The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette — Portsmouth, N.H., 1777-08-23 00:00:00, page 2

PHILADELPHIA, August 6. ;
A Letter from Benjamin Franklin and
Silas Deane ; Esquires,, to Lord Stormont,
the English Ambassador at Paris.
My Lord, Paris, April 2, 1777.
“We did ourselves the honor of writing
some time since to your Lordship on the
fubjed of exchanging prisoners ; you did
mot condescend to give us any answer, and
therefore we expert none to this ; we how
ever take the Liberty of fending you copies
of certain depositions which we (hall trans
mit to Congress, whereby it will be known
to your Court, that the United States are
not unacquainted with the barbarous treat
ment their people receive when they have
the misfortune of being your prisoners here
in Europe ; and that if your condu& towards
us is not altered, it is not unlikely that severe
reprisals may be thought juftifiable, from
the necessity of putting some check to such
abominable practices.
For the fake of humanity, it is to be wifli
ed that men would endeavour to alleviate as
much as possible the unavoidable miseries
attending a state of war. If has been said,
that among the civilized nations of Europe
the ancient horrors ts that state are much di
minified ; but the compelling men by
chains, stripes and famine to fight against
their friends and relations, is a new mode of
barbarity which your nation alone has the
honor of inventing, & the fending American
prisoners of war to Africa and Asia, remote
from all probability, of exchange, and where
they can scarce hope ever to hear from their
families, even if the unwholelomenefs of the
climate does not put a fyeedy end to their
lives, in a manner of treating captives, that
you can juftify by no other precedent or
cnftom, except that of the black Savages Qf
Guinea.
We are, your Lordships most obedient
humble Servants, B. FRANKLIN,
S. DEANE,
Lord Viscount Stormont.
To the above Letter the following insolent
reply was made :
" The King's Ambassador receives no Let
ters from Rebels, except when they come to
ask mercy."
In CONGRESS, July 29.
Resolved, That an enquiry be made into
the reasons of the avacuation of Ticondero
ga and Mount Independence, and into the
condud of the General Officers who were in
the Northern department at the time of the
evacuation.
That a Committee be appointed to di
gest and',eport the mode of conducting the
enquiry.
July 30. Resolved, That Major General
St. Clair, who commanded at Ticonderoga
and Mount Independence, forthwith repair
to head quarters.
August 3. Resolved, That Major General
Schuyler be directed to repair to head quar
ters.
That General Washington be directed
to order such General Officers as he shall
think proper, immediately to repair to the
Northern department, to relieve Major Ge
neral Schuylerin the command there.
——^.umm mi
BOSTON, August 21, 1777.
The following circular Letter was received
Yesterday by Express.
STATE of VERMONT.
In Council of Safety Bennington, 16th Au
gust 1777 0
" Gentlemen, •
" Brigadier General Starks, from the State
of New Hampshire, with his Brigade, toge
ther with the Militia and Companies of
Rangers raised by this State, with Part of
Col. Symond's Regiment of Militia, are
mow in a&ion with a Number of the Enemys
Troops assembled near this Place, which has
been for some Time very severe, we have
now in FoffUlion (taken from them this
Day) four brass Field Pieces, Ordnance
Stores, &c, and this Moment four or five
Hundred Prisoners have arrived ; we have
taken the Ground, although fortified by En
trenchments, &c. but after being drove a
bout one Mile, and the Enemy being rein
forced, made a second Stand,and still conti
nue the Action, the Loss on each Side is
doubtless confiderable,but the Numbers can
not be afeertained. You are therefore in the
most pressing Terms, requeued by General
Stalks and his Council,to forward the whole
of theMilitia,under your feveralCommands,
to this Place; without one Minute's loss of
Time, they will proceed on Horseback with
all the Ammunition that can be provided
conveniently. On obr present Exertions de
pends the Fate of Thoulands.
Since our last arrived fafe in Port 3 or 4
Prizes, laden With fifh and salt, taken by the
Buckram, Capt. Snedeh.
We hear from Cambridge, that on Mon
day the nthinft. Stephen Hall. A. M. Tu
tor of the University in that Place,/ was
chosen a Member of the Corporation of
that Society ; and John Clark, A. M. a Tu
tor.
We hear that Major General Gates, is
appointed to command in the Northern de
partment, with orders immediately to repair
thither.
Wednesday the third day of September
next, is appointed by authority to be ob
served as a Day of Fading and Prayer,
thoughout the State of Connecticut.
Extract of a Letter, dated Still-Water, Au
gust i:, 1777,
" This Moment two Soldiers (taken some
Time since with Capt. Lane, Col Alden's
Regiment, near Port- Ann) arrived in Camp,
and fay, 'That they aeferted from Lake-
George two Days since, after being obliged
to swear they would not take upArmsagainft
the Britiffi King. They further inform,they
were, with other Prisoners, obliged to work
at hard Labour, they had for Overseers Hes
sians and other Foreigners, who were Cruel
to them in the greatest D gree. That their
whole Force was at Fort Edward, having no
more Troops at Fort George, 1 iconderoga,
&c. than were fufficient for Guards, &c.&c.
Scalping is become a Trade, scarcely a Day
passes but more or less are scalped by the Sa
vages, last Night o.ne Shared that Fate with
in 10 Rod of our Hospital, most of our Offi
cers who are Prisoners with the Enemy, are
lent off to Canada, Captain Lane excepted,
who is to return home on Parole. Gen. Lin
coln is expected here this Day."
Extr,a of a letter from a Gentleman at Al
bany, to another of veracity,in this town,
dated August 11, 1777.
