The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1779-05-24 00:00:00, page 2

New-York, May 22.
We are happy to be able to inform our readers
that his Majesty's forces on the expedition, under
the Command of Major General Mathew, and Sir
Gtcige Collier, entered the Capes of Virginia on ihe
Sth ihltant, after a very favourable passage of four
days, but the troops were prevented by contrary
winds from landing 'till the loth; which they at
fe&ed at three o'Clock in the afternoon, at the
Glebe, on the Western shore 0I Elizabeth River, just
out of cannon (hot of the Fort ; which the enemy
evacuated (through fear pf having their retreat cut
off,) before the British troops could reach the South
Branch of Elizabeth River.•
The General having taken possession of the Fort,
and placed guards in th^ Town, encamped his army,
in two lines, with his right to the Fort, and left to
the South Branch.
On the Ilth, the flank companies of the Guards
took a strong position, ten miles in front of the tight
'""g' and tlie Volunteers of Ireland took another
equally strong in front of the left wing. The cen
tre of the line was covered by an impenetrable swamp.
On the 12th the Guards were detached in the
night to Suffolk, where they arrived at day break,
and finding the town deferred, they dellroyed feveial
vessels, a very large magazine of provisions, a quan*
tity of naval Ifores, and two pieces of cannon.
Only two perlons were wounded on our lide on the
occasion.
The Volunteers of Ireland had some flight fkir
milhiiig, in which they have fuffered little, the ene
my have loft in killed, wounded and pnfoners,
Twenty foui--belides 1 Capt. 3 Lieutenants, 1 En
sign, i Surgeon, and 17 Sailors, belonging to a
French ship that was burnt, who fell into our hands,
together with 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, and 8 pri
vates of the Virginia Militia.
The damage done to the enemy by the deftruftion
of the Frigates and other Vcifels they were building
a t Portfinoutb, and the lots they fattened in cannon,
a mmunifion, provifmns, tobacco, and other valuable
commodities which fell iito our hands, have been
very considerable, is will appear by the following
'return.
RETURN of Stores, Ships, &c. &c. taken by
his Majesty's Troops in the town of Portsmouth
and River Elizabeth, in the Province of Virginia,
15th May, 1779.
26 Calks of nails,
,7 Piles of ropes,
8 Hawsers,
§ Cables,
JIO Pieces of fail cloth, 21 bags fluffed,
j 4 Bales of cloth,
6 Ditto blankets,
A large quantity of iron,
if,3 Hoglheads of Tobacco,
4.3 Ditto rum, 1 puncheon ditto,
117 Barrels Poik,
115 Ditto flour,
6 Ditto oil,
59 Hogsheads moßffes,
67 Bags of Alt with a number of barrels ditto,
A large quantity of rigging, fails, blocks, tar and
other ttores not enumerated,
1 Ship loaded with Tobacco,
1 ditto ditto,
1 Ditto with mahogany and logwood, with a number
of smaller vessels.
In the D OCK- YARD.
1 Frigate ready to launch, burnt by th. rebels at our
approach,
I Ditto fin 36 guns on the flocks,
1 Ditto larger, keel only laid,
1 Brig pierced for 20 guns on the flocks,
1 Sloop ditto ditto,
A large quantity of mails and yards, with timber,
plank, iron, and other stores to a very ° considera
ble amount,
Upwards of 3000 barrels of poik destroyed with the
Stores, ±c. atSuffolk, alfo,a large quantity of dis.
ferent species of provisions at Shepperd's, on the
Nanfemond,
23 Vessels, with a considerable quantity of powder
taken and destroyed up the South Branch by the
Nivy.
At Norfolk, i stand of colours, Dils and canvas
prepared for the fh^s and veflCs on the docks,
• four 4. pounders, 1 fix ditto, 7 hogflreads of to
bacco, some provisions and other stores,
A brig with 8 guns and a 'loop burnt up the Weft
Branchy
Return of Iron Ordnance and Stores taken at Portf
nwu.tr, in Virginia, rith May, 1779.
Iron guns, on (hip carriages, 19 fix pounders, 3
four ditto, 6 three ditto, Total 28
Spare carriages, 9
Firelocks, 400
Bayonets, 263
P ftols, 3
Powder, half barrels, 8
Powder in whole barrels, 2
N. B. At the Dock-Yard, omitted to be inclu
de!, 4, fix pounders. Total 4
Return of Ordnance and stores taken in Fort Nelson,
near Portfmomh in Virginia, 11th May, 1779.
