The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1779-09-11 00:00:00, page 2

,P ]! ;! L A 1) E L P'H 1 A, Septemlzer 1.
CE our last arrived here the hrig Polly, Captain Bodkin, from
- Londpn for him York, laden with flour, taken by Captain Taylor;
and he floop Sdl, Ca tain Hunt, from New York, taken by the privatecr ss
Be et, Capta'm Ge de: _
'- *' Sunday last came up to town the prize snow Diana, frdm London for
-ct .NGI-Xorsisinkenctotf—Sandy Hook bj che Holkcr privateer, Caplzin
del. "
. 01: Mind: imttu'sinth/loap Argo, Augufi 17, : 7_ 79.
. .- is ] R. - - ' _ '
. 18MLED from Providence in the (tate of Rhode lfland, by order
'of'Major Ge'nerai Gates, on a cruise a ainfl the enemies of the United
State; the id instant; and on the 5th ! aw a sail and gave chase to her,
- lfter'coming up With and bringin her too, ] found her to be a schooner
mounting 4 carri'age guns, name the Count D'Eshmg a Prize to the
bsig King Geor' , immediately after manningher, ! made tailctand flood
the course that was informed by the prisoners, the King George bore.
'- On the 7'th at two o'clock ?. M; I observed a sail standing for us,
and here away tsiorher, on a preaching each other, she discoveied us to
be a vessel of force, and declined attacking us, and made offwnh all the
'sail she could pach, before the wind, but after 4; hours chase, I came up
with her. She then made ready to engage us, and before ! got along
side of her, she tired three broadsides, which ] did not think proper to
return, being determined to board her and risque the fate of an action in
that way, rather than engage at long shot, for fear during the action she
should bring me by the' Wind; and in that cast: ] was convinced she would
make her'escapc. ] carried her without the loss of a man ,- she mounts
rosisoitr under: hesidet eohorne and swivels, add was commanded by
Stanton azard of New ort. ] can ied her into New London and landed
my prisoners 30 in num er. The schooner got into Bedford. ] imme
diate] stood out to sea again. On the a4th ! took, in compaity with. the
floo evenge from New London, the lloop Adventure Thomas ]ackson
7" ": from Tobago bound to New Yoisik, she had on board 94 hogsheads
- of rum. ! mlnned her and ordered her to port. zsth ] took in company
with the above mentioned floop, the hrigantine Eliot from London for
him York, a'large vessel inounting 6 six poundeis' full ltowed, her cabin
not excepted, with d goods, flour, butter, cheese and lemmonsz, l
manned her and sentriier into port under the eonvoy of the Revenge.
The fame day ! fell in with the brigantine Saratoga, james MunFo
Ca-ptain, an American eruii'er, and at : ] o'ciock P. M. fell in with and
was tired upon by : ctttter from New York. Upon this it was agreed
that ! should run down to the leeward of her, and bring on the attack,
whiltt the Saratoga lay a hill], in order to make the Caytain of the culter
-su pose that she was not a vessel of force, until ! had prevented a siibility
her escaping !) getting to ieeward of her. ! begun the agon with
'her lad contin itthrce glaffes before the Saratoga could come a to
our afflstance. The reason of this delay was, that in shipping her t- ler,
- mishke, _it wn only entered into the rudder-cafe instead of the rudder
head, by which means the brig under a" sail went off before the wind
- from'u'e," and it me a long time before any persim could discover the
reason that'the brig would not deer toanswer her helm. Upon the Sata
sskoga's coming up and giving her : broadsidc, they died for quarters'with
"Heat enmestnesa. She mounts ro double fortifird' 4 pounders, and had
when thesiaction began (as- they say) 51 men, but we reduced them down"
to 43. and stveral of them were Wounded, she was commanded hy Pltenix
_ Fagin. 'l had one man killed and six wounded. zGth, ( took in com
Raeny with-the Samtoga, the brigantine Chunce from London bound to
.v York. She had on board 100856 !d_of bread, 447 bushel: and 4.
