The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1776-07-20 00:00:00, page 3

‘ 7 ESTERDAY Capt. Metfon, late of the inow Dickenfon, of this
port, arrived here from Brittol, but last from the Weit Indies.w
He failed from this place lalt February, bound for Nantz, but the mate,
afifted by the crew, seized and confined the Captain on the coalt of Por
tugal, and then altered their course for Londen; the southerly winds
& Iving them into Bristol channel, they arrived at Brifto} the Bch of April,
when the mate propoled to set off immediately for London with all the
letters and papers on board for the inspection of Government. . The vefle}
was dcrained at Brittol till the determination of government conceyning
her thould be known. 5 G
. Extral@ of a letter from AMSTERDAM. E
“ I am very sorry to confirm the report of a vefle) from Philadelphia
to France being in Bristol. Mefl. Bayard, Jackson, and Co’s. Jetter of
the 13th of January, 1776, to Capt. Metfun, is published in all the news
papers of the 12th of Apiil; and the villains have told of fix other Cap-~
tains that failed with them on the fame account, and the signals they are
to make at the capes of Delaware on their return.” .
Extra? of aletter from TRENTON, dated this morning (Fuly 4) s o'clock.
¢« A Gentleman, who this momeunt arrived, infﬁrms that about half
aft twelve on yesterday noon, as he was passing from Staten Island to
grunfwick, he was fw prised by three or four ofiicers and about one hun
died regulars, who detained him upwards of two hours.
«: [n the course of his confiivment he met with Courtland Skinner,
who told him that General Howe, with his army, from fzven to ten
thoutand men, had landed the night before, and taken possession of every
pals on the island. He fdys he saw most of the troops, but, as they were
ditperfed through the island, he could form no idei of their numbers.
Skinner also told him th t the fleet from England had arrived at the
Flook, on the night of tieir landing, with ten thousand men, who were
to land on Staten Island, as this morning; that they had plaged two
regiments opposite Amboy, huad planted several pieces of cannon there,
and at each of the ferries. He also asked the officers if the commiflioners
were come, to which they answered yes, and that they were the very men
most proper to fettle differences of this tort, and alfy told him they were
dctermined to dislodge our worthy General from New York,
¢ He left New York yesterday morning, where the Jersey milica had
mo&gf,x,hgm,ggrived ; that the General and his troops were in high spirits,
and he luppoles mucn ditfappointed at this sudden movement ot Howe's. ~
The Jersey militia have turned out unanimpufly, to their great credit,
but as most of them are gone over to York, would it not be neceflary for
Penufylvania to fend them affitance? The Geutleman t"inks that both
the General's express (if one was sent) andTthe stage are i all probabi- -
lity stopped, for which reason I thought it neceflary to fend an express.
1 fear I shall not be able to join our woithy Geacral; however, |am
determined to try, and if I fail must be fatished with having done my
duty. \
“y Howe treated him very genteelly, and dismissed him at half past
two. The enemy have taken several of the rifle men, who were on their
way to Pennsylvania. I hope all such (coundrels, who will quit an army
iu fight of an enemy, may mect the fame fate.”
Fuly 8. This day, at 12 o'clock, the DECLARATION of INDE
PENDENCE will be proclaimed at the State House.
N Monday the Bth instant, about 7 o’clock in the evening, Gen.
O Lewis arrived at Gwyn’s Island, attended by Colonels Woodford,
Step'en, Buckner, and Weedon. That night a battery of 2 eighteen
unders was opened against the enemy’s fleet, which consisted of the
ﬁuebuck, Fowey, Otter, Dunmore, fcveral tenders, and upwards of 6o
other veflels of various forts. At 8 o’clock next morning the General
announced his orders for attacking the enemy’s fleet and camp, by put
ting a match to the firft gun himfelf, which was pointed at the Dunmore,
hen lying nearest our battery.; this shot pafled through her. Ourlower
:;attery, of four guns, nines and fixes, commanded by Lieutenant
Denny, had orders to direét its fire partly at the (hipping, and partly at
the enemy’s camp and battery cn the opposite fide of the haven. The
Dunmore stood our fire about a quarter of an hour, in which time, how
ever, she fired but five guns, and then flipped her cables and hauled
out. She did not, however, get out of our reach before she received ten
shot from the batteries, three of which ruked her fore and aft. The se
cond shot from oureighteen pounders killed the boatswain, and wounded
. WILLIAMSBURG, July 20. .
Extral from an oficer’s Fournal, awho was at the late cannonade at
) Gwyn’s IsLAND.
