The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1782-11-27 00:00:00, page 2

to make peace ; the joint letter of Sir Guy Carle
ton and Admiral Digby goes much further; they
take upon them to offer independence to America,
not as an article of peace, but as a preliminary ar
ticle to open a negociation. The lawyers will argue
.upon the conftrudion of this statute, hot our legif
htors will argue that this is not a question of law
but constitution.
Extras of a letter from Amferdam, dated Sep
tember i 6.
" In the very heavy gales that we have experi
enced for feme days palt, there have been great ap
prehensions fur our squadron at the Texel; but we
just now hear all are fafe, except the Leiwarden
frigate of 24 guns, that drove from her anchors,
and was on Ihore near Medemblic, but is little da
maged.
" Admiral Hartfink's appearance here convinces
us, that either his age has obliged him to give up
the command, or that the squadron will be no more
employed this year at least, perhaps not at all.—
The talk of peace being very general since the 30th
of last month, 135 vessels have entered this har
bour from different ports."
Extras of a letter from Bristol, September 25.
" Ten fail of tranports, with three regiments on
board from Cork, for Portsmouth, under convoy
of the Belle Poule, and the Sir Guy Carleton, from
New-York and Corke, for London, are arrived in
King Road, having been driven in by stress of wea
ther."
August 20. Ihe war, in all probability, will
terminate in the fate of Gibraltar, as it is, no
doubt, the serious intention of the House of Bour
bon, to depute the relief of that place with their
whole naval power. To the disgrace of our nobi
lity and gentlemen, not one white-handed beau has
as yet proposed himfelf as a volunteer on this ex
pected xtiuggle tor the empire of the ocean.
August 22. An armed Algerine vefftl, endea
vouring to throw provisions into Gibraltar, was at
tacked uy a Spanilh sloop ; the Algerine fought the
0 Spaniard, yard-arm and yard-arm, near fix glasses,
till both grappled, and their port-holes ran with
blood ; the Spaniard, however, extricated himfelf,
but the Algerine funk. The crew were saved.
Extract of a letter from Vienna, Avguft 7.
" Ihe Emperor, who attaches himfelf no less to
the molt minute particulars of interior police, than
he dues to his greater concerns abroad, caused it to
be announced on Sunday last, the 28th of July,
in all the churches of this capital, that from that
day, the women mult not appear there with their heads
dtelfed in any lingular or peculiarly elegant man
ner; and that the commissioners would be autho
rized to caule all those who disobeyed this order to
quit the place without any refped of perlons,
" firs Imperial Majesty has lately abolished the
penalty of death to criminals. It has been fettled,
that for the time to come, all those who would have
been condemned to die, are to be sent to the house
of correction, where they are to be kept to hard la-
bour for the rest of their lives, both men and wo
men, having their heads shaved, and a habit diftin
guilhing them from the rest of the criminals, and
chained two together."
31 _ tollowing melancholy account was received
z: the admiralty on A hurfday evening: The Swan
lloop ol war, being on her pillage to England, was
by a fudaen gulf of wind ovetfet near the town of
Wate^ord in Ireland, and in a few minutes went
down, together with her whole crew, which con
lifted of 130 men, officers included, together with
upwards of 40 naval volunteers, lately raised in
Dublin by Captain M'Bride; not a lingle person
on board escaped this dreadful accident
Augaji 23. An evening paper fays, it is in agi
tation to change the whole face of the war abroad.
It has been found that the famous victory of Ad
miral Rodney h^s not hitherto enabled us to take
from the enemy a single island, or recover one of
our loft possessions. This is found to have arisen,
not from the weakness of our fleets, or the naval
strength of the French, but solely from this cir
cumltance, that we have not in tire \i est-Indies
fufficient military force to undertake an expedition;
while at the fame time we have an army coop'd
up in New-York, a heavy burden to this country,
without the benefit of a single exertion against any
of our enemies. It is now proposed that this army
should be tranfpotted to the Weft-lndies, where,
from the superiority of our fleet, it may attempt
the redudion of the French islands, and with a to
lerable profped of success. The consequence of
this reduction would be, that though we might ac
kn wledge the independence of America, Ihll we
Should have it in our power to dilate to France the
LONDO N.
parent country.
