The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-03-15 00:00:00, page 6

Dalgimhknn osss flankers ; the van led
byss- (: . Maclcdd, 'second in command,
_ and the tear of the army brought up by
5, ,fprigadicr—geneml Macddnuld,_ both of
si Whom were at the battle of Lexington,
sisqpssd, afrerwardsctsent by generaLGage, at.
QFMDX Martin's request, to head che
. prth 'Carulina insurgents. Upon their
ct- iva} sifictndjng that colct. Cas well had aban
ct ss _ct (ny camp, they determined-to cross
5.
hfidgesisiin pqrsuit. of him; bnx as soon
Yy gq'ysi. upon it, his advanced guard
sa
a lengssedss them, who were answered by
added wisha discharge of his piece,
th &, scu't'pssnel returned. The enemy
45 9 began alheavy fisiring, although with
css ' cingable to do the least execution;
ct Il- Cdctwen lay still, till he thought a
- ilc'tcnsit. number of them had crosied to
Zshvct'unon withct-four field-pieces, which
?Esictsigqfefl to be loaded withnmsket halls,
,"; Were ..sosifdi osed On the intrenchment
jctinffihe .forrsinp a-h'als-moon) as to rake
siMepridg-z on all sides. Abbut 100 Of the
squzmy haying grqssed the, bridge, there
- eda molt dreadful carnage, and they
,sict er fired a shot after the first discharg
i-fi gm ;hctarpjfi , but, being seized wit
' nctsiansiiqksipetoo themselves to flight, in
si __ moflzyxecxpltate manner, notwith
siss _ ng every exertion ofcol. Mackod,
_ qfellcti'pou_afterwards, siand when sound
"ged 23 balls and two buck shot in him
si.A ctw through him. It is supposed that
sssi _ feel one of those returned who go:
Mwersit e bridge, about 30 being killed
cttpespqt, betweenjo and 60 wounded,
;ssct thesircst sell over the brisidge and were
xovned, owing to the planks and flcep
.ss-ctqrp being greased, which served to trip
53}: their heelsin their tumultuous flight,
38 was expected, and intended. A party
of horscmen were sent in pursuit of gene
_ral,M*Donald, who tookhim; and the
siGramfille and ssOrange militia, who were
ssflkewise orssdesired to pursue the enemy,
,ssfocik about;}ooct prisoners, 30 Of them offi
scers, whom they delivered to col. Alex
_- ander Martin,_ then on his march from
'sithaesistem parts of the province to join
qol. Moore with 4ooo men. The private
' men he disarctmed, and set at liberty; but
'(ssthe ]eaders are to he sent to Hulifax,
-_ct Where tsihe Provincial Congress meets the
second oF April, and it is to be hoped will
devise some. method to put it out of the
sisspsiower 'ofpthose abandoned tools ofdespo
tism, parricides to their country, and
sifoes to the .]iherties of mankind, from
pursuing their wicked and diaboiical
'sssc'hemes in affisiing to enliave America,
.Qhow thectonly quarter of the glohe where
liberty t'f'iurnphs uvcr oppreffion; and that
_she may do so, to the latest pnsterity,
._ought to be the daily wish, and scrvcnt
.ffpssra en, of all good men ----- Providence,
. filch hitherto has so remarkahly inter
- __ 'ed in our behalf, was open this occasi
_on equaily favourable .to our gln'rious
cause; for, during the whole engage
siffientsithere was not a single man killed,
.,and only (three were wounded, but not
bad! .-——---Two' much cannot be said in
praiZ: us the bifnve col. Cuswesill, who dis
ct sayed such fflisilary ikfll as would do
onour-to an eommander; and the offi
cers and soldlers sswho sought under him,
although ra'w and undishpllned troops,
appear to have acted like vcterans, there
by doing credit to their country, and
_ adding lustrc to the American arms,
which God grant may always be success
sql, against tyranny, its uidcrs and abet
tors. .
ss 'A letter since come to hand says, that.