PHILADELPHIA, Juy 3.
two others mortally. Lord Dunmore was wounded in the Jeg by a fplin_-
ter, occasioned by a nine pound shot from Denny’e battery. Ihe Outer
laid her broadside to us, when, accoiding toa former promise from Capr,
Squire, we expefled she would at Jcait have given us fcme rounds; but,
receiving a shot between wind and water, she seemed glad to get away on
the caieen, without firing a gun. By this time the whole fleet was in
confufion, many vessels flipped their cables to get out of the way of our
eighteen pounders. « The enemy’s battery was also soon silenced, and
their camp thrown into confufion from the cannon direfled to play en
them. About half after nine the fire ceased, and about twelve was re
newed with vigour. We should have attempted a landing upon the iffand
during the cannonade, buthad not veflels to cross the haven. This night
the Genera! ordered all the canoes in the différent creeks on our fide the
baven to be colleéled in order to cxofs next mosning. Earlyin the riorn~
ing of the 3oth, we observed the enemy’s fleer under way,. except three
“tenders which lay in the haven to prevent our eroffing. T hefe it was ne
ceflary to take or remove. They had, the preceding night, thrown gut
their ballast in order to get out at the lower end of the island, if obliged
to fly; bw, as it was low water when we attacked them, which we did
with two brass fix pounders, which were admirably served by Capt. Har.
rifon, they could not effet their purpefe The Lady Charlotte, a sloop,
mounting fix carri::{g: guns, wefirlt attacked. She lay about 300 yards
from the shore, and kept up a very brisk fire upon us, till at lust she gor
aground. Capt. Smith’s company was ordered to board her in canoes,
but before they could leach her the crew quitted in their boat. Captain
Smith passed by the sloop, with great spirit pursued their boats, and came
up with part of the crew before they could clear themselves of a long
point on which they landed ; some he ook, but the commander of the ten
der, who was wounded in the thigh and had one arin broken, made his
escape. A {chooner, canying fix {wivels, two carriage guns, and a co
horn, was abandoned during the engagement with the sloop, as was also
a large pilot boat, which fell into vus hands. Two hundred men were
immediately ordered to land on the island, under the command of Col.
M-<Clanahan; but this tcok up so much time in our {mall vessels that the
enemy had an opportunity of retreating to their ships; fill, however, in
so precipitate a manner, that they left behind one of their cannon, seve
ral of their sick, and a great part of their effedts. A number of Negroes,
cattle, horses, and furniture, has fallen intc our hands. The deplgr
able situation of the miserable wretches left Lehind is beyond descrip
tion. The flight of the flect was o sudden that thoy left anchore and
_ cables to the amount of 1000 or 15001. On the xith I reconnoi ered
_the island, and was at the wrecks of three veflels which they buratin
their confufion; as also of two row-gallies. It is suppose thy buricd
soo Negroes whilst on the island, which was only seven weeks, Dur
ing the firing on the enemy’s camp; two markees were knocked down.
In this affair both officers and men of the regulars, minute battalion,
and militia, behaved with great (pirit and aftivity. If the fmall-pex and
Putrid‘fever had nct raged on the island, boats would have been provided
in time; and, there is no doubt, from what I saw of the officers and men,
that they would have landed and taken almost every man and every thing
belonging to the enemy on the island; but, as we must have run a great
risk of taking the infeftion of the tervible disorders, it was not judged
prudent to do any thing more than to drive of the enemy, and confine
them to their ships. The large thip which they buint was not the Dun
snore. Itis said, that another was {unk at the mouth of Rappahannock,
Many poor Negroes were found on the island dying of the putrid fever;
others dead in the cpen fields; a child was found {ucking at the breast of
its dead mother. In one place you might fee a poor wretch half dead
making signs for water, in another, others endeavauring to crawl away
from the intolerable stench of dead bodies lying by their sides; in short,
it was a shocking scene. Dunmore’s negleét of those poor creatures,
foffering numbers-of them to perish for want of common necessaries and
the lcaﬁ assistance, one would think enough to discourage others from
joining him. The fleet went off in a fad plight, and muit be at a great
loss where to go to, for they lay at anchor in Potowmack river 16 hours,
with a fairwind up the river or the bay. ‘They could not return to Nor~
folk, asthe harbour there is well fortified. .
Extrall of a letter from Major Genercl LEE 20 the Hoz. EpMmuUxp Pey-
DLETON, Efg; dated CHARLESTOWRN, Fune 29, 1776.
¢ Yesterday, about 11 o’clock, the enemy’s squadron, eonfifting of
one 50, one 40, and 6 frigates, ecame to an anchor before fort Sullivan,
and began one of the most furious cannonades I ever heard or saw. ‘I heir
project was apparently at the fame time to land their troops on the ecaft
end of the island. Twice they attempted it, and twice were gallantly
repulsed. The ships continued their fire on the fort till 11 at night. The
behaviour of the garrison, both men and officers, with Col. Moutiie at
their head; I confefs astonished me. It was brave to the last degree, I