The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-07-06 00:00:00, page 3

Extra& of a letter from the Camp-at Sorrél, 13th Juae, 1776.
<« On the eighth instant a detachment of about fixteenr
hundred men, wunder the command of General Thompson,
left the mouth of Nicolztre, in order to surprise the enemy at
‘Three Rivers. The design was to have aitacked the town
before day, but some uniorefeen accidents retarded him, so
that it was quite light before he got near the town. An ad
vanced boat discovered the party on their march, gave the
alarm, and was fired upon by the rifiemen, who drove her
of into the stream. This happened a littte before sunrise ;
and as all prospect of succeeding by {urprife was then over,
the General, determined to make the attack,. ordered the
diums to beat, to put the best face upon the matter, and in
timidate the enemy. In this manner the march continuel
till they came within the reach of the veflz!s, some of which
were anchored along the shore for about a mile, or a mile
and a half above the town, when 4 brisk. cannonade began.
from them, but without effe, or occafiuning the least disor
der among the troops, who bore it with as a good a counte
nance as the beit veterans in the world could have done,
Colonel Maxwell who led the firlt division, feeing, however,
that in proceeding by theroad he would be expoled to a very
galling fire from all the vefiels, seventeen in number, turned
2 lictle to the est, in order to cross what appeared tobe a peint
of woods, and by which it seemed as if we could gain the
hieighth of the town, waere the dring from the vefels wounld
be meffetaal. . This poiut turned out to be a very thick
swamp of great extent, and which took up. three hours or
more to get through; every flep to the knge, and very often
-a g reat deal higher. This was very unfavourable to us, for
it was impofiible for men to march through it withoat being
breken, aud a good deal of coufufion. And.as the enemy
were ready for us at the farther fide, there was neither time
por ground to. form.them properly. The consequence was,
as you may judge, that we had the worfl of it. i
¢« The General’s-original plan was o have attacked before
day at four separate piaces ; two attacks by the opposite ends
of the main street, ard two attacks by the cross street ; each
division consisting of three hundred men. A reserve of two.
hundred and fifty was to remarmn ready for thefuppert of any
of theothers. 12m almost persuaded, that had we arrived 1n
time to have put- thisin-execution, it would have {ucceeded, .
notwithstanding the great {uperiority of the enemy in point of
numbers ; but the morning and the swamp,. as I told you
before, broke.in upon this pian. . No new oanel was formed,
nor indeed had the General it in his power to form - one, for
-one’of ‘the-divifions was separated from the rest in pafling the
dwamp, uor <id the Gen. know where they weretill the firing
began from them. All hg could then do,:was-to order them
“to be supported. ~This was -done for some time with effeét,
the enemy having troke and given way for some distance ;
“but being supported in their turn,-they drove our people
back, who'bore, ir a soldier like ananner, 2 very heavy fire
from the mufquetry, and two pieces of field artillery, ‘fome
times loaded with grape and sometimes with round thot. .We
_were, however, after repeated attacks, obliged to. give way,,
‘the enemy scarcely pursuing us.
« ‘Qurlofs is‘in.confide¢rabre astoinumbers. = B, glas; not
so as to men, General Thompson being among the prisoners.
Though we ‘had the worst of it, ‘1 hgpe-we-have made some
imp:cflicn on the minds.of cur enemies. They allow-we be
bhaved well ; and it will not tell amiss that twelve hundred
Americans attacked, under every ‘difadvantage, four thou
sand Britith troops,. obliged them at firlt .to give way, /and,
wiaen oeac back, made a retreat of forty-five miles with the
lof of übout one huadred and fifty men.””
PHILADELPHTIA, July 6.
337
. Last Thorfday the Committee of Officers and Privates of
the Associators of this province met ac Lancaster, when Col.
Rouberdeau of this city, and Col. Ewing of York county,
were ele¢ted Brigadier Generals.
At a Board ot Officers from {even companies in the fifth dif
tri of the county of Philadclphia, held at Caprain Jacob
Wert’s, soy forming-a fifth battalion, the following gentle
men wer chosen, viz. John Bull, Efg; Colenel ; Robert Cur
rie, Lieutenant-Colonel ; George Wrightand Thomas Rees,
Majors ; Dr. Abel Morgan, Surgeon, and John Beker,
Standard-Bearer. . : ' ]
*.* All. persons-indebted to the printer, are requited to
fettle immediately, also to advance one balf of the tubferip.
tion towards the second year.—ls proper regard be ncg paid to
this advertifemens, he will soon be under the dilagreeable
neceflity of DROVPING the Pennsylvania Evening Post, the.
price of paper aad vther ariicles being o greatly ad:anced..
AT-a Conference of the Delegates in Congress for the Stares
of ‘New-York, New-Jersey. and Pennsylvania, of "the
Commitiee of Safety of Pepafylvania, the Commitiee of In
spection and Observation for the city and liberties of Philadel
phia, acd the Field Officers.of the five bartalions of the said
city, &c. at the State-House in Bhiladcl&hia, o the fifth day
of July, 1776, in -pusiuance.of the following resolution of
Cengrefs, to wit.q, . g 3
In €ONGRE SB, July s 3776, . .-
" Resolved, T'hat the Delegates of New-York,. New-Jersey,
and Pennsylvania be'a Comumittee to confer with the Commit.
tee-of Safety es Peanfylvania, the Committee of Infpectiop
of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia, and the ,-Ficﬁi Ofh
cers of the ‘battalions cof:the (aid city and liberties, on the
best means of defending the colopies of New-jersey and
Pennsylvania, and that they be empowered to fend exprefles
where neceflary. - __jOHN HANCOQCK, President. ..
: THOMAS M‘KEAN in the chair..- -
Resolved, That it appears to the:Conferees, that all the
aflociated militia of Pennsylvania (excepting the counties of
Weftmoreland, Bedford and. Northumberland) who .can be
furnifhed with arms and .accoutrements, should be forthwith
requetted to march with the utmoit expedition to Trenton
(except the militia for Nerthampton county, who are to
march:direétly for New-Brunswick) in New-Jersey ; and thac’
the said militia.continue in service until the flying camp of
ten thousand -men can be colle@ed to relieve them, wnjefs they -
shall-be sooner discharged by Cangrefs. ~ :
Resolved, 'T'hat thesmilitia.march by companies to the place
of rendezvaus. 0
Resolved, That the said militia- be takeninto Continental
pay, and receive the fame pay, allowances and rations with
the Continental troops, from the time they. begin their march -
untilithey return to their refpeétive hames. : .
Resolved, That those of the three battalions of the Penns
fylvania troops, now remainingin the province, be ~rdered to
march immedratelyfor New-Brunswick, in New- Jersey. '
" Resolved, That the. Committee .of Safety of this colony -
-provide as many tents asthey can for the {aid militia. . g
. Resolved that the Commitiees of Infpsttion, &c. in the se
veral counties furnitha good .ke(blqh”m every fix men, “and gi\;g
all the affiftance.in their .power that“the said militia be well
armed and equipped,.and march with the greatest expedition,
@ " THOMAS M‘KEAN, Chauwrman.
’ in CCON'G R ES:B, July 5, 1276, p
Resolved, That the. Committees of inipetion, for the seve
ral connties-in -the colony of Pennlylvania, be directed to or.
der fuch'troops as they amay raise for.the fly ng camp to ‘be
marched to Trenwn, the reiolve of yeiterday 10 march them.
to Philadelphia notwithstanding. . P Ty