Abou't 40 of the Tories were killed, whos
army consisted of at least 2500— men,
most of whom were taken, with 32' bag— \
gage waggons, a quantity of dry goods,
&c.. also 1200 guns,\ chiefiy r'lfies, with
swords, dirks, and some powder and ball.
On Sunday, March .sifflr, mrs. B. Mas
senburg departed t'his' litsie, aged 81 years.
She has had 21 children, 46 gumdchildreu,
.aqd 8 great grandchildren; in all., 75,
On the death ofmrs. BAuAaA MAssEN
:,siusiu no., by her graudaz/glztcr, aged 13
_ ear:. - ' . "
Hsidcalh! w osc unrelcm'mg hand;
. Whosprca shisswayo'eral]sithcland,
Depriv'd us all of mothers best,
God send hectr soul both peace and rest.
'She wctas the best of woman kind,
And reatss perfection form'd her mind,
Cpumable to all, indeed, was she ;
Shelov'd xhe Lord, andreally she lov'd me.
hw
Mr. Punom, - \
A M informed a report is prevailinsig
through the colony , that the Committee
ssosSasety were the cause of col. Henry's
ssresiguing the command of his battulion,
which it is supposed hath received con—
firmation from the address of the offi
cers to that gentleman, in which they
sprak of a glaring indignity having
been offered hi_m, isit was not wholly de—
rived from that source. That the good
people osthe country may [me truly inform
,ed in this matter, the following state of
facts is submitted, without commeut, to
the imparti'siti judgment of the publick. 4
As {bon as the last Convention had votcd
the raising- seven new battaiions of troops,
helides augmenting the old ones, the Com
mitte of Sasety informed our deleg'ates to
Congress osthat vote, desiiing they would
use their best endeaVotn-s to have the whole
supported atcontinental expensc; in answer
to which, a letter was received from the
delegates, (lated the goth of December,
of which the following is an extract:
" The rcsolutions os Congress For taking
" our six additional (they would not
" agree to take the other two) bat
" talions, into continental pay, and for
* * permittingan exportation For supplying
" ourcountry men with salt , are enclosed ."
It was supposed, f'rumhencc, anintention
prevailed in Congresi to pass'oy the two old !
battalions, and take six of the new ones
into continentalpuy; which, as it was said
those officers would take precedency olsiss
provincial ones, ok'equal rank, was gene
rally thought wrong, since it would de
grade the officers of the two first buttali
ons; and, to avoid this, the Convcntion
came to a resolution the loth osjunuz-usiy,
'os which the followingis part : " Should
, " the Congress adhere to their resolution
si" of taking into continental pay no more
\" than lix battalions, let it be earnestly
" recommendcd to them to suffer our tw
)" present battulions (to be completed
ss " as before mentioned) to stand first
" in the arrangement, since otherwise
" thc oflicers sirst appointed by this Con- ss
" vcntioti, most of whom have already
" gone-through a laborious and painful
" senice. will be dessizraded in their ranks,
" and there is too mssssuch reason to appre—
" hand that great confusion will ensue."
The worthy gentleman (not ;: member
of the Committee ok'Sasct)) who propos
ed this resolution, informed the Conven
tion he had consulted some of the officers
osthe first regimcnt, who wished to hav
their rank prcscrved; though it was fore
seen the pay would be reduced. "
The ()nmmi'sitce of Sasety, in a lette
to the delczxssates, (lated the 25th osjsimu
ary, endnsing this resolution, thus write:
" You have act list of the field-officers as
" they stand recmmncuded, and we doubt
" notreceivingtheircummiflicmsinthelikc
" order., with hianks for the proper num
ber oscaptains and shhaitcrns. lF, how
err, the resolution os (lungress should
Gunalterabiy fixed to ailoiv us but six
" buttaiions, an \\ill please to attend to
" that part o thc rcshlve which recom
*_* mends their hcing the. first six, as a point
\ " .
Os greatconsequcnce to Ourharmtrny, '
" which may be im-uivetl the good ckct t}.
