The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-04-23 00:00:00, page 1

tunes, he Ayas busy ; 0 forming plans for collecting
the strength of the United States, in order to open
the next campaign as early as poliible by a vigorous
attack upon the enemy.
The people of this country are a good deal divided
in their opinions as to the methods of carrying on.tire
war by troops enldted during the war, or by militia.
The arguments in favour of a Handing army apply
much lets in this country than among the belligerent
Rates of Europe. Where luxury and a variety of
mechanical employments have unfitted a majority of
the inhabitants for the toils and dangers of a military
life, and where foreign conquests and expeditions
form a part of the great system of war. Bat the case
is widely different from this in America; iufomuch
that I am disposed to agree with those citizens who
rely chiefly upon the militia gr yeomanryof the
country, for the eflablifhment of the Independence
of these States.
You must know that nine-tenths of the freemen of
America are farmers, , who are either married men,
or connected in such a manner with families, that
they will not forego the sweets of domestic life for
three, four, or seven years service. The very cir
cumltances which entire to us their attachment to
their country, viz. their property and their'cohnec
tions militate against their becoming soldiers for life.
The armies of Europe are composed chiefly of single
men, and this is the reason why they arc now em
ployed so fuccefsfully in supporting the thrones of
tyrants in your quarter of the, world. Ha%tfie Con
gress fpcceeded last year in their Scheme or railing
^O,OOO men to serve during the war, 1 mould have
taken leave of the liberties of this country ; .or could
that number of men have been found in America
without property, and wholly detached from family
connections, I Ihould thought America too far gone,
in the corrupted manners of Europe; to have eha
blifhed her freedom and independence. The prefect
continental army has exhausted America of that class
of men who compole the common soldiers in Eu
rope. Some of them, I grant, are married men and
. possessed of considerable property ; but thefe' thrust
themselves into the ranks in a fit of patriotic enthu
siasm, when the salvation of America was thought to
depend entirely upon her success in filling up'her
continental regiments. A resolution of the Congress
1 believe could draw an army of 10,000 men toge
ther from the single State of Connecticut to serve for
fix or nine months, but I question whether any force
could bring a tingle battalion from that State to serve
during the war.
It is always dangerous to a free state to introduce
a distinction between citizens and soldiers. They
For the New-Jersey.Gazette.
From the original letters of. Monsieur De Lisle.
Trenton, !!. ^-ferfy, December 25, 1777.
My dear Count,
I HAVE just returned from spending a few
days with the army, under the command of
General Washington, at a place called the
Valley Forge, about twenty miles from Phila
delphia. I found them employed in building
little huts for their winter quarters. It was
natural to expert that they wiihed for more comfort
able accommodations, after the hardships of a most
severe campaign; but I could difeover nothing like a
Agh of difconfent at their fixation, among cither of-'
ficers or soldiers. On the contrary,, my cars were a
greeably struck every evening, in riding through the
camp, with a variety of military and patriotic lungs ;
and every countenance I saw, wore the appearance of
chearfulnefs or fatisfacticn. Their iliuftnous General
(hared with them in all the difficulties of their new
species of encampment. His manner of lie was t^uly
exemplary to his whole army. By his temperance
and sobriety the midnight revel was banilhed from
his camp. He entertains his officers and Grangers
with a delicate politeness that is peculiar to himfelf,
but in a.manner so free from offentation and luxury,
that a person fancies himfelf, when at bis table,
feafting with one of the celebrated Generals of the
republic of Rome, in the Ample ages of the com
monwealth. I Should not add to this account of the
General, that he Seldom dines upon more than ope
dish and drinks no wine at his table, but that I find
his friends and the army glory in havmg.it known.
I must inform you that.lie draws, no pay for lus ser
vices, and as the Congress contracted to defray the
expences of his table, he has-beended,by that cir
cumstance as well as by a love of republican simpli
city, to adopt this temperate and frugal mode of
living. I found,, upon enquiry, that he was as ufua[
indefatigable in business. -Day-light feldcm found
him in bed.' Thread of dwelling upon pad misfor-
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. I.]
