The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-16 00:00:00, page 2

" Sir, Ship Dunmore, Dec. 25, 1775.
" I this moment received your's of the 24th, and in com
pliance with your request, have empowered the bearer Mr.
Laurie, to agree to any one of your Lieutenants in our custody,
being exchanged in place of Mr. Batut, Lieutenant of the
14th regiment, and to an equal number of your privates, in
lieu of those of the 14th with you now. I am, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
Robert Howe, Esq. DUNMORE."
Colonel HOWE's anfiver to the above.
'' My Lord, December 25, 1775.
" Dehrous as we ard to. regain our friends in your custody,
and to return to the army the officers and men of their corps
who hevc fallen into our hands, we can by no means submit
to place the officers and soldiers of the army, who have been
taken in battle, upon a footing with those officers of militia
and the peasants that you have thought proper to deprive of
their liberty. We have, since our march from the Great
Bridge, taken a number of those who were in a&ion at that
place, among them some who a&ed under your commissions
as field-officers. Those I conceive may be equitably exchanged
for those of the fame rank in your hands ; and, relu&ant as
I am to continue in confinement either your prisoners or ours,
I fliall confeat to no exchange but such as equity ihall warrant.
I beg leave to refer you to Mr. Laurie for particulars. 1 should
be glad to be favoured with a lift of the prisoners you have in
W ILLI A MS BUR G, January 5 .
This morning Lieut. Batut and five grenadiers of the four
teenth' regiment, ' who were wounded'at the Great Bridge, with
f&venteen Tories, and eleven Negroes, arrivedin town, un
der a strong guard,from Norfolk. The wounded fokliers are
sent to the hospital, mc^ of the Tories and Negioes lodged
'in the puWN'jail, and Lieut. Batut, with a few others, ad
nutted on thur parole.
„ Yesterday afternoon an express arrived from York, with
intelligence that two topmast vtffels, and one of a fmafler size,
had hove in fight, which were fufpeded to be two men of war
and ar tender, coming up to cannonade that town; upon
which Capt. Gibion, with his Weft Aughfta boys, were im
mediately ordered to reinforce the troops Rationed there, and
prevent any of Dunmore's hell hounds from landing to set
fire to the houses. Many gentlemen volunteers likewise weht
font this city, to affiff their brethren at York ; and our Wor
thy Delegates, then fitting in Convention, formed themselves
u der that old intrepid warrior Col, Andrew Lewis, for the
protedion of the city. Capt. Gibson had marched but a
little difiance from town, when he was met by Col. Henry,
from York, with the agreeable intelligence that the two large
vehels were a provision vessel from Qorke, deep laden with
beef, butter, potatoes, &c. the other from the Grenades, la
ri n with rum, sugar, and several other necessaries, and the
small vessel the brave Capt. Barron carrying them up the ri
ver, out of the reach of the men of war.
~ January 6.
Extrad of a letter from Col. HOWE to the Hon. the PRE
SIDENT of the CONVENTION, dated Dec. 28, 1775.
" lam at present, Sir, so indispensably engaged that I
have not time to be so particular as I could wish, had I any
thing of importance to communicate ; but, except some sa
lutes from the men of war, matters remain just as they did
when I wrote you last. No effectual steps have been taken in
refpe& to the exchange of prisoners, for which the enclosed
copies of letters between Lord Dunmore and myfelf will, I
h°pe, account in such a manner as to leave me, in the opinion
of your Hon. Body, free from blame."
28
your hands, the rank they bear, and the manner in whiett
they were taken. 1 am, my Lord,
four Lordthip s most obedient humble servant.
His Excellency Lord Dunmore. ROBERT HOWE."
The GOVERNORS reply to Col. HOWE.
"Sir, December 26, 177 g.
" Your's of last night I received, and really am at a loss
to know what your meaning is. You certainly, when you
prop Led an exchange of prisoners, could never have meant to
P%y°P r °w n people so poor a complement, as not to look upon
thole, whom the Convention thought proper to app hot to
hold military commotions in any other light than officers ;
those you talk of as officers of militia and peasants, whom
ybu fay I have thought proper to deprive of their liberty,
come under that predicament, and were taken armed againit
their liege Sovereign. If the rank of officers in each army is
not to be our guide, I own I am at a lots to know by what
rule we are to be governed in an exchange of prisoners.
I am, Sir, your humble servant,
Robert Howe, Esq; in Norfolk. DUNMORE."
Colonel H OW E 's answer.
“ My Lord,
"I was not understood by your Lordship last night, and
it gives me concern. You do me justice, however, when
you suppose 1 could not mean even by implication to degrade
any commissions issued by Convention, whose authority 1 ac
knowledge, whose appointment I honor, and to whose ser
vice I, have devoted myfelf. I am, I find, to inform your
Lordinip of what I really thought you before acquainted,
that Conventions, from the fatal necessities of the times, have
been compelled to establish three different military bodies,
militia, minute battalions, and regular regiments, and that
they have made a diftindion in the rank of each. What I
said, therefore, in refpedt to militia officers, was not without
its propriety, had my meaning extended no farther than as to
their rank. You, my Lord, fametimes affect so much to de
spise any rank derived from Conventions, that courtesy itfelf
cannot induce you, even in the commin forms of address, to
admit those appellations which they have affixed to particular
characters. Circumstances, however, at other times, have
so far an influence upon your Lordship as to prevail upon
you not only to admit that rank, but to endeavour to carry it
higher chan even the Convention intended. A Colonel in the
minute iervice ranks only with a Lieutenant Colonel of the
Regulars. A Colonel of militia, only with a Lieutenant
Colonel of minute men. This must make it plain that a mi
litia Lieutenant, though your Lordship had taken him in bat
tle, cannot be deemed an equitable exchange for a Lieutenant
of Regulars, much less, my Lord, if a man should have
been torn from his farm, and arbitrarily deprived of his li
berty because a Convention had nominated him an officer,
without his having done any one ad that could warrant his
seizure, or continue his confinement longer than defpotifni
prevails over rights and privileges. In this case I might in
deed compassionate his fate, but should betray the confidence
reposed in me by my country should I attempt to release him
by a prisoner of equal rank taken in battle, who it would be
my duty to confider as a pledge in my hands for the redemp
tion of some brave man that by the chance of war may hap
pen to be captivated. The Convention, in order to establish
a militia, have appointed Captains in particular diftrids to
train and exercise in arms all persons from sixteen to sixty
years of age, without intruding or directing them to aft
against government. These may meet and go through the
manual exercise, and then return home, surely with u. he
least guilt! Six months after; should some or all of these