The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-07-11 00:00:00, page 2

This gave great uneasiness, but a retreat was necessary. It
was impoffibie to do it regularly as we. could not region the
road, the (hipping and artillery of the enemy being in the
way ; .mail parties went off through the Swamp. Colonels
V ayne and Alien collected some hundreds. I got as many in
my division as 1 could, with several others, amounting to up
wares oi two hundred. Col. Wayne with his party, and
we with ours, endeavoured, by several ways, to return
to our boats. Col. Wayne, not far from the river, was obliged
to inarch near a body of seven hundred men of the enemy,
lie intended to have attacked them regularly, but his peo
ple were id much fatigued that it was deemed unfafe. The
enemy fired their small arms and artillery on our men as loud
as thunder. They returned a recreating fire, when several
of the enemy were killed, and a number of ours. Our
party advanced, within a mile of the place, where our
boats were, but our guard had carried them off. The English
had pofieffid the ground near the landing, so that we could
not get there, but we saw part of them. The enemy had so
m^y men that they sent parties to fortify all the ferries we
were to pass, and the Whipping proceeded up the river to cover
th.m. Co.. Wayne, with his party, lay near the enemy. We
pa(fed through a prodigious swamp, and, at night took pos
session of a hill near the enemy. Our men, without provi
sion, without Sleep, and after all this fatigue, required some
rest. The mantle.of heaven was our only covering ; no fire,
and bad water our only food, we mounted a imall quarter
guard, fixed our alarm post, and made every man lay down
on the ground on which he was to rile for action in case of an
attack. 1 Slept a little, by resting my head on a cold bough of
spruce. Morning appeared, what was to be dne ? We con
sulted our officers and men, they said they were refreshed
with ileep ; it was agreed to stand together, and that they
would Support and effect a pafl'age through the enemy, or
die in the attempt. A little Spring water refreshed us more,
the necessary dispositions were made, but we had no guides.
We heard the enemy was within half a mile of us, but no one
seemed alarmed at it, so we proceeded, and luckily fell in
with Cob Maine's tra&. We puifued and overtook him
near the river Dalek. This made us upwards of seven hun
dred Strong. We had confidence and agreed to attack them
if they fell in our way to Bokie, opposite to this place. The
Ships had moved up the river. We were lure that this tort
would be attempted before we could arrive. As we came up,
the English left the ferries, and.drew all their forces hack to
the Trois Rivieres by forced marches, and, surmounting every
difficulty, we arrived here on Monday afternoon, ana brought
near twelve hundred men with us of our party ; many are
yet miffing, one hundred and fifty, or two hundred. Some
scattered ones are continually coming in, so that our loss will
not be so great as was at firft imagined. Col, Wayne be
haved exceedingly well, and shewed himfeif the man of
courage and the soldier. Col. Allen exerted himfelf several
times, and is a^fine fellow. Col. Maxwell was often in the
midit of danger, but his own division was not prelent to sup
port him.. He was aifo very ufeful in the retreat after ne
joined Col. Wayne of the York county troops. Lieut. Edie,,
I tear, is killed^; he was a fine young fellow, and behaved,
bravely ; he approached the enemy's works, without diimay,,
several times, and remained in the swamp to the last ; he was
in the second engagement, where it is Supposed he was kil
led, Ensign Hops, of the fame company, was wounded
near the bread-work when the reserve was led up. I cannot
give too much commendation of him ; he shewed the greater!:
courage after he had received several wounds in the arm. He
flood his ground, and animated his men. He nobly made
good, his retreat .with, us through a swamp of near eighteen
344
miles long.. The ball has hurt the bone, but I hope it will
do well. Several of oar men were killed, I imagine between
thirty and fifty ; the rest, miffing, have been taken by the
enemy, quite worn jut with fatigue and hunger.
" The English had never the courage to turn out to fight, or
pursue us out of the reach f their shipping or artillery. They
had many more men killed than we. Gen. Burgoyne was
there, and commanded. It is certain that almott all the Eng
lilh in Canada were ther% which mull have been many.
" We received intelligence that between fifty and Seventy fail
of veffelshad arrived within this month. The English hollowed
during the action, to encourage their men, that they had
three to one ; 1 believe really they had, and more, but we
have been moderate in our computation. Upon the whole
we were repulled and not be t. Their cowardice, or sane
other cause, prevented them from injuring us more. They
have now a Superior army in Canada. We expect them hour y,
and as they have poffeffi ,n of the river S. Lawrence, and
almost all the other fide of the river, our situation is rather
critical, but we are determined to fight inch by inch, arid
embrace every favorable opportunity to annoy the enemy.
"June 13. Lalt night a fort of a flag of truce came from the
enemy. Gen. Thompson, Col. Irvin, Dr. McKenzie, and
Lietits. Edie and Currie, and Parson -M'Cauley, are prisoners'.
They were taken up by some of the ralcally Canadians in the
molt treacherous manner. The prisoners are treated well by
Gen. Burgoyne. We hope for an exchange son; we have
erected some pretty good works here; we hear the enemy now
firing; this will be a hot week. The English have a much
greater force in Canada than was expected lo soon. We wifi
to hear good news from our own country, as that from here
will be very tragical. 1 apprehend wemult have more troops."
Ihe night before lalt Major Rogers made his escape from
this city.
This day coromiffions were given to the following gentle
men, for a battalion of riflemen to be raised in Maryland
and Virginia : C 1. Hugh Stevenson, Esq; Lieut. C. .Moses
Rawlings, E-q; Maj-r, Otho Holland Williams. Captains,
Philemon Griffiths, Richard Davis, and Abraham Shepherd.
The other officers are not yet appointed.
In the lalt paragraph of the extract of a letter from Tren
ton, in page 332, is an unjuit reflexion upon the conduct of
the riflemen, for they who were taken upon Staten-island,
by the ministerial army when they firft landed, were then
in the honoraole Service of their country, and not ignomi
nioully quitting the camp. The printer is obliged to the
officer who rectified the mistake. The gentleman who wrote
that letter was greatly imposed upon, as is now evident to
every perlon.
In CO NG RES S, July 9, 1776.
Resolved, 1 hat inch of the militia as are employed in mac
king powder, cann n, and gun locks, be flopped from going
to New-jeifey, in confeque.ee of the resolution of the Sixth
in#. By order of Congress,
JOHN HANCOCK, President.
EASTON (Northampton c unty) July 8. This day the
DEcLARAIION of INDEPENDANCY was received here,
and proclaimed in the following order: The Colonel and all
other field ofiicers of the firft battalion repa red to the courts
house, the light infantry company marching theie with drums
beating, fifes playing, and the standard (the device for which
is the thirteen United Colonies) which was ordered to be dis
played, and after that the Declaration was read al< ud to a
great number of Spectators, who gave their hearty afl nt with
three loud huzzas, and cried.out MAY GOD LONG PRE
SERVE and U\li'E the FREE and INDEPEALLaN T
STATES of AMERICA.