The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-04-23 00:00:00, page 2

judge will best conduce.to the, happiness of the people, and
effectually secure good order in the province ; and the estate
and effe&3.of John Stuart, Esq; Superintendant of Indian af
fairs, has been secured by their order, he having been found
guilty of spiriting up the Indians again!! us, with other high
crimes and misdemeanors.
On the twenty-third of last month, there were lying off
Fort Johnston, and Brunswick, in Cape Fear river, the Scor
pion of twenty-four guns, with Governor Martin on board,
the Raven of eighteen guns, the Cruiser hoop of ten guns,
three or fourfmall armed vessels, a few transports with about
four hundred land forces, and some prizes, making, in the
whole twenty odd fail of vessels ; and more troops were hourly
expected, with General Clinton, who it was said was then Qn
the coast. The ships of war and transports, now, in the river,,
have on board a vast quantity of warlike dores and military
apparatus, which were to have been put into the hands of the
insurgents. Capt. Collett, in the General Gage armed ves
sel (some time commander of fort Johnston, and well known
to be a pert audacious little fcoupdrel) has lately committed,
divers acts cf piracy, rob'ery, and arson.. Amongit others,
he set lire to the elegant home of Col. Dry, formerly one of
his Majesty's Council, and Collector of the Customs for the,
port of Brunswick, for no other crime than his being a friend.,
to his country ; destroying therein all the valuable, furniture,
liquors, &c. The house of William Hooper,. Esq; one of
the Continental Delegates, about three miles below Wilming%
ton, likewise feared the fame fate, with two pilot houses near,
fort Johnston. The town cf Brunswick js, totally deserted,
and the enemy frequently land in fmail parties, to pillage and,
carry off Negroes; but had the misfortune, in one of their
excursions, to lose eight of their gang. Mr. Quince.had.
eighteen ilaves lately stolen from him.. The principal inhabi
tants have left Wilmington, and retired into the country ;
and it is now occupied by the Provincial troops, who are mak
ing the necessary dispositions to defend it, by throwing up in-„
trenchments along the river, both in and below the town.,
The brave Col. Cafwell was on his march thither., with„his,
vi&oriou£ little army, and troops were coming, in d,aily from
all quarters, so that it was expefted at l?aft five thousand.
men would rendezvous there in a very short time.
On Sunday the 30th ult. the sloop Liberty, of Perth Am
boy, from St. Euftatia, with eighty three barrels of gunpow
der, twenty-one bales of dry goods, and two hogsheads of%
medicines, was taken by a tender, off, the capes of Philadel
phia, and carried into Norfolk,, The Captain, and three,
passengers, are made close prisoners. The mate escaped; he
fays he was at Antigua, where were fe.ven regiments of British
troops, making preparations to fail to some part of the con
tinent ; that the Roebuck, and another .man of war (which
he supposed to be the Mercury) at the time he, was taken, lay,
in DeDv^are bay ; that there were so many , tenders cruising
upon the coast, ^and the caitiffs on board so very vigilant,
fip.ee the proclamation c^me^yer directing the distribution cf
the prizes, that it was almoli impossible for any vessel to escape
them.
Brigadier General Armfrong, who arrived here a few days ,
ago fiom Philadelphia, let out lad Thursday for North-Caro
lina.
Two of the Negroes, who mistook one of our armed vessel
at Jamedqwn for a tender, and expressed their inclination to
f^rve Lord Dunmore, are under sentence of death, and will
be executed in a few days, as an example to others.
Lord Dunmore has issued a proclamation forbidding goods
of any kind being fold to perlons on ihore, on penalty of
impiiionment to the feller, and forfeiture of the vessel and
202
cargo to which they belonged. He has alfo,-in obedience
to the late aft of Parliament, seized a great deal of American
property, and fold it at public auction, for this very fingular
reafon, because the owners did not incline to stay on board
his fleet and flarve, or run the rifle of falling victims to the
jail distemper. The doctrine of reprisal appears to be now
very applicable, and there is no doubt but its influence will ex
tend to the securing all British property throughout the colo
nies, to compensate for the many heavy losses we have fep,
tained by burning of towns, &c. &c. &c. and the damages
likely to accrue from the piratical war now carryingon under
the fanflion of pur gracious King and his obedient and Joyal,
Parliament.
By two deserters who came into York last Sunday, from ~
Goodrich's pink, commanded by one Picket of the Eastern
Shore, we learn that the tenders took off our capes a French,
sloop with one hundred and fifty barrels of powder,; and two
hundred and fifty hands of arms. ; There were two engineers,
on board likewise, whom the.Gov. ordered to be put in irons..
They also inform that Lord Dunmore has fitted out a vessel.
,with sixteen oars, which carries fifty men, fix three pounders,
and twelve swivels ; also that another was pn the docks, under
the infpe&ion of Old Goodrich. z
Lad Saturday ,Capt, James Barron arrived in town, with def-,
patches from the Secretary of State t@ Gov. Eden, of Maryland,,
which he took,from on board a small vessel that had been sent
by Lord Dunmore to carry them to Annapolis. . They were,
in the custody of a certain Mr. Ross from fort Pitt, an old
offender, and an associate of the infamous Connolly.
The packet contained three letters, the firft, dated Novem
ber loth, only serves to announce his Lordship's succeeding
the Earl of Dartmouth as Secretary for the American depart
ment. The second, of December. 23d, inclofed the aft of,
Parliament for seizing American property ; and assures him.
of his Majesty's being determined, in concurrence with his,
Parliament, to purfud the most vigorous measures for reducing,
bis rebellious fulfils in North-America ; and then Holes witQ
the King's exhortation to the people cf his government,
couched in terms of the fame import which we have already,
seen in sundry proclamations from his Governors. The third,
letter, being more interesting, is inserted at full .length, and.
is as follows:
“ Sir,.. Whitehall, Dec. 2,3, 1775.,
“ It was net tjll the 27th of November that your defpatch to
Lord Dartmouth, of the 27th of Augud, was received here,
when I had the honor of laying it before the King ; and I
have it in command from his Mafefty to express to you hig
Majesty's approbation-of your zeal for the public jervice, and
of the unalterable, attachment you have shewn to his person,
and government, from , the fir# commencement of the present
unhappy disputes, which have involved his Majedy'syb//^.^/
servants in the colonies in difficulties and distress, that are
only to ,be .equalled by the fortitude with which they ar^
born.
" Your letter contains agreat dea! of very ufeful information,
and your confidential communication of the characters of indivi
duals, more especially of such as come over into England, is of
great advantage ; and you may rest assured, that every poffibig
precaution will be used that no part of your letter fall transpire.
" An armaments confiftipg of seven regiments, with a fleet
of frigates and small grips, is now in readiness to proceed to
the Jouthern colonies,, in order to attempt the restoration of legal
government in that part cf America. It will proceed, in the
firft place, to North-Carolina, and from thence either to
South-Carolina or Virginia, as circumllances of greater a/;
less advantage ihall point out. If to the latter, it may haye