The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-02-23 00:00:00, page 3

Ings and informed me thit his intention in corning
to America was to provide a settlement for his fami
ly in a land of liberty, and to find a place where he
could practice phyfick to advan'a,e, on which fub
je&s he asked my advice. I gave him the belt in
my penver ; and promised to introduce him to the de
legates of Massachusetts, that he might be informed
whether Boston afforded a good opening for a phyii
cian. I did so, as those gentlemen know, and finish
ed the afternoon by walking round a Square or two
of the town, and parted. After this, I never saw
Dr. Berkeuhout, but a few minutes in company with
other gentlemen in a public room of the house where
I lodged. Ido declare upon the honor ofa gentle
man, and the faith of a Christian, that I had not the
most diflant cause to suppose that he had other views
in coming to America than those already mentioned,
which he related to me as the trueonei. In all his
conversation, which was sensible, he discovered
strong attachments to America ; and to confirm this
opinion, he gave me a pamphlet, as written by him
felf and pub! ,:d in England in <777' which Wrong
ly contended for the independence of North-Ameri.
ca. From once reading this pamphlet, I thought it
well written. In this situation of things, it may ea
sily be imagined that I was Surprized at a publicati
on in the Advertiser dating Dr. Berkenhout and Mr.
Temple as ministerial agents from a news paper
publication in England. This I underflood procur
ed the arrefi of the former. How long he remained
in prison, when, and how he was difeharged, I am
an utter stranger to. But when I was firft told ofhis
difeharge, I was told at the fame time that he had
been gone to New-York Several days. It is certain,
that his conversation bad Wrongly impressed my mind
with an opinion of his attachment to our cause ; and
as a friendly stranger, it is not to be wondered that
I eXpreffed favourable Sentiments of him when he
was mentioned in conversation. Isl think a man
innocent, and believe him to be a friend of America,
it appears to me both unjust and ungenerous not to
fay so when I fee him oppressed. Give me Satisfac
tory proof that any man willingly injures, and is an
enemy to the independency and interest of my coun
try, be he who he will, lam from that moment his
enemy. It is said by Mr. Deane, that Dr. Berken
hout was sent back with the knowledge he had been
able to collect. lamat a loss to discover what col
lt&ions„ injurious to us, he could have made in jail,
for I believe he was but a few days at large, and in
a city where he was but little known. Ie Seems how
ever, that Dr. Berkenhout has said, that by the alli
ance with France, America was at liberty to make
peace, without confuting her ally, unless England
declared war; and it is confidently averted, that I
have conflantly and pertinaciously maintained the
fame doctrine. lauendo, that Dr. Berkenhout got
this information from me. I absolutely deny ever
having conversed with him on any such fubje&, and
Ido as positively deny having ever maintained that
America had a right by the alliance to make peace
without confuting her ally, if England did not de
clare war. I know that war may be made without
declaring it, and I have both within and without
doors said that if England would acknowledge the
independence of America, and not resent the part
that France had taken, America was at liberty to
make a similar treaty with England, or any other na
tion. And I should be glad to know if the ministers
of France have not made the feme declaration at the
courtsof London and the Hague. Was not the fa&
so ? But there is no end to difengenuous and malevo
lent mifin erprefation, nor to the dark art of inuendo
and evil suggestion. But calumnies, or assertions un
supported by evidence, should afftft only the cha
ra&er ofbim that utters them. lam to ask pardon
of the public, and ofyou, Mr. Printer, for having
said so much on so frivolous an occasion ; —but I
have such deep refpe& for the public opinion, and
such desire not to be mifonderflood or disesteemed by
one worthy man in the United States, that I shall not
regret my trouble if I prevent a single honest friend
to America from being imposed on For the curi
ous charges brought by Mr. Deane against Mr. Wil
liam Lee and Dr. Lee, he will be called to answer at
another time and in another place. For the present I
can fay, that a very intimate acquaintance with those
gentlemen, and from their uniform public conduct,
so far as the fame has come to my knowledge, I
know them to be devoted to the cause of America ;
that they have made great facrifices to this cause,
and their hopes rest alone upon its faccefs ; that
their present political appointments did not arise from
the felicitations of themselves or their relations.
Mr. Deane talks mrtn about his great Services and
good condudl; but ho%°happens it, that, of four
commissioners befidei himfelf three arc so clear and
so strong in reprobating that conduct ? Nor are these
the only men that have done so, as I shall mike ap
pear hereafter, I cannot help concluding this hasty
narrative without cautioning my countrymen to be
upon their guard against the malignant artifice cf
our enemtes, who are every wh^c and in every
— .-/,.rt. r .,.. - ~&K ,„,.,„ rnn^'-'-ino
the inn invariable friends to our gioriouk cause, and
to throw the public councils of America into confu
fion and contempt. But this I trust, will be as ef
fe&ually baffled by the virtue of America, as their
other arts, whether of force or fraud.