A u S"^ 2 4° A gentleman in the city has received
a letter from his son at Gibraltar, which has the
following article :—I have snatched this opportu
nity just to let you know that 1 am alive, for the
vcffel which it goes by is preparing to fail with
defpatches from the Governor, to request immedi
ate assistance, without which we must Surrender this
important fortrefs. The Spaniards are preparing
to attack us in form, with a numerous army, and
a large train of heavy artillery, and our men are
greatly harraffed and fatigued with hard duty,
and dispirited by being so long cooped up. Our
brave Governor does all he can to encourage them
to persevere, and to defend the place to the last
moment. We are able I believe to hold out to the
middle of September, but if we are not relieved by
that time we must surrender, as our provisions will
be chiefly exhausted, and it will be impoflible for
the Moors to supply us, as we shall be closely
blocked up. We have sent off the Jews, who, poor
creatures, had no houses to live in, the enemy hav-
ing knocked them all down. Our works are not yet
damaged, but as we are to be attacked both by sea
and land, it is impoflible but they must focn. I
think if we are effectually relieved by. the 12th of
September, the united force of France and Spain
will not be able to take the place.
PORTSMOUT H, November 9.
On Tuesday the sth instant was launched at this
place, without any accident, the beautiful ship A
merica, of 74 guns. 1 his ship is conlidered by all
judges, as one of the best pieces of work ever done
in America, and not inferior to any elfewhcre. The
master builders, and other workmen, who have been
employed in this bulinefs for a long time, have been
indefatigable and persevering, and have gained
themselves great credit, in turning out of their
hands such a complete ship. The Honourable John
Langdon, Esquire, Agent for the United States,
who carried on the building of this ship, by advanc
ing large firms of his private stock, and his patrio
tick exertions, through the course of this business,
in the worst of times, has done himfelf great ho
nour, and rendered essential service to the publick.
The Chevalier Jones, who has resided in this
town for some time pad (by particular request of
Congiefs) as infpedor of the ship America, having
finilhed his million with credit to himfelf and his
employers, set out on Wednesday last for Philadel
phia.
terras upon which that court should obtain peace.
For this plan the two military men in the cabinet
argue strenuously: The premier hesitates; but if
he comes into it at all, and it is likely he will, it
is to be on condition, that by withdrawing the
troops from America, he shall not be considered
as having unconditionally acknowledged the inde
pendence of that country; but that if the future
Rate of affairs should enable him to humble France,
he should not be debarred, by the lecal of the troops,
from attempting to re-unite the colonies with the
The thunder storm on Thursday night last, did
considerable damage, particularly to the I'Auguftihe,
an 80 gun ship in this port, commanded by Cotint
Vaudreuil, it having entirely disabled her foremaft,
greatly damaged her fotecaftle and decks, killed
four men and badly wounded five.
B O S T O N, November 14.
There has been a report fur fume days past in
town, founded on a letter from ' New-York, dated
the 31st of Cdober, that the French and Spanilh
forces, consisting of 40.000 men, had been repulsed
in an attack on Gibraltar, with the loss of fifteen
thousand men, and that two of the floating batteries
had been set on fire by hot shot from the place, and
blown up, and this account is said to have come by
two vessels arrived there from Lisbon: That such
a report should come from such a quarter, is not
extraordinary; but it may not be improper to shew
the improbability, to fay no more of it : Now by
the ships arrived from Bilboa, we have an authen
tick detail of the operations against the place to the
13th of September, which recites that the English
batteries opened on the seventh, with great violence
against the floating batteries, to prevent their being
moored, without other effed than killing three, and
wounding thirty-seven men; and that the most tre
mendous fire was begun by the combined powers
against the place, on the Bth, which answered the
most sanguine expectations of the befiegers,and was
continued with equal good effect for the succeeding
days, insomuch that they had little doubt remain
ing, that without having recourse to so desperate a
measure as a general assault, J:he place must surren
der in a few days.
