The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-11-09 00:00:00, page 2

Yankee, and those of the merchantmen (who ought
in have been confined) run up, and one of the
Americans having cought up a scrubbing brush, and
advancing in a threatening posture, was told by
themah who held the cutlass, that if he advanced
a lie? lurcher he would take his diead off, and or-
Hered him, and the rest of the men belonging to
the privateer, to go forward; Ross and Hodges in
the mean time having broke open the armed chest.
Captain Johnson and his crew were removed
from the Yankee about two o'clock on Sunday
morning, and it is laid are now on board the
Conqueftadore man of war.
Captain Johnson complains of Captain Rofs's
illiberal behaviour, in buffering several people to
come on board since he arrived, and insult him in
the moll cruel and gross terms, though a prisoner;
and when his brother came to fee him, after three
years absence, Captain Ross would not permit
them to talk a minute in private.
It Captain Rots has lecreted his prisoners, is it
"not worthy the interposition of the civil power to
compel him to produce them, that no foul play
may be offered them, till they have taken their
trials?
Captain Johnson, of the Yankee privateer, late
ly taken and brought into the river, is a native of
New-England. Previous to the present unhappy
differences between this country and America, he
Hived as a merchant, in great repute, at Ports
mouth in New-Hampffiire. Last winter he had
the misfortune to have his houie burnt down at the
t: ne when the greatest part of Portsmouth was
destroyed by the Swan, and other ships of war, at
which time lie loft the whole of his property. The
retraining act taking place, and depriving him
Irom carrying on his trade, he resolved to go to
sea in a privateer, and accordingly hired the Yan
kee for that purpose.
Within these ten daysmolefs than three expres
ses have been received by government from General
Howe.
The following is an authentic account of what has
lately happened between Spain and Portugal.
" in the course of last year Gen. Vetis, Governor
of Buenos Ayres, repeatedly wrote to the Court of
Madrid, that the Portuguele daily encroached upon
the rights of the Spaniards, and laid violent hands
on thole who dared to oppose them; but as often
as the Spanish minister complained about it to the
Court of Lisbon, he received for answer, “ That it
mult be some party quarrel among the neighbour
ing inhabitants, and entirely without the lead know
ledge of the court.'' The minister implicitly was
fatisfied with that answer, and wrote to the General
that the two courts were in the belt harmony and
friendfhip, and whatever happened between the
Spanish and Portuguese fubjeds in that quarter of
the world should be adjusted there, as it did not de
serve the particular notice of these courts.
" In the month of November last, the General
lent a very alarming letter to the Minister, infilling
that the Portuguese, whole forces increased daily,
and who continued to commit very daring and
outrageous anions, mull have some hostile views,
and therefore a proper and fufficient reinforcement
was highly necessary; upon which the Minister
complained again to the Court of Lisbon ; and as
the answer did not follow immediately, a reinforce
ment of three regiments was lent to Buenos Ayres,
with orders to join the land militia there.
“ In the month of December, the Portuguese
AmbafTador at Madrid waited upon the Minister
there, declaring in his Moll Faithful Majesty's
name, that he had not the least hostile intentions,
and that dispatches had just been sent to all the
chief officers in that quarter to reprimand them for
their pad conduct, and to give the ftrideft orders
to keep their soldiers in due discipline, assuring
him at the fame time that nothing hostile should be
heard in future.
" The latter end of April the minister, to his
greatest astonishment, received the following intel
ligence from the above Governor: That on the
27th of March a Portuguese squadron, confining
of 12 ships of different sizes, commanded by an
English officer, attacked, near Las Patos, five
Spanish vessels, but the wind (which blew very vi
olent) happened to be in favour of the latter, so
that the former were scattered and obliged to re
tire; however, some hundreds were killed and
wounded in the engagement; and that the Englilh
officer who had the command, in a fit of difpair,
threw two English officers (whom he acculed of
cowardice) overboard, and shot himfelf through
the head. This was immediately sent to the Court
of Lisbon. The answer was, that it might have
been done previous to the late orders having been
received; but it was without the least knowledge
of the court. The Court of Madrid, notwith
standing this answer, became lufpicious, and orders
were given for an armament.
“ In the beginning of May, the Court of Ma
drid received dispatches that open hostilities were
commenced by the Portuguese; that on the 2d of
April 30 Portuguese transports, having on board
nine regiments and 300 pieces of cannon, com
manded by English and German officers, failed up
the river Rio Grande, attacked the .ort St Theele.
which was soon delivered up to them; they further
advanced and attacked the fort St. Theresa, (which
by this time they are in possession of; as also of
that of Monte Video:) General Vertis, in a hurry
went with the garrison of Monte Video, and some
artillery, to oppose them, but was defeated; about
400 of his men were killed, and about 100 wound
ed, and when the dispatches came away they were
marching towards Buenos Ayres.
