The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1777-10-03 00:00:00, page 1

'FRIDAY- Ocmn 3; 1777- NUMBER 14
The Virginia Gazette.ss
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Trinml by ALEXANDER PURDIE, a: tle POST OFiICE.
P H I L A D E T.; P H 1 A, Sssj-fmzl/sr 12.
— THE AMERICAN CRISRS.
Nuwrux ]v.
By fly aut'cr qs ()UMMON SEN S E.
HOdE who e.\' eft to reap the bles
sings of sreecfom must, like men,
undergo the satigue of supporting
it, The even: of yesterday is one
osthose kind ofalarms which is just
sufficient to rouse us to duty, V\ ith
out being of consequence enough to de lCsS our
fortitude. It is not :! field ofa few :.creso ground,
but a cause that we are defending; and whether
'we deseat'the enemy in one battle, or by degrees,
the consequence will be the same.
Look back at the events of last winter and the
Present year; there you will find that the enemy's
uccesses have always contributcd to reduce them.
What they have gained in ground, thry paid so
dearly for in numbers, that their victories have in
the end amounted to deseats. \\e have always
been mastersat thelast push, and always shall vx hile
'We do our duty. How: has been once on the bank s
'of the ])elaware, and from thence driven back
with loss and disgracc; and why not be again driven
from the Schuylkill? His condition and ours are
very different. He has every body to fight; we
have only his one army to cope with, and which
wastes away at every engagement; we can not
only reinsorce, but can rcdoublc our numbers; he
is cut off from all supplies, and must sooner or later
inevitablv fall into our hands.
shall assband of ten or twelve thousand robhcrs,
who are this day fifteen hundred or two thousand
men less in strength than they were yesterday,
conquer America. or subdue even a single state?
The thing cannot be, unless we lit down and sus
ser them to do it. Anocher such a brush, notwith
flctsimding we lost the ground, would, by still re
ducing the ebemy, put them in a condition to be
afterwards totafiy defeated.
Could our whole army have cosse up to the at
tack at one time, the consequences had probably
been otherwise, but our having different parts of
the szsirandywine creek to guard, and the uncertain
t .which son to Philadelphia the enemy would
[Rempc to take, naturally afforded them an oppor—
tunity of passing their main body at a place where
ohl a party os ours could be posted, for it must
strisie every thinking mar; with C0n\ icticn that it
requires a much greater force to oppose an enemy
in several places than is sufficient to deseat them in
unv one tlace.
Men v'v'no are sinccre in defending their freedom ,
will aiways feel concern at every circumstance,
Wnich to make against them; it is the natural and
honest consequence ofail affectionate attachmcnts,
and the want osit is a vice; but the dejecsiiion lists
only (As it moment; they soon rise out osit wzth
additional vigour; the low ot'hope, courage, and
fosiludc, will in :: iiu -: time supply the lace of
ev'ry inferiour passion, and kindle the \-\ huge heart
inn heroism.
There is a mystery in the countenances of some
causes, which wcha . :: not always prsisssent judgment
cnou htocxplain. It issi.ish'eliing to see an enc
my a vancing into a country, but it is the oniy
'ace in \\ hich w e can beat them, and in \-\ hich we
gave alnays beaten them, whenever they made
the Attempt. The nearer any disease apprcctaches
toa crii'sis, the nearer it is tO'd cure. Danger and
delivcrance make their advances together, and it
is only at the last push that one or the other tak cs
the lead.
There are many mctn who will do their dutywhen
it is not wanted blii a genuine qulick spirit alw ;I)'$
Appears most when there is most occasion for it.
'lhank bon] our ai'my, though sxtigued. is yet
entire. The attach made by us _\'<sisiCsda},' va.; am—
dermanydississdvn tuqes.natuiahyctrii.ngii'siunthc un
certainty osk ntM isss; \\ hi-cth rouzc tho enemy would
take; and, from that circnmshincc, the whole of
our force could not he brought up together time:
enough to engztg - a]! ;it once. Our strength is yet
te scrisied, anciit iss e. Hent th it Hc-we does not think
himself it gaincr by the nisais, otherwise he would
this morning have moved down and attacked Ce
neral \\ ashington.
Gentlemen osthe city and country. it is in your
power, by s pirited impruvement us the present cir
cumstance, to turn it to a real advantage. H siWC
is now Weaker than before, and every shor vxill
contribute to reduce him. You are more immedi
ately interested than any other part of the continent5
your ALL is at stsiikc. It is not so with the general
cause; you are devoted by the enemy to plundcr
and destruction; it is the encouragement which
Howe, the chief of plundercrs, has promised his
army. '1 hus circumstanced, you may save your
selves by a manly rciastancc; but you can hax e no
hope in any other Cs-n.-.uct. ] never yet knew our
brave General, or any part of the army, officers or
men, out oshem, and 1 haxe seen them in circum
sta. ces a thou and times more trying than the pre
sent. It is onlythose thar are noc in action that
feel languor and heaviness, and the best way to
rub it off is to turn out and_ma]fe sure work of it:
Uur army mutt unaouotcuxjss' tccl raugue am
want a reinsorcent of rest, though not of valour.
