The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1795-03-27 00:00:00, page 2

tow, of Wilmington, in the Rate ofl
Nordicarelies,
A„rrocd, March 21, 1795.
George Washington.
_Bmpti —.—-
^n Aft to eftablijb the office of Purvey
or of public supplies.
Sec. I. BE it enabled b, the Senate
and House of Representatives of the
-United States of America, in Congress
assembled, That there (hall be in the
tiepartmeric of the treasury, an officer
to be denominated, " Purveyor of
Public Supplies," whose duty shall
be, under the direction and supervi
sion of the Secretary of the Treasury,
to conduct the procuring and provid
ing of all arms, military and naval
(tores, provisions, clotting, Indian
goods, and generally.all articles of
Supply, requisite for the ferviceof the
United States, and whose compensa
tion shall be, a salary of two thousand
dollars per annum. And all letters to
and from the said officer (hall be re
ceived and conveyed by post free of
postage. @
Sec, 2. And be it further enabled.
That the said officer shall not dire&ly
or iodirealy, be concerned, or inters
efted, in carrying on the business of
trade or commerce, or be owner in
whole or in part, of any sea vessel, or
purchase 'by himfelf or another, in
trust for him, public lands, or any
other_ public property, or be concern
ed in the purchase or disposal of any
public securities of any state, or of the
United States, or take, or apply to
his own use, any emolument or gain,
for negociating or tranfafting any bu
siness in the said department, other
than what shall be allowed by law ;
and if he shall offend against any of
the prohibitions of this aft, he shall
upon conviaion, forfeit to the United
States, the penalty of three thousand
dollars, and may be imprisoned for a
term not exceeding five years, and
shall be removed from office, and be
forever thereafter incapable of hold
ing any office under the United States.
Sec. 3. And be it further enabled,
That the officer shall, before he en
ters on the duties of his office, give
bond with fufficient sureties, to be ap
proved by the Secretary of the Trea
sury, and Comptroller, in the sum of
twenty thousand dollars, payable to
the United States, with condition for
the faithful performance of the duties
of his said office ; which bond shall be
lodged in the office of the Comptrol
ler.
; Approved, March 23, 179;.
George Washington.
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
CONCORD, March 27.
DETAIL OF FOREIGN
Articles by Saturday's Stage.
FROM THE BOSTON CHRONICLE,.
of Thursday, March 19.
"' {Nrayerk.Meweb 12.
By tWDianoACap.Emery, in 58 daysfrom Brif
lot, nue bang received London papers to the Btb
,aa.f?om <wbicb cue have extra^ed tbc fol
lowing information .
LONDON, JAN. 6.
THE Dutch mail due on Monday, has not
arrived, that due on Friday, arrived at a late
hour last night. Two messengers also arriv
ed, viz. Mr. Bazilico, from Corsica, and Mr
Hunter, from the army in Holland.
The mail brings little fr<fh intelligence
from the Rhine. Our letters from Manheim,
of the 22d of December, inform us, that on
^he night of the 15th, the Imperial garrison
Rationed on the fleches on the left bank of
ihe Rhine, made a sortie with several guns,
4nd zoo pioneers, to destroy a new redoubt
the French had b^gdn to confirua on the
Highway leading to Mundenheim. This at-?
lempt succeeded, with the loss of only nine
men wounded, on the part of the Austrians.
We are ignorant of the loss of the French,
who, however, relumed their employment in
Igainft the hetiegers Rationed on the road
leading to MutKienheim,
For an account of the operations of the
French on the Waal,.we refer our readers to
the following letters from our correfoond.
ents in Holland, and with the
BRITISH JRMY.
Dec. zs. The bridge at Pannaudenqs
well as that of Arnheim, has been carried
way by great bodies of ice from the upper
part of the river. This circumstance tirdf
tens us much far forage, an article of which
before we had not a fall supply ; for now wb
have only left to us a difficult communica
tion with the other fide of the Rhine, by
means of boats; but Providence is likely soon
to remove this difficulty, for there is every
appearance, that not only the Rhine, but
also the Waal will soon be frozen over.
The bombardment of Grave has ceased
for some sos. The general opinion is that
the hardness of the ground, occasioned by thi
froft, prevents the besiegers from proceeding
with their works again ft the place.
Dec. 26. We are so circumstanced at pre,
sent, that the most fertile imagination, aft.
not form any opinion refpe&ing our future
operations. Our army which occupies the
grounds along the banks ofthe Waal, is so
posted, and had taken such precautions, that
with every hope of success, we might have
disputed with the enemy, thepaffage, if the
river had continued open ; but already it is
frozen over in different places, especially a
bove Tiel. This circumstance to which our
tallies |do not apply, fhculd the froft only
continue two days longer, is likely to make
our situation most critical ; for, by all ac
counts, the enemy are so numerous, that it
will hardly be possible, with such a disparity
of force, to present any eftedual opposition
to their progress.