" Upon this alarming intelligence a general ar
mament was ordered throughout Spain, and some
of their squadrons united with the French, and the
matter rells now thus; the Court of Lisbon dill
infills that all this was done without their order
or knowledge; but as the latter two forts, viz. St.
Theresa and Monte Video, were not taken before
the 27th of April, a time when the orders of the
Court of Lisbon (which according to the above
mentioned declaration were sent in the beginning
of December last) muff have been received, and
consequently the officers have a&ed contrary to the
royal order, the Court of Madrid infills that these
offenders ihall be punished with death, which they
richly deserved at any rate, if they aded against
their orders, or whether they afted without the
knowledge of the Court of Lisbon; and if this be
done, the Court of Madrid will confider themselves
amply fatisfied; but if this request is not complied
with, the latter will judge, (and which is most pro
bable) that it was done with positive orders from
the former court, and consequently they will pro
ceed to an open war, in which they will be affiled
by the Court of France.
“ This is the nature of Don Cafton's (the com
mander in chief of the united fleet) embassy to the
Court of Lisbon. All Europe is anxious to know
how this matter will end; and we hear that the
Courts of Great-Britain and France have both de
clared that the request of the Court of Madrid is
founded in justice and equity, and should be com
plied with, as a Ihtisfa&ion to the grolsly offended
Court of Spain. Mean while both France and
Spain are ready TO cruffi the treacherous Portu
guese in case of non compliance."
^uguJi 15. Yesterday Lord Shelburne attended
the levee at St. James's for the firft time for several
years past, at the Tame time he took leave of his
Majesty previous to his departure to France.
This week upwards of fix thousand letters from
New-York, Halifax, and other parts of America,
have been received by different people in London,
which were brought by the New-York Packet, and
transports that have arrived since Friday.
It is laid the American provinces have not only
declared themselves independent but that they have
sent memorials thereof, and of their proceedings,
to most of the Courts in Europe.
Orders are given to th^Commiffioners of the
Navy to take four ships into government service, to
carry corn and other provisions to Jamaica and
Antigua, all intercourse with the American Colo
nies, from which those places were supplied, being
flopped.
B O S T O N, Oftober 24.
By a gentleman who was lately taken in one of
the prizes, we learn, that the Empress of Russia
had offered his Britannic Majesty from 20, to
100 000 men, for the service of America: But that
the people in England seemed rather averse to
bringing any more troops, being already burdened
with taxes.
Yesterday Captain Daniel Harthorne arrived at
Salem from a cruise. On his passage he met with
an armed packet, which he attacked. In the en
gagement (which lifted two hours) he loft three
men killed, and nine or ten wounded, himfelf slight
ly; since which, he has taken and lent into Cape-
Ann, a prize Snow, with Oats.
The privateer, commanded by Capt. Carleton
which failed from Salem, on a cruise, about four
weeks since, was taken near Canceau, by the brig
Hope, Captain Dawion, a few days after leaving
Port, and carried into Hallifax. Capt. Carleton,
with some of the crew, made their escape by swim
ming ashore.
Last Thursday was sent into Hayhannefs, by
Capt. Silas Atkins, the ship Heafield, from Ireland,
bound to New-York, having on board, 70 punche
ons of spirits, 70 do. of porter, 350 tierces of bread,
50 do. oatmeal, 61 do. peafe, 60, pork, 70 do. beef,
100 calks of butter, some sweet oyl, raisins, can
dles, flour, and a number of other articles.
The following cop, of a letter from Gen. Schuyler,
to the Committee of the Count, of Berkshire, was
last evening received b, Express.
Saratoga, Oflober 16, 1776.
" Our fleet which fuffered severely, in an en
gagement, on the 12th instant with the enemy, has
been still more severely handled in a fublequent, in
somuch that the enemy are left matters of the Lake,
and are marching on to attack our army at Ticon
deroga; in this situation of our affairs, it is of the
utmost importance that the militia of your county,
should immediately march to sustain the army, such
as can march expeditiously and come by the way
of Albany, should do 10, and the others take the
route to Skeenfborough, each man should come pro
vided with as much provision and ammunition as
possible. The commanding officer must fend me
information of his number, and progress from time
to time, 1 shall be either at FerfrGeorge or Skeenf
The fire raged with inconceivable violence; and
in its deftrudive progress lwcpt away all the build
ings between Broad ftr^t and the North river, al
most as high as the City-Hall; and from thence, all
the houses between Broad way and the North-river,
as far as King's College, a tew only excepted Long
before the main fire reached Trinity Church, that:
large, ancient and venerable edifice was in flames,
which baffled every effort to suppress them. The
steeple, which was 140 feet high the upper part of
wood, and placed on an elevated situation, resem
bled a vast pyramid of fire, exhibiting a most grapd
and awful fpedacle. Several women and children
periled in the fire; their ffirieks, joined to the
From, gentlemen, your most obedient, humble
servant, P H f. Schuyler,
To the Committee of the county of Berkshire.
