The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-03-15 00:00:00, page 5

,ssLssZisissfsi'TAssfz. S U P P L E M E N T.-' Nct,
LONDON, Dec. 7.
YESTE RDAY lord Cornwallis took
leave of his majesty, he being in a
few da}s to set out to emhask sor Virgi
nia. Lord Chcwton, son to the earl us
Waldcgrave, goes a voluntcer with his
lordship, who is to command the troops,
and wctll relign to general Clinton when
at Williamshurg (is they ever get there)
and acctsst under that officer, or command
a dctachment, as the cxigcucy of assairs
may require. 7
Eight shil of the [me, and 5000 I()l(llCl'S,
are to be employed in reducing the southern
coionies, while the main fleet and army
are to occupy Bushm. This is the new
disposition for the ipring.
Saturday evening :: meeting osthe great
officers osstttc was held at lord Sussolk's
w-mm-. .- ..
office, as also some of the crown lawyers,
to deliberatc on a number ospropofitiuns
which have been offered by a noble lord
in a hfg'h osiice as a ground—wnrk of some
conciliatory measures to be ossercd to the
Americans.
House of'Camnnm, Dec. 11 . A motion
was made for the third reading of the
American restraining bill, to which some
opposition was made; but, as every ar
gument which reason or ingenuity could
sitggest for or against the measure had been
already advanced, the debate was as bar—
ren as it was short. At. half after 6, the
Question being put, it was carried by 112
to 16; when the bill was passed, and or
dered to he sent up to the Lord!.
.,
PHILADE L P H 1 A, Fab. 23.
LETTER sh'rm St. Eustatia, dated
jan. 27th, to a gentleman in this city,
says: " We hsitve had some late arrivals
from Engiand, by which we learn that a
bill sor sending soreign troops to America
had been thrown out by both Houses.
That another for seizing American vessels,
it was thought, would share the same sate;
Ho wever, there is one passed for indemni
fying the captains of the king's ships for
what they have done, or may do. The
papers say , there are 36 commisiioners going
to America, to.treat with each province
separately", for c'onciliatory measures. In
the interim, every vessel that can swim is
taken up to carry troops, nmnmnitiuu,
and provisions, to America. General Gnge
was kept in the Channel some- time before
the ministry' would let him land. it is no
doubt that the French have 11,ooo men in
Martinico and Guadaloupe, and more ex—
pected. It is said they have an equal num
ber at St. Domingo. The ships of war
are very strict here yet; they have taken
the ship that capt .---- went in from Demusi
rara to this place, with Dutch goods.
" Provisions are a drug at present; the.
groand provisious are now come in , which
account For it. At St. Kitt's they have
had il-mr from Enghmd, which is not very
good; it stands about 25s. percwt. landed
there: also beams, bread, staves, &c. The
latter, which we cal] shock staves, cost
them 30]. per looo."
Monday last arrived here the ship Hope,
capt. Curven, srum Bristo], by which we
]ezu'n that lord Carnwaihs, with six e regi
ments, were to sail about the middle of
December, to rcndezvous in Virginizz, and
a ]);n't,' or ill] of them, to ]n'ocecd sor
Snulh Carolina. That theme): ullowing
pirucy against the Amcricnns would pro
bably not receive the royzzl assent till silunu
ary. 'l'hxt the commiflioncrs would sail
about the middle of jmmnry, and were
to be followed by as large un armzunent of
ships um] troops as was possible fur Brituiu
to raise in her present state. That the
miuish'v hresitthe nothing but mm'clrr; and
it is thought that that the commitlioners
are only sent out as a stop—gap, while they
have time to rai/L- troops, or try the art:
ofcorrnption. Atuung the commiffioncrs,
it is said.. are lords Howe and Littleton,
capt. Bakrington, governours Pownal
and silohnstonc, and general Gage, who
are all to come out in an 80 or 90 (tun ship.
On Monday last the sour battalions, the
three artillery companies, and lisic corn..
psitnics, us this city, paraded for the first
time this season, as well as first time since
their signing the association recommcndccl
by the assembly as this province, when
they made a fine appearance.
La tract of a letter from London, Dcc. 9.
" You may' depend on it, that govern
ment do not intend to make their grand
msimament at Boston; they will onvaein
force the army there, so as to enable them
to maintain their grhund, is the provinci
als do not tarry the place this winter.
The whole force is to be 26,ooo men, in
clucling those now in America, and three
regiments os Scotch Dutch, who are to
come over in the spring srom Hollam],
and be sent to Scotland to recruit, and
from thence go to Ameri'cn. No other
shrcign trou 13 cire to he had; nor would
the Dptch have given them, hut they
were paid a most extruvngzmt price sur
them . They are now about 2000. though
nominahy gssooo, which number they are
to be made. This whole force is to be
divided in Anterica , and sent to New Yorkctsi
Virginia, and So'uth Caroiina, sothat there
will be no very cunliderubic army, thOUgh
strong bodies of perhaps 4, 6, and 8000
men, to those places; but the numbers
a'r'e not ziscertained, thotlgh they vxill be
sh'ong bodies. All commercc is prohibited
with America; but commisiioners :ire cer
tainly going out, their names not yet
nlentioned. The Scotch faction prevails
at court. The Bedsord party are a good
deal divided,. some hsitvingjoined the op
position; Lord Chrttham willneveragsilin
appear ou'ta The mino'rity is coniiderably
strengthcneds Lord Rockingham is the
head osa formid'able party; indeed almost
all the minority are immediately attached
to him. Their strength, howeVer, is
really inferiour to the ministry, and will
he, except the rest of the Bcdsords (which
is the strongest part of that party, and
the support of ministry) leave them,ct it is
impolsible to say what may happen'"
AANNAPOLIS, Assarchj.