Iron Guns on ship carriages, 9 twenty-four pound
ers, 2 nine pounders, 11 fix pounders.
Do. with travelling carnages, 1 three pounder.
Total. 23
Iron guns on travelling carriages, 4 four-pounders,
I three pounder, Total. 5
Round foot, 768 twenty four pounders, 80 nine
pounders, 311 fix pounders, 8, four pounders.
Total. 1248
Brr Ihor, 17 twenty four pounders, 12 nine pound
ers, 27 bx pounders. Total. 56
Grape shat, 28 twenty-four pounders, 30 fix pourd
ets. Total. 58
Chain (hot, to twenty-four pounders. Total. 10
Cartridges paper filled, 77 twenty-four pounders,
28 nine pounders,63 fix-pounders, 94 three pound
ers. Total. 185
Handspikes, common, 350
Handspikes, flawed 200
Powder in whole barrels, 18
Powder in broken barrels, 20
Wadhooks, 10
Ladles with Wadhooks, 6
Ladies, 14
Springes, 11
Searchers setts, 2
Damaged powder barrel;, 3-1-2
Iron truck wheels, 6
Spare carriages. 19
Return of Bron Ordnahoe taken at Suffolk, 13th
^ the Cuter Dublin, that arrived here last
Friday Evening in §§ Days from Waterford,
we have the following Advices, viz.
From the London Gazette Extraordinary.
St. James's, March 17.
Copy fa letter from Major-General Munro to the
Lord Kifcount Weymouth, his MajeftfS princi
pal Secretary of State.
Pondicherry, Odlo. 27, 1778.
My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship
of the success of the East India Company's
troops against Pondicherry, after a siege of two
months and ten days from the firft investing of
the place. The town furrendcred by capitu
lation on the 17th of October, and Ihave sent
herewith the terms of capitulation. I have to
request your Lordship will be pleased to lay
them before his Majesty ; and as I have been
so fortunate as to have had the honour ci Com
manding troops that have reduced a place of
such consequence to the British settlements in
India, my utmost wish now is, to have his Ma
jelly's approbation of my conduct. As your
Lordship may wish to be informed of the oper
ations of the troops during the siege, I have
the honour to fend you the following account :
On the Bth of August, part of the troops in
tended for the siege encamped on the Red Hill,
within four miles of Pondicherry ; but it was
the 2111 before a fufficient number of troops
were aflembled so that we could attempt to ad
vance. On this day we took possession of the
Bound Hedge, within cannon ffiot of Pondi
cherry, which prevented all communication
with the town by land. On the 6th and 7th
of September we broke ground, both on the
north and south fide of the town, it having
been determined to carry on two attacks ; and
on the 18th we opened our batteries with 28
pieces of heavy artillery, and 27 mortars. —
Though our lire en the town was very great,
yet the enemy's was equally so on us from day
break 'till towards the evening, when our bat
teries had apparently the advantage, and the
fire from the fortrefs decreased greatly. The
approaches were continued with the utmost ex
pedition possible; but the obstinate defence of
the garrison made it necessary to aft with cau
tion, and the violent rains that fell retarded
the works. A gallery being Carried into the
ditch to the southward, a breach made in the
bastion called L'Hofpital, and the faces of the
adjacent bastions being also destroyed, it was
resolved to pafi the ditch by means of a bridge
of boats made for the purpose, and to assault
the place; while, on the north attack, our bat
teries had ruined the East face of the North
Weft bafticn, and a float was prepared to pass
the troops over the ditch at the fame time ;
another attack was to have been made on the
sea-side to the Northward, where they had
ftackades running into the water. This was in
tended to have been put into execution the 15th
of October before day light ; but in the fore
noon of the 14th the water in the ditch to the
Southward was so raised by the rains for two
or three days before, that it forced itfelf into
the gallery, broke it down, and damaged the
boats intended for the bridge. It required two
days to repair the damage done; and every
thing being ready for the assault, it would have
taken place on the 17th ; but on the 16th M.
Bellecombe sent me a letter by his Aid-de-
Camp M. de Villette, relative to a capitulation
which was signed by both parties the next day.
