The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-11-07 00:00:00, page 1

RICHMOND, (Virginia) October 4.
Extras of a letter from Col. George Rogers Clarke,
to his Excellency the Governor, dated Louisville,
Auguß 22, 1780.
" DY every possible exertion, and the aid cf Col:
Slaughter's corps,wecompleated the number of
1000, with which we crofted the river at the mouth
of Licking on theist day of Augud, and began our
march the zd. Having a road to cat for the artille
ry to pa 6 for 70 miles, it was the 6th before we
reached the frft town, which we found vacated and
the greeted part of the cHaAs carried off. The ge
neral conduct of the Indians on our march, and ma
ny other corroborating circumflances, proved their
design of leading us on to their own ground and
time of a&ion. After destroying the crops and
buildings of Chekciuthy, we began our march for
the Picawey Settlements on the waters of the Big Mi
amc, the Indians keeping runners continually before
our advanced guards. At half past two in the even
ing of the Sth, we arrived in fight of the town and
foitL a plain of half a mile in width laying between
us. I had an opportunity of viewing the situation
and motion of the enemy, near their works.
'' I had Scarcely time to make those difpofitiom
receffary, before the action commenced on our left
rang and in a few minutes became almost general,
with a fava^e fiercenefs on both tides. Theronfi
dtee the enemy bad of their own frength and c^r
tan viadry, or the went of general Jrp, occafiofed
Several tie^as, by which those advaota^ were ta
lma that proved the ruin of their army, using flank
ed two or three different train, drove from hill ter
hili in a circuitous direOion for upwards of a mile
and a half; at lad took ffither in their strong holds
and foods adjacent, When the firing ceased, for
about halfan hour, until necessary preparations Were
made for diftodgin, them. A heavy firing again
commenced, and continued fevers until dark, by
which time the enemy were totally routed. The
cannon playing too briikly on their works, they
could afford them no shelter. Our loft Was about
14 killed and 13 wounded, theirs at leaf triple that
number. They carried off theft dead during the
night, eYoept 12 or 14 that lay too near out lines for
them to venture. This would have been amo 3
decisive Broke to the Indians, if unfortunately the
right win, of our army had not have been rendered
useless for feme timeby an uncommon Cham of rocks,
that they could not past, by which means part of
the enemy escaped through the ground they Were
ordered to occupy,
•' By a French prisoner we got thener mining
we learn that the Indians had been preparing for ouf
reception ten days, moving their families and effrAs ;
that the morning before our arrival, they were 300
warriors, Shawanefe, Mingo^s, Wiandatts, and De
laware#. Several reinforcements coming that day,
he did not know their numbers; that they were fare
of defiroying the whole of us; that the greater part
of the prisoners taken by Byrd, were carried to De
troit, where there were only 200 regulars; having
no provisions except green corn and vegetables. Our
whole store at firfl setting out, being only 300 bufi
ek of corn, and lyoolb. of flour ; having done the
Shammefe all the mifehief in our power, after de
flreyin^ Picawey fettlcmentt, I returned to this post,
having marched in the whole, 480 miles in 31 days.
We d^ftroyed upwards of Bco acres of corn, befidrs
great quantities of vegetables, a considerable pro
portion of which appear to have been cultivated by
white men, I suppose for the purpefe of fapporting
war parties from Detroit. I could wish to have had
a small flora of provisions to have enabled us to have
hid waße part of the Delaware fakements, and fill
ing in at Pittfbut,, but the exciffive heat and weak
diet fore the impropriety ot tech 2 ^p. Nothing
could excel the few regulars and Keotuckaws that
composed this little army, in bravery and implicit
obedience to orders. Each company vying with
the other, who should bathe most subordinate."
TU E 5 DA Y, NovzM ber 7, 1780. f H ± NUMBER 824;
C ONNECTICU T COURA NT,
aMsyMb
WEEKLY IN TEL LI GENC ER.
HARTFOR D i Primtib by HUDSON amb GOODWIN, mia* the Great-Bridge:
The following Letter from a Gentleman at Camp, to
his Friend in Philadelphia, (giving a particular
and fatisfa&ory account of a late important tranf
aßion) we doubt not will ba acceptable to out
readers.
SINCE my retain from Hartford, my dear friend,
my m'nd has been too little at eafz to permit me
to write to yon fobner. It has been wholly occupi
ed by the Incidents, and by the tragic confrquences,
of Arnold's treason. My feelings were never put
to so severe atrial. You will have heard the princi
pal A&s before this reaches you : but there are par
ticulars, to which my situation gave me acctfi, that
cannot have come to your knowledge from public re
port, which I am parfjaded yen will find interefliag-
Finn several circumfiaucas. the project feeras to
have Originated With Arnold himfeif, and to have
been long premeditated. Th firA overture is traced
back to some time in June lal. It was conveyed in
a letter to Col. Robinfeu, the (absence of Which
was, that the ingratitude, he had experienced from
his country, concurring with other canfar, had in
tirely changed his principles : that he now only
fought to reftort himfe'f to the favour of his prince
by feme fijnil proof of his repentance : and that he
wished to open a correfpandence with Sir Henry
Clinton for this pa^pofe. About that period he
made a joamey to Conne&cut, on his return from
which to Pbiladelphts he Elicited the command of
Weft Point; alledging that the effects of his wound
difqual&d him for the a&ive duties of the field.
The (aerifies of this ingrjrMnx po^ was the atone
ment he intended to make. General Washington
hesitated the lefe to gratify an officer who had fre
quently rendered eminent farvices, as he was con
vinced the post might be fafely trufled to one, who
had given so many didin^uifh^d foecimtins of his
bravery. The beginning of August he joined the ar
ray and renewed his application, The enemy, at
this jun&ure. had embarked the greatest part of their
force on an expedition to Rhode Iflind, and our ar
my was in motion, to compel them to relinquish the
enterprize, or to attack Nrt York ; n its: weakened
Rate. The General offered Arnold the left wingof
tbe army, which he declined, on the pretext already
Mentioned ; but not without viable embarraffmvnt.
