The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1779-06-26 00:00:00, page 2

FISHKILL,]uNzlo.
LA 8 1" Tuesdzy night, six shvctu came to King'- ferry; the enemy
have advanced nbout two miles from the smy, and are fortifyin
:: nony Point. on the wed sidc'of the river :nd hue occupied the .
from Haveritraw to the forefl of Dan; they have advanced on (he cast
side within about two mile: of Peeh Kill, lad are cutting timber for
black housu. " General Wzshlngton with hid army on the wed, and the\
troops on the east side of the river, m so pofied. and the smiten ac Well
point being well provided for defence, we have reason w box: 'I favourable
'ssue, if the enemy should make an ztccmpt to force the ye no du ligh
hndl. The enemy'o force arc 54-00 men. ,
PHILA-DELPHlA, JUN! to.
Extract of : letter flow Port au Prince, dated Me} 16. 1779.
HE French are making great captureo, and daily bringing then to
\ this and other port: in the ifland. A few daya since arrived the
Prudent and Mive frigatee. with 7 prizee, one of 30 sum. one of so
gone; seyeral b ' and a floop. I presume they will shortly deprive hese
tflanden of all t eir 'eruizert. They take many vessel: of equaxssqnd
superiour "soiee, being well manncd. ] lately saw an action near St.
Bzirtholomew between ; French frigatea and 5 British; they fought but
a short time, the latter bearing away, the French fiigatet did not give
chase, havin a number of prize: with them. We learn that Count
d'Eshign it in at Martinique, and Admiral Byron_at St. Lucia, and
that the land as well aa manne force: at St. Lupia drop offy fall.
" Mrs abroad strike adamp on our enemiee, and we thin the war
will not be of ver long eontinuanee. Ameriea will seeme her tradeand
independenee. he inhabitaate in the British iflanda are shining for
want of bread. ! have met with several Gentlemen lately from ]amaiea,
who informs me they get no suppliee, and they wish heartily to eonciliate
measures with America; but it is now too late, the current of vengeance
it turned upon the head of the destroy". The people of this ifland
have a great affection for Amerieam, and with You yerseveranu- Mly
God grant success to your arms."
Fame la. On Wednefday last arrived in this port, the schooner
Humming Bird, late matter. Thia vessel was bound from the
4 Eastern Shore of Virginia, for the island of Santa Croix, laden with so
hogsheads os tobaeeo; and in lat. 36, ao, long. 73, 19, she fell a prey
do me floop Bayard, of ten carriage um, Benedict Bym, commander,
! rivateer belonging to ]onathan Ei xek and Thomas Favian of New
ork, but wa : retaken the Kth inflant near Cape May, b the General
Green armed ship, in the service of thit (tate, comman ed by ]amea
Plants , Esquire. And on Thursday came up the brigantine lm
— rtinent, o ten eartiage gone, 4 pounderl, aa fwivele, and szmen, ]uob
chew, eoenmanderdate belongingto New Yotk, were also taken by
Carain Montgomety. .
- nan from the southward came in last ev enin (known at a on
of eharafier by the Honourable Mr. ]eniser) who fivet near Charl own,
Sooth Carolinasifiy- the royal army, 7'oooin number, with good Tosies
included, nue the town, were reputed, returned to the charge, and
' got so near ae eo bayonet with the garrison; when in the time of
need, General Lincoln videntially arrived, and falling on their seat.
entisely defeated the ' lntt; th? broke, and fled in small partiea,
leaving taoo behind them. The oriea declined affifling in the assault
made by the British force..
Furu. YeKerday arrived here the yriute ship of war Pale, of
Livetpool, late commanded by Capt. ]ohn Maddoek. Thin vessel which
lnotmu :; carriage gone, 6 and 9 pounden, sailed from New York on
the Gth inlant to crowe 4 month: on our eoalt, and then proceeded for
- ]amaiea to lade sugan, chased and overtaken four dayt after !: the Button,
I frigateof the United State" the Captain of the Po e surren ered without
Sting a , the Considency, of 36 gone." another Ameriean srigate.
being a mlea ten:. She has no barrel. of salted provisiom.
Extrcctfim'hrd George Gosdon'tputb in the Briujb Hufl JComm.
