The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-16 00:00:00, page 3

/people be taken from their ploughs, made prisoners, and of
fered in exchange for those that are prisoners of war, could
an offices be justified who admitted of such an exchange?
Or would you, my I,ord, Should we seize updh the perlons
of the peasants who come into this town every day, and who
attend to your proclamation, and fubferibed your test, admit
of them in exchange for our officers and men, who, you as
sert, were taken in arms.
" Information had given me to think, and, till your last
letter, I had no reaf>n to doubt that fomeof those officers
and men you offered us were such as I have described, and it
was to that I in part alluded when I said, that I could not put
th< fe prisoners taken in battle upon a footing with the militia
officers and peasants, whom you, my Lord, had thought pro
po to deprive of their liberty. 1 was explicit, 1 thought,
when I told your Lordship that I looked upon those officers
who, under your appointment, fought at the Great Bridge,
though taken since the action, as prisoners who could equita
bly be offered in exchange for those of ours of the fame rank
taken by you ; and when I desired an exact lift of the men in
your chltody, the rank they bore, and the manner in which
they were taken,! imagined it would be granted me. 1 with
now to obtain such a lift, my Lord ; and if Ido, you will
find that I fhail not degrade those comraiffions issued by Con
vention, the rank of which you seem so desirous 1 Ihouid
maintain, but join you heartily, if you choose it, in one mea
sure at least, that of returning to their friends fnch prisoners
as wehave of your's, and reftoriog to the bosom of their coun
try th de that you have torn from it.
. “ I have not had it in my power, till within this hour, to
answer your favor of last night; the delay you will please to
excuse. l am, my Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant,
His Excellency Lord DUNMORE. ROBERT HOWE."
The Otter sloop of war fired a broad-fide yesterday fe'nnight
at the main guard in Norfolk, which wounded one man, a^d
damaged several houses. And on the day following the whole
fleet began a heavy cannonading, and under cover of their
guns a number of men were landed, who set the town on fire
in several different places. The molt important particulars of
this tranfadtion are contained in the following extract.
Extract of a letter from Col. HOWE, to the Hon. the Pre
sident of the Convention, dated Norfolk, Jan. 2.
" The cannonade of the town began about a quarter after
three yesterday, from upwards of one hundred pieces of can
non, and continued till near ten at night, without intermis
sion ; it then abated a little, and continued till tw> this
morning. Under cover of their guns they landed and set lire
to the town in leverai places near the water, though our men
strove to prevent them all in their power; but the houses near
the water being chiefly of wood, they took fire immediately,
and the fire spread with amazing rapidity. It is now become
general, and the whole town will, I doubt not, be confirmed
in a day or two. Expecting that the fire would throw us into
confufion, they frequently landed, and were every time re
pulsed, I imagine with loss, but with what loss 1 cannot tell.
The burning of the town has made several avenues, which
yesterday they had not, so that they may now fire with greater
effect. The tide is now rising, and we expert at high water ano
ther cannonade. I have only to wish it may be as ineffectual
as the last; for we have not one man killed, and but a few
wounded. I cannot enter into the melancholy consideration
of the women and children running through a crowd of shot
to get out of the town, some of them with children at t:ir
brums. A few have, 1 hear, been killed. Does it not call
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for vengeance, both from God and man ? It is but justice to
inform you, that 1 had the pleasure to find every officer ready
to execute orders at a moment's warning, and that the men
behaved with steadiness and spirit. Colonel Stevens went
down at my command, and headed some men near thewater,
where he engaged a party, who had landed, with the spirit and
conduct of a good officer. Of my friend Colonel Woodford
it is almost needless to speak, but I cannot avoid expressing
that I received from him every afliftance which conduct and
spirit could give me."
Thursday the 21st ult. in Lancaster county, a negro fellow
was tried and found guilty of fileep-fteeling; he was sentenc
ed to be burnt in the hand, but instead of faying, God save
theKing (as-is usual upon such occasions) he roared out, with
the greateit seeming sincerity, " God d—a the K.—g,—>-
and the Governor too."
CAMBRIDGE, January 4.
The following is a copy of Dr. CHURCH's much-talked of
• traiterous letter to a ministerial officer in Button, dated
J^y 23, 1775.
" I hope this will reach you ; three attemps have I made
without success ; in effecting the last, the man was discovered
in attempting his escape, but fortunately my letter was sewed
in the waistband of his breeches ; he was confined a few days,
during which time you may guess my feeli gs ; but a little
art and a little cash fettled the matter. 'Tis a month since
my return from Philadelphia. I went by way of Providence,
to visit mother. The Committee for warlike fores made me
a formal tender of twelve pieces of cannon,eighteen and twen
ty-four pounders. They having to a previous refolucion
to make the . ffer to General Ward. To make a merit ofmy
services I lent them down; and when they received them, they
sent them to Stoughton to be outof danger, even though they
had formed the resolution, as I before hinted, of fortifying
Bunker's Hill ; which, together with the cowardice of the
clumly C'ol. Gerrifh, and Col. Scammon, were the lucky occa
sion of their defeat. . This affair happened before my return
from Philadelphia. We loft one hundred and fixty-five killed
then, and since dead of their wounds; one hundred and twenty
now lay wounded, the chief will recover. They boast you
have fourteen hundred killed and wounded in that action.
You fay the rebels loft fifteen hundred, I suppose with equal
truth. The people of Connecticut are raving in the cause of
liberty. A number from this colony, from the town of Stam
ford, robbed the King's stores at New-York, with some small
afliftance the New-Yorkers lent them. These were growing
turbulent. I counted two hundred and eighty pieces of-cau&
non, from twenty-tour to three pounders, at Kingibridge,
which the Committee had Secured far the use of the colonies!
The Jerfies are not a whit behind Connecticut in zeal ; the
Philadelphians exceed them both. I saw twenty-two hundred
men in review there by General Lee, consisting of Quakers,
and other inhabitants, in uniform, with one thousand rifle
men, and forty horse, who together made a most warlike
appearance. I mingled freely, and frequently with the^mem
bers of the Continental Congress. * They were united, deter
mined in opposition, and appeared assured of success. Now
to come home ; the opposition is become formidable; eigh
teen thousand men, brave and determined, with Washington
and Lee at their head, are no contemptible enemy. Adjutant-
General Gates is indefatigable' in arranging the army. Pro
visions are very plenty. Clothes are manufacturing in every
town for the soldiers. Twenty tons of powder lately arrived
at Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Providence. Upwards of
twenty tons are now in camp. Saltpetre is made in every