W ORCESTE R, Odiober 23.
We hear that on the evacuation of our fortrefles
on Long-Island, the Continental currency funk in
i^ value one thousand per cent; but that now it
has gained its nominal value, and passes currently
among the British troops and Tories as well as
among our friends; what was the occasion of this
strange turn is a matter of much {peculation.
PORTSMOUTH, Oflober 22.
Monday 14th inti, arrived at Falmouth (C. Bay)
a large ship from Jamaica, bound to London,
laden with 500 hogtheads of sugar, and 50 dittd
of rum, taken by the privateer Retaliation from
Beverly,—Giles, commander. The ship mounted 6
carriage guns and fought the privateer two hours
before she struck.,
Thursday last arrived at Falmouth (Cafco-Bay,)
a large brig (the Mary and James) commanded by
Thomas More; she was from Falmouth in England
bound to Naples, laden with balls, boxes of goods,
cocoa, pepper, allom, tin, lead &c. taken by Capt.-
Simon Forrester in the privateer sloop Rover, from
Salem.
NEWBURY-PORT, Oftober %
Yesterday arrived here the ship Nancy, Johpt
Cowan Master, burthen about 200 tons, bound
from Cork to Quebec, taken by Capt. John Lee of'
this place- Her Cargo consists of the following
articles viz. 80 barrels of beef, 320 ditto of pork,
200 firkins of butter, 100 barrels of oatmeal, 374
ditto of flour, 1200 bushels of peafe, 68000 lb. of
bread, 207 calks of nails, 22 barrels and 2 half
ditto gun-powder, 1 arm chest with balls &c. 16
carriage guns and 10 Swivels mounted.
N E W-H AV E N, Oflober 23.
The enemy have extended themselves this way,
as far as New-Rochel, and small parties of them;
have advanced as far as Marrineck.—ln one of the
churches at New-Rochel, was stored more than
two thousand bushels of salt, which has fallen into
the hands of the enemy. It was owned by the
State of New-York.
Last Friday there was a smart skirmish, near the
above church, between a detached party of the
enemy, and one from out army, in which we loft:
eight or ten men, and some wounded, among the
latter was Col. Shepard, of the Maffachufett's Bay,
who was slightly wounded in his throat, and who
commanded the party;—the enemy's loss is not
known.
From the NEW-YORK MERCURY.
NEW-Y OR K, September 30.
On Saturday the 21st instant we had a terrible
fire in this city, which consumed about one thousand
hou es, or nearly a fourth of the whole city. The
following is the bell account we can colled of this
melancholy event. The fire broke out firft at the
most loutherly part of the city, near White Hall;
and was discovered between twelve and one o'clock
in the morning, the wind blowing very frefh from
the outh, and the weather exceedingly dry. The
Rebel Army having carried off all the bells of the
city, the alarm could not be speedily communicated;
and very few of the citizens were in town, most of
them being driven but by the calamities of war, and
several of the firft rank sent prisoners to New En
gland, and other diflant parts. A few minutes
after the fire was discovered at White-Hall, it was
observed to break out in five or fix other places, at:
a considerable distance.
borottfi, but as T cannot determine which, it will
be proper to fend express to both places, to for
ward copies of this to Governor Trumbull, and to
every Committee in your State, that are in a situ
ation of affording us assistance, as also to the neigh
bouring counties in the State of Connecticut; I
must repeat, gentlemen, that it is of great import
ance that I should be duly furnifhed with an account
of the movements and number of the militia."
In this dreadful situation, when the whole city
was threatened with deftrudion, Major General
Robertson. who had the chief command, sent im
mediately for two regiments that were encamped
near the city, placed guards in the several streets„
and took every other precaution that was pradica
ble to ward off the impending ruin. Lord Howe
ordered the boats of the fleet to be manned, and
after landing a large number of officers and teamen
to assist us, the boats were stationed on each fide of
the city in the North and Eal| rivers; and the lines
near the Royal Army were extended across the
Island, as it manifeftly appeared chat the city was
designedly set on fire.