The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-08-30 00:00:00, page 2

Yesterday Capt. Barnes, in a packet brig, returned
here, after a tedious passage of 9 weeks from Bilboa,
laden with naval stores, blankets, &c. By Captain
Barnes we have an account that the General Picker
ing, belonging to Salem, mounting 16 fix pounders,
and 47 men, commanded by Capt. Jonathan Harri
den, on her voyage to Spain, on the 29th of May, fell
in with a British cutter of 20 guns, which after an
hour and 45 minutes engagement the beat off: That
on theist of June he fell in with a lugg-fchooner, call
ed the Golden Eagle, of London, mounting 14 nine
and 8 four pounders, and 57 men, which he took ;
she was commanded by Robert Scott, and was fitted
out at Little Hampton, in Sussex, for a fix months
The deftrudion of Lord Mansfield's house may be
considered as a public loss. Three hundred manu
script volumes of notes, and other valuable profeffi
onal papers of this great law luminary, were destroy
ed. One of them was a large quarto on the diftind
privileges of both Houses of Parliament, which, after
the utmost persuasion, his Lordship had consented to
give to the world immediately.
A letter dated the firft instant, at Guernsey, fays,
" A King's cutter just arrived, gives an account that
three 74 French men of war, about 70 transports and
flat-bottomed boats, with frigates, were all in and
about Concale bay. The people at Guernsey are all
under arms, and wish for their appearance. There
is a cannonading which we hear, but whether at Jer
sey or at sea cannot determine."
From a St. Kitt's Paper of June 23.
Mr. Howe,
BY your paper of the 19th, I observe a motion has
been made in the House of Commons by Lord
Beauchamp, for leave to bring in a bill for the pro
tection of Grenada property in neutral bottoms from
the English cruizers ; by which he displays the huma
nity that makes his character, and claims the grati
tude of the unhappy Grenadians.
I am furry, however, his Lordship has, at the fame
time, taken an opportunity of faying, " that the Count
d' Eftaing had given the inhabitants of that illand up
to plunder for several days;" which must proceed
from mifinformation.
It is too common to magnify the bad and overlook
the good usage received from an enemy; tho' justice
and gratitude as well as policy require the contrary.
I was in Grenada when the Illand surrendered at dis
cretion. The firft fort the French had entered, hav
ing been ftript of fume things carried there, as to a
place of fafety, the inhabitants expected nothing else
than the fate Lord Beauchamp mentions, in place of
which centinels were immediately placed all over the
town, and such orders issued, as entirely prevented
plundering by the troops. Whatever losses we have
met with, or whatever hardlhips we have experienced
in other refperts from the change of government, the
behaviour and moderation of the soldiery on that oc
casion were exemplary, and they ought not to be de
prived of the merit due to them. If our countrymen
had shewn any compassion for our situation, and not
plundered us of what the French had left us, there
would have been no occasion for Lord Beauchamp's
motion.
An Inhabitant of Grenada.
St. Eußatia, June 21st, 1780.
the grand fleet under his command, consisting of 23
ships of the line, 5 frigates, a sire-ship, and several
cutters. It is said they are to be joined by 5 more
ships of the line at Plymouth. Admiral Barrington
is second, Darby third, Digby fourth, and Ross fifth
in command.
the Tower ; and also a bookbinder's apprentice,
charged with throwing Mr. Akerman's furniture into
the fire.
About five o'clock on Friday Lord George Gordon
was taken into custody by the King's messengers,
and conveyed to the horse guards. About seven in
the evening a Cabinet Council was held, by whom
Lord George Gordon was examined. This exami
nation laded till past nine, when Lord Gordon was
committed to the Tower. Two of his servants were
also apprehended, and his papers, &c. fecurcd. He
was carried to the Tower in so judicious a manner,
that no accident happened.
The guard which accompanied his Lordship was
one of the largest ever known to be employed on the
like occasion. A very large body of infantry preced
ed and followed his Lordihip's coach very close;
these were preceded by Gen. Carpenter's regiment of
dragoons, after which came a Colonel's guard of
foot, with a party of life guards. In the whole, the
escort amounted to 12 or 1500 men.
Mr. Filher, Secretary to the Protestant Associati
on, and Mr. Hopkins, one of their principal mana
gers, are also committed to the Tower.
At the meeting of Parliament Lord North is to de
liver a message from his Majesty to the Commons, in
forming them of his having given orders to seize a
member of their House, and Ipecifying the charges
against him, after which a special commission will be
appointed for his trial.
The commission to try the rioters was experted to
be out this day. We hear Mr. Wedderburne and
Lord Amherst are named as two of the commissioners.
Amongst the rioters taken yesterday is a capital
tradesman, who absolutely demanded admittance at
the Tower, in order to get arms.