THURSDAY, April 23, 1778.
should always be united in the fame persons. Now
nothing can do this so effectually as to oblige them
reciprocally to perform the duties of each other.
Liberty must be perpetual in that country where men
are equally capable of handling fire-arms and the
plough. A freeman who has rifqued his life only
once in defence of his liberty, will value it more than
a man who has payed thousands to a mercenary ar
my to defend it for, him.
• There are but two ways of expelling the British"
army from America. The one is by an-atmy equal
in numbers and discipline, and superior in the flra
tageins of war to their own.—The other is by an
army of militia, whose Superiority in numbers and
enthusiastic ^attachment to the cause of liberty, Shall
supply the want of Stratagems and of perfect disci
pline.
Experience hath taught the American's that the
firft cannot be obtained. The exigencies of the war
will not give them leisure to introduce a system of
European discipline into their armies. BeCdes, men
Cannot be had in Sufficient numbers to become Sub
jects of that kind of dilcipkh^. The Americans love
their liberty and t : eir families too much to part with
them for more than a year. To extirpate these prin
ciples and affections from their minds, would be to
render them fit Subjects and instruments for Slavery.
A choice therefore is 110 longer left to the United
States of a regular army to Serve during the war.
They mult depend finally upon the militia or yeo
manry of the country. The exploits that have al
ready been performed by them, are Sufficient to give
a full confidence in them. -It is only Sufficient to
name Lexington—Bunker's Hill—Fort Schuyler—
Bennington—Saratoga—and New-Jersey—to remind
you that most of the'laurels that have been earned
Alice the commencement of the war, have been gac
tiiered by militia.
p The broken nature of the country renders the war
in America neceAaiify irregular. The British army
difeovered this lonx ^o.;aud by laying aside their
regularity, and adopting the look n^cQf ao-c^.e
and firing pfa&ifed by the militia, have in feverai
instances baffled detachments of the continental army.
I would not be utiderftood by any thing I have
written in this letter, to approve of the method prac
tised by forae of the States, of fending militia into
the field dor fix' weeks or two months. This time
is too Short to teach them to aCt in concert With each
other. Instead of this,practice, I wilh no troops to
be admitted into the field who are not willing to
serve at leaf for fix months. If each State, instead
of being called upon to fill its continental regiments
at an inimenfe # expence with, recruits to serve during
the war, was obliged to keep ' constantly.in service a
Stipulated dumber of drafts irom its militia, to. serve
for nine or twelve months, 1 am persuaded an army
would be collected before the firll day of next June,
large enough to enable General Washington to offer
terms of ftfbmiffiQn to all the troops of Britain in
America:
What were the ancient armies of France dad Ger
many ? —What were the invincible bands whomjhe
Edwards: and Henrys'of England, led on to glory
arid curiqueft? They were the farmers of thecountry.
The foundof. the trumpet collected them together,
and the distance of time between their performing
the labours of husbandry and Shaking in the honours
of victory, was Sometimes not more than two er
three months. " '.,
The Spirit of a commander has in some instances
worked miracles with new troops. There was Scarce
ly a regiment in the army that conquered Quebec
that had been railed above four months. General
Wolfe converted them at once into &1 army ofheroes,
and interacted" them in all the arts of an American
war. This- Spirit in a General 'is 'fo cilcutia, to an
army, that the oldest and most regular troops have
never done anything without it..
A General at the head of 40 or .50,000 freemen,
with an army of only 15 er. 20,000 mercenary ban
ditti in his front, has nothing to do with the quaint
maxims ofmilitary writers. Where is the use Qf the
lever or the pulley to raise a weight,where the Strength
of a Angle hand is fufficent for that purrofc ^ A coun
cil of war composed of cabinet Generals,! dare fay,
Would have discovered twenty plauhble objeefons to
attacking the flozuer of General Burgoyne's army en
trenched upon the heights of Bennington, with a
handful of racy militia. But General Stark admitted
no deliberations " among his principal 'officers between
their duty and their fears. He did hot wait 'till his
little army was thinned by homdfickuefs, or disband
ed by the expiration of their time of service. He
availed himfelf of their genius and fire, and led them
on to victory and glory. The King of FruUia could
T H E
not 'nave planned an attack in his circumstanced with
more wisdom, nor have executed it with more bra
very. Colonel Baum did every thing that could have
been done by any man in his Situation. But his fate
must have been the fame had he commanded a Ma<.
cedonian phalanx.
