The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1782-03-26 00:00:00, page 2

Merely among tVe people, and that those kinds
of reports, though intended to injure his Excel
lency's private character, are designed principal
ly to embarrass government, and low the feeds of
jealousy and distrust in the minds of the people,
with a view to remove out of the way a character
so firmly opposed to every measure that is favor
\ able to the enemy ; and though we_ have not
been able to difeover the author of this flander
dus report, we are inclined to believe him to be
an emiflary of the enemy. All which is hum
bly submitted by
Your Honours obedient humble Servants,
Signed per Order,
OLIVER ELSWORTH.
Hartford, February 13, 1782.
In the Upper Houfc.
the foregoing report of the committee being
read, &c. is accepted and approved, and or
dered to be lodged on file in the Secretary's
office.
Test. GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary.
Read and concurred in the lower house,
Test. JEDEDIAH STRONG, Clerk.
A true copy as on file in the Secretary's Office,
Examined by
GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary.
To the Freemen of the State of Connecticut.
GENTLEMEN,
IT was my intention to have addrefTed my Remarks, &c.
to the Honorable Legislature of the State ; but since the
appearance of my Advertisement, it has been luggefted my
derigri is to foment uneafinedes already subsisting in the
State, which makes it necefTary to deviate from that pur
pose, and to address them immediately co you , and to assure
you, my presenting you with a fammary view of the fams of
money which have been paid by taxes, during the last three
years, is by no means done, with a view to excite your rc
fufal to submit to a further taxation, at this critical period.
I have too favorable an opinion of the cause in which we are
engaged, too great a regard for the State in which I live,
where I expert to die, and leave my posterity, to wish to en
creafe our present troubles. Neither are the observations I
have made on any of our laws, with any views to promote
opposition to the present form of government exercised over
us-.-or co influence in your eledion of the FIRST MAGIS
TRATES of this State; having always esteemed it, a mark
ofyour integrity, and the rectitude of your intentions and
wisdom, that amidst all the convulsions, and petty factions,
excited by tire low cunning of a few designing men of the pre
sent day, you have remained firm, and not given to change,
esteeming it a happy circumstance in our constitution, that
it is always in our power, to remove our PRINCIPAL MA
GISTRATES for male-measures ; but at the fame time ne
ver our wisdom to use that power, but upon the most just
and reasonable foundation ; as no man that has a delicate
sense of honour, and worthy of your confidence, will be
prevailed upon, to accept so high a trust, to be changed an
nually with the femfons. Should this ever be our unhappy
lot, you may expea Babes to rule over us. You may be like
wise assured, I have no ambitious views for myfelf, my fa
mily or connexions, but Simply to excite you, to exert your
selves, agreeable to the dignity ofyour chara&er as Freemen,
and what you have a right to do, viz. That you explicitly
inftru& your Representatives, that they give the carlieft at
tentiowto the adjustment of the public accountsof this State,
and the expenditure of all the monies raised by taxes, or re
ceived from the Continental treasury with which this State
stands charged—and take due care that all taxes heretofore
granted be indiscriminately cohered, and pun&ually paid
'.--If any towns are in arrears, what towns, and how much
---All money drawn out ofthe Treasury properly accounted
for by the receivers---all which may be properly adjusted,
Whether our proportion of the public Continental debt can
at present be fully fettled or not. All which the Freemen of
this State have a right to be informed by their Representa
tives, and which mult give full fatisfaftion to every honest
man 'under the burden of taxes, if he can rest fatisfied, the
monies raised, have been faithfully employed, while our
Armv remains unpaid for so long a period of time. In the
exerting of which trust, let none be employed who are
employed in other public services, left it retard so impor
tant and necessary a service --And that as soon as the situa
tion of public affairs will admit, we may be led to the choice
of delegates, to form a Convention, for the sole purpose of
revising our former Constitution, which upon the vacation
of our Charter, was again adopted by the Legislature, and
submitted to chearfully under our then present situation—
Every thing retained, the advantage of which we have ex
perienced, and every thing which under our prefect situati
on may not be thought convenient, expunged, and whatever
may bethought wanting to renderthe fame salutary added—
Our laws revised —if any on experience found not salutary
,epea!ed---Any pra&ice on our laws not according to the
true spirit and meaning ofthem, and the articles of confe
deration, refrained and corrected— -That a regular and im
partial administration of justice, and the honour and digni
ty of government be fapported and continued, and the natural,
civil and religious rights of men and chriftians inviolably
mamrained— And that a Journal of the House of Assembly
be regularly published, for our better information of the
fidelity of our representatives.