The gallant defence made by M. Bellecombe
will ever do him honour; and I beg leave in
justice to the troops I had the honour,o com
mand, to allure your Lordship, that they acted
with the molt determined resolution on every
occasion. I am in a most particular manner
obliged to Sir Edward Vernon, and his Majes
ty's squadron, who moll chearfully gave every
assistance during the whole siege; and when
the assault was resolved on, Sir Edward landed
his marines, and 200 seamen, to assist in the
attack.
I have the honour of fending your Lordship
herewith a return of the killed and wounded
on both sides, together with a lift of cannon
and stores taken in Pondicherry.
These dispatches will be delivered to your
Lordship by Ensign Rumbold, of the 6th re
giment of foot, who obtained nis Majesty's
leave to come to India with his father, the Go
vernor of this settlement. He has aded as one
of my Aid de Camps since I have been on this
coast ; and as I have great reason to be perfect
ly fatisfied with his condud, I beg leave to re
commend him to your Lordship as a young man of
merit. He takes with him the colour sos Pondicher
ry, to have the honour of laying them at his Majes
ty's feet. I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) HECTOR MUNRO
[By the articles of capitulation the garrison cf
Pondicherry, after piling their arms, are permitted
to march out with the honours of war, and to pro
ceed to Madrafs, where, or on its neighbourhood,
they are to be properly accommodated, till ships can
be provided to carry them to France.)
Return ofGuns, Mortais, Shot, Small-Arms and
Powder, taken in Pondicherry, 1778.
Serviceable. 3 thirty fix pounders, 18 twenty
four ditto, 13 eighteen ditto, 30 twelve ditto,
60 eight ditto, 4.4 fix ditto, 11 four ditto, 2 three
ditto.
Unferviceable. 1 thirty fix plunder, 18 twenty
four ditto, 3 eighteen ditto, 1 twelve ditto, 5
eight ditto, 1 four ditto.
Total fei viceab'e 181
unfervicealile 29
BRASS"GUNS.
Serviceable. 6 twelve pounders. 6 eight ditto, 1
fix ditto, 18 four ditto, 4 three ditto, 2 two
ditto, 18 one ditto.
Unserviceable. 3 one pounders.
Total Serviceable 55
unserviceable 3
Howitzers. 6 three inch and half.
BRASS MORTARS.
Serviceable. 7 twelve inch, 5 eight ditto, 2 Seven
ditto. 4 fix ditto, z four ditto.
IRON MORTAR S.
Serviceable. 2 twelve inch, 1 8 ditto.
Total - - - 3
SMALL ARMS.
French mufquets andb.yoneis 59'4
Ditto without Bayonets 2 4%
Rifle barrel pieces i 8
Wall pieces - — 60
Carbines 45
Piftpls ---- 556'
Swords — 93 0
Gunpowder, 80 barrels, roolb. each.
Shot of different sizes, 21,708.
I T. MANNOUNG, Commissary of Stores.
Return of the hilled and wounded of the Companies
troops, at the siege of Pondicherry, 1778.
European officers 8 killed, 27 wounded.
Ditto cavalry, 2 wounded.
Ditto artillery, 17 killed, 6r wounded.
Ditto infantry, 48 killed, it# wounded.'
Seapoys 148 killed, 482 wounded.
His Highnets the Nabob's troops, 3 killed, and 7
wounded.
Total 224 killed, 693 wounded.
(Signed) H. A. M. CO,BY, Adj. General.
Tne Company's troops confided of 10,500, of
which 1,500 were Europeans.
Return of the hilled and wounded in the garrison of
Pondicherry, 1778. (nearly)
European officers, 7 killed 19 wounded.
Regt. Of Pondicherry, 45kilied, 143 wounded.
European artillery, 2, killed, 69 wounded.
Se poys, 52 killed, 94 wounded.
Citizens, 3 killed. 7 wound d.
Black labourers, 64 k Iled, 148 wounded.
Total zoo killed, 480 wounded.
The garrison cf Pondicherry confined nearly of
3,000 men, of which 900 were Europeans.
Admiralty-Office, March 16, 3779.
Capt. George Young arrived this afternoon
from the Eatt-Indies, with dispatches from
Commodore Sir Edward Vernon to Mr. Ste
phens, of which the following are copies.
^Duplicate ; the original not yet come to band ]
Rippon, off Madras, August 16, 1778.