giant ofpeae, 33'7 hushele and 4 gallons osmtmcal, 18518 ib. of
f, anoo 15. 01 pork, :.1380 15. of flour,si 7127 lb. of raisms, 34;
[love and 7 pounde of ohveoi'l, 90! gallons ofvinegar and 8026 lh. of
tter. The eutssret and brig Chanee, ! have brousiht in with me. I
parted with the Advonture and Eliot within one days sail of New London
with- fair wind to get in. ! have brought in with me 7o'pritoncrs. lo
the action with the cutter. I received a shot through my malt; my boom
it much wounded, my square sail yard is almoti cut in two, and my sails
and riggin ' much damaged. The damage ( had received and the large
, number o sisoners l-had on board, made me judge it prudent to make
the first hat us in my power,
! took two lettest in the adVentm-e directed to General Clinton from
which ] have extracted the following paragraph, " Cettain it it, that
the iflanda of St. Victncents and Grenlda are in polieffion of the French,
' and ] fear through the had conduct of Admiral Byron. There has been
an action between B-yron and Count D'Eflaing, t:-.:- :ut fleet got off with
the lost onZ-sthe-Lyofi." It is likewise added, that Admiz'al Barringron
mowotm d (lightly, and that it was his sqmdron only that engaged;
that Byron declined engaging the Count, and that it was thought the
.command would be taken irom Admiral Bymn by his officen. I should ct
have transmitted these letters to your Exccellency, were it in my power;
but I' had sent them, together with the invoxces of the Chance and
Adventvre, to General Gates before] had any expefiations of utting
finto thin harhoor. ! am, your Excellency: most obedient and amble
servant, si SlLAS TALBOT .
' ]oltn ]sinY, qu) Published' b order q'Congr-st, . si
. CHAR 'ES THOMSON, . Set").
The following is an-ssinventnry of her :argo. viz. 80 iron cannon, :,
'3', 4 am! 6 pounders, with cariiages and all other materials compleat;
Go swivels, lo cohqrno'z undern, Geannonade N pounden, and man
rdund and bar shot, 15; alf barrels of powder, 35 hoxes, 16 cafits. lo
- hogsheadsss 5 cases, :: bundles, : sheat of lead, : bales, 55 coils of
__ _ and 3 puncheons of naval (tore; tor Goodrich. 3) bones. 17
cheat, 74 ealks, 6 hogfheadt, " casee, 16 trunks, 14, bales, 7 bundles,
(baketssito sirkins, : bampers, 4. kegs and 23 packages, about 55,
liqchgee in the whole; containing tea, loaf sugar, cheese, soldieisis
dpthing, sat] cloth, &c. with a great variety of merehandize.
'The floop Terrible, with us puncheona os rum, from ]amaica. She
'ii'lltely commanded by Captain Ervin, and bound to New Yolk; but
X Slmday night. being about 4, or 5 Ieaguee from our capes, four of
failen secured the Captain and Mate, took poffeffion of the vessel.
fld Wt her safe in. "She left Jamaica the first of Augun, in com
. ..
pany with about 160 sail of vessels, but sepa'rated from them in the gulf
of Flot'ida. ' '
We learn that a large ship, one of the above fleet, run alhore in die
gulf, and was entirely lolt. _
By the Jnmaica Mercury of the z4th es ]uly we learn, tlu._the Lyon
man of war, of 64. guns (one of Admn'el bymn's fleet) ctamved there
in a shattered condition, having received very material hurt to her malfl,
yards and rigging; that the carnage on board her was veny eonsidet'able;
that the accidenul ex'plosion of a_ quantity of cut ': idgcs on the lower deck,
proved the destruction of"; great many men, that 50 had been already
buried, and many sin] remained badly hurt.
Ezract of a letter dared Paris, May 25, 1779, to (: Gc-:!lmmr in Phili
de] hia. .
" ] have just received certain agvicc from a Gentleman in London,
that the following is an account (to be depended on) of the whole force
going to New Yolk with Admiral Ahurthncl.
" The squ'adron consists of four ships of the line, all seventy sours.
" Transports, with the Glasgow regiment, 1168 men.
" Edinhmgh do. "68 do.
N. B. New raised regiments.
Ge'rman ;ecruits, . 500 do.
