The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-07-26 00:00:00, page 2

Nah s W X DGR, ¢ Juby 8.
ASLOOP of 12 fix-pounders, belonging
- X 1o the fleet from Halifax, lying in
the Kills, near mr. Decker’s ferry, was
almoit torn to pieces lalt Wednesday
morning, by a party under the command
of general Herd, from the opposite shore,
with two 18 pounders. The crew soon
abandoned the sloop, and we suppose she
is rendered entirely unfit for any farther
service.
‘The number of Highlanderslately taken
prisoners, in the different veflels from
Scotland, amounts to about 750.
Yelterday seven seamen belonging to
the Killing{worth transport, of 720 tuns,
were brought to town from Long lfland,
having deserted the ship the night before,
They fay the number of {uldiers with the
fleet is abouat 8500, who are all encamped;
and that many o? the seamen intended to
desert the fleet, when an opportunity
presented. ;
Lalt Wednesday night the captain of a
transport, andfourof his men, were taken
at the Narrows, and brought to town.
They were looking for a boat that had
gone adrift, and going too near the shore
were taken by the riflemen.. !
Since our lalt several of the new raised
regiments of Conneéticat troops 'have
arrived in town, and appear to be as fine
a body of men as any engaged in the pre
sent grand struggle for liberty and inde
pendence. Among them the light dra
goons, between § and 600, who came to
town yesterday, and piraded on horseback
through the city, made a noble and mar
tial appearance ; and as this corps is com -
posed of the substantial yeomanry of a vir
tuous filter {tate, nothing could be more
doreeable or animating to all true friends
of their country. Some of these worthy
{oldiers aflifted, in their present uniforms,
at the firft reduction of Louifbourg, and
their ¢¢ lank lean cheeks, and war-worn
coats,” are viewed with more veneration
by their honest countrymen than if they
were glirtering Nabobs from india, or
Bafhaws with nine tails,
TRENT ON, Fuly 8.
THE DECLARATION ot INDEPEN
~ DENCE was this day proclaimed
here, together with the new conltitution
of the colony of late eftablithed, and the
resolve of the Provincial Congress for con
tinuing the administration of justice during
the interim.
The members of the Provincial Congress,
the gentlenien of the committee, the offi
cers and privates of the militia under arms,
and a large concourse of the inhabitants,
attended on this great and solemn occasi
on. The declaration, and other proceed
ings, werereceived with loud acclamations.
U'he people are now convinced, of what
we ought long since to have known, that
‘our enemies have left us no middle way
between perject freedom and abject slavery.
ln the field, we hope, as well asin coun
cil, tbe inhabitants of New Jersey will be
found ever ready to support the freedom
and independence of America.
from all allegiance to the British crown,
and that all political connexion between
them and the state of Great Britain is,
and ought to be, totally dissolved; and
that, as FREE and INDEPENDENT
STATES, they have full power to levy
war, conclude peace, contract alliances,
establish commerce, and to do all other
acts and things which INDEPENDENT
STATES may of right do. And for the
support of this declaration, with a firm
reliance on the protection of Divine Pro
vidence, we mutually pledge to each
other our lives, our fortunes, and our sa
cred honour.
Signed by order and in behalf of the Congress.
JOHN HANCOCK, president.
Attest,
CHARLES THOMSON. secretary.
* Lord Clare, in the House of Commons,
declared, that a pepper corn, in acknow.
ledgment of Britain’s right to tax .dmerica,
was of more importance than millions without
it, ‘
‘ - Fuly 6.
‘‘ On Saturday last the brig Nancy,
capt. Montgomery, of Wilmington, load
ed on Congress account, with 400 barrels
of powder, 5o or 6o small arms, dry
goods, 101 hogsheads of rum, and 62
hogsheads of sugar, wasdrove on shore by
the Kingfither, at Cape May. The brig
had f{ix three-pounders mounted, with
which, at one time, they beat off the
boats, and one of their tenders; after
which, being aflifted by captains Barry
and Weeks, they got out of her in afog
62 firelocks, 269 barrels of powder, and
some dry goods; but the fog clearing
away, the ships came within shot, and
sent five barges full of men, when the
brig’s people, finding they could not hold
her, started about 140 casks of powder in
the cabin, and solb. in the mainfiil, in
which they wrapped some fire, with an
intent to communicate to the powder, and
then quitted her. One or two of the men
of war’s boats soon boarded her, one was
close under her stern, and others very near
her. Those en board had given three
cheers, and fired their arms at our people,
when the fire took effect on the powder,
and sent 30 or 40 of them, as is supposed,
into the air, some of them 30 or 40 yards
high, who soon returned to the water,
unable to tell who hurt them. They have
taken up 11 bodies, two laced hats; aleg
with a white {patterdafh, both supposed
to belong to officers. The water was
covered with heads, legs, arms, entrails,
&c. and one of the boats was towed off
much shattered, with only fix men. Thus
did they huzza for a Scotcth prize. Some
of our people had got one or two small
cannon on shore, with which they fired
at the boats boarding the brig; the men
of war returned the fire, and killed the
brother ‘of capt. Weekes, who was 3d
lieuterant of the Reprisal, and wounded a
boy in the thigh.”
A general jail delivery to debtors took
place yesterday. One of the firft fruits of
independence-----the opprefled are set
free.
