The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-12-20 00:00:00, page 5

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3 A L T I'M O R E, Deccmber : (.
Extract nfa letterflom Trcnton, Dec. 3.
1 N the xst instan'si the enemy appeared
on the opposite side of Brunswick
5 nver, and begun to phy on the town wixh
' their arcillcry, but didliuledamagc. We
3 returned the fire from our a'rtillery with
grant briskncsa, which obliged the enemy
; to recreat. two miles back. Our army are
: in high spirits, expecting to be reinforced
sico-mqrrow, from Pennsylvania, with ::
body 'of 3000 militia, a German bauulion,
and a number of sield pieces. Howc's
5 nuyis in a bad simaciou, and is they ad
; knee, whiclrwe are wishing for, we shall
have a fair opportunity to give them a sc
ss- ver; blow; particularly if general Gates
} join: general Lee,_ and comes on theirbacks,
F weluve che greacelt'rezson to hope for
3 success. Th'u day an exprefi has becpdel
? [acched to genera! Lce, to hasten his
; march. Expect in my next to give you
some interesting and very agreeable intel
ss hence.
fo an z-sficcr of the Maryland battalion,
y'tst arrived from the Amcrican camp,
, which hcleft lastlfriday, we are informed,
flat encrsial Washington, sromintelli cncc
whicsi he had received from gencra Lcc
(Lhen encamped at Newark with 13,ooo
pen) Had marched his army fr'om Prince
, down and Trenton to Brunswick ; and that
the British arm , which had continued up
the opposite s : of Brunswick, had sud
denly retrcatcd back towards Amboy, in
order to embark for New York. General
Wash'mgm, when be left the cam , had
a strong army ; and it was thought the
two genqxah siwould _ attack the English
army, before they passed Amboy.
Yestcrday; arcived here the ship Lydia,
lady commanded by capt. Dcan', bound
from jamaicn to London, ukcn by the
A Harlequin privateer, belonging to this port .
' la cargo consists of '168 hhds..of su r,
10" tinue! osditto, 230 hide;, 7 barrcsisios
Moisoshcll, 9 mohogany phnks, 12 bag:
'ascottun, 3 hhds. 1 fierce, and 25 bag:
of p'lme'nta, and several calkt of indigo,
Mmatcd to be worth upwards of zo,oool.
,WIL-LIAMSBURG, December 20.
AST Tucsday Geoun. Wnn, esq;
"was chosen by the legisiature to be
sitnnsufcr of this commonwealth, in the
sirwmosnonn'r C._N1cnoLAs, esq; who
hi- nesigned that important trust (which
jhrfilled with much honour to himself,
-_ add applausc from his country) rather than
- rego his hest services, as adelegate in
lssemb] , at this critical conjuncture.
' The ve eldest Privy Counsellors were
Also appointed commiffioners of Oyer and
Terminer, for the trial of' criminals; as
were lhcnno Cur, Wnunm HoL'r.
lin'd Bnnsiunsid MOORI, esquires, to be
judge"; of the court of admiralty.
[siss No newspapers came by the post this
'_ week from Philadclphia, owing, we be
k _ e, to the printers those important
Whicles of intelligence) finding it necessary
- to quit their posts, with many other wor
thy inhabitants of that city, during the
- Keseut troubles. We learn, that all the
_ sssi sso s,'storehouses, &c. are converted into
, 'ri ons,, and filled with the disaffected
People in the state of Pennsylvania, who,
mors: than probable, may very soon be
made to repent their treachery and luke—
war.mncsi in their country's cause, especi
allyif' America, with a hccomingaml god
' like: spirit, use determined to support its
si ]ihurtics. Thegenerals VVashington, Lee,
&c. are doing their utmost m counteract
, the desigus of the enemy, those socs to
srredom and. mankind; and it is hoped,
ss ' from their approved valour and capacity,
that they will be ah!; to render all thar
schelucs abm five, um! six u -, as we ought
to be, AssFRFJZ AND HIJ'PY PEOPLE.
A letter of g'fod cqussi from Phiiadel
ph'u, dated t'ue xozh izoitanc, says, that
,une of our armed vessels had taken, and
carried safe into (port, & transporc From
,England with lz,ooo suit: of soldiers
clothes, 4000 wt. ofgunpuwder, ammu
nition, &c.
The elegant house of CAITER Ban
TON esq; one of the delegates for King
William, was unfonunatcly burnt down
last Wednesday evening, with a great
part qfi the ssvalqableshrniture. ct
fiendes the int actddssmonal battalions on
the continental eltablishment, our Assembly
have voted three other battalions for the
defence of this state, with 1300 scamen
and marinel, and the principal river: to
he guarded with strong sorts. It is to be
hoped, therefore. that the free and inde
pendent {eagle of Vir inia wiil second the
atriotic VIer of t cir represmtatives,
y entering cheersully into their country'a
service, and thereby bring matters to :
prosperous and wished for issue.
Privateletten advile, that a division of
general Howe'a army was at Burlmgton,
part at Trenton, and that another de
tachment had crossed the Delaware above
Trenton, the whole composing a body of
between 12 and 15,ooo men. That gene
ral Washington, with only 6ooo men, was
a few milesdistant from Howe'l army, at a
place called Bristo]; that general Lee was to
the westward, on the fimk of the enemy,
with about 4000 men ; and that genera'ls
Putnam and Miffl'm, with another body
of troops, were in Philadelphia, throwing
up intrenchmenn, and putting the city in
a posture of defence. The General Con
gresi were preparing to remove to Bala
more.
