The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-04 00:00:00, page 2

Aoftile intention was meant to his Majesty's ship, and people
under his command.
Otter iloop, off Norfolk, December 15, 1775."
The Answer.
" Col. Howe's and Col. Woodford's compliments to Capt.
Scuire, and assure him they gave no orders to fire upon the
C ter, and conceive the musket balls mentioned in Capt.
Squire's message to have come from our guard, who fired by
mistake on one of our own parties."
A morning return of the forces now under the command of
Colonel Howe.
Virginia 2d regiment, 350. Virginia minute battalion,
165. A detachment of theist Virginia regiment, 172.
North-Carolina 2d regiment, 438. North-Carolina volun
teers 150. Total strength of companies, 1275.
Ex.rad of a letter from Col. Scott to Capt. Southall, dated
Norfolk, December 17.
" Dear Sir,
“ I just have time to inform you that we have at last got
poffeffi. n of the most horrid place I ever beheld ; I mean Nor
folk. Almost all the inhabitants fled on board the ships.
Flags are continually passing, asking water, provision, or to
exchange prisoners. Duty is harder than I ever saw before,
our guards have not been relieved for forty-eight hours. The
men of war fell down last evening about a mile, and left a
brig with five thonfand bushels of salt behind, which our
guard took, and brought to the wharf, but have not got one
bushel on shore yet. We have got on board the vessel Mr.
Cary Mitchell."
Extracts of letters from Col. Woodford to the Hon. Edmund
Pendleton, Esq; President of the Convention.
Norfolk, December 17, 1775.
" Your favor of the 14th came fafe to hand last night,
and l fhiuld esteem myfelf wanting in duty and refpe& to
your honorable body if I did not take the earliest & pportunity
to express the high sense I have of the great honor done me
by your resolution of the 13th instant, and to assure the Con
vention that I confider my country's approbation of my con
duct a Efficient reward for any services I may be thought to
render at this alarming crisis.
“ 1 had taken the liberty to afford that protection and affif-
tance to the distressed Highlanders, which I find is the wish of
the Convention, and Col. Howe and myfelf will pay due re
gard to your directions refpedting those that remain did in
this town. Their vessel being detained, and their distressed
wives and little ones left to starve in a strange country, is a
frelh instance of the inhumanity of a certain Lord.
" Your orders, refpeding the Tories and Negro prisoners,
shall be complied with. We have upwards of an hundred
of them now in our guards Captain Squire sent us yester
day the following ticket: “ Capt. Squire's compliments to
Mess. Howe and Woodford, and will be glad to know if they
mean to prevent the navy and army from being supplied with
provisions and water." To which we returned this answer :
" Col. Howe and Col. Woodford's compliments to Capt.
Squire, and return him for answer to his message, That as
his Majesty's troops and \hips of war hae long since com
mitted hostilities upon the persons and property of the good
people of this colony, and have actually taken and impri
soned several private gentlemen and others, who did not bear
arms at the time, our express orders are, to prevent, to the
Utmost of our power, any communication whatever between
the said troops and ships of war and this town, or any part
of this colony."
“ In the afternoon the two ships of war and tenders get
under fail, and tell down towards the dikillery. They gave
6
a signal for a snow, with four thousand bushels of salt, to
follow, but fne not being so quick as thy expected, o u r
guard ordered her to continue. The Kingfilher lent a boat,
with about fifteen hands, to bring her off, but our officer
hailed her when within gun shot, and told her he would lire
if she did not return. She took his advice, and put about
to the man of war. On board the snow was Mr. Cary
Mitchell, with all his official papers, which we have in pos
session, likewise the vessel moored to the wharf, and intend
landing the salt so soon as a proper house can be got within
our guards. That gentleman has made many profeffions of
his innocence, and has prevailed upon Col. Howe and my
felf to take his parole of honor for his appearance before the
Convention, for which he sets off to-morrow."
Norfolk, Dec. 19, 1775.
" Yesterday the two men of war, and a large sloop, flood
up to their former ftatioA, and sent a flag of truce with the
following message: “ Capt. Squire's compliments to Cols.
Howe and Woodford, acquaints them that the brig laden with
salt, along-fide the wharf, is a prize belonging to the King,
and taken by the Otter. Capt. Squire requests she may be
immediately delivered up, and proposes fending a boat to
take her away. Should any foot be fired at the people, he
will most assuredly fire on the town." To which we returned
this answer : " Col. Howe and Col. Woodford's compliments
to Capt. Squire, and return him for answer, that the brig in
question fell into our hands the other night, and we ffiall
give orders to fire upon any boat that attempts t? take her
away." They have never yet made the attempt, and our
parties are ready to oppose the taking the vessel.
Extract of a letter from Col. Howe to the Hon. the President
of the Convention.
" We have scouting parties down the bay, to give in
telligence of the arrival of any vessels, or any other event,
either to our advantage or otherwise. From the officers com
manding those parties we have received certain intelligence
that a man of war, cither of thirty-fix or forty guns, is
within the bay, and on her way to this place, with a large
bri g, supposed to be a ftorefhip, both full of men. This
may probably give us something to do, and I hope we may
execute it properly." 7
Last night Colonel Henry received an express from Hamp
ton, with the agreeable intelligence that Captain Barron, in
a small pilot boat, which he had fitted out, has taken and
brought in there two vessels with SALT to the amount of four
thousand fix hundred bushels, that he had likewise taken a
vessel going to the Eastern Shore for provisions for the mini
sterial gentry that have lately been expelled from Norfolk,
which had on board fifteen blacks commanded by Captain
Collett; and, when the express left Hampton, was in pursuit
of another craft, supposed to be a tender. The Liverpoole
frigate, gone up to Norfolk, mounts twenty-eight guns; and
the brig with her is a ftorefhip, laden with arms and ammu
nition. Between them, they have four hundred men on
board, none of them soldiers except the usual complement of
marines. This late acquisition of strength has much elated
Lord Dunmore and his party, we hear; and Norfolk
Hampton, and all the river settlements, are threatened with
fire and hvord.
" Twenty odd pieces of cannon were left by the enemy,
but spiked and dismantled."
The South-Carolina Gazette of November 23d mentions
the arrival of his Majesty's armed fcho • er St. Lawrence ar St.
Augustine, from Boston, with recruits for the 14th regiment."
The Liverpoole frigate is said to be arrived, in order to
take Governor Dunmore to England.