The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1781-09-04 00:00:00, page 2

parations are as necessary as ever. You wilf ei
ther want them for your own defence, or to assist
us. Believe one, who is not apt to judge rashly,
who has long since told yon of what has been so
near taking place, that relaxation may involve
evils to the state, of the most permanent nature.
There was a time when we could blunder with
impunity; but a blunder now may prove fatal.
I need not be mo f e explicit to you. You must
be aware of the very critical situation of affairs in
America and Europe.
" By authentic accounts from Europe, Eng
land has refufed the mediation of Radiator a se
parate peace between her and Holland. A resto
ration of what she had taken from the Dutch
was the basis, which she did not chufe to comply
with. Her idea was, to take the Dutch islands,
which were easy conquests, in the expectation
that the French, in order to recover them for the
Dutch, would give up, on a peace, an equal num
ber of those English ones they have taken, or
might take. The fubje&, however, may be again
considered at the general Congress for a peace,
which may meet about February next."
B ALTIMOR E, August 14.
The recent movements of Earl Cornwallis,
giving reason to apprehend that he meant to visit
this State, and probably this town, the militia of
this county, and those adjacent, assembled with
the greatest cheerfulnefs, spirit and alacrity;
and we are assured, by good authority, that with
in two days after the late alarm, near 2800 effec
tive men, of this county only, appeared in arms,
in town, and were reviewed by General Bu
chanan, our County Lieutenant. They have
since been very honourably difmiffe<{ in conse
quence of advice of the enemy (under the imme
diate command of Earl Cornwallis) having land
ed at York-Town am/ Gloucester, in Virginia.
Extract of a letter from Hampton, Virginia,
August 9.
" I make no doubt but you have been fully in
formed of Lord Cornwallis's movements about
Virginia. When he left Williamsburg he cros
sed James River with his army, to Cobham,.and
proceeded to Suffolk, and, after staying a few
days there, went to Portsmouth, doing very lit
tle injury, except what is common when an army
is marching through a provision country. After
flaying abbut a fortnight at Portsmouth, his
Lordship embarked about 3000 troops with Lome
ANNAPOLIS, August 16.
The apprehensions of an invasion are at pre
lent dissipated ; the fleet, supposed to bp defined
for Baltimore or this city, has entered York ri
ver; the troops have landed at Gloucester and
York, and are fortifying; it would, however, be
the extreme of folly to allov^ this change of ap
pearances to relax our exertions, their situation
being still such as to enable them to invade us at
their pleasure ; if we a& like a wife people, and
are in earnest to protest our property, and all We
hold dear, we shall redouble our dilligence, and
exert every effort to render ourselves impregnable.
Let the militia be unwearied in becoming ac
quainted With their arms ; let all ranks of people
unite in edablifhing the credit of our new eniiffi
ons ; which will open such a fund for railing and
equipping men, that we shall be able to render
the southern army formidable; let patriotism
gain rhe afeendant over private intereftahd the for
didpaffions, and our fafety is ensured.
The spirit which pervaded the militia 6ri the
profpe£t of an invasion, and the alacrity with
which they stepped forth, whilst it redounds to
their eternal honour, irtuft inspire us with a plea
ling confidence in our ftreiigth, and blast the
hopes of our eriemy. It is a fa&, which ought
to be universally known, that 2300 militia, well
armed, and not despicable in their discipline,
were assembled on one day's notice from Balti
mere-town and its vicinity. An equal ardour
reigned in every other part of the state, and mili
tia were crouding in from every quarter, so that
in the course of a few days an army would have
collected, not only fufficient to have counterac
ted any predatory schemes of the enemy, but
have made them repent an invasion in force.
The following are extrafts of letters from a gentle
man with the Marquis la Fayette, dated Nezu-
Caple, August 6; 1781.
" Maryland is relieved by the enemy's esta
blishing themselves in York river : but as this is a
movement, not of choice, there is no faying how
long you will be fafe.„ The measure, there is
good reason to believe, is in consequence of ad
vice of a superior naval power expected on this
coast. So you fee upon what you have to depend.