Y a gentleman from Philadclphsim, we
are informed that the day before: he
lest that city a gentleman arrived from
the camp before Qpebcck, who brought
advice that general Arnold had received a
reiuforcemcnt ol' 600 men before he lest
that place. and that he met about 1500
more: on their march between Montrcal
'and Ticondcroga.
--——-———'—--—
WI L L I A M 8 1); U R G, [March 15'.
AS'l" Saturday am express arrived to the
Committee ()sSasety, from the Ge
neral Congresh, cnclosmg commissions For
col. ANDREW LLWIS, and col. Ronsix'r
Howz, to rank as hrigzuher-gencruls in
the continental :u'm'y- 'l'he express cun—
finuc-d his routc m North Carohna, and
we learn carried with him :; hrigadier-ge—
nerzd's comm'tshun sur cu]._1A M zs M 00 R 5.
us that produce. Primtc icncrs by the
same express mention, that 1111—1j0r-gencrul
LEEwas appointed cnmmandcr in chief
of the southern depurtmcnt; ahhour
letters, since receivul, say, that he]
marched for (llltbfcsi', at the head of 80
men, to reduce that important sortrcls.
Letters from England, us Dcc. lzth,
say, that the packcxs are stopped, and of
course all cmmnuuicatiun between Great
-ss_*M
Brita'm and the culunics cut off; that. 5900
troops were to be immedintdy embarkdd
sor Virginia, to be comm
:mded by gene
ral Clinton; and, that th
ere w'ns nutsi't-he
smallq/I prnjpcdf of an accommodation;
By letters from North Carohna,"
have the pleasure to communicate &:
following important intelli ence, gfiv
ing an account of the total eseat of the
Scotch .Highlanders, Regulutors, &.
who had lately become very surm'idable,
and threatencd much milchief to" the
southern colonies, as well as to the glbfi
- ous cause wherein al] America is engaged,
in support of her invaded rights, and to
oppole miniiteriztl tyranny ;ss so that 'We
may now safely congratnlatc the pubiiek
on the utter dcmolition ot'the' 'l'ory int'e-t
rest in that province, which puts a finish
ing stroke to the Farther machinations of
master Alartin, their wicked and unprih
ciplcd govemour.-—--Col. Moore, with'a
body of 2000 men, having got within
about six miles of the 'I'ury army, beshtsie
they thought we were appriscd of their
schune to join governour Martin and the
succonrs he expected srom Buston add
England, they, to amuse him, sent a
king of truce, sumn-oning him and his so]
:
lowers to lay downtheir arms, deiiverttp
their ammunition and stores, and repair
to the king's standard and take the oath
ofuilegiance; and in the meanwhile, in
order to avoid him, they erossed the river,
not knowing that en]. Cgswell was on his
way up, on the same side, to join co].
Muorc, with about 7oo men. The
colnnel, hein made acquainted with this
manu-uvisi'e 0 ' the 'sories, immediate]
desputched 'an expresi to col. Caswe] ,
.who made a forced march, and got near
five miles a—head osthem, taking post be
tween them and the governour, at a bridgc
over Moore's creek, where he knew they
must pass, or fall in with col. Monte's
main body. Col. Casweil, making use of
his advantageons situation, threw up a
small intrenchmcnt on the opposite side of
the creek, where he determined to wait
for co]. Moore, then between 40 and 5'0
miles distant, or, should the Tories incline -
to attack him, to give them battle, al
though they were upwards of zooo strong.
in the meanwhile, however, to decoy
them, he made a small breastwork on the
other side of the creek, and began to
treat with the Tories, who had sent in a
king of truce, with the like requisition the
made to col. Moore, to lay down their
arms, &c. in which case they should re'
ceive mercy, and be treated _with gentle
ness. Cnl: Caswcll's re ly was, that he'
and his people wusie re olved to use their
arms in the service of their country, and
should not lay them down unlels they
were compelled to it. During this nego
tiation, he took care to let the officsiers
who came with the flag os truce see his
eneampment, and the breastwork he had
thrown up ; and immediately on their de
parture caused it to be levefled, andsicrossed
to his main post, lenvingoxffy a small guard
behind, whom he ordered to keep up large
fires, as is his whole army was there en
camped. He did not sail to leave behind
him all the marks of:: precipitate retreat, .
taking up the plzmks of the hridsi-cte sor
about 30 sect, hut suffered the [lecpers to
remain, that the enemy might have it.
in their power to come over, though but.
(lowly, and then made (lispusitimls to pre
vent his army srom being- discovered by
them. Next morning, a good while he
suredny, the whole 'l'm-y army marched
down to attack him, leaving only a small
party behind to guard their huggage.
Their disposition was a very good one,
the main body being supported on each