! N C () U N C ] L,
WlLLlAMllUKG, Dec. 17, 1776'
APTAlN Nathaniel Guefc having
presented & memorial to the Gower—
nonr, lamentingsithe sus iciom which he
fellnnder, with severalo his countrymenct.
as having acted an inimica] art agaisifl
America, by aid'mg and abettmg thessChc
rokees in their late hostile coriduct, apd de
siring his Excellency and the Council would
make inquiry into the same, as ; prepa
ratory step either to his acquittal or con
dign 4Funishment, the hoard accordingly
consi ered the several dcpofitinns tranl
mitted by col. Christian to the Govemcur,
and which had been laid before the Qene
ral Assembly, and moreover examined
col. William Russell, major Evan Shelby,
and lsaac Thomctas, upon each, and, upon
the whole matter, are osopinion, that
capt. Guest isa friend to his country, and
was acting in that character most effectu
ally when he was su spected ofcncouxaging
the lndians hoffilities.
(4 copy)
Axcnn ALD BLAn, clerk.
in GE-NERAL ASSEMBLY,
Tnvuont, Dec. 19. 1776.
ESOLVED, that if anypc-rson with
in this commonwealth {hall purchase
more salt imported, or to be imported,
into the same, than he hath occasion of
for the use of his samiiy for one year, and
shall refuse to sell the surplus, or demand '
a greater price than will be sufficient to
reimburse him the first cost, on the pur
chase from the importer, and chargcs,
and 15 per centum loss of measure, every
person so offending shall be held and deem
ed an enemy to this state.
A. CARY, Speaker of the Senate.
E. PENDLETON, Speaker of the ll. D.
InquzuL Anunm, Dcc 13, 1776.
I ESOL YED, nam'd: contradutztc,
that it be earnestly recommended "
lucn of the inhabitants ofthe several coun-'
ties as are able that they immediately enter
into associatious, obligingtbemsclvm mile
that all those .who cxcrz their ownindult
in a proper manner shall be comfortably
supported and maintained during the ah
sence of their 'hush-mds, parents, or chil
drcn; and as an encouragemenf m such o? .
the nsicilicia under the like circumstances,
as shall either enter as volunteerl or be
draughted when called for, to lie ) forth
with becoming alacrity and resolution '
"m defence of the just right: and liberties of
their codntry, at so important and alarm
ing a crisis, it is farther resolved, that. the
same eghortation be given to such assoc'i
ate: to extend their equal care and atten
tion to them and their familiu. And th?!
Assembly doth give thi: public]; assurance
to an soldiers ot'ever denominatinn, and
all sailors, entering mio public]; service,
and who shall hehat e themselves well , that
no endeavours of their: shall be wanting
to make every thing as cbnvenicnc nnd
comformble to- them as their (tation may
entitlc them 10, and the circumstances o
the countrv will admit of. ' '
Ke/blved , that it be recommended to tho'
Guvernour, that he will be pleased, with 4
the advice of his Council, to direct that
immediate and ample rovifion be made
for the comsotsituble sub tstence and accept
modat'ton, as wefl in sicknesp as in health,
of such soldiers and sailors :: are already
engaged, or- may hereafter enlist into the
service of this commonwenlth.
, A. CARY, Speaker of the Senatc.
E. PENDLETON, Speakerosthe H. D.
Auactfor the pumZ/bment ofCER TAIN
'OFFENCES. , . "
- \ 1 7HEREAS, in the present time ossf
ct danger, the safety of the pecidyle
more especially require: that all per one
who' are sq wicked as to devise thess des—
truction of gaod government, or. to us)
sh'uct the operatitm of the laws. should
suffer punishmcnt suitable to their crime: :
BE it theressfbre moded by the Generale A con
bLy of the commnnmalthoj Virginia, ' Jt'lf
ssany person resid'ing or being within. this
cnmmnnwealth shall, from aid after the
'pnhlication hereof, by anylrord; -open
deed, or act, advisedly and willi'ss ] mun
ta'm and defend the authority,. sun 'lctiob.
ov- power, of the king dr parliament of
Great Britain, bbretosnre claimcd' Mu
'ercised within th'u colcuy. 'or shall ami
hute any such authority, jurisdiction, of
power, to the king or parliamem cl'
Great Britain, the person so ossending,
being- lcgallv convicte'd thereof, shall be
punished with fine and imprisoxement, to
be ascertaincd by a ju'ry, so that the fine
exceed not the sum of twenty thousand
pounds, nor the imprisonment the term of
five vears.
AND be itfarther enacted. by the autho- _
rity asoreficid, that any person who shall
maliciouflyfl hnd advisedly endeavour to
excite' the people to resist the government
of this common wealth as by law established ,
or persuadethem toreturn to a dependencc
upon the crown of Great Britain, or who
shall malicioufly and ;;dviscdly. excite or
raise tumult.: and' disorders in the state,
or who (11 1" malicinuilv and adesedly ter
risy and discourage the people si'om enfictst- '
ing into the service osthe commonweakh,
or (lispose them to s.vour the ensimy,
every-pcrson so oflemsmr. and being there
oslegullyconvicted, sh all be punished with
fine and imprishnmer'sit us wsoreshid.
AND be it farther suffctsd, that all mer
chants, trudera, and other:; who shcu