The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1783-01-01 00:00:00, page 2

their refpertive crews were] saved ; but we are
sorry to find upwards of thirty persons perished on
boaid the Dutton, old Indiaman, several of whom
were officers, and some French prisoners. Upwards
of thirty fail belonging to this fleet are yec unac
counted for.
Extrafl of a letter from Plymouth, October 8.
b< Monday, G&. 7. The merchantmen arrived
here yesterday from Jamaica, are as follows: the
London, the Orley, Dianna, Peter, Bellona, Bed
ford, Alhley, Prince George, Jamaica Planter,
Friendship, Lady Taylor, Sc. Ann's Planter, and
British Hero.
“ The accounts brought by these drips are truly
melancholy; the gale of wind, the 16th ult. in lat.
42. 50. long. 48. 33. canted a general dispersion,
and proved fatal to feme of the men of war and
merchantmen. The Families, 74, Adm. Graves,
Captain Moriatry, after having loft all her marts,
and thrown all her guns overboard in the night,
was providentially, in the morning of the 17th of
September, in this dirtreffed condition, in the mid
dle of the foregoing merchantmen, misters of
which, at great hazard, saved all the crew, except
those loft when the marts and yards went by the
board. Captain Moriatry, and 200 of toe crew,
are arrived here. Just after they left the Ramilies,
she went down.
“ The Centaur, 74, loft all her marts, rudder
and bowsprit, and was left under the care of the
Ville de Paris, which weathered the gale furpriz
ingly, having only carried away a toplail-yard; it
was feared the Centaur murt be scuttled or burnt,
as her fixation was very dreadful."
Extract of a letter from Paris.
" At a meeting held the 29th of September, at
the French Minister's, there were prelent Messrs.
Fitzherbert and Oswald, on the part of Great-Bri
tain; Dr. Franklin and Mr. Jay, from America;
and the Count D'Aranda, Ambalfador from Spain ;
and M. de Berhemode, and another perlon, from
Holland; who all produced their credentials from
their refpebtive courts, fully authorizing them to
treat, and to fettle the preliminaries of a general
peace. These Ambaffadors^are to meet again in a
few days."
Oil. 26. The pensions of American refugees are
flopped, by order of his Majerty, till a new ad can
be made, which shall exclude those who have too
long been undeserving objects of Great-Britain's cha
rity. Mr. Chancellor Bitt is to have the arrange
ment of this business.
Extract of a Liter from the Hague, September 11.
". On fuefday Mr. Adams, the American Mi
nider, had a conference with the States General,
when the treaty of amity and commerce between
the 1 11 rteen United Spates of America and the Re
publick was hgned by their High Mightinesses."
SPRINGFIELD, Dec. 10.
On the evening preceding the late thanksgiving
day, two large barns belonging to Nathan Hale,
Esq. of Canaan, in the state of Connecticut, con
taining upwards of 70 tons of .hay, a large quantity
of flax, and considerable grain, were by accident
set on fire, and burnt to the ground. The fire was
communicated to a large body of straw by a candle
carried into the barn for the purpose of catching
fowls, from which the whole was almost instanta
neously in a blaze.
Since our laid a number of American prisoners
passed through this town on their return from Ca
nada, where they had futfered live or fix year's cap
tivity.
SALE M, December 5.
A letter from an officer, late of a privateer from
.this port, dated on board the Jerley prifon-lhip,
New-York, November 9, fays, “ The deplorable
situation lam in cannot be expressed. The Cap
tains, Lieutenants and failing-marters are gone to
the provost, but they have only got out of the fry
ing-pan into the fire. I am left here with about
700 referable objeds, eaten up with lice, and daily
taking fevers, which carry them off fall."
BOSTO N, December 9.
On Thursday evening a Ihip of about 300 tons
burthen, lying off the end of the long wharf, by some
accident or other took fire, and was almost entirely
consumed, together with her cargo of marts, spars,
&c. But her remains, through the vigilance and
activity of the officers and men of the French fleet
(which are always most apparently striking upon all
such occasions) were conduced to Dorchester point,
which prevented her from communicating her flames
to the men of war and other ships in the harbour.