"* comsnon cause." 'I'he (;ummsitttcc t.
Sast ty afterwards received the t'unnnifizm
whuliy final up for the lie.]d-osssiurs t-f li.
battuhunsiss, in the rank they itcotl recom—
mcndcdhy thc (junvc-t'n'mn, beginning \\ ith
cs]. HEp-RY, and ending with cu]. lite:;
NElt us the 6'sih buttulitm, with dh'cvsisitiuns
to deliver them. Colonc! HLNRY was
accordingly offered his commifliou, whic]
he declined acccpting, and rctircd without
usiisi-siniug any reasons."
As to the generss-tl-officcrs, the Conven
tion lest them entirely to the choice of tho
Congrclfs, without rccommendutim-z; nor
did the (Inmmittcc'Uf Safctety, at all, in
tcrmeddle in that choice.
\->_ A FIUEND to 'l'RU'I H.
..__._——-u—-—=
Mtt. PURDIE, .
H E address of the officers to co].
HENRY, and the coiond's reply,
has ]ed some of our enemies to hope that
there would he a great discontent in the
army, by which onr military operations
would be retarded, and thut therc'would
be a contiderabic murmuring against the
Congress; but they are much mistaken".
]! is true the soldiers and osiicet's vss ere \ cry
unhappy at purtiug with so amiable a
communder as coi. HEN RY, and might
be a little imprndcnt in some cxpffsiions
on the occasion -, but there is not a man of
them who is not so warmly attached th the
glorious cause he is engaged in as to sictrve
with alacrity under any commander, ra
ther than it should suffer. And col. Han
ltY himself is a gentleumn of so much
honour, and so true apatriot, that he will
never countenance a murmur ngctinst the
Congrcss; nay, ib far from it, that it is
highly probable he will soon be found in
that angust assembly, urging, with his
powerful eloquence, the neceflity of pro
secutiug the war withsiredOubled vigour.
[am & tincere friend to the.CoNGttt-:u
and to col. HENRY.
ss ————————-——
Mr. PURDXE,
Envy will merit, as it: shade purfice;
But, li/ec the shadow, prove: the fizbstance
true. Po ? E .
WAS not surprised to see',' in your last
I week's Gazette, the resignation of
P. [! EN RY, esq; late comssmander in chief
; ot'nll the Virginia forces, and colunei of
the first regiment. From that great man's
amiable disposition, his invariable perseve
rance in the on is:: of liberty, we appre
henfl that envy trove to bury in obscuriay
his martialtulents. Fcttered and confine ,
with oniy an empty title, the mere ccsiho
osuuthority, his superiour abilities lay inss—
active, nor cou'-d be excrtq) for his honour,
or his country': good.
Virginisit may truiy boast, that in him
she finds the nhle statesman, the soldier's
father, the best of citizens, and liherty's
dear friend. si Cl-sizd with innocence, as in &
("O;lt osmail, he is proossingsiuinst every ser
i nentile whisher. The osstcers nnd soldicrs
{Who know him are rivetted to his hosmh;
when he speaks, a" is silence; when he
orders, they chcersnny obey; and in the
field, under so scnsible, su prudent un offi
cer, though hnfls opposhthcm, with {hour's
they meet their armvd for, the sure pre
lizgss of victory :md success.
- Let us, my cmmt'rymcn, \\ssithgrnrcsnl
hearts, rcmemhcr that he carried off the
standurd of ]ihusirv, Land defeated Gwnvillc
in his shvo'uri'siestrnnjj !.ss'Z. . ,
While-munych'mdcd , ti'il \ss\ ith plcnsinq eye
Saw tyranny lzcshrc hmvc HEN RY fly.
] am, nn'. Purdic, yur si'jcnd, and a
Weii—wishcr to Yirginict . '
AN NUVEST l".-\RT\!F.R.
v- ILN'I'Y fine SLAVES jm- _/2z/(- a:
Hannvcr cnzzrl/mzz/E. the first 'l'hurs
day in April, fursircuay money. zsi