' The distresee of the people at home, and the neglect of their possession;
thread, are heeomin every day more apparent and intolerable, which
render it imposible me it one of their entatim, either to
mnpliment hie MajeKy, or ap me of hie eondu in such eireumftancee.
indeed Mr. Speaker, w camp in" his Maiefly on hie present fituation.
would tend much mon, in my opinion, to illustrate the servility of the
House of Commom, than to exemplify to the world any hleflinga of hit
government. '
- Would hi- Common: eongntulate him on hie drawn battle at seat
.Would they eon atulate him on hie retreat by land? Will the com
iment him on e third er of the independenoe of the United men?
ill they thanh-hin foa- honoura end emolmuente he his heaped upon
hit nvouritea during the coude of the summer; particularly on the
noble Lord with the blue ribend [tight homirable Lord North] the
oshnsible minister at thedismembcrmeut of the empiret Will Gentlemen
rejoice and be glad at this fresh proof hie Mnjeity has given ut in his
! ch ot hie gracious intention to carry on the war in Ameriea? Will
t ey deeme their rendinese w impose more but on their conflituenctut
And will they answer to hia Majesty, for the people paying them without
: molt at home?
] mention the polfibility of : revolt at home, because our eonstituenta
have borne much alreadss'z they have been patient and of long-suffering.
They have felt : du impofition of t'am till they have become an
intolerable oppr ton; th have seen the revenue: of the kingdom Iavish
ed in penfiom to the too exceptionable eharaflera. They have seen
their trade with America cut off; and they have had : luceessful example
of their fellow {u 'eae molting from the expensive government of Eng
land, to the in of 7a wile and virtuous Congresa. '
All these heavy calamities, with many more, which it would he tedious
to enumerate, have been brought upon this country since the accefflon of
the present King; which make me of opinion, that it is not now a
per time to applaud his wisdom, or sup rt hit Counsellon.
Much hat been said of his Majesiy'l ounsellors. I have opposed
them'in Parliament with great constancy and flm'mess. and entertain as
had an opinion of their public]: ca acity aa any Gentleman on this side
of the House does. But they are 'l Majesty't chosen servauta, whom
ssfiefllk been colleaing from the diferectut pasha ever since hil aceeshm
Men.? -_ sumc, zfm his own heart.
h' :: - --—_ - that the enemy have been rgpulsed with confidenlzltlosn, si
' on Fon Clinton. at West Point, on liudson river. -
greacdamagem
thepnfl'zgeofthcnm- -
WILLLAMSBWG, jane 26.
Extract qu letter fmn Col. George R. Clarke. to bi: Excelleaq th
Cavernous, dom! Kaikalkias (llinois) lpfl'lzysi. 1779.
FEW days ago ] received certain inteili nee of William Moiua
dy exprese-to you being killed, near the all: of the Chin, an (vent
mity ' agreeable to me, aa ! fear many of my letten nill fall inwthe
hande of the enemy at Detroit. ] do not doubt but before the receiPt hf
this, you will have heard ot'lny late enterprise againn Governout Hantlton
at poit St. Vineenta. That Gentleman. with a body tis 6oomen, whitee
and lndiam, possessed himself of that pol on the ! th of Deoetnhae His,
repaired the fortiheatioas for a eepolitary, and in spring intended to
attack thia place, which he made no doubt of carrying, ,and wherehe
wa- to be ioinedby aoo ladiaae inn Michileinachmac. and zdoxhe
token, Chiekasawe. and other nations. With thie bed he '3' to
penetrate it the Ohio to Fofsst Pitt, s 'ng Kentucka in ie'progrese
(having lig t brase eannon for the purpo e) and at he one to be joined
on the way by all the Indiam that could he got to him, he' was very
sanguine it seem: efforeing all We]! Angulta. This apedition he
ordered by the eommander in ehiefot' Canada; dish-nction seemed to hov'er
over ua fromevery quarter; detached attiel of the enem daily ed
in our neighbourhood, but wete a id to attack. ordensssiu"
Bowman to evacuate the fort at the Cohoot, and join me innedictate y,
which he did. Havinv not received aftngle line from you for neatgwelve
months, ! .could see hot little probability of k 'ng posseflion osrhe
country. At my number of men was too small to and a seige, and tii
fituation too remote to call for affiflance, I_ made all, the reparatione'
poffihly could for the attack, and was necesfitated to set to some of
the houses in town to clear them out of the way; but in the height of" the
hutry, a Spanish merchant who had been at St. Vincents, arhved with
intelligence that'Mr. Hamilton had weakened himself by sendt'nss hie
lndians againsi the tsirontiers, and to black up the Ohisio; that he ha not
more than So men in garrison, with three iecet of cannon and some
swive]: mounted; that he intended to attacE this place as soon a's' t e
winter opened, and made no doubt of cleariog the Wesiem waters, __y
the fall. In this situation of thing:, I came to the resolution of attacking
him before he could have time to collect hie lndiant again. ! wan
sensihie that the resizlution was as despesatc as was my sttuation, bttt !