"Under these circumstances your military pre-
horse, and proceeded to York-Town and Glou
cester, where they remain, doing very little in
jury to the inhabitants, except taking provisions,
for which they promise payment. Yesterday
morning 750 foot and cavalry landed at Newport-
News; 600 proceeded.up to York ; I^o horse
were left at Newport-News. I was there last
evening, since then I have not heard from them.
But what we have been able to learn, in general
is, that the enemy are all moving from Ports
mouth, it being a sickly place, intending to con
tinueat Gloucester and York as long as they can ;
but! am certain they will not be able to bold it
long, though they have many great advantages
over us. Our Negroes flock fall to them, and
case the soldiery of the labourer's work. M/ny
persons in Virginia, with large fortunes are total
ly ruined. The inhabitants in our county nave
not, as yet fuffered much (only in loss of some
negroes) but! fear the timeof our distress is draw
ing near; but we must rely on Providence, who
has protested us so far. By the last accounts of
the Marquis, he was at Bird's last Sunday, and
was to be in Williamfburgh on Tuesday evening.
He has got a good army, consisting of 8000 effec
tive men, and I hope will be able so drive the
enemy from York, I cannot learn whether they
have begun to entrench or not ; if they have not,
the Marquis will be able to attack them to advan
tage." j,
Another letter from Hampton fays, " That
the enemy have entirely evacuated Portsmouth,
and that Col. Parker (with near 700 troops) must
be now in possession of it." r r
PHILADELPHIA, August 22.
Letters received by the Elthin, Job Pray, Maflcr,
in apafage offeven days from Case Francois,
bring thejollowing interefiing intelligence.
THAT Count de Grassy had failed fromthence
with a large squadron for,the Havanna, where he
was to be joined by eleven fail of Spanish ships of
the line, besides frigates, and was to take on
board seven thousand land troops, which, when
added to the French troops already embarked,
would amount to fifteen thousand. That the re
du&ion of St. Augustine, Savanna and Charlef
town, formed the immediate objects of the grand
armament; and, at the beginning of October,
would be in readiness to commence their oppera
tions, in concert with the arms of the United
States, for the dispossessing the British of the posts
they hold in the city of New-York and the bay
Chefapeak. The vessel which has brought the
above important news failed under convoy of the
French fleet for three days, and saw them all well,
standing for Cuba. There can be no doubt but
these great and generous exertions of our beloved
Ally will excite an universal ardor throughout the
fcederal Union, and that the only point of emu
lation will be, who shall catch the glory of con
tributing most, in the course of the campaign,
to the establishment of these rising, extensive, and
independent republics.
Extract of a letter from Martirtico, dated July 1,
1781.
" Three vessels arrived here successively, in
the course of last week, from Marseilles, but last
from Malaga, whose report to government con
tain the following circumstances:
" De la Motte Piquet, being on a cruize off
the Lizard, fortunately intercepted a fleet of 33
merchantmen, which failed from St. Euftatius in
March last, under convoy of the Vengeance, the
Mars, and a frigate : these last were all that esca
ped, the rest have been conduced fafe into Brest.
" The active and implacable enemy of the
British in the East-Indies, Hyder Ally Kan, ha
ving taken by storm, after three unfuccefsful at
tempts, a garrison called Arcate,in the vicinity of
Pondicherry, put every man to the sword, except
such as escaped by flight, and about fifty British
Officers, whom the French concealed. On this
occasion between 3 and 4000 Moors and 1500
Europeans were massacred, including among the
latter upwards of 50 officers. Fallycherry being
also taken by assault the garrison underwent the
fame fate. Porto Novo and Pondicherry were
also taken, and these accounts add, that 60 thou
sand Moors were marching to attack Bengal,
which had thrown the English there into the
greatest confufion.