I am disposed to think that an attack upon the
British army, planned and executed with equal judg-,
ment and vigour, would succeed in nine cases out of
ten, with the militia of any State in the union. -It
is the only way in which new troops can be made to
fight or conquer. The exercise of advancing Sup
ports their animal Spirits, and the constant change of
ground prevents the least impression being made up
on their minds by the fight of .their wounded or
dead, companions. It should be remembred here,
that in all these cases of attacking regular troops with
militia that general qrders-,aid de campE —and the
!wcrds of officers brandishing in the air, will have no
efficacy, unless the principal officers who-command
them lead them on to action..
Adieu, my dear Count, and be affiired of the con
tinuance of the regard of your most affectionate and
devoted Servant,
I>De 1 >De LISL E.
STATE of NEW-,ERSET.
An A C T for regulating and limiting the price of la
tour, and of sundry articles of produce, manufacture
and trade ; and to prevent forejlalling, regrating,
cud er.growing,
WHEREAS divers persons; influenced by motives
unfriendly to the interest and Well-being of
their country, and from avaricious principles and an
unjust love cf gain, do require, demand, and receive
unreasonable prices for fuhdry 'neceffaries of life;
and do abb buy up and engross such of the said ne
ceflaries as by the particular circumstances of the
tiroes peg rvn<m>ted f^rce and difficult to be obtain
ed, with 4 view farther to enhance their price - to
the grievr^Q offr^fifon hf ftp
army, and general detriment of the community • And
whereas, pursuant to the recommendation of the
Honourable the Congress of the United States, Com
midieners duly .appointed by the Legislatures of the
feverai States of New-Hampdiire, Massachusetts-Bay;
Rhode-Inland and Providence. Plantations, Connecti
cut, New-York, New-Jersey, and Pennsylvania, did
meet in convention at New-Haven in the month of
January latt, in order to form some general plan for
the salutary purpofc of regulating the price of la
bour, of manufactures, and the internal produce of
the laid States, and of sundry foreign articles; and
the Cotumiflioners of this. State having reported the
plan of 'regulations and the limitations agreed upon
ih the said convention, and the fame having been
considered and in general approved, Therefore, as
well to preserve an Uniformity of prices in the fevt
ral Status from whence supplies are chiefly drawn
for the army, as to prevent undue exactions and
extortions in the internal cornnaerce of this State,
1. Be it enacted by the Council and General Afr
foubl, of this State, and it is hereby enacted by the au
ikoriT, of the fame, That from and after the twentieth
day of April next, the rates and prices of labour,
and of the following articles of produce, manufac
ture and trade, (halt not exceed the sums to them
fcverallf annexed, that is to fay,
. The rates and prices of farming and other com
mon labour, carting and ail kinds of land carriage,
and the wages of mechanicks; tradesmen and-handi
craftmen, Shall not exceed double what they were
in the fame places through the varroife seasons of the
year of our. Lord one thousand seven hundred and
le verity-four.'
'1 he prices of hemp, flax, flieep's-wool, and all
forts of woollen and linen cloths, hosiery of all forts,
and felt hats, manufactured in America; bricks,
lime, Singles, boards, fcantling, and all other kinds
of lumber; smiths coal, fire-wood, tannery bark,
cyder, beer, apples,' deer skins, venison, poultry of
ail kinds, fifh of all kinds; roots, vegetables, eggs,
milk, and all other kinds of American produce and
manufacture, and every article of the like kind not
particularly mentioned and regulated by this aft,
wire and wool cards excepted, shall not exceed dou
ble the sum Arch articles of the like quality were
usually fold at hi the feverai parts of this State, thro',
the different seasons of the said year one thousand
seven hundred ana feventy-foun
That the price of all forts of European goods,
wares and merchandize imported from foreign parts
or brought into this State by capture or otherwise,
shall not exceed the rate or price of one continental
dollar for every {billing sterling prime cost of such
[Numb. 21.]