The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1782-07-23 00:00:00, page 1

RICHMOND (Virginia) June 15.
Extract of a letter from South-Carolina, dated
May 3, 1782.
" % CCOUNTS from Charleftown, menti
on the arrival there of Gen. O'Hara
from New-York, in order to take the command.
Gen. Leslie, with part of three regiments, were
embarking, they gave out for Savannah ; a little
time will ihew if they are destined there. On
O'Hara's arrival, he immediately ordered out of
town, about 100 families into St. Thomas s
parish, and caused the under-written piece to be
printed and dispersed ; this, with another, were
taken from two women out of Charleftown-go
ing into Guilford county, North-Carolina."
THOSE gallant sons of Britain, Ireland, and
America, whose errors or misfortunes, have
compelled them to enlist under the banners of
the rebel Congress, paid by the King of France,
and devoted to his will—who in return for their
services, for the toils, difficulties and dangers
they have undergone, have neither received the
pay nor eloathing due to them ; and who, in a
word, are now experiencing the want of almost
every necessary, as well as comfort of life. Let
such men show the spirit becoming freemen ; let
them disengage themselves from so ignominious,
difgracefrl and unprofitable service. Within
the British lines, they will be received withkind
nefs, and may fell theirarms, accoutrements and
horses. There tradesmen may follow their oc
cupations, and be paid in solid coin for their
work. Such natives of the old country as with
to return home, will have abundant opportuni
ties ; while those who are desirous of enriching
themselves with the spoils of their enemies, or
are anxious to acquire military glory, may enter
into the service of king George.
No scarcity of rum, salt, eloathing, gold or
silver in Charleftown.
GOD save the KIN G,
WHO, fays a correspondent, can read the
above address and not smile at its infigniheanee,
whilst he detests its design. It seems calculated
to change that refe,ntment which a virtuous
mind will commonly feel on the appearance of
villiany, into a kind of pitiful contempt. The
hackneyed addresses of Sir Harry Clinton and
Admiral Arbuthnot were thrown into circula
tion, ata time when rays of freedom and inde
pendence were o'ercaft with clouds fiom differ
ent quarters; butthe effects they produced were
as futile as their design was diabolical. The in
quisitive eye glanced over them through curiosi
ty, and then call them aside with ineffable dis
dain. Butthe minions of despotism unwilling
to profit by experience, and unable to devifenew
expedients, resort to artifice long dete&ed, and
which become® more odious by repetition.
General O'Hara, in order to conform to those
arts of seduction which have uniformly charac
terized and disgraced the British miniftty and
British army had recourse to this feeble attempt,
to allure our soldiers from their standard, and
our citizens from their allegience. And if hu
man baseness can be aggravated from attending
the circumstances, the attempt though more un
availing, becomes still more insulting. That he
Should hope to operate on the minds of men just
emerging from a state of horror and fubjedion
so the British army,unequalled since the Gothic
tera, was a degree of presumption, which none
but a British ,despot could even have thought of
without a blufat
( e }^~/^^ ^Q^^p^^'^rt ,^t^fy,.),>^~t } . <^ # z ,^—^^Q,, *
r : nJ/& el dfffi JftiMl+ t'&^ diffA«W
'-^^XO^-^ (ANDjfe^^-^L^^^
TOT FFIATV TXT'TPTT TCTPW 0 IP P
HARTFORD
T U ESDA Y, July 22, 1782.
Printed by H UDSON G OODW I N, hear the Great Bridge.
That he could hope to seduce citizens who
had so lately experienced every thing which
cruelty or perfidy could dictate, exhibits to the
world a weakness of underflanding, and a depra
vity of foul which has uniformly marked the sys
tem of Britifn politics. But the base design ends
not here. An attempt is made to contaminate
the minds of the soldiers. That he could hope
to prostitute an army who have encountered dif
ficulties and braved dangers with an heroic ar
dor, to which the historic page, scarcely affords
a parallel, is 110 less extraordinary.
But is there a villany which can disgrace hu
man nature that Britain has not pradtifed at
some period of the war ? But happily for Ame
rica, her machinationshave always beendifcover
ed,andthe effects they hope from them prevent
ed. And this attempt, I doubt not, will termi
nate like others in reproach and infamy.
PHILADELPHIA, July 10.
Extras of a letterfrom Major-General G RhENE
to bis Excellency the Prefdent of CONGRESS,
dated Head-quarters, near Bacon's Bridge, in
South-Carolina, Ma, 21, 1782.
SIR,
{D O myfelf the honor to enclose to yc^r Ex
cellency a copy of a resolution of the Britilh
House of Commons, and the King's reply,which
were sent to me lalt evening by Lieutenant-Ge
neral Leslie, through Major Skelly, his Aid de
Camp, accompanied with a verbal message, that
as those changes of meafmes seemed to lead
directly to a peace, he would agree to a ceffaii
onof hostilities on their part, provided we would
on ours, until he had further orders from New-
York, or from the British court. Major Sketiy
further added, that Sir Henry Clinton was gone
to England, and that Sir Guy Carleton had ar
rived at New-York to take the command, and
that his Secretary wafnow with Congress.
