The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-02-01 00:00:00, page 2

Iren member; of fie Conner, fled to the commissi
oners at N.& Y^ k, toclaim the bentfi s of the ge
neral pardon wuich had been offered; expta^.^ as
matters then flood to'return speedily home in triumph.
7hetip were, however, much left troublesome and
dangerous t # the Americans, than those who kept
their ground, w 10 were so numerous and powerful,
that upon the approach of the British forces to the
Delaware, they prevented the order for fortifying the
city of Philadelphia from being carried into executi
on. This eccentric and alarming movement in the
feat of lift and a&ion, obliged General Washington
weak at he was; to detach three regiments, under
the command of Lord Stirling, efca&ally to quell
the oppefition of that party, and to give efficacy to
the mature of fortifying the city. ' This deceive
condua answered all its purposes, except that of for
tifying s he city, a defi^n which seems to have been
abandoned as not practicable, or not ncce&ry at that
time.
As the season grew too severe to keep the fiel<
and the froft# were not yet Efficiently set in for the
pillage of the Delaware, it became necessary towards
the middle of December to put the British and avxili
ary forces under cover. They were accordingly
thrown into great cantonments, forming an extensive
chain from Brunswick on the Raritan to the Dela
ware, occupying not only the towns, p?&, and vil
lages, Which came within a liberal diferiprion of that
line, but those also on the banks of the Delaware for
several miles, so that the latter composed a front at
the end of theline, which looked over to Philadel
phia.
Things were now in such a situation, that there
feem^d to be as li tie probability of interrup in, the
defigas, or endangering the security on the one fide,
as of renewing the spirit, or retrieving the weakness
on the other In this £a : e of affair# a bold and spi
rited enterprize, which Shewed more of brilliancy
than real esf # a in its ft ri app^rance L©me caps
b^ in its confeq.eac.,of changing in a great mea
fye the whole fortune of the war. Sach ex^aor
dinary effects do small events produce, in that last
and radii uncertain of human dec fions. -
Colonel R 11, a brav^ a^d experienced tffi er w?s
flationed w?h a bn. ad? f Hrifans, confining of
three battalions, with a few B a.fh light horse, 2d
foc.^ffeur, amounting in the whole to 14 or 1500
men a Trenton, upon the Delaware, beog the
hi^he^ post taich the royal army occ pied upon
that liver. Cjl. Dump with another brigade, lay
atß)dr?own, a 1 w m tea lower down the river ;
^d ^Bu r%CH still lower and within twenty
inib^ :' °riadtpbia, a third body was potted. Tze
c ”h a Trenton as well as the others, partly from
th k .□ U*d e they bad cf the weakness of the er3-
m and partly from the contempt in which tfiey
h^d in co fi teedthemfelves in. at pis & a fta.e
of fecarny,,' f hey lad b^en upon garrison duty
in their own coantiy, in a time of the p/ofoundeft
peace. It is said, and seems probable. th*t this fu p
po^d security inc rafed that 1 cenee and hx^y of
+ fc ,l:n:, cf which we have before taken notice,
aid produce! an inat nation to the p ffi, lity ofl
ti pize which no ficcrfs or filiation.can jufirfy
in the verity of ga enemy, however weak :and
con'erp Ms.
Tuts c ; cvmlancei, if they really ~x%d. fem
ed not to have ric* : ?d t!.- vigilance of Gem Well
ington. But, CTcl.riivecf f tfe. he full, fi^ and
comprehends the denser to which Philadelphia
and t^ wi 4e p:w ^c~ woild be inevitably expos
ed, a: soon a# th? D Uwa-ewas thorau^i, cover
ed w ih ice if he energy, by retaining pcfcffiui of
theopp >fite fhre w:te at hand topr.fi of that cir
cumhaice, whrift he was utterly iaCQble of ep
p-6 ?g them in the field.
To ward iff rids darner, he with equal boldngs
and ability f.med a d:fi;n to p-vent the ?% nv,
by b^ 114 up ther qurnets ; intending to remedy
the d'ficie^cy f force by the manner of ^plying
ft; by brin,i. it nearly o a point; a?c'by at
tacking unexpi& dly and fepimely th^fe bofos
which he coul no. venture tc encoun er if uni#d.
If the d fi, faceted only in part, it mi^ht, how
ever, induce the enemy to central their canton
ments. and to quit the vicinity of the river, when
they found it w^s not a Efficient barrier to cover
their q urtere fem inf Jr and danger; thus obtain
ing tha; security f„ Philadelphia; which at pie
fent, was the principal o'jict of hi. attention.