" Our enemies have received the mortifying
confirmation of these circumstances by a packet
arrived at Antigua; adding, that Hyder Ally
Kan was believing Velour, the strongest fettle
mentof the British in the interior parts oflndoftan,
when these expresses left the coasts of Coroman
del, and that it would be impoflible for that garri
son to hold out more than fix we-ks."
Continuation of Letters found on board the Bri
tish Packet, bound to New-York, but taken
on her passage and carried into France.
Duplicate No. 6.
S I R, Whitehall, Feb. 28, 1781.
{Received your several letters numbered from
one to fix, by different conveyances ; but
had no opportunity of writing to you since the
firft ofthem come to hand, until now, by the
way of Halifax.
It must have given you great pleasure to find
the colony had encreafed so considerably during
your absence, ,and I hope it will continue to
flourifh, and itsnumbers augment by the natural
increase and longevity of its inhabitants, and the
accession of new settlers from the revolted
provinces, but I must not encourage you to ex
pea that any measure for inviting emigrants from
the British dominions in Europe, will meet.with
countenance here ; this country and Ireland be
ing too much exhausted to admit of sparing any
of their inhabitants to people distant territories*.
The name of New-Ireland you proposed giv
ing the island has already been appropriated to
another country ; but as you state many incon
veniences to have arisen to the inhabitants from
its present name, I fee no objection to your
changing it from St. John's to New-Guernsey,
or New-Anglefea, which will distinguish it effec
tually from all other British provinces. It was
with no small degree of astonishment, that I per
ceived the expense of the garrison Rated in your
estimate to the amount ofeleven thousand pounds
per annum ; for 1 never intended that a detach
ment of more than 100 men, commanded by a
captain, Ihould have been Rationed there ; nor
can I conceive by what accident the garrison has
been composed of fix companies; and youjudge
very rightly, in fuppofnig such a force will not
be continued upon the island. Your proposal to
Brigadier General Maclean, of augmenting Mr,
Calbeck's independent company to 100 and with
drawing the other five, I think very judicious,
and I have written to Sir Henry Clinton and Ge
neral Maclean, to carry it into effe&.
Nothing can be more absurd than the ereaing
works of greatextent, where there is. only afmafl
force to defend them ; and I lament that fomuch
of the public money should be wafted thro' the
want of diferetion in.the engineer, and I have,
directed the. Board of Ordnance to order him to
defiftfrom his great and expensive conftruftions,
and to put up a block-house, and quit the island
immediately.
By Messrs. Watson and Rafhleigh's ships, which
carry this, 300 stand of arms, and a proportion
of ammunition, are sent to the care of Brigadier
General Maclean at Halifax, to be forwarded to
you, in the vessels which come to bring away
the five companies, as a present from his majesty.
to the militia of St. John's.
The opening easy communications throughout
the island by military roads, is a measure which
requires more consideration than you appear to
have given it ; for at the fame time it would en- %
able the militia more readily to assemble, it would
afford an enemy the means of penetrating into
the island from every quarter, destroying the fet
tlcments and attacking the capital on all sides,
and by ways they were not expected to come.
In the present weak state of the island, the want
of good and open roads may be considered as a
great security to the fettlerrients ; and the inha
bitants, from their knowledge of the country,
will always find means of getting to the capital,
or principal parts, before an enemy can make a
serious attack, and the garrison and militia of the
neighbourhood, will be fufficient to repel any
predatory one, especially when the enemy ispre
vented from coming any other way than by sea.
As the island increases in population and the set
tlements extend, communication will of course
be opened, and if the danger of predatory attacks
from an enemy is thereby increased, the force, to
* 1 his is a different language from that held out
to entice men to enlist in theirfervice in Great-Eri^
tain and Ireland—All the new raised troops were
assured they Ibould become settlers immediately,
and the farce was carried fofar as to premit their
families to embark with them for America—Muti
ny and defection have been often the confeauences of
this deception ; witness the one at Dorchester, men
tioned in General Greene's letter, among the troops
lately arrived at Charleflown from Ireland—These
deluded people may judge from this letter of the Min
den Hero, whatfeuth is to be placed in afurances qf
British ministers.