" As the proportion for a deflation or hoftili
tiesdid notcomeu ith the necessary forms, Igave
no written answer. But if it had come with all
the foltmni: y necessary to the business, andduly
authorised by full and ample powers,llhould not
have thought myfelf at liberty to agree to any
such thing without the order of Congress."
Extraß of another letter Iron? General Greene,
dated near Bacon's Bridge, South-Carolina,Ma,
3G 1782.
S I R,
" I had the honor to address your Excellency
on the 21st inst. om the fubjeH of a verbal mes
sage from Lieut. Gen. Leslie, propohng a refla
tion of humilities in this country. Since then I
have received a letter from him on the lubjedl;
but as I was not fufficiently authorifed to accede
to the propofol, I informed him that I must wait
the orders of Congress before I could, with pro
priety, give him a definitive answer.
" That your Excellency may more fully un
derhand the nature of the proportion, and what
the circumflanees are upon which it is ground
ed, I take the liberty to enclose the General's
letter, with my answer.
" On the 21st instant General Wayne fell in
with and defeated a Darty ofßritifh troops under
Col. B r owrie, near Harris's bridge, in Georgia,
within 7 miles of Savannah. Tb^ General's de
cifife conduct upon this occasion refleas the
highest honor upon hjmfelf, and the officers and
soldiers under him deserve the warmed com
mendation. His official report, which I here-
with enclose, will detail the particulars of th e
action, and inform your Excellency more fully
of the merit of those troops who had the honor
of engaging the enemy.
" Flying parties of the Britift cavalry are fre
quently making excurlions into the country
from Charleftown, with no other object, that I
can learn, but that of distressing the inhabitants.
Two days pad, a body of our dragoons, under
Lieut. Col. Laurens, fell in with about 30 be
low Dorchester, commanded by Capt. Dawkins,
whom they inftamly charged and routed, tak
ing from him 7 dragoons and one Lieutenant,
with 10 horses and accoutrements cprr pleat.---
We had 3 men wounded and 2 horses killed.
" The army, notwithstanding our long inac
tivity and the supposed unhealthinefsof the situ
ation, have enjoyed an uncommon share of
health."
Ebenezer, Ma, 24, 1782.
" Dear Sir,
" On thezift inst. I received intelligence of
the enemy being out in force from Savannah, in
consequence of which White's dragoons and
Pofey's infantry were put in motion, at five
o'clock in the evening arrived at Mr. W. Gib
bons's, fix milesN. W. oiSavannah. At fix art
express from Lieut. Col. Jackson announced the
enemyin force at Harris's Bridge, on the great
Ogechce road, 7 miles from town, and that a
final! party were at Ogechee Ferry, which he
intended to attack with his corps. Upon en
quiry, 1 found thatthe only rout to the enemy's
position was thro' a thick swamp of near 4 miles
extent, with many deep and dangerous morasses
to pais, and to intei fe& the Ogeeche road at an
intermediate difiance from Savannah and the
Bridge. I was properly imprefled with the dif
ficulty attending a nightmarch over such ground,
as well as the delicacy of a manoeuvre that:
placed me between the whole of the enemy's
lorce in Georgia: But when I came to reflea:
upon the experience and gallantry of the officers,
and the Beady bravery oi the troops, they were
directed to advance, from a conviction that the
success of a nocturnal attack depended morevp
011prowefs than numbers. At 12 o'clock at
night our van arrived at the Ogeechee Toad, 4.
miles S. W. of Savannah, when the enemy also
appeared advancing in close and good order.—
Notwithstanding tbiscircumftance,and thegreat
disparity of numbers our, rear being yet at con
derable distance) as success depended upon the
moment, I ordered the van-guard to charge,
which was obeyed with such vivacity, as to im
mediately terminate in the total defeat and
difpeifon of all the British cavalry and a large
body of infantry, picked from the 7th regiment,
the Heflians, Fanning's and Brown's regulars,
with the Chodfaw Indians, Tories, &c. the whole
commanded by Col. Brown. The precipitate
flight of the enemy prevented any part of the
troops from coming into contaa with them, ex
cept Lieut. Col. Pofey's light company, under
Capt. Barker, and a few dragoons, under Capt.
Hughes and Lieut. Boyer, conducted by Col.
White. This small van-guard put to route the
whole of the enemy's force without the use of
powder. The almost impenetrable thick woods,
deep swamps and morasses, into which they
plunged in a dispersed state, and under cover of
the night, screened them from total ruin, at the
expence of a great proportion of their arms and
horses, which they abandoned to procure perso
nal fafety. The few of our troops that had an
(No, 913/