The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-07-19 00:00:00, page 1

]ULxsir9, 1776. T " E
si NUMBER 77.
VIRGINIA
7
,.—
ALWAYS ron LIBERTY.
m" u ; ;ss
! ON Mr. -
High HEAVEN to GRACIOUS ENDS direct: t/zc SsORLl!
Extract of:: letssterj'rom his Excellency Major—
General Lz 5, to the Hem. ED )! U N o
PEN D LETO N , esq; Prestdent ([the Con
vention, dated Chctrlcstown, sum 29,
1776.
ESTERDAY, about 11 o'clock, the
Y enemy's squadron, consistiug usuuc
50 and one 40 gun ship, and six trigatco,
came to anchor before fort Suilivan, and
began one of the most furious caunonadel
I ever heard or saw. Their project wa
appareutly, at thesamctimc, tolund their
trump: on the eastcnd ofthc'lshmd . Twice
they attcmp_ted it, anc! as often were gal—
lantly repuued. 'L'ne nnps conunucu tnexr
fire on the fort till 11 at night. The
behaviour of the garrison, both men and
officers, with col. Moutrie at their head,
I Cuni'ess, astonished me. It was brave to
the salt degree. ( had no idea that so
much coolness and intrepidity could be
displayed, by a collection ofraw recruits,
as l was witness of in this garrison. Had
we been better supplied with ammunition,
it. is most probable this squadron would
have been utterly destroyed. However,
they have no reason to triumph. One of
their Frigates is now in flames; another lost
her boltsprit. The commodore and 2 40
gun ship had their mizzens shot away, and
are otherwise much damagcd. ln short,
they may be said, in this their first essay on
Sooth Carohna, to have been wm'sted;
but, I presume, they will make another
attempt.
Our loss is to killed and 22 wounded, 7
oF whom h—ive lust their lcg's or arms.
'l'hc defences of the sort have received no
injury; only one gun dismounted. ]
flull write, when the affair is finished, a
em-nsie accuratcrelation to your Convention,
and to the Congress. ln the mean time,
] (link it hutjultice to pu'nhsh the merits
uict Cu'l. Montrie and his brave garrison.
C-zhnel 'l'hnmpsun, ofthe South Carulina
ranszrrs, acquittecl himself must nobly in
rep-ctiiiing the troops who attempted to
land at the other end Of the ifland. ]
know not which corps ! have the greatest
reason to be pieased with, Muhlenburg's
Virginiuns, or the North Caruhnzi troops;
they are both equally alcrt, zealous, nnd
ssi'ss'ned.
] Shall not write to the Congress till the
0per:xtiuns us the enemy are brought to
s:1ss'.-1:—:'hing more like a liCCiisslOfl. lt )ou,
slrss think this short relatiun ui'importunce
s. ficient, vou will of course trsitnsmit it.
The srightc that was on fire is this mo
ment blou it up.
_______.____....._._ssss
L () N ]) U N, March 29.
A N evening paper of last night says:
jsi ()sin us the prm'ision :Lrticlc of hogs
];udv sent to Bulion, wc c-m assure thc
pu'dlck, !hnt, what from discuscs, &c.
onlv fctmr hog: were landed, which, after
Pninyss every cxpcnsc, flood government
in the very moderate sum of llool. per
llUssss', the four crout. srum similar circum
stancu, cost them 7ool.---(_)_}1-:rc, is an
arnu r-ss'opwmen, atshcdishmcc osȝooo
1n':h—.- . urc to he scd at this expcnse (allow
insisi- them to be Victsol'ifllh) is it not paying
too dcsin' for such a conqucst?
Colonel St. Paul is appointed minister
plenipotemiary to the court of France.
Ordcrs arc said to be given from the
War—oflice, and also from the victualling
office, to stop all proviliou: from being
put on board the cranspurt ships, and for
the soldiers lying at Portsmuuth, _Chat—
ham, &c. from embarkinsir, and to siup
all other proceedings for 20 days.
Ycstcrdsizy morning four waggctons laden
With mOney were sent off from the Bsimk,
'undcr a proper escort, to Portsmoulh,
for the paymcnt of his majcliy's ships
and the cransports lying there bound to
Amcrica.
lVlusCsl 30. l'sCVIOUl to [ne ucpatturc
of the forcign mercenaries to America,
the sums siipulated for their hire and pay
are to be advanced by Great Britain,
The prince of Waldcck, and several of
the German princes who have engaged to
surnilh troops, are expected in England.
These princes have a juster notiun of the
finances of England than to permit their
subjects to embark before they are paid for
their hire.
lt is altonishing how any man could even
dream of sending 'cavalry to America.