Our own interest and hapz'iness cal! upon us to give
them every support in our over. and. make the
burthen of the day, on \\ hic the safety of this city
depends, as light as possible. Remember,sigcntle
men, that we have forces both to the northward
and southward of Philadclphia; and is the enemy
be lmtstoppedtill those can arrive, this city will
be sa.ed, and the: enemy finally routh. Youha-cte
too much at stake to hesitate; you ought not to
think an hour upon the matter, but to spring to
actzon at once. Uur States have been invaded,
and have likewise drixen off the invaders. Now
OU R turn and time is come, and perhaps the
sinishing shoke is reserved for us. \\ hen We look
back on the dangcrs wehave been saved from, and
reflect on the succeiL-s'ue have been 'olcsied with,
it would be sin ul either to be idle or despair.
] close this paper wcth a short address to General
Howe. You, sir, are only lingering out the period
thflt sh411bring with it your defeat. You have yet
scarcc begun upon the war; and the farther you
enter, the faster will your troubles thicken. What
you now enjoy isonly a respite from ruin; an invi
tation to destruction; ;: something that wifi lead on
to our delivcrance, at your expensc. We know
the cause wearc engaged in; and though & paffi
(mate fondness i'c'r it may make us grieve at every
injury whfllthreatensir, yet when the moment of
concern is Over the determinacion to duty returns.
\\ c are not the hireling tlaves osa beggarly tyrant,
nor the cringing flattercrs of an infamous court.
Vv (: are not mov ed by the gloomy smilc osa worth
less king, but by me ardcnt glow of generous pa
triotism. We fight not to c'nshvc, but to sec a
country free, and to make room upon the earth for
honest men to Five in. in such a cause, we are
sure we are fight; ;-nd we leave to you the dispair
ing reflection of being the foul of a miscmble ty
rant. COMMON SENSE.
Extract of a letter from C/"tstfr county.
" A-vuitrab/eoldgmtlmmn. Mr. William Hughes
qsrlsi-ij rou/zty, Wfit ([a-tri: a ]Lctw day: ago into Neit
rastle rounry, roses u-lffzrt ctwassamt cf (: daughter of
his qr/na L'ml mctrrird am! smite] near the plau- now
occupied [ly atssr escr/Z' tpm/ja-vzzzzctfoes. On l.u's ram}!
'lsi'e was mrt bya fart )* (s s si.- Hefflimzs , n'lvoslijmomfftd
am] fir/sipfisd ["in/, m/J th 71, will) tis: mo/Z wanton
barbarity, _/r ozffr-ssml Mr foes clrlguct'tlsmmz in fire lo 'a
mnmn'r as would shonk [runmnilju This ac Cllllt !
law from a_q'c-1znglad_v u'posctJ-w l-is back as she has
pimblc bou/f, 10 freshly ce'ir/J [be zssmqst difficulty,
a [ass] mals .sszstnft so s'rsi-z-fz-l.
'P. S. so:.- Mnssa' [se flstiu'fctl thy stolr si"! bcrst."
Th' ()li-z-tr Cromsi-sim'l, srcm ct'sssixcc' ].ozsctlaif, Can
mf/irm, ((iizI/Zsl'stl'tctl-siss-_\'Callus)! i/ssrctlizfg, lsszzsjessnt
into B'nybrzl avn'y-L'aszsizzlu's ;rsiizr; /;sr (,ngo (Oli
sg/rsiing q/sitm, lms/ssstrct,si-6cx, (lull ['A-"six, [inn], {vine,
]lffscf, ('siorzlffgs, in], jssurA, ct-zm/ [.ssrrssisr. siSZe siturs
bflsi'ml 10 57. yolsszz's, Iv'sisi-rsijssnss'_.'.'.1i;ctssl. "slu- prizrsi
szfsr rsjsissorfs , Ma- N l'cjs (siz'ffx sizissct! ]silctzrrlizssixg' in pur
fizcsis qf'afissf (.f _n_/Mn m: ssssssiai. fijssisiti, is:.fu'rr ! csswqjss' (s
(.7/1 ad Illr/inmctm (!!f n'u-tsszw, (; sss'J iss'si'sl/H: i 75}: If:'( 11; }' gu/zs ,
fix zmsil jbm' sissinfz/isilcrf, nausignted &} jzj/y ?]?(il. 5,—
rl ( Cromwrll is more than :: matrb for the convey, we
["s'[_stv(ralmors of ;bisflm may find their way into
our porrx.
szwAsa-Lz coszy, fc.