S I R,
I SEND this to the Governor and Council
of Fort St. George, to be forwarded by the
firft opportunity, to desire you will acquaint
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
that 1 failed from Madras on the 29th pall,
with his Majesty's ships Rippon, Coventry,
Seahorse, and Cormorant sloop, and Valen
tine and Glatton India ships. On the 21st,
finding the Glatton so bad a sailor, and ill
equipped, I ordered her back to Madras, and
requeued of the Governor and Council ano
ther Ihip to replace her. On the Bth inst. at
fix P. M. I appeared with the squadron off
Pondicherry, chafing a French frigate into the
road. At eight A. M. descried from our
mast head fix to the S. W. which we flood
for, but there being such light airs of wind,
we could make nothing of them till the 10th,
when at fix A. M. we saw five fail bearing
down upon us in a regular line a-breast —We
flood for them,forming our line a head with the
4. ships, and at noon brought too so, ready to
receive them. At 3 quarters past noon, the
breeze fhifting to the seaward, gave us the wea
ther gage, when I immediately made the signal
to bear down upon the enemy, whohad formed
upon the starboard tacks. I intended forming
outline on the larboard tack, till the leading
ship had stretched abreast of their rear, then to
have tacked" and formed opposite the enemy's
ships, but having so little wind, and the un
certainty of a continuance, I thought it neces
sary to bring them to a&ion, which at 3 quar
ters pall two became general, and at times ex
tremely close. About three quarters past four
the enemy made fail upon a wind to the S. W.
having received great damage in our malls,fails
and rigging, I hauled to the N. E. in hopes of
securing the weather gage, to bring them to
action again the next morning. We were em
ployed the whole night and morning in reeving
splicing, and knotting our rigging, getting up
a main top fail yard and fore top mall, the o
thers being destroyed. We flood to the N. E.
with light airs of wind until midnight, and then
tacked to the S. W. but at day light on the nth
could fee nothing of the enemy. I have since
iifed my utmost endeavours to appear off Pon
dicherry again, but from little winds, those
southerly, with a ilrong northern current, have
been prevented. Theii Lordships may be assured
I will loose no time it straining it, and if I can
meet with the enentyt to bring them to a deci
sive battle, winds and weather permitting. The
ships we engaged were the Brilliante, of 64
guns, Pouvoyeu fe, of 36 eighteen pounders,
the Sartine, of 32 guns, and two of their coun
try ships armed as ours, whom I am just now
informed got irttoPohdicherry re A the evening
of the action to refit. The Befborough India
ship, which the Governor and Council of Fort
St. George had ordered to replace theGlatton,
joined me the 14th. Herewith you have a lift
of the killed and wounded, on board the ships
under my command, in the 261i0n of the loth.
I hope my proceedings will meet their Lord
ships approbation, and am, Sir,
Your most obedient servant, E VERNON,
killed. wounded.
Rippon - - 4 '5
Coventry - --1 20
Seahorse - - - 3 5
Valentine India Ihip - 2''9
Cormorant sloop 1 4
Total 11 53
E. VERNuN.
Philip Stephens, Esp; Secretary of the Admiralty.
Vienna, Feb. 28. The pacification of Germany
seems now to be drawing to a speedy couclufion, the
town of Tefchen, in Aufirian Silesia, being fixed upon
for the place of meeting the several Plenipotentiaries,
who are expected to arrive there on the ic'h of Match ;
on which day it is thought the suspension of hofti.
lities will be declared. Count Cobenzel will be ap
pointed the Plenipotentiary of this Court. Orders
have been already dispatched from hence to flop the
march of the recruits towards the different armies in
this Monarchy. London Gazette.
L ON DO N.
March I z. It is now said that Admiral Mana
will have the chief command of the grand fleet
at Portsmouth.
Yesterday morning at 7 o'clock an express
w th dispatches of an agreeable nature, arrived
at the Secretary of State's office, from Lord
Grantham at Madrid.
It is said that his Excellency the Marquis
d'Almodovar, the Spanilh Ambassador, had the
honour of a private conference in the King's
closet, on Wednesday ; and that the fubjeft
of the conference was to propose new term^ of
pacification between Great Britain and the
Court of Versailles. The fundamental article
of this plan of accommodation is, a voluntary
proposal on the fide of France, to resign all
connexion with America, and not to interpose
between this country and her colonies, iu the
smallest degree for the future.
This morning five men out of each company
ofthe three regiments of guards were mustered
in Hyde Park, and are soon to march to Ports
mouth to embark for America.
March 13. Accounts from Nantes men
tion an affray having happened between anum
ber of French and American seamen, in which
several were killed and wounded on both sides,
and that the leaders in this disturbance were
loon after taken into cuftedy by the guard,
and corfoed.
