The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-11 00:00:00, page 2

journed to the second, fifth, and fevynth of this month ; and
will be farther, according to all appearance, until the Minister
is able to determine on the demands and propositions which
are to be their object.
In the mean time they continue their warlike preparations.,
The fleet destined to aft in America, will consist of sixty-se
ven vessels, viz. seven of fifty guns, two of forty-four, seven
of thirty-two, twelve of twenty-eight, five of twenty-four,
five of twenty, two of eighteen, fix cf sixteen, two of four
teen, four cf ten, three of eight, and twelve other armed ves
sels. But if they did give attention, that they have more
than twenty degrees (three hundred common leagues) of coast
to watch, they might easily judge that their talk will not be
very easy. Viscount Howe, Vice-Admiral, is to command
the fea-forces ; the Vice-Admiral Shuldham, who succeeded
Admiral Greaves, being recalled. This Viscount, and the
Gen. Howe, his only brother, who replaced General Gage,
at Boston, are brethren to Viscount Howe, who was flain'at
the attack cf Ticonderoga, filth cf July 1758, and to whole
memory the Americans have erected a superb monument.
The land forces, it is said, are to be divided into three bodies,
one of twelve thousand men, under General Carlton, on the
River St. Lawrence; the second, also of twelve thousand under
General Howe, at New-York ; and the third in Virginia and
Carolina, will be of eleven thousand,. and commanded by
Generals Clinton and Cornwallis. These bodies to be lap
ported and reinforced as needful by a referred body, whose
flation is not yet fixed. This armament, however, meets
with many obstacles, from a disinclination to the service in,
America. Many Captains, Lieutenants and Enhgns, on half
pay, who were appointed the fourteenth of Augutt, to serve
in the new companies added to the old regiments, not having
yet presented themselves to the war office, have been summoned
anew, on penalty of being erased from the lid. They are not a
little embarrassed to equip the transports defined for America.
Even the guard-ships are obl ged to lend their hands to do
the work on board these veffels.f
The Count de Guignes, Ambassador from France, has
taken leave cf the King to return to Paris. The Prince de
Mafferano, Ambassador from Spain, has been very ill for
some days pall of an apoplexy, but he begins to grow better,
and is thought to be out of danger.
Extract of a letter, dated April 22, 1776, from a mafler of a
vessel who lately arrived upon this Continent from France,
which he left about the eighteenth of March 1770.
" Upon my arrival here I was extremely happy to hear of
the good success of this country against her unnatural ene
mies, who are collecting all the force possible to make head
agiinft us. The account in Bourdeyx is, that twenty thou
sand Hessians and Hanoverians are at Em,bden, . ready to em
bark on board English ships, to join twelve thousand English,
and fail immediately for America. This, however, you may
depend upon, that about forty fail of transports failed from
Plymouth aboutthe tenth of March for America, with about
five thousand fokiers on board ; they had been, feme months
before, as farto the westward as Cape Finiilerre, and all put
back by stress of weather, and dilperfed in different ports ;
one run on ffiore in Ireland, and the Captain and almuft all on
board periihed. I suppose by this time they are very near
this coast."
We hear that the Marfhfield Tories, said in our faft to be
arrived off that place, have not been to Halifax, but have
been lurking about the bay ever since the memorable flight of
the feventeentu of March, till, overcome by hunger, they'
were obliged to throw themselves upon the mercy of their
country. It is laid they are committed to Plymouth jail.
238
Two regiments are now railing in this colony for its im^
mediate defence.
We are informed that an additional supply of ten tons of
powder was received, a few days since, in this colony from
Europe.
The Continental fleet are arrived in Providence river from
New-London.
PHILADELPHI A, May 11.
Lag Thursday evening the engagement between the gon s
dolas and men of war was renewed, and continued some
hours, when the ffiips retired below Newcastle, having,
it is thought, received a good deal of damage. Both
the Roebuck and. Liverpool were hulled several times. Dur
ing the time the Roebuck was aground, the Wasp schooner,
which had been chafed into Chrifteen by the Liverpool,
came out, and retook a brig that the Liverpool had taken the
preceding day. By the belt accounts, too much praise can
not be given to the officers .and men on board the gondolas,
who behaved with the greater courage and prudence. They
lave received very little if any damage.
* This engagement, a correspondent fays, fufficiently efta-.
bodies the reputation of Row-Gabies, as being the bed
mode of defence practicable in a river; especially, if we
confider, that although the whole thirteen were employed,
yet not more.than one half can be said to have, been engaged
at any one time : And this circumfoce, though, ri shews &
want of judgment somewhere, in stationing them prefer!)
and at proper difences, is, at the fame time, an additional
argument in favor of the real service of boats. The officers
and men have done their duty with credit, and many of
them have, distinguished themselves nobly. The proper dis
tance to engage at is now known, which is, the nearer dis
tance yon can approach a ship without coming within the
reach < f grape foot ; and beyond that, is a waste of powder,
But if it should at any time be necehary to approach within
grape Ihot, then in that case, the nearer you are, so as to be
out of the reach of the musketry, is the best shot both for
service and fafety ; because, grape shot, like small shot, does
the^moft execution at the greatest killing distance, and the
leak execution at the lead distance.
Extrad of a letter from an officer at Montreal, April 6.
66 By a gentleman from Quebec we have the following ad
vices, which may be depended on. A number of Canadians,
at the instigation of their priests, arose with a design to cut
off pur guards at Point Levy. A party under Major Dubois,
attacked their advance guard, killed seven, wounded five,
and took about fifty priioners, twenty-five of which arrived
here last evening. General Woofer amved before Quebec on,
Monday. The battery opened at Point Levy on Tuesday
morning. One of Captain Lamb's company made his escape
from Quebec, and informs that the foldiess and prisoners are
HARTFOR D, May 6.
Henry Edwin Stanhope, and George Gregory, the two pri
soners advertised in our last to have deferred from Northamp
ton, have since been taken at Middletown, where they had
taken passage on board a vessel bound to the Miffilippi—they
are now, we hear, obliged to tak^ up with close quarters in
Northampton goal.
The above persons had concealed themselves in a cave,
near the river in Middletown, where they were fed by one
Wetmore of that place, and were to wait there till the vessel
was ready to fail. Wetmore is in close confinement in the
jail in this place. Query, Which of the three is the greatest
criminal?