The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-11-30 00:00:00, page 1

TUESD A Y, N ovemb Eß go, 1779° T'H E NUMBERy/fo
CONNECTICUT COURANT^
AND THB
WEEKLY JNTE LL I GEN C kR.
PHILADELPHIA; Nov. 9.
Extra Els of a letter frem Majsr General Gates,
to the PreJident of Congress, dated New
port, October 27, £779.
SI R?
“ W Have the honor to acquaint your
I Excellency, that this Island was eva
cuated by the enemy's troops on the nightof
the 25th inft^and the next morning the ar
my under my command took peffCßon of
the town of Newport; I have further the
pleasure to inform ycur Excellency, that
the enemy did not commit any wanton
deftru&ion upon their leaving the Ifland'
the batteries and defences towards the sea
line only Being demolished • abotit fourteen
hundred tons of hay, four hundred and
fifty cords of fire wood, fix hundred cords
of peet, and a large quantity of straw
were left in the enemy's magazines.
“ If the United States do not receive
every advantage that can be made from
the enemy’s precipitate retreat from this
Island, it wrlf not be for tyaht of faithful
nefs and afiiduity therein; for I affime your
Excellency, that neither myfelf nor the
carers mv^r my command, have any bb
je& but the public good.
“ I am now wholly employed in figur
ing the advantage we have gained, by fix
ing batteries of heavy cannon to the sea
line, and in fortify ing every, post that com
mands the harbour : Thil so ihtir.Ty en
profa all my time, that I am mult beg
your Excellency will excuse my referring
you tomy Aid-de Camp, Maj. Armstrong,
for the further particulars relating to the
evacution and repoAfeffion of Rhode-I
fland.
'< Before I close toy fetter I must injus
tice to the whcle army under my com
mand, fay, that I have, ever discovered in
them, the utmost zeal and ahrtnefs in their
obedience to all the orders I have given :
Civil liberty, and the rights of mankind,
are well supported by such gallant; men."
Publfhed by order of Co^rtf,
CHARLES THOMSON, Seek,.
November it.
On Tuesday last the Hon. HENRY
I, A URE N S, Esq; fit out on his jour
ney to Charleftown, in South - Carolina; —
from whence, it is said, he will embank,
to execute, at one of the principal Courts
of Europe, an important trust committed
whim by Cengrefs. The great ability,
and drift integrity, with wbichthfs Gentle
man filled the important Ration of Presi
dent cf Corgrefs, acquired him universal
efrem and refpcfL—And his truly patrio
tic attention to the rights of the several
States, gained him the watmeft affi&ion
of all who knew him, and of the people
of Pennsylvania in particular. Several
Members of Congress, and a number of
HARTFORD: Printed by HUDSON aho GOOD W I N, near the Great-Bridge.
th, principal officers of the State waited
on, him, as far as the Lower-Ferry, on
Schuylkill.
On Saturday left, arrived at Chester a
cartel brig from New Yek, with 160 sea
men, carried in there by the British crui
zers. '
The fleet cf ten fail cf transports, with
three regiments on board, which failed the
beginning of September Lft from N York
for Halifax, under convey of the Renown
man of War, is dilpofed ct in the following
manner • Four of the transports returned,
much Mattered, the Renown returned dil
tnafted, two of them taken by Capt Tay
ler, (as mentioned feme time since,) one
of them funk at sea; (the creeps taken out
bv feme New-York privateers) two huf
fing and one arrived at Bahfax.
We are told frem N^w-York, that the
British army has been very sickly this sum
mer, fd that at one time, (our informants
fay,) above one fou^k of the army were
incapable of duty; ard •, at there has been
great mortality amon;, ^m. ,
November 13.
(Farkfo^n, j.^cr 22, 1779.
S I R,
In my last of rhe ^ ultimo, I had the
honor of informing Congress that Count
D'Eftaing was arrived off Savannah :
Orders were immediately given for af
fimbhog the troops—they reached Zub
ly's ferry, and its vicinity on the 11th,
And feme were thrown over-.-the 12th and
ifh were spent in crossing the troops and
baggage, which was effected tho' not
without drdat fatigue, frori the want of
boats, anu badness of the roads through a
deep swamp of near three miles, in which
are many large creeks, --the bridges over
them the enemy bad broken down. We
^rcamped on the heights of Ebenezer, 23
miles f om Savannah, and were there join
ed by the troops from Augusta under Ge
neral' M'lntofh. The 14th not being a
ble to afeertain whether the Count had
yet landed his troops, though several ex
preiLs had been sent for that purpose ; we
remained encamped. On the 15th being
advffed that the Count had disembarked
part of his troops; and that he would that
night take post nine miles from Savannah,
we moved and encamped at Cherokee hill,
nine miles from the town. Ihe i6;h we
formed ajun&idn before Savannah. After
reconnoitering the enemy's works, finding
the town well covered, and knowing their
determination to defend it, it was deemed
necessary to rhake fofne approaches, and
try the effects cf the artillery. Freed the
18h to the 23d we were trill Ibyed in
landing and getting up the heavy ordi
nance and stores, 1 work YY difficulty,
from the wantcf proper wheels to trans
port them, the cannon being on (hip car-
riages, Onthe evening of the 23d ground
was broke, and on the sth inftani, the bat
teries of 33 cannon, and nine mortars,
were opened on the enemy, and continued,
with intervals; until the sth, without the
wished effect The period having long
since elapsed, which the Count had align
ed for this expedition; and the engineers
informing him that much more time must
be spent, if he expe&eclto reduce the gar
rison by regular approaches, and his lenger
stay being impossible---matter s were redu
ced to the alternative of railing the siege
immediately, and giving up ail thoughts
cf conquest; or attempting the garrison by
affauit ; the latter was agreed on, and in
the morning of the 9th, the attack was
made -it proved unfuccekful; we were
repulsed with fomejofs.
When the Count firft arrived, he inform
ed us that he could remain on shore 8 days
only ; he had spent four times that num
ber, his departure therefore b came irdif
penfable, and to re-embark his ordnance
and stores, claimed 6is next attention ; this
Was compleated on the ißih.
The fame evening, havirg previously
sent off our fickj wounded and heavy bag
gage, the American troops left the ground,
reached Zubly's ferry the next mcini.rg;
recrofftd, and encamped that niglt in Ca
rolina. The French troops encamped on
the night of the 18th, about two miles
from Savannah: they were after twenty
four hours to re-embark at Kincaid's
landing.
Our disappointment is great, and what
adds much to our sense tfit, is the loss cf
a numberof brave officers and mtn ; a
moog them, the late intrepid Count Pulaflci.
Count D'Eflaing has undoubtedly the
intefeft of America much at hfart. This
he has evidenced by coming to our assis
tance, by his constant attention during the
siege; his undertaking to reduce tleenemy
by ^ffault, when he despaired of <ff dting
it otherwise ; and by bravely putting him
felf at the head of his troops, and leading
them to the attack ; in cur fe;vice he
has freely bleed ; I feel much for him,
for while he is fuffering the diftrefles of
painful wounds, he has to combat chagrin.
I hope he will be consoled, by an affurarce
thar, although he has not succeeded ac
cording to his willies, and these of Ame
rica, we regard with high approbation his
intentions to serve us, and that his want ct
success will not k ffen our ideas of his merit.
I thould have enclosed a lift of the kil
led, and wounded, in the last a&ion; but
the Adjutant- Gtneral, in whose hands they
are, tho' on his way, is not arrived in town,
sent so far as I can remember the whole
amount is 1,0.
Major Clarkfon will have the honor of
deUve rirgthis; fre tn bis arttetien and