A gentleman at Lloyd's underwrote seven
French Weil Indiamen, at 60 per cent, and by
the lift of those brought into the ports of this
k ngdom, the while 7 are among the nuu ber.
I he Admiral Keppel privateer of Southamp
ton, of 16 guns, the property of 6 ladies of that
town, has taken a large French Weft Indiaman
valued at 30,000). The Valiant of Bristol, of
24 guns, is carried into the llle of Aix by the
frigate La Courageufe. The Ross, of White
haven has taken and carried in there a large
Weft-Indiaman, bound for Nantz,
Spain and Portugal have entered into a frefh
treaty, in consequence of which the Spaniards
are to furnifh the Portuguese with 4 men ofwar
of the line, in order to make up a formidable
squadron for the East-Indies.
A French Ihip with 300 soldiers on board is
carried into Pool, by the Active, Capt. Brewer.
Things, according to the courtiers, are likely
to take another turn thi/year. France having
found a weakness in her new allies, which ihe
never fufpeded, is resolved to give them up if
Ihe can make her peace with Great-Britain in
a manner tolerably decent ; and this is to be
attempted through the medium of Spain, to
which the courts of Vienna and Peterfburgh
are now to be added as mediators.
Admiral Arbuthnot yesterday sent the fol
lowing meiTage to the merchants and owners
in the American trade: “ Admiral Arbuthnot
desires such ships as intend to take the benefit
of the convoy co New. York, to proceed as soon
as possible, as the orders for failing are “ As
soon as the troops arrive that are to go in the
fleet."
The firft division of the troops for New-
York, is to fail next week for that place under
convoy cf Admiral Arbuthnot.
March 15. His Majesty of France has re
peatedly declared that he is heartily tiredof
the American: war, and equally so of his Ame
rican allies.
A letter from Bilboa brings advice that two
American privateers, which have brought se
veral prizes into that port, are, by an order
from the Court of Spain, flopped; the reason
of their being detained is not yet known, but
it. is supposed to be in consequence of the com
plaints made by the English Consul which re
sides there.
This day arrived a mail from France, in
which there is a confirmation of a fire having
broke out at Brest, on board the Roland ship
of war, of 64 guns, which, together with the
Zephyr frigate of 26 guns, was totally con
fu :d, and it 'was with the greatest difficulty
prevented from spreading to others.
Extradl of a letter from Bourdeaux, to a gentle
man in Manchester ; recd. a few polls since.
“ Very many rich and refpedable merchants
here, have been already ruined by the great
success of your privateers and cruizers. Many
more mull fall soon. May God of his mercy
to us put an end speedily to this deftrudtive and
ridiculous war."
A letter fiom a gentleman at B rurdeaux to a gen
tleman at Newcallle, (ays, “ that upwards of 200 fail
of fllips are laid up in that harbour for want of hands
and fllips of war to piottft their trade, which causes
a general murmur against their miniitry ; and that
Franklin and his colleagues are in a precarious situa
tion, not daring to venture abroad in the night.
The failures in trade are not confined to the Frencll
capital. The belt trading cities, Marseilles, Rouen,
Nantz, Bourdeaux, Lyons, &c. are at their last
g a 'p > in the latter the bankrupey of the house cf
Mess. Serans and co. will, no doubt, give the coup
de-grace to a great number of French merchants,
and the disaster will perhaps reach as far as London;
but we may con fori bui selves with the thought that
the blow will fall moll heavy where it ought to crulh.
A letter from Paris dated March 6, fays, " M
Necker was within an ace of being dismissed front
his poll yettathy, for not being able to raise hr
loan; the K ng intimated to him on his retiring
that no MiniHecoi finance was woithy of employ
ment, that could not guard against all possible in
conveniences of the hk • nature. M. Beaujon, at
M. La Bird, two Parisian bankers, have agicea to
raise the fuppli<sfor the ensuing 6 months."
Omnium rose yesterday to 10 1-2 premium;
the cause was said to be from two letters being
intercepted from the American Delegates in
France, which positively assert, that the finan
ces of France will not admit her allifting Ame
rica with further credit.
The Belle Ville, a French ship cf about g^o
tons, laden with sugar, coffee, cotton, indigo,
&C. bound from Guadaloupe to Bourdeaux, is
taken by the Swiftfure privateer, belonging to
Jerfef, and carried in there.