December 12. Yesterday a publicly dinner was
given by His Excellency tie Governor, and the
Honourable Council, to the general and field-offi
cers of the French army now in town, the Marquis
de Vaudreuil, and the principal officers of the
fleet, fee.
We learn by the southern port, that upwards of
40 head of cattle were lift week taken at White-
Plains, destined for the enemy at New-York.
HARTFORD, December 17.
I he following contains all the particulars of an un
happy affair which lately happened at Vethers
field, which have as yet come to hand:
On the morning of the n;h indent, about sun
rise, at Wethersfield, a deed was perpetrated, of
the most extraordinary and aftonilhing nature: Wil
liam Beadle, a native of South-Britain, who has
retided in that town nearly ten, and in America,
about twenty years, who became acquainted with,
and married (at Fairfield, in this state, about four
teen years lince) an amiable woman, of a reputable
family, by whom he had four lovely and promising
children, one lon and three daughters, whose edu
cation he superintended with great care and seeming
solicitude, and was apparently an affectionate hul
band.—His business, which was that of a trader,
declining some years fuice, he betook himfelf more,
to books than usual, and was unhappily fond of
these erteemed Deifticgj ; of late he rejected all re
velation, as imposition, and (as he expresses him
felf) “ renounced all the popular religions of the
world, he intended to die a proper Dcilt." Having
difearded all ideas of moral good and evil, he con
sidered himfelf, and art. the human race, as mere
machines, and that he had"a right to dispose of his
own and the lives of his family. In letters and pa
pers he left, addressed to sundry persons of his ac
quaintance, wrote a short time before his death, he
declares he has had in contemplation for three years
part the awful tragedy he now proceeded to art,
with all imaginable deliberation and composure of
mind._
About fem-rife he fer# his maid (the only person
of the family who survived) with a letter to a friend
in the neighbourhood, therein announcing his dread
ful purpose, and declaring that tefore his friend,
faould read the letter, he and his family fhpukl
ter into a happier state, and desiring lum to call
two persons and corae to his house, getfy &alarm
th^ n^hbours, and advise them to be as co&Hcd
in 'fey minds and reason as he therN|as. pon
receipt of this line, the house was instantly opened ;
but too late! All was over—He had made ready
the knife, the ax and pistols, as weapons or death;
the latter he made use of upon himfelf, the two
former upon his family; these instruments he had
carried with him to his bed-chamber for some weeks,
under pretence of defending himfelf against thieves.
With the utmost secrecy, unperceived by any, he
destroyed a worthy and beautiful wife, in the midst
of life, and four pleasant children, sleeping in their
beds, the elder! about twelve years of age, who the
evening proceeding were like olive-branches around
his table. He closed the awful feene by deftroyiog
himfelf.—Some circumstances render it probable
that he had given an opiate to the family before he
retired to rest.
Speaking of this catastrophe in one of his letters,
he fays, “ I mean to ciofe the eyes of fix persons,
through perfect humanity and the most endearing
fondnefs and friendihip; for never mortal father felt
more of these tender ties than myfelf." Having be
come reduced in some degree in his circumstances,
he rejected his former ideas of divine revelation and
belief of a future state of misery: He adopted this
new theoretick system which he now put in practice.
The jury of inquest were of opinion, that he was
of found mind, and returned their verdict accor
dingly. Tis difficult to determine where diffrac
tion begins. Tis very evident he was rational on
every other fubjed; on this no one conversed with
him.
On Thursday the body of this man was buried,
without any marks of refped ; and on Friday the
unfortunate woman, with her children by her fide,
were interred in one grave, with every mark of re
fpe& : When a sermon was preached, suitable to the
occafton, to a large concourse of people, and grief
mingled with pity, displayed iticif in every coun
tenance, 0:1 the unufuafand melancholy occafton.
The humane and benevolent, while they execrate
the deed and detest the direful principles productive
of such effects, cannot fail to weep over the victims
who fell a facrifice to such mifehievous error.
NE W-Y OR K, December 18.