saw no other probability of se:uring the country. ! immediately desy'at'ehed
a small galle which ! had fitted up, mounting : four poundert and {one
swivelc, wit a company of men and necessary (tore: on board, ,.yiith
orders to force her way it possible, and Ration herself a few milee he!.
the enemy, to suffee' nothing to pass her, and wait for further orders.
In the mean time, ! marched acrofn the country with 130 men,"]usg'
being all that ! could raise, after leaving this place garrifoned hy'the
militia; the inhabitante of the countz behaved exceedin ly Fell;
number: of young men turned out on e expedition, and al the (est;
emhodied themselvet to guard the different towne. I marched the 7th
of February; notwithflarsding the smallnese of my corpt, ! vaa kept [6
days on the route. T he inclemency of the season, high wateter &c.
seemed to threaten the lose of the exspedition; when within 3
the memy, it took ut ; days to ero t the drowned lands of the wawbath,
hein for upward: of : Ieaguea, often up to our breast- in water. Had
not t e weather been warm, we must have perishcd. On the evening of
the'azd. we got on dry land, in sight of the enemy, and at 7 o'cloek
made the attack before they knew a-tst'y thing of ue. The tuwn imme
diately surrendered with joy, and tlted in the siege. There wal'a
continue] fire on both (idea for " houre : ! had no exyefitation of gaining
the fort till the arrival of my aktillery. . The moon setting about : o'clocit,
! had an entrenchment thrown up within rifle that of their Rrongesi battery.
and poured such thewes: of well directed balls into their parte, that ye
filenced : pieces of elnnon in :; minute: without getting : man'hurt.
Governour Hamilton and myself had the foilowingday several eonfereneee,
but nothing was concluded till the evenin , when he agreed to furtender
the arrison prisoners of war, in the who e 79, with considerahle Roree.
l ha only one man wounded. indeed the smallnesl of my number made
it necessary to spare them by every precaution. The enemy had 7 hadly
wounded through the ports. ln the highest of the action an Indiad pai-ty
that had been at war and taken two prisoners, came in, having head
nothing of na. The moment] had notice of it, ] senta party tb give th
battle in the common, and got , of them with their a prisonere, w o
proved to be Frenchmen. _ , . . _
Being informed that a convey of provisions and goods wat on their
way from Detmit, ! desyatched a party of 60 men in armed boats, weil
mounted with swivelt, to intercept them before they should recicve any
intelligence of us. They me' the convoy 40 leagues up the.:iver, and
made prize of the whole, confining of 40 Prisonert and about to,oooi.
worth of provisions and goode, with the mat] from Canada to Governour
Hamilton; but what crown:d the joy of every person, evaa the safe
arrival of the expresi with your letters, which gave every satisfaction you
could have desired. Having more prisoners than ! knew what to do With,
! wae necessitatcd th disch 'l'ge the greateR part of them on parole. Me.
Hamilton, hie principal officers, and a few soldiera. ! have sent utidea'
eonvoy os Clpt. Williams, to Kentucka, in order to be eonductedlto
Williamshurg. After drspatching the express with letters to you, t (
with the neighbouring ]ndiane, &c. I returned to this place, lenviposi' I
sufficient gartison at St. Vincentt During my absence, Ctpt. Robert
George, who commanda the company formerly Cape. Willing'a.)ad
arrived from New Orleans, which added greatly to our stren th. &
reat satiesaction to the inhabitants to be acquainted with ! e pr
{hat was given them ; and the alliance with France has entirely devoted
them to the American arms. ' -
Lafi Sunday morning Capmin Richard Servant of Ham ", in the
bon Partict', with 4. swive]: and 6 mulkccs from the Wefl ' iming