6 HlSdny came Ictrnm is Alexandrr, :; rrpufahll
rf/issltnt in f/Jf ('a/my ascrtsaid, lnfrsire me tbs/ub
firiber, a justice Dfsitlsi-l pmn, and made oath that ['a
'zms an rssw—qcimr/sij tosmsrnl brum! rmmgrs commit—
tnl pyflsit mrrcilz/s troops of the tyrant of Great Bri
tain on tlxir latr lzznding on the Head of Elk. That
l ( parsifiularbrsactw one of tbmr, in the jmfince qf
di-vfrs otln'rs, m-vist), or ammpt violently to effect it,
on !] e pnsan of ayong "woman af/potlrfi character
living at his Loust, nofu'iss'bstanding her cries um}
rrsyhznre to the rontmry, at the same time makihg
use- cfsuvrflss menace: in en e of refu/Zrl; and flmdry
oft er as}: of barbarity be am thy? prrpetratldshock
ing to lumanisijy, and which cry aloud far wnjran'ce.
FR ANCLS' ALEXANNER.
Sworn to tesore me this 31st os Augz/P, 1777.
GEORGE AssMER.
YZ—r above :](pfslft'on am: mlmi in our prq/chc—d
" siict'linm Alctx—mssll, B. C. Alsxandcr Alartin, Col.
fi cond batta/icn, N. C. Tzfeodorick Bland, Colour!
first rlginzm! ] . Z). troops.
B A L T I M 0 R E, September .
By bit Exsisslss/mss'y Sir !!ssIL L IAM UOIVE.
A dsslararioss-z lo the inhabitants of ctPmnsylmmia,
the lo-u'fr mentis; on l'cla-sivare, tnd the countiu
on its rcty'fsrn share Ff jllmj'lmsd;
Sm WlLLI A M HOWE regrettihg the cak
mities to which many of his majesty's faithful
s ubjects are still exposed by the eontinuance of tho
rebeiiion, and no less desirous of protecting tho
innocent than determined to Purshe with the
rigours of war all those whom his majesty's forces,
in the course of their progress, may find in arms
against the king, doth hereby assure the peaccablc
inhabitants of the rovince of Pennsylvania. the
lower countics ou elaware, and the counties of
Maryland on the eastern shore of Chcsapcake bay,
that in order to remove any groundless apprehen
sions which may hate been raised, of their suffer
ing by deprcdationsos the army under his command,
he hath isiued the flrictefi orders to the troops for
the preservntion osrcgu'ai'ity and good discipline,
and has lisst'iisied that the most ex-si-mplary punish
mesizt shalllhe inflicted upon those who shall dare to
plunder the property or molest the persons of any 4
of his majesty's well disposed subjects.
cecuncy and protection arc hkewue extended to
all persons, inhabitants osthc rovince and countits
asorcsaid, who ( not guilty OF havingaflumcd le
giflative or judicial authority ) may have actcd ille
gally in subordinate stations, ctand conscious ostheir
misconduct, been induced to leave their dwellings
provided such ersons do forthwith return, an
remain eaccab y in their usual place ofabode.
C0n 1dering, moreover, that many officers and
there men, now actually in arms afflinst his ma
jesty, may be willing to relinquish t w part they
have taken in this rebellion, and return to their
due allegiancc, sir William Howc doth therefore
promise a free and genera 1 pardon (9 all such officers
and private men as shall voluntariiy come and sur
rcnder themlelves to any dctdchment of his majes
ty's forres, before the day on \\ hich it shall be
notified that the said lndulgcnce shall be discomi
n ued.
Civcn under my hand, at head quarters osxhe
army, the Z'th of August, 1777.
By his Excellency's comnm-ul, _
RUB. M*KENZIE, sac'ryct
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ADVER'I'13EMENTS,
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\VILL1AMS;:_URG, Srzf. 25, 1777
sii'HE officers who are :xblcnt with leave, 'andct
rhc soldivn absent m f'm lough. of the trcors of
this stzlcc (except x'ctcisic \\ h-ssesic Mrs): vg! s are not
explmi) arc dcsism] in 'sss-In tlct-Zr u-lpssuvsi- cnmjanics
inun-cthnrcly, mhussxllz: ;hcy will be. ("wench dcfcmn,
and trzdzedaa such. HAYNl—S MORUAN,
CMIUnCl (. ;n1mansilang of th; duce troops.