The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-06-27 00:00:00, page 3

Yesterday morning Major Rogers was taken, up at South
Amboy ferry.
Two matters of vessels who were lately taken by the mini
serial cruisers, and made their escape, report, that Lord
Dunmore's whole army is now reduced to forty regular sol
diers, and two hundred of. the black fufileers, one hundred
and feventy-five of which last corps died on their passage
from Norfolk to Gwyn's island ; and that Andrew Sprowle,
Esq; of Gofport, three days after his landing, departed this
life, great part of which he spent in Virginia, much to his
emolument, having amassed, by trade, a very capital fortune.
Extraft of a letter from Newport, dated June 21, 1776.
66 About a month ago, Capt. Biddle, of the Andrew Do
ria, failed from this port, and the next day. he took a sloop
from the Weft-Indies, Which was yesterday condemned as a
lawful prize. Ten days after, near, the banks of Newfound
land, at daylight, he saw two ships, and in an hour was in
possession of them, without firing even a musket. They had
each about one hundred soldiers on board, and were part of
a fleet of thirty-three fail that left Scotland the third ' of April,
with three thoufand^roops^on board, bound for Boston. Capt.
Biddle took out of them? four, land officers, the masters,
mates, and crews, all their arms, ammunition, &c. and re
moved all the soldiers out of one ship into the other, so that
in one ship were all the soldiers, and in the other the officers
and their ladies. . He was obliged to keep them with him for
thirteen days, on account of contrary winds-.
“ On the fourteenth day, at four in the morning,' five fail
of vessels gave him chace, upon which he ordered the ships.
to steer different courses, himfelf keeping near to the hea
viest sailor, but in about an hour a squall of rain soon arose
and hid them from him ; the ship with the soldiers on board al-.
tered her course, and by eleven o'clock was cut of fight,
the weather then clear.' Soon after the vessels altered their
course, as he did his, in order to avoid them. At fix o'clock
he saw another vessel, right before, and peering towards him,
Yesterday the Hon. Major General Gates set off for Cana
da, being, we hear, appointed Commander in Chief for
the northern department.
Information being made, that several persons, inimical to
the rights of America, had en tered into a solemn agreement
to aid and assist our unnatural enemies, and make themfeives
matters of our city, several of them are now examining before
our Honourable Congress. We expe& to give our readers a
more full account of this plot in our next.
The flip (mentioned in our last) taken on the south fide of
Long-Island, is one of the transports from Greenock, with
a number of Highlanders on board, eighty buts of porter,
&c. Some of the officers and their ladies came to town yester
day.
We are informed by a gentleman from Connecticut, who
arrived in town last night, that th; brig Defence, of fourteen
guns, belonging to New-Haven, Captain Harden Comman
der, had taken three transport vessels from Greenock, with
three hundred Highlanders on board ; amongst whom were
one Col. Campbell. Capt. Harden fought two of the above
vessels for upwards of three hours, when they were obliged io
ftrjke; the other made her escape in the time of the engage
ment, but there being a fine breeze, and Captain Harden's
vessel being a much better sailer, soon came up with and took
her. He has carried,them all three fafe into Boston.
We this moment hear, that fiv%fail of the.minifterial pi
rates are now cr uizing.off Block-Island..
PH IL A DEL PH lA, June 27.
NEW- YOR K, Jure 26.
321
when he again altered his course, and at eight o'clock (dark
cloudy weather) he was about three leagues from the nearest
of the vessels.
“ Yesterday Capt. Whipple failed on a cruize. And upon,
the Cerberus appearing in fight, Capt. Biddle immediately
went on board and failed, as also did the Providence sloop
and two gallies, to the assistance of Capt. Whipple, but
wind and tide being against them, before they got within a
league of Whipple (who lay to in order to find the force of
the enemy) the man of war gave him a broadside, and then
stood off. Capt. Whipple came in, the fhip^being of much
superior force to him/'.
On Tuesday last the Provincial Conference of Committees
broke up,, when a number of gentlemen who composed it met
and dined at thenew tavern. After dinner the following toasts,
among many others, were drank. —1. The Congress— 2. The
free and independent states- of America.—3. General Wash
ington.— 4.,The American army.—s. The American navy.
—6. A wife and patriotic Convention to the province of
Pennsylvania on the 15th of July next.—7. Lading depen
dance to the enemies of independance. —8. The memories of
General Warren and General Montgomery.—9. The friends
of liberty in every part of the world.
This afternoon a gentleman arrived from Charleftown,
South -Carolina, which he left the fifteenth inst. He informs
that Gen. Lee and Howe, were arrived there from Virginia
and North-Carolina. ,
Extrad of a letter from Brigadier General Armstrong to Bri
gadier General Howe, dated Charleflown, South-Carolina,
May 29, 1776.
" Last Saturday a sloop arrived here from-Str Euftatia with
ten thousand weight of powder, the Matter of which fays
that a large vessel had arrived there from Holland deeply
loaded with arms and ammunition., He also fays that the
French ports in the Weft-Indies are open to us, and that the
French men of war have orders to protest our vessels in and
out of their harbours, that the French are fortifying Dun
kirk which produced a rem.onftran.ee from.the British Court,
but without effect."/'
By letters just received from Gen. Lee, by express, we
learn that fifty-one fail of vessels were, on the fourth of June,
lyin^pff the bar of Charleftown, in fight pf the town, and
that an attack was -expected so soon as the wind should per
mit them to come over.the bar.
In COMMITTEE of SAFETY, Philadelphia, June 27, 1776,
The Committee having reason §0 believe, that wicked and
ill disposed persons have leduced and inticed feme of the men.
belonging, to the boats to desert the service, and go into other
employ, have thought it necessary to publilh the following
Resolve of Assembly.
" In ASSEMBLY, March'26, 1776. Resolved, That any
person or persons whatsoever, within this colony, who Ihall
harbour and conceal any deserter (knowing him to be such)
from the Continental forces, cr any other forces railed withim
this or any'other of the.United Colonies, for the defence of
America, shall forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding Fifty;
nor lets than Thirty Dollars, or buffer three months imprison
ment for each offence, being convicted thereof, by the testi
mony of one or more witneifes, # before any two justices of the
peace of the city, borough or county refpedively where such
offence fliall be committed, who are hereby authorized to hear
and determine all offences contrary to the above resolve, which
fine shall be deposited in the bands of the Overleers of the
Poor of the city, borough or township, where the offence is
committed, for the use of the poor of such place.".