Las night (when this paper was gone to press)
a? ved the Roebuck Packet, Captain Richards.—
lie left Earmouth the 3d or 4th of November, and
from some letters and papers, ne have extracted
the following particulars:
We are informed, Lord Howe's dispatches to
government were dated the icth or 11th of Octo
ber, we have not been fortunate enough to obtain
a printed copy of them, but presume the following
general detail may be depended on:
On the appearance of .he British fleet, the com
bined left Algebras Bay, and each fide formed a
line of battle, but .before a general action could be
commenced, a violent gale of wind arose, which oc
casioned great confufion, the French and Spaniards
ran foul of each other, Lord Howe took advan
tage of the derangement, drove leven of their ships
on shore, including one Sftheir Admirals: 'tis added f
the above seven fail were all destroyed. The enemy
were drove by the British fleet up the Mediterra
nean. Lord Howe's fleet rode out the gale with
no damage.
December 21.
Extrafl of a letter from Madeira, dated Nj^ L
" A sloop is just put in here, in five days from
Cadiz, which brings the very agreeable news of
Lord Howe having arrived fafe at Gibraltar, and
fully and amply Supplied the garrison. Thegriw
before he got in, there was a great storm of v^ff,
which difmafted 5 line of battle ships of the Don's,
and another of 84 guns, and a frigate, were driven
into Gibraltar, which were soon taken possession of
without the loss of a man. Lord Howe failed, and
off Cape St. Vincent, the combined fleets of France
and Spain, who, before the gale, confided of 52
ships of the line, came up with him, and an en
gagement ensued, and the report in Cadiz was, that
Lord Howe took seven of their line of battle ships.
Extract of a letter from London, October 6.
" It is certainly not Lord Shelburne's intention
to give the rebels unconditional independency. The
negociations at Paris are not yet over, and in all
probability will last the winter, unless some extra
ordinary event should take place."
Extract of a letter from London, dated Oft. 13.
" Your apprehensions, rerpe&ing the evacuation
of New-York, will Qbfide, when 1 assure you, that
orders are carried by this packet from government
of a very contrary tendency; upon which I most
Sincerely congratulate you and all my friends, for
fchofe interelt and fafety my endeavours shall never
cease. This meafffre of the new Ministry leads me
to hope, the K Lord S. and Mr. P— t, will pur
sue very different measures from those adopted by
the late short-lived republican Adminiftroson.l
have much confidence in the publick and upright in
tention of these men, and 1 hope, supported as they
are by the King, that they will be able to carry
their measures in the cabinet. I know they are de
termined against the independency of America,
and, unless overpowered and overruled, they will
never accede to it. From every thing I can fee or
hear, they are daily waxing stronger upon this
ground in the opinion of the nation. This must
now be seen upon the meeting of Parliament. If
the two Houses should lupport their measures, as
I think they will, all will yet go well, and we shall
emerge from our distresses and innumerable disgraces
into an honourable peace."
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 18.
Ihe ship Commerce, Captain Truxon, of this
port, is arrived at St. Thomas's. On his paxTage
thither, on the 15th ult. off the Virgin Gord, he
engaged, for twenty minutes, at thirty yards dis
tance, a brig mounting 16 fixes and 75 men, and a
schooner of 14 fixes and 80 men. They were both
his prizes, had he had time to have manned them;
but a fliip and brig of the enemy approaching fart
to the feene of aftion, he thought proper to quit
his captures, and make the belt of his way into
port. The schooner, in the conflict, which was sharp
and severe, loft her Capt. and nine men killed, and
eleven wounded; and the brig had five men killed
and thirteen wounded, agreeably to accounts after
wards received (at St. Thomas's) from Tortola,
where the privateers belong, and had arrived in a
very fluttered condition Captain Truxon's loss is
one killed and two wounded. The ship and brig,
which were beating down on the Commerce, were
the Amazon frigate, and the Quaker privateer, of
20 nine pounders. Captain Truxon, on his arrival
at St. 1 homas's, received the greatest applause for
his gallant behaviour on the occafton, as it is the firft
drubbing these picaroons have met with off that
Bland.
December 25,
Extrafl of a letter from a Gentleman at the 7
Harue, September 29,
" We have at length adjusted and agreed upon
every article in the treaty of commerce, with the