The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-06-29 00:00:00, page 1

Philadelphia, ff.
ON the twenty-firft day of June, Anno Domini 1776,
before George Bryan one of the Justices, &c. com
eth voluntarily John Emrnes, aged about twenty
fix years, pilot, duly licenced for the bay and river
of Delaware, dwelling in the city of Philadelphia, and being
iworn on the holy gospel, doth depose, teftify and fay in
manner following, viz.
That on the ninth day of September last this deponent de
parted from laid city in the brigantine Sea-Nymph, of which
Joseph Bradford was master, bound for Jamaica, and that on
.the seventeenth day of September last, the said brigantine
being then off the capes of Virginia and beyond soundings,
the said vefftl was taken by a ship of war called the Mercury,
of twenty guns, and sent for Boston in New-England ; that
this deponent was on the day of said capture removed from
the Sea-Nymph to the Mercury ; that rhe Mercury, in which
was this deponent, arrived in Boston harbour within two
weeks after ; that this deponent was found out to be a Dela
ware pilot, by means of some of the @ew pfr^S^a-Mv^h
telling the fame to the officers of the Mcrc'OQ;'% he under
stood, and believes ; that from the Mercury in Boston harbour,
this deponent was removed to the Preston ship of war, of fifty
guns, on board ofwhich Admiral Graves had his flag hoisted ;
that this deponent continued in the Preston from the firft of
October last until the twenty-sixth of January following, when
this deponent went aboard the Chatham of fifty guns, on
which Admiral Shuldam had his flag hoisted, and continued
in the Chatham till the last day of March, when the Chat
ham arriving at Halifax in Nova-Scotia, this deponent
was turned over to the Fowey of twenty guns ; that on the
fever,th day of April this deponent left Halifax in the Fowey,
and arrived on the last of April off Cape Herilopen, and on
{helhirc day of May last was put on board the Roebuck of
lorty-fo,r guns, commanded by Captain Hammond ; that
about tty days after, the Roebuck proceeded up Delaware bay
to the Q^d of Bombay Hook, and anchored ^ete, fending a
baige \#„h en men in it towards the Gore of Vew-Jerfey, in
purlui* foo Gallops or (mall country fl%p, which had
coined, n the river; that the barge as rei^i and a boat
from tl erpool frigate, then in company^th the Roe
buck,: o ,one °' Gid Gallops alliore, and t, ed the fame,
seizing hf^er, and bringing est from the 117, twenty-five
or third pe in the Gallop last mentioned":," boats, as he
underr, x that the Captains of the two fl ,of war sent
aGhan .father boats to help their people . ^ie boats firft
mentis. : ^ ; bring off the cattle, on perceiving refinance was
made 1 .^country people.; that the carcasses were delivered
and di f t , to the two frigates, and a brigantine, a Poop, and
two pi l »ats which were in company with the frigates.
That I) re allep last mentioned was loon after difmafted and
scuttle. fy shat said frigates proceeded up the Delaware to
Morris^ Nn's land, and there anchored during the follow
i^g'niglf That the next day, the wind being at north east,
the faic f aes and the other veflels in company turned up
with the pud tide, and approaching to Ret-ifland, the
armed B. p *< Hp was seen within said i.4and„ #lfo beating
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. ll.]
Price ony Pico Coffers. Published every Tuesday, Tburfday, and Saturday Evenings.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 1776.
323
up. That on this Capt. Hammond ordered Capt. Beliew, of
the Liverpool, to flay at the lower end of Reedy-island till
the Wasp was above Reedy-point, and then to follow him
upwards. That the Roebuck arriving in the bite of Newcastle,
this deponent fay/ a brigantine, somewhat higher, at anchor,
but on the approach of the Roebuck the anchor of said bri
gantine was lifted, and said brigantine turned upwards ; the
Roebuck gaining on said brigantine, and firing several guns,
charged witheighteen pounds shot, to oblige said brigantine
to bring to. Tl}at the brigantine, nevertheless, escaped into
Chriftinc creek, where the Wasp had also retired. That a
small schooner, laden, outward bound, was seen on shore just
below the entrance of said cteek, by the crew, and that Capt.
Hammond sent his boat on board the schooner, and dropped
his anchor opposite to said creek. That immediately after
the Roebuck wasfhus anchored, being afternoon, the crew
were employed in hoisting up the fhip's water casks, and
cleaning them in order to fill. That next day a flag of truce
was sent a%re. and Capt. Budden, a prisoner, was sent
' a S° That before the flag of truce returned,
"the^re«^,peared upwards, coming towards the Roebuck,
and Liverpool which lay at anchor near the Roebuck.
That thereupon Capt. Hammond ordered the ship to be
cleared and made ready for fighting ; that the water casks,
which had encumbered the deck and guns, were partly stove,
partly carried to the brigantine which had accompanied said
frigates up the Delaware, and partly placed in the fhip's hold,
and elsewhere ; that about one in the afternoon, the galties
had begun to fire on the frigates, at firft without the reach of
their snot, and continued to fire on them near a dozen shot
before the frigates returned any ; that at length the Liverpool,
which had anchored below the Roebuck, coming up, some
Bern chafe guns were fired from the Roebuck ; that then the
Roebuck's anchor being apeak, both ships got under fail,
the Roebuck's head being to the eastward, arid the Liverpool's
to the westward ; that the ships in this position, and dropping
up with a light breeze from the north north-east, brought
their broadsides to bear on' some of the gallies, and fired
oftentimes and without intermission for several hours ; that
about three quarters of an hour before the firing from the ships
ceased, the Roebuck ran aground about half a mile from the
Jersey shore, nearly opposite to Burd's on the Pen nfvlvania
shore; that the gallies retiring upwards beyond the reach of
shot, the fight ended; that the Commander of the Liverpool,
at the time the Roebuck took the ground, was ordered to come
aflern of the Roebuck, and cover her.
That the Liverpool was, at the time of this accident, to
the westward, and nearer the Pennsylvania shore. That the
Liverpool was placed near the Roebuck accordingly, to protest
her when Ge might heel. That the Roebuck ran aground
about the time of full tide, and lay aground till ab>ut half
an hour after three before day of the following morning.
That during the rife of the tide great endeavours were used
by Capt. Hammond to heave his ship afloat; that, at low wa
ter, the Roebuck lay over so much that the lower deck ports
were necessarily Gut, on the reclined fide, to keep out the
water ; and that her cannon were rendered useless by her situ-
[Num. 225.