For thia purple. General Wa/hingtcn took the
necessary mrafures for airmbling his forces (^hich
confided moEy of drafts from the militia of Penn
sylvania and V r^niz) in three div^on*, each of
whch was to miv m a. hs appointed Nation on the
Delaware, as soon after dark, and with %$ Ltk noise,
as poffibie. on the right if Cariftmas day. Twoof
the: divßonr ^.rc u^r the command of Gene ah
Erwins a^u GadwaJadez, the fird ci which'Was co
pifsthe river it Trenton Fe?ry ; about a m ; le bebw
me tofo. Tae principal bady was commnded by
Mr. Wethington in person, affixed by the GtPerils
Sullivan and Green, and coofifted of about 2500
men, provided with a train of 20 fmril brass field
pieces.
With this body he arrived at M Ke.ikft Furry;
about nine miles from Trenton, at the time appoint
ed, hoping to be able to pafr the div fi )n and get ar
tillery over by midnight, and that it would then be
no difficulty to reach that place lon, before day
light, and effectually to furprize fill's brigade.
The river was, however so incumbered with ice,
that it was with great difficulty the boats could
make ther way through, witch, with the extreme
severity of the weather, retarded their piffle so
mich that it was near four o'clock bekro it was
completed. They were still equally delayed and
incommoded in the march by a violent florm of
flow and hail, which rendered the way f) slippery,
that it was with difficulty they reached the place of
destination by eight o'clock.
The d&achment had been formed in two divifi
one immediately upon puffing the river, one of
Which, turning to the right, took the lower road to
Treotop, whilst the other, with General Waning-'
ton, proceeded along the upper, er Pennington road.
Notwithflanding the dekyohey met, and the ad
vanced date of day light, she H-ffians had no know,
ledge of their approach, until an advanced post, at
some defiance from the town, was attacked by the
upper division, the lower, about the fame time, driv
ing in the out guards. The regiment of Rall, hav
™^ been detached to support the picket which was
firh attacked, was thrown into dforder by the re
treat cf that party, and obliged to rejoin the main
body. Colonel Rail now bravely charged the ene
my, but being Eon mortally wounded, the treops
w^e thrown into disorder tf.er ash ?rt engagement,
and driven from their artillery, which confined only
of r :x battalon field pieces, Thus ove?p jeered, and
nearly farroumded, after an ineffectual attempt to re
treat to Pri;ic^own, the three regiments of Rail,
Lohberg and Knyphaufen, found fymfelves under
the unfortunate neceffiy of surrendering prisoners of
war.
As the road along the river fide to Bordentown, led
from that part of Trenton most remote fre m the ene
my, the ^ht horE, chaffrurr, a confid^b'e num
ber cf the private men, with fom^ few f fficers, made
their efcapsithat ^ay. It is also said, that a number
of the Heffims who had been out mara iding in the
country; and accordingly absent from their duty that
morning, found the fame refuge, whilst their crime
wa< covered under the ecrrmor. me Torture.
The Irfs cf the Heffiins in & lled and wounded was
very inconsiderable, no: exceeding 30 or 40 at the
mok; that on the other fide was too trifi ng to be
mentioned; the whole number of prisoners amounted
to 918. Thus was one p.rt ofG icral Wellington's
project crowned with success; but the two others
failed in the execution, the quantity of ice being so
great, that the divisions under Erwing and Cadwal
la&rt found the river, wh^e they dimmed their at
tempos, im, 3 d\ble. If this had not been the case,
and that the fivft, in pnefuance of hisfaftrnPioos. had
b%rn abkto hav p ffiffed the bridge over Trenton
Cr% not one of'thofe who mad# their w^y to Bor
dentewn could have efeped. But if the d<fi, had
t^len e&a in all ih pt.s. and the three divisions had
jni'u&d ^fcr the affair at Trenton, it seems probable
that they would have swept all the posts on the river
before them.
A? things were General Washington could not
preened any further in .the profecurion cf his design.
Tie f re:.he had with him was fir from being able
even to maintain its ground at Trenton, there being
a <ho% body o' light infantry within a few miles at
P in£ own, which by the junction of Denop' sbri
gade. or oEer bri- from the nearest cantonments,
would have icon overwhelmed his little army. He
accordingly re. eff^d the Delaware the feme evening,
carrying wih him the prisoners, who, with their ar
tillery and co-cus, rffotded a day of new and joyful
triumph s' Philadelphia.