This is in all probability the latest account, for
as both the Lisbon ships said to be arrived at New,
York, must have reached that place before the 30th
ult. the date of the letter, and the news of such an
event would probably be five days at least in reach
ing Lisbon, both these vessels, a most extraordinary
thing, must have been ready to fail, and have
reached New-York in five and thirty days; besides
that the numbers said to have been killed, are ra
ther Rivingtonian; for every man of the besieged,
Bobadd like, must in proportion to the numbers of
the garrison, have killed three men to his break
faft.
Some accounts of the siege of Gibraltar, recei^
by the Bilboa arrivals, contain a kind of journal of
the operations for five days after its commencement;
these advices fay, that the besiegers had completed
ten floating batteries of a particular conftru&ion,
mounted with cannon of 24 pounds shot, and mor
tars of the largest size, which had delivered in one
day 24,200 balls and Ihells against that place; th'at
three breaches had been made in the works of that
fortification, and there was the highest probability,
that it would soon yield to the fate of Minorca.—
The eyes of all Europe are turned to this remark
able siege, and events of the greatest moment by
land arid sea, are soon expelled in that quarter.
PROVID SN C E, November. 9
Yesterday His Excellency Count Rochambeau,
with his suite, came to town from the westward. The
firft division of the French army is expelled to ar
rive here this morning.
NEW-LONDON, Nov.x,-.
Last Friday a flag of truce arrived at Newport,
in fix days from Bermuda, with 80 prisoners.
Four days before the above flag left Bermuda,
several vessels arrived there from Charleftown, with
inhabitants of that place, who brought an account
that the British garrison had withdrawn from the
town, and that the continental army were in pof
fefion of it.
The following is copied from a Hand-Bill, print
ed at Cork, and brought by tkevefolfrom thence,
which arrived on Monday night. A Gazette
extraordinary, printed at Cork, containing an
account of the siege of Gibraltar.
Admiralty-Office, Sept. 19, 1782.
Extract of a letter from Governor Elliot, to Se
cretary Stevens, dated Sept. 12, 1782.
{HAVE taken an opportunity of fending this by
Mr. Frazier, master of the Speedwell cutter,
who is to fail to-morrow for England, with the
subsequent account of our success against the Spa
niards, in their so much boasted attack with their
floating batteries. J am in hopes he will get off
fafe, as the Spaniards, sickened by their late at
tempt, seem to have drawn off their cruizers, as
despairing of success.
This, Sir, has been one of the most tremendous
scenes 1 ever was engaged in, and words fall ihort
of giving you an idea of an action so Various and
dreadful ; however, I (hall attempt to relate some of
the particulars. As it was always my opinion
that we should be attacked by their whole force on
St. Louis's day, I made every necessary preparation
to receive them, on the evening of the 24th I or
dered several light boats to fail forward and back
wards to observe their motions, and bring intelli
gence if tey saw any thing of the Spaniards, in
the mean-time, a floating battery, in form of a half
moon, confiruded under my direction, was towed
off from there about 400 yards, and there securely
anchored ; twelve gun boats were also formed in two
dirifioHS on the right and left of this battery, and
two batteries in a point of land, the one of 36 guns,
the other of 24, swept the bay in an oblique direc
tion, and four bomb batteries of fix mortars each ;
these were all the extra preparations.
About half after one in the morning, I had notice
of their approach, but very slowly, as their batte
ries were built in such a manner as required much
labour to bring them on, and by the node we heard,
we imagined their passage was attended with great
difficulty ; they were towed by a vast number of
boats and lighters, and seeming at times in great
confufion. By the accounts which were bro't in,
I thought it would be of great service to ditturb
them a little in their passage, and ordered the gun
boats to quit their present Nation, and advance and
form a line about a mile a-head of the battery,
and by a constant fire, drive to put the Spaniards
into greater confufion. This manoeuvre had the desired
effeft ; the Spaniards busy in bringing forward their
unweildy batteries, which moved very flow, had
not time to observe the approach of our boats, and
thought themselves in perfect security, until they
were attacked with vast showers of grapc-fhot and
pieces of old iron, which flew as thick as hail, and
did incredible mifchief amongst them, for now boat
From Rivington's paper of the 20th inffant.