" I have the pteafure to inform you there
has been a prosperous a&ion at the webward :
Gen. Harcoman, at the head of the militia
from Tryon county, marched to relieve the
troops at Fort-Schuyler,who were surrounded
by Johnson and his crew, about fix miles on
this fide the fort ; he found himtelf almost
surrounded by a large party of Indians and
tories, who were lent to prevent his joining
the troops in the fort ; a warm action ensued
for several hours, with some intermissions,
when the enemy fled, leaving the mod of
their dead on the ground ; the General kept
the ground, notwithstanding he was woun
ded in both his legs, one being broke, he fat
on a slump and encouraged his men, & gave
orders ; at the end of the a&ion he bad but
fifty men, the rest having left him. The Ge
neral (Harcoman) brought off the wounded,
his own & some of the enemy,among whom
was Watts, a brother- in-law to Johnson, who
is since dead, & several others of their prin
cipal leading tories ; but he was not able to
afcerlain the number of the enemy killed,as
it was woods, & he expected to be attacked
by a reinforcement of the enemy ; his num
ber now being very small he thought it pru-
dent to retire, which he did, leaving twenty
ofhis own men dead on the ground,and feme
fay one hundred, others one hundred & fifty,
of the tories and Indians. The action was
brave, and will ever do honour to 1^ militia.
As the a&ion commenced, Gen. Harcoman
lent three men to endeavour to get to the tort
which they happily performed, and giving
information to the commander, (Col.Gonfe
worth, of this State) that an action had com
menced ; & the commander, having learnt
the enemy, who lay on each fide the tort,bad
lent a reinforcement to assist the enemy,who
were engaged with the militia, he lent two
hundred men, and one field piece, to attack
that part of the enemy which, he had reason
to think,was the weakell. They tallied cut,
and round a large guard of the enemy ; firing
upon, they fled ; our men took one regular
Captain, and four privates ; took their bag
gage, which confined or clothing,fome hard
& tome paper money, provifions,tents, skins,
hides, &c. as much as they were able they
brought to the fort,the remainder they burnt.
Upon the enemy's hearing the firing (who
lay on the other fide of the fort) they lent a
reinforcement,but they received such a warm
salute, from our grape shot and fma!l-a?ms,
they were glad to retreat, leaving a number
of their dead. Ry this time our men,fearing
their retreat might be cut offto the fort,left iff
pursuing them, arrived fate to the fort, with
out the loss of one man. The enetfiy still re
main near the fort, but, ^fter this drubbing,
I believe, they will be glad to retire soon.
Our army, at the northward, remain at Still-
Water. If we could have a fufficient num
ber of troops, the enemy would lav at our
mercy ;we have long expe&ed a bdy front
your State, but I can't learn as they are com
in ^"
B O S T O N, Aoguff 2f.
Saturday last the General Assembly of this State
adjourned to W^dnefday the loth of Sept. next.
It is said the Generals that composed the Council
up@n the surrender of Ticonderoga, have been sent
for to Congress, and the chief comiffand there is left
to General Arnold.
On the la e alarm occasioned by the evaluation of
Ticonderoga, a number of the Stockbridge Indians
matched with the mi'iti of that county, and were Ra
tioned with General Nixon and Fellows, between Fort
Edward and Fort An On the i 3 hos July last.
General Fellows sent out five of them on a scout to
Skeenfborcugh ; the next day before sunset they re
turned with fix prisoners, confining of two regulars &
four tories, The account beirg somewhat entertain
ing we shall give it to the public nearly in their own
words, as related by Abraham who commanded the
party. Hefys, 'We passed the creek and went
within a mile or twoof Skeens's house, where we ay
down in a thick fpo of woods by the fide of the road.
It was not long, before there came along two regulars
driving a number of horses ; wej raped up and seized
them ; the regulars were so very m ch frighted, that
they made no refinance, neither could they speak:
plain. We found, by the noise, there were a number
more behind driving cattle. One of our prisoners
called to the fefcant for h<ip ; upon this we thought
it wife to make the best of our way into the woods.
Oar prisoners attempted to get away from us,we were
therefore obliged to make them feel that our hatchet!
were heavy. I told them, if you will behave like
prisoners, we will use you well, but i you don't we
must kill you : After this, they behaved well, and did
every thing we bid them. On our way to our encamp
ment, we thought we would take in with us as man,
Tories as we could find ; and in order to find there
out, we gave our prisoners their guns, taking out the
flints. When we came near a house, we told our pri
soners, you muff keep before us, and if you fee any
man you mutt cock your gums and present them at
them, end demand who they are far, the King# or
Country ? they did so, and the tories answered, They
were for the King, or they should have moved off long
ago. They seemed to be glad to fee the regulars, &
told them You are our brothers, I knew one of the
tories as loon as I came in fight of him, I therefore
put my hat over my face, for fear the fellow should
know me, til the red-coats had done their duty. Af
ter he had in a most ft ong manner declared he waa
for the King, 1 alked him further, will you be true to
the King, and fight for him till you die ? O yts, said
the tory. Upon this he difeovered his error, knew
me, and immediately said, What King do you mean ?
I mean King Hancock. Ah, said 1, we have found
you out, ,e don't know Kings in America yet ; you
must go along with us.
When they came near the Camp, their War. Ha
llow was heard, aad answered by the rest who went
out to meet them The prisoners were delivered to
General Nixon, and sent to Head Quarters.
Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, dated Aug. 12
“ Mr. Howe and h^m were last Thursday eff
the Capes of Virginia.';