These are my views in these Remarks, which as a Free
man and citizen I think I have a right thus publicly to fub
m'rt to your mature consideration; isl have deviated from
these sentiments you will censure, but if they are agreeable
thereto, and you approve them, your future conduct will
marofeft it. If any violently oppose and obftrud these en
quiries, you may rationally conclude who will be affefted
bythem If any suggest that Britain will yet finally reduce
these American States, they certainly have not noticed the
various events of Divine Providence, Since the commence?
ment of the present war. If an, raise suspicions and jea
lousies of the fidelity and fincerit, of our Allies, there is
greater reason to fufpe& the, have been bribed by British
Gold, and are in fact Traitors to chrir country, than to fuf
ped any unfriendly designs in
The A UTH 0 R.
RI C H MON D, Virginia, Feb. 23.
There cannot be a more honorable proof of
the excellency of the national character of the
French, than the uniform good conduct of their
troops. The legions which left this town on
Sunday last, during the whole time of their con-*
tinuance here, difeovered so great an attention
to the preservation of both public and private
property, and to the case and quiet of the inha
bitants, that the highest terms of approbation
are not too strong toexprefs the opinion the ci
tizens of the town have formed both of theoffi
cers and men.
Extract of a letter frbm Kentucky, dated De
cember 6, 1781.
" It is but lately that the rate of Col. Lough
rie, and his corps, df Pennsylvanians, who were
to do duty to the Leftward under the command
of General Clarke, has been publicly known.
The rendezvous of the brigade was appointed to
be at Wheeling., Col. Loughrie, whose regi
ment was composed of fine rifle-men, happened
to be something in the rear, but dispatched a
meflenger to the General informing him of his
situation and strength, at the fame time requeu
ing, that in case he could not wait until he
came up to leave him a supply of provisions.
The General pushed forward, leavinga few men
with the provisions for the Pennsylvanians, and
orders for thdm to follow to the mouth of the
Miame ; Loughrie followed, but the General
went on to the falls.
" During General Clarke's day at Fort Pitt,
The enemy at Detroit got intelligence of his
preparations and designs ; they detached a force
of about 600, mostly indians, in order to make a
diversion in the Kentucky county, and if possible
to intercept the General coming down the O
hio. This force reached the mouth ofthe Mia
me time enough to give a fatal blow to the un
fortunate Loughrie and his men, who, when
they came to the appointed place of meeting the
other regiment, unfufpeCtedly landed, and were
soon surrounded by the enemy, and the whole
party, amounting to 140 men, were either killed
or made prisoners.
" The particulars of this mortifying disaster,
we have from prisoners that lately made their el
cape from the indians."
March 2. Major Fontleroy of the fourth re
giment of light Dragoons, who left the south
ern army about three weeks ago, arrived in town
this week with dispatches from General Greene
to his Excellency the Governor, and General
Count Rochambeau.
The above gentleman informs, that the ene
my had evacuated John's ISland, about fix miles
from Charleftown, and still maintained their
post at the Quarter-House ; that General
Greene's head quarters was at Pon-Pon, about
thirty miles from Charleftown; that the advance
of his army commanded by Colonels Laurens
and Lee was at Dorchester, about fifteen miles
from the enemy; and that the army was in good
health and high spirits.
General Wayne with about seven hundred
men, has reached within seven miles of Sava
na, at a place called Cherokee Hill, and the ene
my, it is said, have about seven hundred men at
Savanna, chief part of which are militia.
A schooner from Charleftown arrived last
week at Edenton, North-Carolina; under cover
of a flag of truce, having several merchants on
board who formerly resided in that state, expect
ing to be received as citizens, and had brought
a cargo of goods amounting to 80001, Sterling ;
she had not been long in port, before the Grand
Turk privateer took possession o£her, and there
is little doubt she will be made a prize of.
Some time last week,two whale boats came up
James River, as high as Willoughby's Point,
and carried off two vessels loaded with corn.
PHILADELPHIA, March 13 .,
Extract of a letter from Camden, South-Caroli
na, to a gentleman in this town, dated Febru
ary g.
" I imagine by this time your expectations
are great with reSpect to news in our quarter.