. -RICH ard henry lee.
From the London GENERAL ADVERTISER
and MORNING INTELLIGENCER, of
November 27, r„8.
HOUSE of L ORD S.
This day the.King went in the usual state to open
both Houses of Parliament, when being feared on the
Throne, and the Commons by command attending,
he made the following SPEECH:
My Lords and Gentlemen,
IH AVE called you together in a conjuncture
which demands your, most serious attention. In
the time of profound peace, without pretence cf pro
vocation or colour of complaint, the .Court of France
hath not forborne to disturb the public tranquility,
in violation of the faith of treaties and the general
rights of Sovereigns, at firft by the clandestine sup
ply of arms and other aid to my revolted fubjeOs in
North-America ; and afterwards by avoiding openly
their support and entering into formal engagements
with the leaders cf the rebellion, and at length by
committing open hostilities and depredation on my
faithful fubjeas, and by an a&ual invasion of my do
minions in America and the Weft Indies.
It is, I trust, unnecessary for me to assure you that
the fame care and concern for the happiness of my
people which induced me to endeavour to prevent
the calamities of war will make me desirous to fee a
defloration of the blessings of peace, whenever it can
be affeCted with perfed honor, and with security to
the rights of this country.
In the mean time I have not neglected to take the
proper and necessary measures for disappointing the
malignant designs of our enemies, and also for mak
ing general reprisals, and altho' my efforts have not
been attended with all the success which the justice
of our cause and the vigor of our exertions seem to
promise, yet the extensive commerce of my fubje&s
has been protested in most of its branches, and large
reprisals have been made upon the injurious agreffors
by the vigilance of my fleets, and by the a&ive and
enterprising spirit of my people.
Thegreat armaments of other powers however friend
ly & sincerely theirprofeffions,howeverjuft&honorable
their purposes, mu,ft necefTarily engage our attention.
It would have afforded me very great fatisfadion
to have informed you that the conciliatory measures
planned by the wisdom and temper of Parliament had
taken the desired effect, and brought the troubles in
North America to a happy conclusion.
In this situation of affairs the national honor and
security call so loudly upon us for the most a&ive ex
ertions, that I cannot d®abt of your heartiest concur
rence and support. From the vigor of your Councils
and the conduct and intrepidity of my Officers and
Forces by sea and land, I flatter myfelf, by the blessing
of God,to derive the means of vindicating and main
taining the honor of my Crown and the interests of
my People, against all our enemies.
Gentlemen of the House of Commons.
I will order the proper estimates for the ensuing
year to be laid before you, and when you confider
the importance of the objeAs for which we are con
tending, you will I doubt not grant me such supplies
as you shall judge necessary for the public fei vice and
adequate to the present emergency.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
I have according to the powers vested in me for that
purpefe, called forth the militia toaffift in the interior
defence of this country, and I have with the great
est and truest fatisfa&ion been myfelf a witness of
that public spirit, that fleady ardor and that love for
their country which animate all ranks of rny faithful
fubje&s, and which cannot fail cf making us fafe at
home and refpe&ed abroad.
PHILADIITH IA, February— 3.
Yesterday morning his Excellency General Wash
ington, with his suite, set out from this city to
join the army in New Jersey.
Extras ofa letter from Martinico, dated Jan. 7, 1 779.
" The Emglifh fleet, commanded by Commodore
Hotham, and consisting of fix ships of the line, ap
peared before the island of St Lucia on the 13th of
December last. The English immediately attacked
the island; they mt + with no great difficulty in taking
the little fort which defended the harbour, but the
inhabitants made some resistance in the mountains,
where they retired. The Count D'Eftaing arrived
with his fleet to relieve them; and attempted to go
into the harbouf, where he found the English fleet
had fled, and were too strongly protected by the fort.
He then landed feme troops to attack the fort, and
two aflaults were made with great vigour, but the
French troops could net overcome the difficulties
they encountered, and' re embarked with a loss that
is net yet particularly known, but mail not b/inQn
fiderable, at the engagement was desperate. No fur
ther nafticulars are vet come to hand.
• 6 We belie ze here that this conquel will not ^
very ufeful to the Engl sh, the iflind being so very
unhealthy, that theFrench did not even kelp a r%.^
lar garrison there, and that the necessity of protc£hn%
this possession would make a great division in th^r
forces, is St. Lucia would soon be retaken if their
fleet retired, and as long as Commodore Hotham
days there, he will be exposed to a superior force.
