the 2d
Grenadiers) wounded.
Queen's American Rangers. Lieut. Colonel Simcoe,
wounded.
Practitioners of physick may be fuppiied
at moderate prices, at the Printing-Office in
Trenton, with the following Articles; Jesuits
Bark, Jalap, Rhubarb, Senna, Epsom's Salts,
Sal Armoniac, Tartar Emetic, Gum Assafoe
tida, Gum Myrrh and Manna —All of the firft
quality.
The loss of Lieutenant-Colonel Monckton, who
commanded the 2d battalion of Grenadiers, is much
to be lamented.
I am much indebted to Lord Cornwallis for his
zealous services on every occasion ; and I found
great iupport from the activity of Major-General
Grey, Brigadier Generals Mathew, Leslie, and Sir
William Erskine.
I beg leave to refer your Lordfuip, for any other
particulars, which you may with to be informed of,
to Col. Patterson, who will have the honour of de
livering these dispatches, and whose services, in this
country, entitle him to every mark of your Lordship's
favour. I have the honour to be, &c.
..H. CLINTON.
Return of the killed, wounded, miffing, &c. of the
troops under the command of General Sir Henry
Clinton, in an engagement with the Rebel Army,
on the heights of Freehold, county of Monmouth,
New-Jersey, the 28th of June, 1778.
TOTAL BRITIS H.
H. CLINTO N.
[Numb. 52.]