I have only to inform you that General Greene's
army ftil remain quiet at the widow Charles El
liot's plantation, Sandy hill, (thirty miles from
Charleftown.) The British are all in their
works near the Quarter-house, and are dared to
venture farther. Col. Lee often harasses them,
and even picks them off at their works. I sup
pose you have heard of Capt. Cambell's being
killed in a &ly he made. All and every thing
seems favourable and well for us. The Hon.
John Matthews is appointed Governor, and
Hugh Rutledge speaker—the Assembly has fat,
but it is imagined they will adjourn, in the
course of this week—the Council" is to be held
here. In consequence of Governor Rutledge's
proclamation many most notorious characters
have came out, but they are admitted to bail to
receive their trial when civil law takes place ;
Mr. Robert Quad came, out, and is greatly cha
grined to think that he was not admitted to vote
for an assembly—Mr. Dart, G. Marjault, Car
der, Drayton, Ja. Wright, J. W. Gith, and a
vast number betides, are daily seeking protection
among us, notwithftauding Leslie's proclamati
on full of threats against thofc who have joined
a " second usurpation." Deserters are daily
and great ; 25 men with a Major Cummins,
came out the other evening to General Greene.
I have met along the road a great number of de
serted soldiers who give us great hopes, for they
have received ne reinforcement in Charleftown,
and are constantly on hard duty at the lines. We
have here frefh intelligence which keeps us a
live ; we have just heard that Gen. Wayne has
drove in all the out-posts, and is now at Ebenc--
zer ; in Short, every thing wears a pleasing prof-
F^a.
" Chatleftown is greatly alarmed, and it is
the opinion that it must fall pretty soon, for at
present they are so closely hemmed in that they
cannot move from their works. Balfour has
failed for England."
We have tne pleasure of informing the public,
that on Friday last the Honorable Assembly una
nimously voted their quota of Supplies in Specie,
demanded by Congress. This vote does thehigh
eft honor to the State, and Shews that her patri
otism instead of being impaired, has been im
proved by the wab. The cbearfolnefs as well
as unanimity with which this vote was carried,
may Serve to Show Great-Britain and her emis
saries in this country, that the Americans are
no less willing to Spend their treafare than they
have been to spill their blood in defence of their
liberty and independence.
Extract of a letter from Augusta, dated De
cember 16, 1781.
“ lam happy to inform you, that on the firft
instant I received intelligence by two Creek In
dians who came to this place, of a number of
traders and indians going down to Savanna from
the Cherokee nation, with a great number of
horses and a vast number of Deerskins. I im
mediately collected as many militia as I possibly
could, and proceeded to intercept them, the
whole of my force consisted of 72, officers and
men. On the third about day-break, I found
them encamped on the fork of the Hooper's, a
bout 30 miles from Ogechee, I formed the men
for action and commenced an attack, when, af
ter a short refinance they were overcome, with
the loss of about twelve white men killed, and
about twenty indians. Among the white men
were fix principal traders. We took a number
of prisoners, together with 199 horses, about
i§,ooolb> deer ikins, and i,c;oolb. beaver.
Among the Indian prisoners is the daughter of
the great warrior Oconaftoto. *
“ Col. M'Kay has been down on the enemy's
lines, and attacked a post of their's at Mulberry
Grove, about thirteen miles from Savanna, kil
led some, and took some persons of consequence
prisoners, whom he gave parole."
" January T, 1782.
"Since my last Capt. Armstrong has had two
meetings with detachments of the British caval
ry ; in the firft he was fuccefsful, and made
Captain Kennin and seven dragoons prisoners.
On the 30th ult. be was brought into action by
Major Coffin, at the head of a very considerable
body of horse; Captain Armstrong was distin
guished by the fall of his horse, and was taken
with fix dragoons; the remainder of his final!
party retired to Dorchester. On the fame day
the enemy abandoned their fortified post on the
Main, at Stono Ferry, and have joined the
troops at John's Island."
WHEREAS my wife MARTHA hath eloped from my
house, while I was in the army, fervirg my country,
aud hath been guilty of adultery, and behaved hetfelfin inch
a manner as I have reason to think she will rurtme in debt,
These are therefore to forbid all perfonsteufting her on my
account, as I will not pay any debt of her eontradirg after
this date.
SETH ARNOLD.
Farmington, March zr, 1782,