The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-03-22 00:00:00, page 1

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MAncnsizz, 1776- ' 1- 1: 1": -- " " " NUMBERsi6w
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_siAl.WAY8 FOR L I B EssR T Y, _ AND THE PUBIJCK GOQKp
, . . ,ss ) _, _A si- _ sit},
A L E X A N D E R P U R D ] E; PRKNT'TB}. ' " _ .,nctssct-ssm si
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Wl L L ! A M s B U R-G, March sizsiz.
' Copy ofa letterfi-om cal. Richard Caswell,
to Cornelius Hornctt, csq; jn-csidmt of
the PravincialCozmcilof North Curuhna,
_' dsssiedmmpatLongCu-ek, Fcb. 29, 1-776.
Hn VE the pleasure to acquaint Nthat
we had an engztgcment with the ories
at Moore'screek bridge on the 27: hiusian; .
Our army was about [000 strong, consist—
hrg of the Ncubern buttalion us minute
mcn, the militia from Cruven, juhnston,
Dubbs, and Wake, and a detachtncnt
ossfsithc VVilmingtbn battuhon of minute
men, which we sound encampcd at
Moore's crcek the night before the battle,
Under the command of col. Lillington.
The Tories, ssby\c0mmon report, were
gooo strong; bu general Msiudunuld,
whom we have prisoner, ssizys they
nmounted only to bout 15 or tfico. llc
Was unwellthat day and uotin the action.
Capc. Maclcod, w () seemed to be the
prin'cipal aptmnandir, with cnpt. john
(;umpbcll, arc amc ng the shin. The
number killed, am] mortally wounded,
_fi'_0m. the best accnufits I have been able
'to collect, is about 30, most of whom
Werectshot. on their passing the bridge.
' Several fell in the vvgarer, some of whom
I am certain had not risen yesterday even
ing, when liest thc(camp. duch prison
ers as we have made say, there were at
leastj'o of their men misiing. 'l'he Turiez
were totally put to the rout, and will cer
tainly dispersc. Cul. Moore arrived at
the camp a few hours after the engage
ment was over. His troops came up t]
evening, and are now encar'nped on the
ground where the battic was sought; and
to]. Msilrtin is siat- or near Cross Creek,
with a large body of men. These, [pre
sume, will be sufficient to put an effectual
flrop to any farther atteuuzts of the Tunica
to embody asssslin. I therefcsrsie, V,h coi.
Moore's conYent, am l'elurninyto New
bem with the troops under my command,
where ] hope to receive your orders to
disinisis. Iintem] bringing the general with
me; but should the Council rise before my
arrival, he pleased to give orders in what
manner he shall be disposed us. Our offi—
Fcrs and men behaved with the spirit and
unrepuuty becoming- l-ssreemen, cnntc—ndjng
for their dearest privileges. ] have the
honour, &c. R. (MSWELL.
List ofriflc guns, and other articlcs ul
r'endy taken from the Highlandcrs and re
gulators, viz. 1500 rillc guns, ailofthem
excellent pieces; two medicine chcsts,
immediately frgm England, one of them
Vplued fit 3001. sterling; one box, con
taininghalfsijuhannesscs and English guineas,
discovered by :! nch'o sccrcted in & stable
atCross Crcek; 13 waggons, with compkte
sets oshorses; 850 common suldiers taken
prisoners, disurmcd and dischnrgcd. -
We have flying parties out, taking the
ringlsaslcrs and all suspcctcd persons, and
dishrming the common sulsiicrs through—
out the whole back country.
List of prisoners taken by col. Long,
and now in Halisax jail. Go]. jolm Piles,
mnjor Thomas Colfins, capta David jack
son, capt. Enuch Bradlcy, cnpt. john
Piles, capt. Thomas Bradsord, (apt.
William Bradford, Iimtcnant Stephen
Purkcr, _]ieutenant Donald Macdonald,
(wounded through the thigh) cnsign john
Downiug, zmd doctor Roberson York;
alsh in Hal'lsaxjail, four of the name of
fields, one of the name of Turner, and
three of the name of Bell, wish a midship
mzm and quartcr-sisisiuzmer of the Scurpiun
mzm of war.
List of prisoners taken by co]. Diartin,
and sent to Halisaxjail. Cch. Kingshoruugh
Msszcdonald, col. Hugh MdcdonaH, colsi.