The British troops are very sickly ; such,
however, as are in health, are in good spirits,
and aaually wish for a Field Day, to relieve
them from the mortifying situation in which,
circumstanced as we are, we have for some
time found ourselves. Let the issue be what
it would, winter quarters, they thihk, would
be one consequence of an adion.
e Dec. 27. We have just received informa
tion, that early this morning, a strong col
umn ofthe French crossed the Meuse, on the
ice, near the village of Driel. ^ The Dutch,
either unable or not inclined tooppofe them,
gave way in every direction. The enemy
soon made themselves master ofthe Bommel
waart ; for even the town of Bommel itfelf,
made little or no opposition ; such of the
troops as could get off retreating with preci
pitation across the Waal. The French have
taken a number of prisoners, besides possess
ing themselves of the gunboats and hospital
vessels.•
Dec. 2^. The French,atter makingthem^
selves masters of Bommel, loft some little
time in attempting to cross the Waal, from
which they were then only a little distance.
From the superiority of their numbers they
soon bore down all opposition—indeed, they
hardly met with any. We have not yet learnt
the particulars of the attack : We only know
in general, that they have fairly eftablilhed
themselves on this fide of the Waal.
Dec. 29 Orders were issued last night,
for the army to hold themselves in readiness
to march at a moment's warning. Orders
were, at the lame time, issued, to General de
Burgh, to remove the hospital with all possi
ble expedition. Our army which lately con
sisted of 17,000, is now reduced to less than
10,000 effective men.
The Rhine, us well as the Waal, is now
frozen over. The French, we learn, are
moving towards Gorcum ; but we are ignor
ant of their numbers. We expert soon to
come 10 an adion with the enemy, unless we
prevent it by our usual expedient— A Retreat.
It is hardly possible that any circumstance, a
treaty excepted, can prevent the French from
soon making themselves masters of Holland.
It is impossible to describe the concern and
anxiety exhibited on the countenance of al
most every man among us who has any di
reaion of our operations.
DUTCH CORRESPONDENCE.
l UTRECHT, DEC. 28.
The severe froft qhich set in eight days a
go, having formed furfaces of ice in several
parts of the Meuse, Waal and Leck rivers,
which cover a part of Guelderland, as well as ,
this province and South Holland, different
expedients have been resorted to, Which have
not at the fame time prevented the French
from profiling by this circumflahte, to pen
etrate into theinterior of the country. The
orders the Dutch troops received, to confine
themselves entirely to the defenfive, appear
not to have influenced the condua of the
French : We accordingly received the very
unpleafat information last night, that at
half past five in the morning of yefterd,y, the
enemy crossed the Meuse, with a strong col
umn, near the Drlel< The troops which oc
cupied this post, much inferior in numbers,
endeavored ineffedually to repulse them;
constantly relieved and reinforced by new
bodies of troops, they pushed on, made them
selves masters of the Bommel waart, and
cut off the Dutch divisions posted or Ros.
sum ind Fort St. Ar.dre. The latter retreat
ed towards the city of Bommel, and having
been joined by the garrison, dill made a re
fift^nce there ; it was impossible, however,
to fupporr the attack of such numerous for
ces, and save the place—Th®fe who could
contrive to gain the opposite bank of the Wa
al, retreated thither, while the rest were made
prifoners. # The latter consist cf a division of
the regiment of Prince Orange, another of
that of Hbhenlobe, and a Swiss division.
The gun bests ftatiooed in that
part were not only useless, but having
been frozen in, fell into the hands of
the French, as did also two large boats
which were employed at hofpitah.—
We also learn, that the crossing of the
Meuse by the French, in a part where
that river is very near the Weal, has
been followed by the crossing of the
latter river : We have as yet, howev
er, no authentic relation of the parti
culars. Several imperial regiments
belonging to the army commanded
by Generals Alvinzy and Werneck,
which line the banks of the Rhine
from Wefel to Arnheim, have march
ed to this city, where, as well as in
the neighboring diftrifts of Guelder
land, they have fixed their quarters.
HAGUE, (HOL.) DEC. 28.
At,a very early hour this morning,
a Courier arrived here with the fol
lowing intelligence :
On the 27th,yefterday, the French
made a general attack do all the
points of the frontier of the State—
They were the more fuccefeful be
cause the ice io the rivers arid inunda
tions had been rendered so strong by
the severe and continual froft, as to
enable them to cross without difficul
ty, and to attack our posts in front
and rear. They thus forced the troops
of the state to retreat, to prevent their
being entirely cut off.
