The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-10-26 00:00:00, page 1

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28.
Extras of a letter from general Sullivan, dated
Tioga, August 20, 1779
I have the pleasure -to enclose your ex
cellency a copy of a letter from general
Clinton, by which you will find that the
much desired junction will be formed to
morrow. I enclose you a copy of my or
ders to general •Poor, who, in company
with general Hand and 1000 chosen troops,
have joined general Clinton. I hope, on
Monday the 23d instant, to begin a rapid
movement into the Indian country.
" I suppose the Indians must be collect
ing their force about*French Catharine's
or Conofidago; but I am convinced, that
no force they have canno.wityure us, Ge
neral Clinton burnt a small number of
towns as he came down the river, which
seemed to have been forfaken some time.
Brandt was wounded in the foot at Mini
fink, and had arrived at Chemung before
we burnt it; we took the mare he rode
home, but he escaped, leaving her loaded
with beans and corn : he is laid to be ren
dered unfit for service for this campaign."
Cop) 6f a letter from general Sullivan to
general Wafoington, . Rewtown, A^guft
do, OT9-
“ I have the pleafare to inform your
excellency, that having formed the jundi
on with general Clinton without loss, we
marched from Tioga the 26th in the af
ternoon ; the rains had dwelled the Cay
uga so as to render qur march to Chemung
very difficult, as we had to ford the river
twice in our rout. We arrived there in
the evening of the 28th, and marched for
the place early in the morning of the 29th;
about ii o'clock a messenger from major
Par (who commanded the rifle corps, an
advance of the light troops of the army
under general Hand) informed me, the e
nemy had (about a mile in front of the
town) a very extenfive-breft work ereded
on a rising ground, which commanded the
read in which we were to pass with our ar
tillery, and which wouH enable them to
fire upon our Bank and front at the fame
time. This breft-work they had endea
voured tomafque in a very artful manner,
and had concealed themselves behind it in
large numbers. I had before been appris
ed of the enemy's having a very large en
campment at that place. I foundthat the,
work was in a bend of the river,v which,
by turning northward, formed a semicir
cle. There was a deep brook in front of
this work, over which the road puffed and
then turned off to the right, parallel to the
course of the riling ground upon which
their works were conftruCted, which would^
enable them to flank the line of march of
onecolumn ofdurtrocps, had it advavneed,
without difeovering the work. They had
also posted on a hill about one hundred and
fifty rods in their rear, and considerably
TUESDAY, October 26, 177,. • T H=E ' NUMBER 770
CONNECTICUT COURAN T,
A N D T HE
W E EKL Y IN T E L L I G E N CE R.
HAR TFO RD : Printed %y HUDSON awd GOODWIN, near the Great-Bridge.
on their left, a strong pa-ty, in order, as I
suppose, to fall on our right flank, when
we were engaged with the works in front,
and to cover the retreat of the troops which
occupied the works, in case they should be
carried, and to take advantage of any dis
order which might appear among our
troops in the purfui r . This hill was very
advantageously formed for their purpose,
as it terminated in a bluff point about a
mile in the rear of their works, and about
two hundred yards from the river, leaving
a hollow way between the hill and te river,
of about 150 yards, and ending on the
north in a very narrow define. This hol
low way was clear of to es and bushes, and
was occupied by them as a place of en
campment for part cf their army. Gene
ral Hand fortned the fight corps of the ar
my in the wood within four hundred yards
of their works. The riflemen in his front
kept fkirmifning with th renemy, who fre
quently sallied our and suddenly retired,
apparently with a view of drawing our
men into the works which they supposed
had not been'difeovered for the growth
upou the hill being pint interspersed with
very low shrub oaks, and they having cut
offoakfm übs and flunk them in the ground
in front of their works, they had some oc
casion to suppose that we fhoukl not be
able to distinguish them from those grow
ing on.the eminence. General Hand re
mained at his poll until I arrived with the
main army. General Poor's brigade, which
formed the right wing cf the main army,
displayed in the rear of general Hand's,
General Maxwell's brigade, which formed
trie left wing, came a breft with general
Poor, and remained in column ready to
act as occasion might require.
" It was observed that there was ano
• t'ner chain of hills terminating in a point
rather in rear of our right, and about one
m kdifraut from the right of our line. It
w s cohjedured that the enemy had taken
ph upon one or both of the hills, in or
d: to fall on our right and rear, when we
attempted to attack their works. Gene
ral poor was therefore detached to gain
the hill firft described and fall into the e
nemy's rear. Smail reconnoitering par
ties w re Ekewife detached' to make difeo
veries at the other hill, and to give notice
of any: appearance of the enemy there ;
and ftil to guard more effectually against
any attempt from that quarter, general
Clinton's brigade, which forms the second
line <frhe army, Was ordered to turn off
and follow in the rear cf general Poor, to
sustain him, in case of necessity, or to form
a line to eppefe any force which might fall'
in his rear, or attempt to gain rhe flank or
rear of the army. When a Efficient space
cf tin e was given to gt neral Poor to gain
the hill in their rear, our artiikry was to
announce cur attack in ficr t, which was
to be made by general Hand's corps, fup^
ported by general Maxwell's brigade, if
necessary. General Maxwell's brigade
was therefore held in a closed column, in
order to give the necessary support to the
attacking party, or to form a line to op
pose any force which might attempt to at
tack us in our front or rear. Colonel Du
boys, with the right flanking division of
the army, confiding of two hundred and
fifty men, was advanced on the right of ge
neral Poor; and Colonel Ogden, with the
left flanking division of the army confin
ing of two hundreds and fifty more, was
polled near the river, with directions as
soon as the attack began to advance along
the fide of the river and gain the enemy's
right, to prevent their escaping across the
Cayuga. General Poor moved on to gain
the hill, and general Clinton followed as
directed ; but they were for some time de
layed by a morass. General Poor had
however arrived near the foot of the hill,
when the cannonading began in front of
their woiks ; but upon attempting to as
cend it, found, a large bedy of the enemy
polled there, who began a fire upon him,
but he formed his troops, charged with
bayonets, arid sometimes fired upon them
advancing. They retreated from tree to
tree, and kept up an incessant fire untill
he gained the summit cf the hill with his
troops. General Clinton detached two
regiments to reinforce general Poor, and
followed himfetf with the rtfidue of the
brigade as directed. The two regiments
arrived just before he gained the summit
of the hill, and prevented the enemy from
turning his right, which they were then at
tempting. Our cannonade in front, and
I doubt not the unexpected fire from ge
neral Poor cn the enemy's left, occasion
ed them instantly to abandon their works
in the utmoftconfufion; they fled in the
greatest disorder, leaving eleven of their,
Indian warriors and one female dead cn
the ground, with a great number cf packs,
blankets, arms, camp equipage, and a va
riety of their jewels, some of which are of
considerable value. We took two prison,
ers, one a tory the other an inlifted negro
in one of the tory companies. They both
agree that there were five companies of
whites, and their main strength confining
cf the Indian warriors of Even rations,
and that this was the place where they
meant to make their principal opposition,
and that they had been waiting here e gh:
days. Both the Butlers, Brandt, and cap
tain M'Donald were here, each I aving,a
separate ce mmand. Brandt had been E trie
time since (lightly wounded in the foot,
but is recovered. They further fay, they
fint effthir wounded on herfback, many
cf them no doubt weie carried off in c^
nets, and many cf their dead muftfay^
been carried eff or concealed, as we foqrfd