The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-06-01 00:00:00, page 3

BOSTO N, Wry 23.
The enemy, on board the men of war below, intolerably
vexed and chagrined that Capt. Mugford's prize ftould be
taken and unloaded in their open view, formed a design of
wreaking their vengeance on him. The Sunday following,
Capt. Mugford, in company with Capt. Cunningham, in the
Lady Walhington, a small privateer armed with swivels, blun
derbusses, and mufquets, fell down in order to go out in the
bay. The. enemy observed their failing, and fitted out a.
fleet of boats for the parpofe of surprising and taking them
'in the night ; and the Franklin's running aground in the gut,
gave them a good opportunity for executing their plan. The
Lady Walhington came to anchor near Capt. Mugford ; and.
between nine and.ten o'clock he. discovered a number of boats,
which he hailed, and received for answer, that they were from
Bolton. He ordered them to keep off, or he would fire upon
them. They begged him, for God's fake, not to fire, for they
were going on board him. Capt. Mugford instantly fired,-
and was followed by all his men ; and cutting his cable,
brought his broadside to bear, when he discharged his
cannon, loaded with mufquet ball;, dire&ly in upon them.
Before the cannon could be charged a^ second time, two or
three boats were along fide, each of them supposed to have as
many men on board as the Franklin, which had only twenty
one, including officers. By the belt accounts there were not
less than thirteen boats in all, many of them armed with
swivels, and having on board,, at the lowest computation, two
hundred men. Capt. Mugford and his men plied those along
fide so closely with fire arms and spears, and with fach in
trepidity, activity and success, that two boats were soon funk,
and all the men either killed or drowned. But while the He
roic Mugford, with outstretched arms, was righteously deal
ing death and deftrudion to our base and unnatural enemies,
he received a fatal ball in his body, which in a few minutes
put a period to a life, from which, had it been spa red, his
opprefied country would undoubtedly have reaped very emi
nent advantages.
After our brave men had maintained this unequal content for'
about half an hour, theenemy thought proper to retire. The
carnage among them must have been great ; for, besides the
two boat loads killed and drowned, many were doubtlefs
killed and wounded on board the others. Great execution
' was done by the spears. One man, with that weapon,, is
positive of having killed nine of the enemy.
The^niimbei: of boats which attacked, the Franklin was
. about eight,or nine. . The remainder, to the number of four
or five, at the fame time attacked Capt. Cunningham, in the
Lady Walhington, who then had on board only fix men,
besides himfelf. This brave little company gave the boats
such a warm reception, that the enemy were soon glad to
give over the contest, after fuffering, it is thought, consider
able loss.
HARTFORD, May 20.
By Captain David Hawley, who came to town last Saturday
from Halifax, which place he left the twenty-fourth of April
last, we have the following interesting intelligence, viz.—
That on the seventeenth of March he failed out of Stratford ;
on the twenty-fir# was taken by.the Bellona of fix guns and
eight fwiyels ; the ministerial crew jumping on board him,'
eager for plunder, damned him, his crew, and country, and
then,put them as prisoners on board the Bellona. About ten
The body of one of the marines, killed in the above en
gagement, and one of the enemy's thirteen oared barges,
have been taken up at Chelsea.
The remains of Capt. Mugford have been carried to Mar
blehead for interment. No other life, on our part, was loft.
275
o'clock they joined the Rofe,~ Glasgow, and Swan men of
war, and went on board the Rose. The next day failed into
Newport, when he obtained liberty to go on board his own
sloop, to get his clothes, where he found his chest broke
open, and all his clothes plundered. They offered him five
shillings sterling per day, a good cabin, that his vessel should
be paid for after the dispute was over, and his choice of a
plantation in any part of the continent, if he would be their
pilot, which he refufed, and was therefore parted from his
men, and put on board the Glasgow, and hot so much as al
lowed a line to his mate, relative to a glass he had left. On
the fifth of April the Glasgow failed, from Newport. In the
morning of the sixth difeovered sundry fail, and flood for
them,, came up with and hailed the brig, who anfv/ered that
they were from Plymouth ; then the brig hailed the Glasgow,
and was told who they were ;,.upon signals being made and
not answered, .as it was still dark, the Glasgow received a
heavy -broadside from the brig, killed one man, and slightly
wounded another ; then the Alfred came up, and closely en
gaged her for near three glasses, while the black brig attacked.
the Glasgow on her lee bow. It was observed by the motion ,
of the Alfred tha&ihe had received some unlucky Ihot. The
.sloop of twelve guns fired upon the Ghfgow's stern with little
effe&, as most of the shot went about fix feet above the deck,
which, if they \had. :been properly levelled,, must have soon
cleared them of men, The Glasgow, getting to a distance,
fired smartly/. and the engagement lasted about fix glasses,
when they both seemed willing to quit. The Glasgow was
considerably damaged in her hull, had ten shot through her
main mast; fifty-two through her mizen stay fail, one hun
dred and ten through her main fail, eighty-eight through her
forefail, had her ipars carried away, an» her rigging cut to
pieces. On the sixth they got into Rhode-lfland. Early in the
morning of the seventh were fired upon from the ihore, cut
her cables, and run up to Hope-island, where the hospital
ship followed them; the,windr Shifting to the northward they
went out and joined Commodore Wallace, and after two days
failed for Halifax, and arrived there in eleven days, where-.
Capt. Hawley tarried a fortnight. And on the seventh of
April, he made his escape witheightothers in a small boat, and
came to Old York..
Captain Hawley is of opinion that if the 'Alfred had come
close along fide the Glasgow, she wouldhave ftruckz
May 27. We hear the town of Canterbury, in a full meet
ing. have unanimously adopted the principles of independ
ance contained in Common Sense ; and also voted, that the
Delegates for the Continental Congress ought to be eleded by~.
the freemen of the colony, and not by their representatives,
Last Thursday Governor Skeene, who has been some time
past in this town, was committed tojail by order of theCorn-,.
mittee for-the prisoners, for refufing to sign a parole.
Yesterday Captain AHen arrived here from Rhode-bland.
He fays Capt. Biddle, in a Continental brig, fentin a Hoop
from St. Ctoix, last Saturday, laden with rum, sugar, and salt.
She was bound for Liverpool, in Nova-Scotia.
PHILADELPHI A,, June 1.
We hear the General Assembly of the province of New-
Jersey are summoned, b, Gov. Franklin, to meet at Perth-
Amboy the twentieth iaftant (June) on business of the
greatest importance.
Last Thursday. Mr.-JOSEPH JENKS, of Bucks county,
was married to Miss HANNAH DAVIS, of this city.
N E W-Y O R K, May , 3 p.