The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-04-16 00:00:00, page 2

N E W POR T, April 8.,
Last Friday the ministerial fieet went a little without the
muth of our harbor, and in the evening they all returned
and anchored between Gould-lfland and Coddington's Point,
except the Goafgow of twenty-four guns, and a small tender,
winch kept out all night. As soon as it was light the next
morning, a party of the troops Rationed on this island got
down two. of their eighteen pounders upon the point, and
played so well upon those worse than Algerine rovers, that
they hulled the Rose two or three times, the Nautilus once or
twice, and sent one shot through and through one of the
m'ned renders, upon which Captain Wallace, of the Rose,
sent a boat to cut away the buoy of his anchor, then flipped
Lis cable, and made off as fall as possible, and the rest of his
fleet followed in the utmost hurry and confufion, having fired
tbeut fifteen Cannon upon our people without the least efted,
tncugh they flood in considerable numbers as open as they
could well be, without the leall breastwork or other shelter.
Hartford, April s.
A gentleman in Boftan writes his lady in this place, that
before the miniUerial fleet failed from Nancafket, the Tory
refugees sent a petition to the Selectmen, praying for liberty
to return, promising to resign up all their cffeds, had fubmrc
their persons to the mercy of the General . = but the peti
n was treated with the contemptit merited.
HILADELPHI A, April 16.
rad of a letter from ESECK HOPKINS, Esq; Commander
in Chief of the American fleet, to the President of the
Congress, dated oi lboard the drip Alfred, New-London
harbor, April 9, 1776.
" When I put to sea on the 17th of February, from Cape
Henlopen, not thinking we were in a condition to keep on
a cold coast, 1 appointed cur rendezvous at Abacco, one of
the Bahama islands.
“ I arrived at the rendezvous, in order to wait for them
fifteen days, agreeable to orders. I then formed an expedition
a^ainft New-Providence, which 1 put in execution the
third of March, by landing two hundred marines under the
command of Capt. Nichols, and fifty sailors under the com,
mAnd of Ltewt. Weaver of the Cabot, who was well ac
quainted there. The fame day they took possession of a small
fort, of seventeen pieces of cannon, without any opposition,
save five guns which were fired at them without doing any
damage. 1 received, that evening, an account that they had
two hundred ahd odd men in the main fort, all inhabitants. I
then caused a manifefto to be published, the purport of which
was, that the inhabitants and their property should be fafe,
if they did not oppose me in taking possession of the fort and
King's stores. This had the desired efFe&, for the inhabi
tants left the fort almost alone. Captain Nichols, by my or
uer, sent to the Governor for the keys of the fort, which
were delivered, and the troops marched dire&ly in, where we
found the several warlike stores, agreeable to the inventory
fecleled ; but the Governor sent one hundred and fifty bar-
Last Wednesday Capt. Manly took and sent into Beverly,
a Urge brig, after fomerefinance. This vessel was purchased by
Wm.Jackfcn, at the Brazen-Head, who with Crean Bruih, and a
number of others, women and children, were on board, be
fdes a ferjeant and twelve privates of the fourth or King's
<wn regiment, who are made prisoners. She was bound for
Halifax, has on board a variety of articles, and is esti
mated to be worth about 35.0Q01. flcrling.
W ATERT 6 W N, April 8.
190
rels of powder off in a small (loop the night before. I have
taken the Governor, Montford Brown, the Lieut. Governor,
who is a half pay officer; and Mr. Thomas Erwin, who is a
Couhfellof and Collector of his Majesty s quit rents in South-
Carolina ; and it appears; by the Court Caliendar, that he is
allo Inspector General of his Majesty's customs of North-
America. Since we came out, we loft company with the Wasp.
" The fourth instant we fell in with tne cast end of Long-
Jfland, and took the schooner — commanded by
y. ung Wallace, of fix Carriage guns and eight swivels ; and
the fifth we took the bomb brig of eight guns and two how
itzers, ten swivels and forty-eight hands, well found with all
forts of stores, arms, powder, &c. The sixth in the morn
ing we fell in with the Glasgow, and her tender, and en
ga ed her near three hours. We loft fix men killed, and as
many wounded. The Cabot had four men killed, and seven
wounded, the Capt. is among the latter. The Columbus
had one man who loft his arm. We received a considerable
damage in our ship, but the greatest was in having our wheel
rope and blocks shot away, which gave the Glasgow time to
make fail, which I did not think proper to follow, as it
would have brought on an action with the whole of their fleet;
and I had upwards of thirty of our bed seamen on board the
prizes, I therefore thought it most prudent to give over the
chace, and secure our prizes, and having taken the Glasgow's
tender, arrived the seventh with all the feet.
" Among the dead are Mr. Sinclair Seymour, master of the
Cabot, a good officer ; Lieutenant Wilson of the Cabot, and
Lieutenant Fitzpatrick of the Alfred.
" The officers all behaved welhoa board the Alfred ; too
much praise cannot be given to the officers of the Cabot, who
gave and sustained the whole fire for some confiderarble time
within pistol fhot.''
[INVENTORY of stores taken, in our next paper.]
Lait Saturday his Excellency General WASHINGTON
arrived at New-York from Cambridge, attended by . •
Palfrey, Esq; his Aid-de-Camp, Horatio Gates, Esq; Adju
tant-General, and several other gentlemen of distinction.
The following proclamation was issued previous to the eva
cuation of Boflon by the ministerial troops:
By his Excellency WILLIAM HOWE, Major General,
&c. &c. &c.
AS LINEN and WOOLLEN GOODS are articles much
wanted by the rebels, and would aid and assist them in
their rebellion, the Commander in Chief experts that all good
fubjeds will use their utmost endeavours to have all such ar
ticles conveyed from this place. Any who have not oppor
tunity to convey their goods under their own care, may de
liver them on board the Minerva, at Hubbard's wharf, to
Crean Brush, Esq; marked with their names, who will give a
certificate of the delivery, and will oblige himfelf to return
them to the owners, all unavoidable accidents excepted. If,
after this notice, any person secrets or keeps in his possession
such articles, he will be treated as a favourer of rebels.
Boston, March 10th, 1776.
Just printed, published, and now felling by ROBERT
BELL, printer, in Third-street, price only one Filling,
with large allowance to those who buy per dozen,
Observations on the reconciliation of
GREAT-BRITAIN and the COLONIES. In which
are exhibited Arguments for and against that Measure#
By a Friend of American Liberty.
Salus ftuli fuferema lex est.
Let the good of the people, be the foundation es all law
and civil government.