Only let us For a moment conCcive a dra
goon with his bngs, his bucket, his boots,
his bells, his havresuck, his cloak, his
cantine, his hroadsword, and his carbine,
galloping round a tree to catch a i'ifleman
or an lndian! ltis & cmvcatching a hare.
The idea is laughable, is the consequence:
were not sei'iuus.
Nutwithstnnding the pneisick notion of
the Spaniards, as we have been hitherto
amuscd with, we are crcdibly informed
they have been a long time- both rccruiting
their inssimtry and mm'iue ; that they have
no less than four furmidable camps at pre—
sent forming, the principal of which is
not far srom the lines of Gibnltar; and
that there it in every department, both
civil and military, a great alaerity sor war.
Housz of COMMONS, A'pril :. Mr.
Hartly, member for Kingston upon Hul],
rose a little :lssel' 4, and in an introductory
speech, which lasted till near 6 o'chick,
went through the management of the
Amerieau war in all the departments of
the army and navy, and endeavioulred' to
show that the expenle tnr excceoeu wnzu;
had been stated the House by administrati
on; that the supplies voted'would prove
inadequate; that the eltimutes fell short as
they had been laid before the House; and
that the real charge osthe war for the cur
rent year remained unprovided shr. He
therefore moved, that a full and clear ac
count of the tom] expensc for the navy and
army shou1d be laid before the House, and
he thought it would he found to zmount to
12 milliuus. This is the best information
We could collcct, and we hope it in sub
stance the meaning of the motion; but
the gallcry doors, as usual, were lock
cd . _
April 13. General Bm-gnync carried
With him 1203 liat—hottmned boats, all
ready sramed , to carry his army across the
lakos, tn penetrate into the back icttle
ments os New England.
Extract of a'lctter from Madrid , psarch 17.
" Our court seems to have quite giveth
up the proposed attempt nfa second expe
ditiun against Algiers; All the preparati
ons for that cxpcdition have now another
destilation, and are said [O beintendcd to
watch over our settlcmcnts in America;
as the war bethen England and its cold"
niesrendcrs imecessary for all powers, who
have any settlemcnts in those parts, to
put them in so securc a litunion that the
may be in no danger of suffering from chcsi
abovc—mcutioned disputeiss-L" * '_
Extract ofa letter from Bristul, Apri! l'g;
" 1 lus molsinzng arrived here the lsihbcr
nia, Kncthcil, from Corkc, who sailed
from thence the 9th instdnt, and informs
that the men of war, with upwards of 42
sail of transports under their convey, sailed
the 8th from the Cove; and at the wind
blew fresh at N. E. and continued so for
many days, it is imagined they must he
got quite clear. The 's.\l'tur, capt. ]{us
sell, nnd the Friendly 'l'rader, with seve
ral voluntecrs on board, stilcd from this
place for Corkc and Amenca." '
Ajzril 16. Letter! srmn S'ockholm sid—
visc', that the great activiky shcwn in put
tingthc army, fleet, and sortresses, in the
best flute of defence, causes much talk;
which, added to the like acthitv in the
Prusiian ports, make some think all things
are not right between the two powcrs.
Time, however, willdearupthisi man;.r.
Letter: from VVars-xw advisi , that the
journey of prince Henry of Prussm to Pe
tcrshurg is looked upon to relate to the
assairs of other nations beside! "those of
Poland.
The Spuniards are augmcnting every
garrsizson of the least consequence in the
Straits. At Barcelona, un entire new
battery is raised of 18 pounders, al]_brass.
Some new rcgulntions are to be made
in the navnldepartmcnts, for which orders
are sent to the commiffioners of the several
cloekyards to attend the admirulty board
the zd os next month.
April 19. Yesterduy an express arrived
at lord Germain's office from Govcmour
Tryou at New York. which was immedi—
ately sent to the king at Buckingham
House.
Ycsterday private letters were received
at Northumberland Housh from lord Pcrcy
at Boshȝn, which were brought by way of
New York.
'l'hc last French mail brought certain
accounts that there was a fleet cquippcd
at 'l'uulon, and ready to put to sea upon _
three days notice, consilshlg of 12 ships of
the line of-sibattlc, 3 srigatcz, . and a bomb.
The two French ships which she Dick—
cnson saw up the river Delaware, with
ammunition snr Philadclphia, were both
under French colours.
Extract ofa lutterfisiom Cns-ssmrc, Apri! 15'.
" Since my last arrived at Spithead ten
transports, to take on board the.- Guards
&c. going to Amcrica.
" lssl'n mujesty'z ship Garland is put into
commifflon at this part, and the com
mand given to capt. Pearson, and is Ot
dcred to sit for Amcrica."