Total '- . 18 34. men ."
fixluct of a letter from an affltct' ou'tb'e north"): .cxpedii'iax, (laud a:
Co'os, Time :8, 1779. ' '
" Cdonel Hazen with great part of the regiment, has advanced so
far as the river ht Moile, diflant fmm hence about 40 miles, making :.
road and building Hook-houses; intelligence received from Canada, by
an officer of _ regiment, sent in no ———-—, is greatly in our
favour, the inhabitants of that country are" almon' determined to a man
to join us the moment we enter their territories.- The sort at St. ]ohn'o
has a guard of azl'ergent and ! ; mcn only, the czmnon are ll'l dismounted
and sent off; except one or two pieces unfit for service. At Chambsec
there isla subaltem's guard of 30 men : At the three rivers they have :
uard of 6oo, and at Montrael me men more, which are all the men
( ationed above Osinehcck; this my friend is good new:_and nothing -
inferiour is it, that the enemy have destroyed or carried away the whole
of their fleet on Lakc Champlain, except two gallies, one of which mount.
one gtgonly. This you may sely on."
wi L L ! A MssS B U R G, sctusinzmzz rr.
lNCF-ss our last arrived at Hampton a French snow from Hispaniola,
and the scltooner Dean from Euflatia, both with Weit lndia com
mcdities. ' - '
We are informed that Captain Beniamin Netherland, ]unior, of
Powhatan eounty, going to Pottsmouth one day last week by water,
unfortunately sell over-hoard, and was drowned.
Yesierday evening two French days and : hdrse were drowned in the
mill-pond near this city.
8} or fuqsctl in :: mer} short passage from side Wesi ladies, we have tie
\ jbllawing intelligence. -
\ Pltkls. Letters mention that : second expedition was abou'sito em.
bark under the command of Marschall Mallebeis: that under Nhrschal]
de Van: expected orders to sail every moment, which confined onlj of
us regimettts, about tzooo men, and its dittination supposed for lrelend.
Tne former it seems is to be the grand atmament, to be composed os
60,ooo troopl. and to be "carried over to the English coal! in 50'0 flat
bottom boats end transposts. -
From BREST, Funt r't. All the preparation: for embntking the
troops are accomplished. Four bumhed usscls, of IOO tun: burthen ere
ready for the embarkation. The at-mamtttt of Mont'teur de Vaux i
ausimctttcd to 30,ooo men and 6000 cavalty. _
- (Jewes, jung 22. The matter of a Dutch vessel who put in herethn
asternoon, says, he yesiet'day saw the grand fleetunder Sir Charlea Hard,
off Scilly, al-l well, steering for theFrenchcoalt. si
jane 13. Lafl: evening an express an-ived at the Admiralty from Si:
Charles Hardy, that he was in swht of the French fleet off !reland, the
West walk, in the same packet letten came to Lotd North, the messenger
landed at Liverpoo], and came post to London. Trade at present in the
rivers is at": stand, onatcount of the hot press for senmen. The merchant'
shipt cannot proceed on their voyages for want of hands.
Rq/pectiwg lb: qu/s and Spaui/bfledr, tbzfll/ming is give: a: utbam'd.
The French fleet of 18 sail osthe line, besides frigatee, sailed from
Brest on the 4th 'os June, and two more l'aihd after them on the Gth, on
the gth were seen (hy e Swede arrived at England) 40 Ieaguee e. W
from the Lizard, t'ailtng due s'ont'h. Twelve fail of Spanish ships ofthe
line, besides frigates, sailed from Cadiz on the z7th of May; and on the
ad of hue, zo more Spanish ships of the line, beside: frigates. sailed
from Cndiz; as these two Spantsh fleet) faikd at different times, itis
not supposed they were both intended to put the Freneh fleet; that one
of them be- joined it, is universally believed, but which. and whither
the other is gqne, are circumstances not yet known; but :: 9 sail more
of the line are ready at Ferral, it is imagined the smaller fleet isto act
with the Ft-e..ch fleet, becaute it can be retnforced, and thlt the other is
gone to the West lndiett.
Lonoon, Juice 27. Express is said tobe arrived from Sir Chulee
Hatsidy, with an account of his beingin sight of the French fleet.
Jaw 22. This moment advice was received that the French fleet me
of Ushant the rgth steering to the westward, light winds under to
aliant, flud'd'mg fails, and royals; A cutter from the fleet at Falmouth
ays the Spanish and French time had not joined; that Sir Charlee was
in moment eypcctation of seeing them. lt is also asserted that express
arrived with an account that Str Charles Hardy was in sight of the French
fleet, and that it confined only of 16 sail; and that when the expreso emp'
away, Captain Lockart had made a fignal for an engagement, so that we
hotu-ly expect further intelligencess - _
What the opinion and designs of the prcsint Minifletl are relusisin b' "
the terms to be granted to the Americzns,. is not of very interestin
consequence, as we are assured his Majesty it determined they shall be
ample, secure and honourable. _ . .. - '- 'si
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