Thursday Admiral Geary failed from Spithead with
BOSTO N, August 7.
cruize : That on the 4th of June, after 15 hours chafe,
came up the Achilles, from Weymouth, Capt. Wil
liams, who retook the schooner, and gained infor
mation of Capt. Harriden's force, whom he endea
voured to board, on which an engagement ensued,
which laded two hours and 35 minutes, within pistol
shot, when the Achilles flieered off, and being the
fafteft sailer, got clear: Captain Harriden then again
retook his prize, on board of which was the Second
Lieutenant of the Achilles, who gave the following
account, viz.—That the mounted 22 long French 9
pounders, 6 eighteen pounders Ihort, 12 four pound
ers, and 2 two pounders brass, with her tops manned,
and some swivels, and 190 men. She had been out
four weeks; and taken only one Dutchman. Capt.
Harriden had only one marine killed and eight wound
ed, all of which were like to do well.
Captain Barnes also advises, that two Spanish ves
sels had taken a British frigate of 32 guns, and car
ried her fafe into port.
We are assured 19 (out of 38) fail of victuallers,
bound from Europe to Quebec, will fliortly make
their appearance in a new libel of vessels taken from
the enemy, which will put it beyond a doubt that
they have arrived fafe in port.
Saturday arrived at Salem from a cruize, the ship
Brutus, during which, in company with the America
and Saucy Jack privateers, has captured ten rich ves
sels laden with dry goods, provisions, &c. being part
of a fleet of upwards of 40 fail from London, bound
to Quebec, under convoy of two frigates. The Bru
tus carried in with her one ship, another arrived yes
terday, the rest are hourly expected.
Aug. 10. We sincerely congratulate our readers on
the capture of so great a part of the Quebec fleet, the
most important blow given to the British trade since
the commencement of the war. —This fleet confided
of 38 fail, under convoy of two British frigates, rich
ly laden with prvifions, ordnance and military stores,
valuable merchandize, and all kinds of supplies for
the Province of Canada, the British army there, and
the Indian trade. It contained, indeed, most if not
all the supplies for that quarter for the present year.
It had been long preparing and waiting for convoy,
and was much wanted and experted in Canada. This
fleet failed from Torbay the 30th of May ; three days
after a French ship of the line fell in with it, which,
according to the best accounts we can obtain, took
seven, and probably more, and scattered the whole
fleet. Afterwards a number of American privateers
fortunately met with this prey, and we have already
certain account, captured nineteen. Our cruizers
(some if not all of whom soon inlifted as many men
from the prizes as it took to secure them) were left
in pursuit of the remainder of the fleet; and as we
know there were a number of other American armed
vessels cruizing at or near the mouth of St. Lawrence,
it is highly probable that very few, if even any, will
find their way to Quebec. From an apprehension in
England that our loss at Penobfcot had difenabled us
to fit out cruizers, this fleet had a small convoy, and
was insured there at ten per cent. The value of each
prize is computed, on an average, at 20,000!. sterling.
They have an assortment exartly adapted to the wants
and occasions of the United States. This blow mutt
be terrible to the British in Canada, as these supplies
cannot be replaced this year : The British army there
mud feel it severely : The Indian trade, which gave
our enemies military as well as commercial advantages,
mult fuffer greatly by it: So must the merchants in
Britain, as well as Canada, particularly the insurers.
In short, it is not easy to compute what the enemy
has loft, and what we have gained by this fortunate
stroke. It has been remarked, that the American
privateers concerned in this capture all belong to this
state, and that some of the owners of the vessels loft
on the Penobfcot expedition, are largely interested in
this success.
A vessel not long since arrived here from the Weft-
Indies, failed with the combined fleets of France and
Spain of 36 fail of the line and 14,000 troops. This
vessel accompanied the fleet to leeward, thro' the
Porto Rico passage, to the coast of Hispaniola, where
flie left it about 27 days ago. It was universally con
cluded to be bound for Jamaica.
The large body of troops that the enemy had as
sembled on Long-Island, and which were with good
reason supposed to have been destined on an expedi
tion to Newport, we hear are returned to New-York;
the alacrity with which the militia turned out to sup
port our generous friends and allies, and the move
ments made by his Excellency General Washington,
having entirely frufti ated the enemy's plan.
We learn that 19 fail of a fleet, bound from Lon
don to Quebec, richly laden with provisions, dry
goods, &c. have been taken by the eastern privateers,
and are arrived in fafe ports.
NEWPO R T, August 5 .
The great and small artillery landed by our gene
rous allies, and disposed in different parts of this town
and island, exceed any thing of the kind ever seen
here. They have brass cannon from 4to 48 pound
ers, and in great plenty.