Th^ frdi irccih wonderfully railed the spirits
eftbe Americans. Ti^an odd, but a general dTpo
f.ion in mankind, to be much more affraid cf those
whom they do not know, than of those with whom
they are acquainted. D ff^rence of dref;, of arms,
(though less ufeful) of completion, beard, colour of
the hair or eyes, with the general manner, air, and
countenance, have at different times had surprising
effiaf upon brave disciplined, and experienced ar
rate*. The H^ffiinr hadhitherto been very terrible
to -he Americans; and the taking a whole brigade
of them prifonro fetmed so incredible, that at the
veryrims rkey were marching into Philadelphia p^o
ph were contending in different parts cf the town,
that the whole ^ory wu a fiction, and indeed that
ft could not be trn^. The chm v** n'w, howe #
ver, diffbived, aad the Hessians were no longer terri
ble. In the mean time General Woffington was
reinforced by feverri regiments from Virginia and
Maryland, as well at w th fevml new bodies of the
Pennsylvania militia, who, with thof: of that pro
vince already under his command, were much dis
tmguifhid in the hard service of the enfiing winter
campaign.(To Ie rrn inv,r )
TO BE SOLD
By GEORGE MERRIL L,
A few Rjds South of the Court House, in Hart
ford, Wholesale and Retail, as cheap as the times
will admit of,
BROWN, Blue G ern and Black Broadcloths;
Serre of ^fc/ent colour;, Red, Green, White
Yellow, Biack, Blue and Strip'd Baizes ; Crimson,
Cinnamon, Blue, Black and Gown Hairbints ;
Cambists ; White and Black Ruttinets ; Duroys ;
Black Drawboyi; Serge Denms ; Embroider'd
Serges ; Black Ribb Callimancoes, Worried Stock
ings ; Shoe and Knee Buckles, Ccat and Vefl Me
tal Buttons, &c. &c
FOR SALE '
At C ALEB BULL, jun'rs. Store
In Hartford
COFFE Eby the Bi^ or lefi Quantity, Tea,
Sugar. Ganger, Allspice Logwood, Sewing
Su, Twist Silk and Gauze Handkerchiefs, Men's
white Leather Gloves, Marking Canvass, fmxll
Pins, Penknives, and a quantity cf Window Frames
and Salh:s.
N. B. Good Rock or Saltatadas Salt to be ex.
chained for Butter.
T O BE SO L '
By JAMES PERCIVAL,
At his Score in Kensington
ABOUT Twenty Buiheis of behß 0 C K
SA LT, by the fiogle Bulhel or altogether,
if applied for Don. Also, a Qjanti y ofFusTic.
A LL PERSONS having at y demar,da against
£1 me as Deputy Quarter Matter General, either
for monies due, or that will I come due by the firft
ci March : are requeued to find in their accounts,
with all poffble dispatch, inorder for a full settlement;
on receipt cf which, the balances will either be
paid, or certificates given, for what shall appear to
be due to the firfl of March : to which time lam
dm&ed by the Quarter Mate General to furuiffi
all accounts in my diftria without fail
NEHEM. HUBBARD, D. Q_M. G.
Qjarte Mai.er-Grnera;': Office,
Hartford. Jm. 29 1780.
NOTICE s hereby piven to the Members of
the FIRST MEDICAL SOCIETY in the
Thirteen United States of America, & ce their In
dependence, to meet at Sharon, on Tuesday the
29th day cf February next, 12 o'clock on said day
OLIVER FULLER Soc^yb Clerk.
TO be EXCHANGED, by JOHN KIRBY
of Worthington, and ROWLAND ALLEN
in Middletown, Good Rock L fbon, Liverpool
and New England SALT. Likewise Dry COD
FI H, for Wheat, Rye. Indan Corn, or White
Beans. January 27 1780.
LEFT in the c^e cf the fubferiber the 10th of
July, a chestnut coloured MARE, about 7 or
8 years old. branded Won the lef sh ulder. Said
Mare was left by Mr. Hotchkifa of Norfolk, who
said the Mare belonged to Ms Webb of Wethers
field. Theowner is desired tc prove his property,
pay charges and take her awry.
JAMES LUSK.
Farmington, January 26 1780
STOLEN from the fubferiber, an Order from the
Committee of Pay Table, dated August 25,
1778, on the Treasurer of this State, for Nine Hun
dred and Sixty Founds. Any p^foh apprehending
the thief, shall be handsomely rewarded. All Col
legers ate. hereby cautioned againfl paying said
order. ANDREW HILLYER.
Sircfbury, Jan. 24, 1780.
W r E the bubferibers being appoin sd Cemmif
fioners by the Hon. Court cf Probate for the
diftria cf Middletown, to examine and adjufi the
claims cf the creditors to the efta c cf Henry Gil.
dr fl:ve late of Chatham, deceas'd, represented in
solvent; do hereby five notice that we shall attend
said bufineß at the house of Capt. Jeremiah Good
rich in said Chatham, on the firftand second Tues.
days in March next, at four o'clock afternoon on
each of Lid days.
Eben. White, > o
Hez. OocDßic,,j rf^m.ffionerf.
January 22, ,780.