'' We have now 17 ship; of the line, well armed
and well manned, four of them just arrived from
France, alfo:6 frigates; betides several taken from
the English. With these forces we have nothing to
fear, not even from the arrival of Admiral Byron.
Several reports make us believe that Spain W 11 in a
short time ffl with us. All our public buildings are
filled with Eriglifh prisoners, having lately taken a
great number of their fli p-. Sixty transport, arri
ved with the fleet j,ft come in-from France."
Col. Mordecai Gift, of the American army, is pro
moted,to the rank of Brigadier General.
H AR T F O R D February 23. . ,
Extract of a letter from a Gentleman in Phila ielpbia
to his friend in this town, dated Feb. g.
" The detachment of the enemy that went f' om
New York under Gen. Grant, found means to elude
the,vigilance of the Count D'Eftaing; -.-have>fur
prized and taken the island of St. Lucia ; the Count
thereupon recruited his land forces, and proceeded
to retake it. On his appearing off the harbours the
English sent a flag and offered to deliver up the inland,
if they might be permitted to go~off with their fhtps,
men and artillery; which the Count refufed, and
attacked the island by land, and attempted to floral
the works, but was repulsed with considerable loss,
and is n ^ retired to Martinico."
By Capt. Shaw arrived at Boflon in 28 days from
Martinico, we have the following intelligence, viz.
That the day before he failed the van ship of a feet
from Brest arrived to join Count D Eftairag : She fail
ed in company with 5 ships of the line, 20 frigates,
120 tra-nfports, with 8000 troops on board, for Mar
tinico. .
*, Levi Allen's AnfiV;r to the chases al
ledged against him in an Advertisement signed
“ John Faffett, ju& Commissioner of S<g,efhation,"
(inserted in this and the two proceeding papers) will
be in our next. " ; _~
Wethersfield, February 18, 1779.
I Have just received from Col. Beatty, our Com
missary General of Prisoners, the enemy's return
of officers at home on parole, now required to return
to their captivity, which he dire&s rne to acquaint
them with ; and as most of them are at a distance
from me, thought it best in this manner to publish it.
Their rank and names, and places where taken are
as follows, viz. Brig. Gen. Waterbury at LakeCham
njain, Col, Hale and Lieut. Cal. Bellinger byGm.
Burgoyne. Capt, John Thatcher, Lieut. William
Brintnall, Sailing Master, James Sharreman, Mate,
James Dennison, Boatswain, Stephen Mix. at Lake
Champlain. Rank unknown, Thomas Lennington,
Joseph Welch, Thomas Makay, at Quebec. Hofta-.
ges; Capt. Theodore Bliss, Ebenezer Sullivan, E
benezer Green and John Stevens. Am also to ac
quaint them, of our desire of their immediate com
pliance with this requisition, which indeed we can
not doubt, unless some special reason prevent. f
E. WILLIAMS, Dep. Com. Frifoners.
DESERTED from my company of Artificers,
one William Emons, of Litchfield, a large
flout fellow, grey eyes, ffiort black hair, about 30
years of age, a Carpenter by trade. Whoever will
take up said Emons and return him to his company,
shall have forty dollars reward and all necessary char
ges. JERIUS WILLCOX, Capt.
February 18, 1779.
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD."
STOLEN out of the liable of the fubferiber living
in Swanzey, State of New Haropffiire, on the
night after the 3d of February 1779, a large black
MARE, 3 years old last summer :6 hands high,
flar in her forehead, half blooded, trots all carries
her head high, strait built. The thief unknown by
name, but is a smallish man, light coraplexioned, had
on a light coloured furtout or great coat, camblet
coat. Whoever will take up said thief and mare,
and bring them to the fubferiber id said Swanfey, or
give information so that the fabfefiber getfs thF'rcare,
and the thief may be brought to justice, shall have the
above reward, or fifty dollars for the mare or thief
only, by me
WILL'M CRIMES, Jan.:
G£)OD MOLASSES,, to be exchanged for
Grain, by James Lusk, of Newington, in
Wethersfield, viz. one bushel of Wheat, one bpfhel
and an half of Rye, or two bushels cf Indian Corn,
per Gallon. \ ' :
TO be fold, byL Y N'D E and MAR BLE, at
their Store a little south of the north Meeting
Houfel, goc^Rock, Lilbon anT Liverpool SALT,
for which any emiffon of the Continental Bills will
life received. Hartford, Feb, 22, 1779.