It is almost impossible, fays a correspondent, to
conceive the spirit and ardour of the country in push
ing forward to meet the enemy on Rhode-Ifland,
should they be so daring as to attack it. There is
now about 10,000 fine militia and fix months men a
bout the North End of the island, and might have
PROVIDENCE, August 12.
been 20,000 before this, had they not been flopped
coming in.
On Friday morning the 28th ult. the foundery for
calling cannon at Providence, belonging to Mr. Brown,
accidentally took fire and was consumed.
NO RWI C H, August 10.
A letter from a gentleman at Boston to his friend
in this town, mentions a great acquisition being late
ly made over a fleet of about forty fail of merchant
men, under a small convoy, bound from England to
Quebec. It is said near one half were captured ; ma
ny of which are very valuable. A French ship took
fix, and a number of privateers from the eafy^ard
captured the rest. In consequence of this important
manoeuvre, goods had and were Rill falling.
For several days pad the English fleet, on the Ame
rican station, have been hovering about the cast end
of Long-Island.
NE W-HAV E N, August 17.
We have an account that fifteen of the prizes men
tioned under the Boston head, are arrived in East
ern ports.
NEW-LONDO N, August 11.
About noon on Saturday last, the British fleet from
Block-Bland, to the number of fifteen, came into
the Sound and anchored off this harbour, where they
remained till about the fame time next day ; when
they came to fail, the wind easterly, and went into
Gardiner's bay, where they still remain.
By our accounts from Long Island it appears, that
Admiral Graves's views in leaving his Ration at Block-
Bland, were to give the French fleet an opportunity
to come out of Newport, and also to colled stock,
&c. for the use of his fleet. It appears that they are
collecting all the small Rock that can be found on the
different islands, which greatly distresses the inhabi
tants.
One fllip of the line and three frigates (British)
continue to cruize between Montank-Point and Block
Island.
A letter from a gentleman in Boston, of the 7th
instant, to the printer hereof, lays, " A fleet failed
fiom Corke of 40 transports, under convoy of two
men of war, and off the Western Islands they were
fcparated by two French men of war; since which
two letters of marque belonging to Cape Anne have
taken two of them, two privateers of Newbury five,
three privateers of Salem 12; in all 19 fine valuable
prizes ; out of which nine have arrived, the other 10
we expert are in, as a firing was heard last night ; we
daily exped more of them. There is a store ship a
mong them of 22 nine pounders, which besides stores,
has 40,000!. Reriing in dry goods."
FI S II -K I L L, August 17.
Extrafl of a letter from an officer in the second brigade
•flight infantry, near Neco-Tappan, dated Aug. 12.
" The Marquis de la Fayette commands our divi
sion; I underßand he daily experts the arrival of the
second division of the French fleet, when, I have san
guine expectations, we shall strike a capital stroke.
Our army is very numerous, in good health, and high
spirits, anxiously waiting to be led on."
CHATHA M, August 23.
EXTRACT from GENERAL ORDERS.
Head-Quarters, Pracanefs, July 20, 1780.
" The Commander in Chief has the pleasure to
congratulate the army on the arrival of a large land
and naval armament at Rhode-Bland, sent by his
Most Christian Majesty to co-operate with the troops
of these Rates against the common enemy; accom
panied with every circumßance that can render it ho
nourable and ufeful: The generosity of this fuccour,
and of the manner in which it is given, is a new lie
betwixt France and America: The lively concern
which our allies manifeft for our fafety and indepen
dence, has a claim to the affection of every virtuous
citizen. The General with confidence assures the ar
my, that the officers and men of the French forces
came to our aid, animated with a zeal, founded in
sentiment for us, as well as in duty to their Prince ;
and that they will do every thing in their power to
promote harmony and cultivate friendfhip: He is e
qually persuaded on our parts, we shall vie with them
in their good disposition ; to which we are excited by
gratitude as well as by a common interest; and that
the only contention between the two armies will be
to excel each other in good offices, and in the display
of every military virtue : This will be the pledge of
the most solid advantage to the common cause, and
of a glorious issue to the campaign.
" It is recommended to the officers of the Ameri
can army, to have black and white cockades, a black
ground with a white relief, emblematic of the ex
pected union of the two armies."
By late advice from New-York, we are informed
that near two hundred fail of transports, victualled
and watered, lay ready to take troops on board. —
Where destined we cannot learn.
BALTIMORE, August 15.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Fort-Pitt, to
bis friend in this tocun, dated the 23d ult.
" The savages still continue to harrafs our frontiers,
but from the treatment they have lately met with a
bout our settlements, I think they will be very cauti
ous how they visit us again. Since I fat down to write
this, I have been most agreeably alarmed with the