He certainly might have executed iha difties of Cob
a temporgy command, and it was tipeßed from his
enter,risng temper that he WOuld-glkdly have em
braced so fplendtdly inviting an opportunity. But
he did not choose to be diverted a moment from his
favourite obje&, probably from an appreheofiou tir*.
fonie different deposition might take place, which
would exclude him. The extreme (didtude be
difeogered to get possession of the.pofl would have
lad to a suspicion of treachery, had it been ^ffiWe
from his pad condffl to have fappofed hi# capable
of it.
The cerrefpondener, thus begun, was carried on
between Arnold and Major Andre, adjutant general
to the British army, in behalf of Sir Henry Clinton,
under feigned signatures and in a mercantile difenife.
In an intercepted letter of Arnold's, which lately'
fell in'o our bands, he prepofee an interview " to
" fettle the rifles and profits of the copartnership ;"
and in the farce f^?e of metaphor; intimates an ex
pc&ed augmentation cf the part? 'forty and (peaks of
it as the means of extending theii traffic. It appears
by another letter that Andre was to have mat him on
the lines under the fadion of a flag, in chara&er of
Mr. John Andersen. But forat cause cr other, not
known, prevented this interview.
The 20th of lad month, Rebinfen and Audra
went up the river in the Vulture Sloop of war. Ro
binson font a flag to Arnold with two letters, one to
General Putnam, inc'ofcd in another to him ; pro
pofiig an interview with Pntam, or in his absence
with Arnold, to adjufifomi private concerns. The
one was evidently meant as a cover to the other, in
case by accident, the letters should have fallen under
the iafpeAion of a third person.
General Waflyngton eroded the river in his way
to Hartford the day these dispatcher arrived. Ar
nold, conceiving he mast have heard of l he flag,
Thought it necessary, for the faki of appearances, to
fubmjt the letters to him, and a& his opinion of the
propriety of complying with the request. The ge
neral, with his usual caption, though without the
lead farmife of the design, diffaaded him from it,
and advised him to reply to Robinson, that " _'
ever related to his private affairs mufi be of a civil
nata e, and could o*ly property be addfeffed to the
civil authority. This reference fortunately derang
ed the whole plati, and Was the firfl link in the chain
of events that led to the detention. The interview
Could no longer take place in the form of a flag, bet
Was obliged to be managed in a secret manner.
Arnold employed one Smith to go on board the
Vulture and bring Andre ashore, witfr a p^ f, Mr.
John Anderfoo: Andre come ashore accordingly,
and was conduced withjn a picket of ours, to the
house of Mr. Smitb, where Arnold and he remained
together in close conference all that night and the
day following. At day light in the morning, the
commanding officer at King's-Ferry, without the
privity of Arnold, moved a couple pieces of cannon
to a point oppofi e where the Vulture lay, and oblig
ed her to take a mere remote Barton. This event,
or some lurking d Bruit, nulde the boatmen refufe to
convey the two passengers back, and disconcerted
Arnold so much, that by one of those ftrckes of infa
tuation, which often confound the Schemes of men
confeions of guilt, he infixed on Andre's changing
his uniform far a diSgaife and returning in a mode
duffrent from that, in which he came. Andre &'
had been, endafignefy, brought within car ,
the firft intore, remonflrated warmly a^in 'f lff
new and dangerous expedients B*tArnold petfi^rg
in declaring it impbffible fo' hip to return al h,
tame, he at length relu&antly yielded to bis purfua
fion, and consented to chan, his dress and
the route he recommended. Smith
disguise, and in the envenin,, passing ICQ sFerry
together, they proceeded to Crompond, where th,,
flopped the remainder of the night, # ^ infl^nce
cf a militia officer, to avoid being fafpeaed by him.
The next morning they resumed their jorrney,
Smith accOmßinying Aadre.a little bfyouq Pnes
&i4ge > where he left him. He had reach'd Tar
ry-Town, when he was taken by three militia men,
who rufhad out of the woods and firrounded him..,
At this critical period, his preece of mind
fook him—lhflead of producing this pass, which
would have extricated him from our parties, and
could have done him no harm with his own, be
a@d the militia men if they were of the upper
lower p^ty --diflinaive appear:ons known among
the enemy's refegee corps. * The militia Pen rs
plird, they west of he lower party ; upon w^h
he affined them be was a British officer and pressed
them not to detain him, as he was upon urgent bufi
nefe. This confeffion rtoov<d all doubt, and it
was in vain be afterward produced his pass. He
waft intetir fared , ffto a pl,ce of greater security,
t&hert he wat carefaill, (rarefied, and in bis flock
if^rf-mt were fousd^ Rveral papers of importance
delivered t&hita by'An^id..-.Among these were a
plan of the fatrifeflions of Weft-Point, a memorial
from tbecnfi.OT or the attack a>d defence of the
place, returns of the garrison, cannon and floret
copy of the minutes of a council of war, held by
gearral Washington a few weeks before. The pri
soner at firl was inadvertently ordered to Arnold,
bet upon rceolltAicn, while Bill oh the way, he
war countHrnanded and feat to Old Salem. The
papers were incloftd in a letter to general Wafhing
tcu, which having t^en a route different from that
by which he returned, made a circuit, that ?ffvdtd
iedfure for another litter, (Trough an ill judged de
licacy written to Arnold with information cf An
* A band of marauders who receive no pay. but
subsist by plunder.