In this way the enemy became mas
ters of the Canton of Bommel ; and
as they had crossed the Waal, a part
of the troops Rationed io the aforefaid
Canton, near Bradau, retreated during
the night to the vicinity of the Duke
of Daiem, to prevent their being cut
off on either fideof Gorinchem, which
would otherwise have been the case.
The other troops in the Canton of
Bommel, who had repaired to the sec
ond position, retreated towards Go
rinchem, leaving behind them several
hundreds of men.-
In the Longftrant all the posts were
attacked at.the fame time ; and from
thence the enemy proceeded to the
posts of Chapellen & Wefpick, which
after an obstinate refinance, were ob
liged to retreat towards Geertruden
terg,
At ten in the morning the enemy
also attacked the right wing of the
line of defence, Rationed in the wood
between Geertrudeoberg and Breda;
they turned the lunette conftruded
there, and at the departure of the
Courier, were employed in attacking
the forts of Sceelhoven.
The posts of the pals of Swarten
berg and Lomfgat, having been both
forced by a great superiority, the
troops at Zeverbergeo, to prevent
their being cut off, retreated to Wil
lemftade.
The only account we have received
refpeding the post of JerHyde, Rates,
that the dragoon guards belonging co
that post, had reached Willemftade.
By this it would appear that the line
of Breda has been already forced, and
the communication with that forcrefi
thus cut off, We are in- the mean
time impatiently waiting for further
details.
LONDON, JAN. B.^
The fate of Holland lias probably
been decided by this time, as it was
determined by Gen. Walmoden, who
is commander in chief bf the British
and Hanoverian troops in the absence
of the Duke of York, io concert with
General Harcourt, chat a general ffr
gage meet with the French (hou!d be
hazarded on the last day of the old
year.•
The allied forces amounted to fifty
thousand efftdive men —those of the
ent my were computed at one hundred
thousand—but so circumstanced from
situation and difpofitiOn, as to warrant
a hope, that the decision would be
highly advantageous to the general
cause of the allies, and prove the fal«
vation of Holland.
In this belief, we are warrantable io
"yingt that the bed informed men
from Holland now in England are
extremely sanguine ; and they do not
hesitate to declare, that they entertain
no doubts for the fafety of their coun- .
try.
A few days, perhaps a few hours,
after this appears, it will be known
bow far they are juftified in their pre
sumptions.
GORCTJM.'
Thi^ place may now be confiderecl
as the key to Holland ; and the fol
lowing account of the true portion of
the French near that fortrefs is insert
ed, left the well-informed part of the
public should be amused with falfe
hopes, and lead into a fool's paradife,
by cunning or designing men.
The French are in possession of
Bommelwaert, on the island fide for
med by the confluence of the Meuse
and the Waal, save only the castle of
Lovenftein, a fortified house, where
Count Byland is confined for life, for
the surrender of Breda.
This place is surrounded only by a
ditch. Gorcum may be bombarded
from thence across the river, and that
town is neither caifoneted nor strong
in itfelf, independent of the inunda
tions.
Having crossed the Waal at Bom
mel, after the Dutch had loft all their
gun-boats, &c. and part of three regi
ments at this place, they occupied the
digne, or road upon the back of a
ditch, about eight feet high, along the
Waal, towards Gorcum, about three
hours, as they call it there, about nine
miles to that town.
Gorcum was the place where the
principal column of the Prussians
marched towards Amsterdam,in 1787,
and it was taken after a very Render
resistance. From thence to Rotter
dam is four hours, and to the Hague
about seven hours journey.
Hence the absurdity of the idle re
port that gained ground on Tuefday,
of their being repulsed and driven a
cross the Waal by General Dundas 1
because our troops, in that case, mutt
have attacked them on a digne, and
have marched across a plain covered
with water, or perhaps frozen over.
[lbas far the European News this rid,.}
OBSERVATION.
The progress of the French into
Holland does not contradict any in
formation we have heretofore given,
with refpeCt to the interesting prof
peft of a separate peace with the
Dutch. The French are too wife to
let flip a favorable moment of secur
ing these advantages, uolefs-an aduai
cessation of haßilities had been agreed
on; and to agree on a cessation of
arms, until they werefure of their ofr
jest, would h#ve been repugnant to
every principle of found policy or jus
tice. The French did not commence
hostilities with the Dutch—the Dutch
on the other hand, as a nation, were'
exceedingly opposed to the war, but
they were forced into it by the over
bearing in faience of the British cabi
net, or their Supreme Executive.
It must be the obje& ofthe French
nation; therefore, to destroy this un
due influence of England, and in or-