Yesterday came to town cap. Robert
Campbcll, late from Antigua, where he
had been for many months wrongfully im
prisoned, cruelly used, and his velfel (taken
last fall by the minifteral pirates) illegally
condemned, without any colour of law,
or juflice. &S "%
On Wednesday last the DECLARA
TIONof INDEPENDENCE was read
at the head eof each brigade .of the conti
nental army posted at and near New York,
and every where received with loud huzzas
and the utmost demonstrations of joy.
"The fame evening the equestrian statue
of George 111. which ‘T'ory pride and folly
raised in the year 1770, was, by the sons
of freedom, laid prostrate in the dirt, the
Just desert of an ungrateful tyrant! The
lead wherewith this monument was made
is to be run into bullets, to aflimilate with
the brain of our infatuated adversaries, who
to gaina pepper corn have loft an empire ¥,
Ruos deus vult perdere prius dementat . ;
A gentleman, who was present at this
on.iious fall of leaden majefly, looking
back to the original’s hopeful beginning,
pertinently exclaimed, in the language of
the angel to Lucifer, ** If thou be’it he !
but ah, how fallen! how chang’d!” :
A large number of Tories in Monmouth
county, New Jersey, having taken up arms
on purpose to assist the minifterizl army on
theirarrivalin that province, have encamp
ed in a clear swamp near that place. A
detachment of col. Mills’s battalion are or
dered to disperse and disarm them.
Extract of a letter from Philadelphia. dated
WILLLAMSBUR G, %l o
YES‘I‘ERDAY’ afternoon, agrecable 1
an order of thie Hon. Privy Coundl
the DECLARATION of INDEPEN
DENCE was solemnly proclaimed at ihe
Capitol, the Courthouse, aund the Palace
amidst the acclamations of the people
accompanied by suing of cannon and nus
ketry, the several regiments of contirent
troops having been paraded on that folem
nity. ‘ ;
Kd vicesfrom Charleftown, whicharrive
here by express, fay, that the Cheroke
Indians have committed several outragei
which seems to be only a part of the cap:
tal and favourite plan laid down hy
most excellent and clement majefly, George
the third, to lay walte the provinces, bu
the habitations, and mix men, wome
and children, in cne common carnage, b
the hands of those merciless savages. Itk
to be hoped, however, that our frontid
riflemen, joined to those of the Caroliva .
will be able, before long, to strike fomt
blow that may intimidate the numerou
tribes of Indiaus from falling into the mea
fures of the tyrant, and make a fereig
lasting, and salutary example, of the tred
cherous Cherokees .---By the fame tXPrﬁf
we learn that the army and squadron unde ]
Clinton and Parker have remained tolerai) |
quiet since their late drubbing ; bllt_d‘“l |
make some alteration in the difpofitionol
the land forces, from oneifland to another
probably for the fuke of water, of whi
deserters fay they are in great w.:mt,.asilH
that considerable sickness prevails amorg
them, and great discontents, from h?_’
duty and bad diet. The deserters likew
fay, that was not the army on an lﬂa'{
from which it is diflicult to escape, "i
thirds of them, they are confident, WOu'S
soon be with general Lee.---An ”fﬁ“‘?
diftin&ion writes, ¢¢ that when he con
‘¢ ders the 'difficulties which the enem)?
PHILADELPHIA, 7211 y 1
Extract of aletter from the Wyt lndiei
BY a Bristol paper of May 4th, i(i
the foreign troops are Grdered ¢, fj
with the fleet, and lord Howe took leay
and set out frem court on the 24 of My
to take the command of them. Jyj l}%
uncertain about the commiflioners, but
the 3oth of April it was said a Commiffiy
was making out to appoint five, Loy
and general Howe, and mr. Cornwaiﬁ,
are three of them, the other two unc'eii
tain; but some mention governoyy Poy
nall, and one mr. Mills, to be them, The
are to receive your fubmiflions, and gry
pardons, but not till you have Jaid doﬁi
your arms. [ hope you will submit, gy,
ought to do. I make no doubt but Jou uj
be pardoned for it.
‘* General Burgoyne is to commang;
Quebeck, gencral Howe at New Yol
and general Clinton to the fouthwar
lord Howe to command the whole, T
queen has brought another princess to g
nation! The dutchefs of Kingston has iy
her trial, and found guilty; bat pleade
the bencfit of clergy, and got off. S
has f{ince fled over to France, 1o avoid
writ of Ne exeat regnum.”
The night before last mzjor Rogeri
made his escape from this city.
Thepapcrsbroughtbylaﬂuin}n’sé
polt mention, that the Hon. (‘s.:)ntrre?’
requested the government of'Ma{chﬁ:r .
Bay to raise 1500 men, and {engd the, c'[‘
New York immgediately ; and that ,on
nour Franklin, after having been l)ge;?l'
ed to governour Trumbull, was COMW
ed to Wallingford, there to be itati(;:&
‘on account of his having been very oﬂicd
ous to the British minifiry.
Extract of aletter from Philadelphis, g,
Fuly 9. .
¢¢ Capt. Martin, in a brig from...__ .
arrived en the coast. He had on board’u
tuns of powder, and 460 {tand of army ;ﬂ
which are fafely landed.”’ 2