Thomas Ruthcrsord, Col. Hector M"Ne's],
col . AlcxanderMacdonuld, czxpt . Morrmm,
cnpt. Mackenzie, capt. Thomas \\'eir5
capr. Leggate, capt. Solomon Gross,
capt. Persuns, capt. M'Cny, capt. Mulsse
us the light horse, capt. jnhn Mulkt si'n,
cztpt. Ncil MsiCarter, adjutunt Frusc-r,
lssieutenants Cohn M*lver, joshua ches,
Caum son, Donald Muse, Dunald Cameron,
and sundry other Lkuteuan-ts and cnsigsins,
whole names Ihavc not yet an account of,
Kcnncth Mncdonald, aid-de-camp; ]ames
Hepbum secretar); parson Beuttie, chap
luin; Aztrun Verdy, wa-ggon-maltcr;
doctor Morrison, commissary. He also
took about 35'0 guns and (hot bags, with
about 150 swords and (sil'ks.si
Mn. PUlDlE,
HE inhabitants us New Kent Count
would be ghd to be inform: ,
throusi-ss'hsithe Channel of your sree_prcss,
by what means they were so far disgrared
\
to have a commissmner sent amongst
them, from another coumy, to disposc of
the cargo of the prize taken by capt. Bar
ron, and landed at Cumberland ; and why
the puhiick were at the expense ospa) ing
storage for these goods, w hen thc tobsitrco
warchuuses, which were commodious,
and convenient for the reception of them,
mighthavc been used without any expense.
lt appears reasonable to them, that some
of the persOns who had the trouble of
guarding these goods, in a very inchmcnt
season, were better entitled to any inci
dental profit attending the disposul of'them
than a stranger, and that this profit might
equally as well have centred ixi the cuusslity
(which was immediately exposed to any—
ill consequsicnces attending their being land
ed in it) as anysiother. 'l'hey have no
doubt but many persuns might be found
in their county of equal capacity and in
tegrity with the commifliouer employed,
who could, from their lituation, have
performed the service cheaper; and they
are surprised to be inshrmed, by their cic
legutes who were at Wiiliamshurg Whetctisi
this mattelsi' happened, that they were not"
consultul on the occasion. is they have
done anv thing- to shrseit the considcnce us
the publick, the srcchohiers wish to know
it before the approaching- election.
Nsw KENT, March 14, 1776.
N E si—w BsiE R N, Much g.;- ':
ln Provincial Covfi'cn, Marqh 4, ry:
ESOLVED, that cos. Robert " 8 ,
isjustly entizlcd to the most honoss'ur
able testimony of the approbatioctn oFth s-sict'
Council for his important services w ; (
in_ the colony of Virginia, rendered co (hp !
commqn cause of Amcrican liberty; ' us
that the president transmic the 'wanit'e ,i
thanks osthis board, in the sullestand mp ctzf
honourable terms, to (01. Howe,_ zin'd _
the hravc officers 'and fold rs undcrsshis
commatulsi for their s kind, conduct,
having acquiued themalves greatly to
their honour, and the good of their coun
tr .
y Cokuusixus !Unurr'r, president.
By order. , -
]AMFS ansizn, jun. derk.
"m
VViLMlp-(H'UN dsi/frt'ct. ' -
!
&
P-ct—n-m SIMON, usRhodelflam], maye.
'- eth oath on the holy evangelifis df
Almighty God, that he was on board &
vesibl bound srnm Dominlca, tq Ocraclkk,
and taken off Hatteras by the flpop Gene
ral Ga asigehroectss Slipbles'masier, and
brousiisihgt inth-Catfiv '
"Fear about the zjth- '
of F-ss-bz-uzxryss siThnt capt . Collett wan on
board the said floop when this deponcnf.
was taken, and was very communicativc
with him, shewing his papers an-l instruc
tions, and informing what route he wan
to take, &c. That the said Collctt said,
he expected to find general Cliuton here
with 15 or 1600 men, and lhlt the gene—
ral was to be reinforced in April with 9000. _
After this junction, they were to march
to Cross Greek by way of Waggamaw,
sn—m._si_—_._.
and there join general Macdonald, That
there was only a sufficient number of men -
for a garrison'to be left et Bosion, she).
that 25",o,co men were to be landed in the
jersirs, between Phiiadeiphia lnd New
Ym'k, in sizzt-hottomed beats; and that
is they could not possess New York, they
were to destroy it. That the said Coi'lepl:
declared , that he would kill man, womah,
and child, reserving all the young ladies
For his private pleasures. That the night.
before last, this deponent, with several
other pershns, made their escape, aqd
came up to W'ilmington; and farther
s-nith not. PETER SlMON.
Swam lo before me, the 9th ofMarch, 1776,
" ]LctLlAM PURVlANCE.
(Cctiv')
[mix Cooxz, secretary.
New HANOVEI caunty. *
\ lLLlAM RA DDON, ofthccit of
Philndclphia, mariner, ma ed:
oath on the holy cvangelists' os Almighty
God, that he.- sziled fromfPhiladclphia,
the llth of Fchrmry last, as ma er of
the (lctnp ]oscph, bound for South 0177'
na, or Gcorgi'sil. That on the lgthsifol-si
lowing he was taken by the flodp General
Gagc, on bonrdoswhichwascapt.Cnllctt,
and brought into Cape Fear. 'lsshat ficu
tenant Pifcuim informed this deponent,
that every transport vessel that was to_