The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-08-30 00:00:00, page 1

fAUGUST 30, 1776. _ T si E
NUMBER 83;
VIRGLNIATss
:; .ssil
ALWAYs son LIBERTY, X
High HEAVEN to cR/chovs ENDS (Z'lr'ectfssfllcf Sl'ORM!
7'0 Air. PUliDll-L.
8 1 11,
NFLUENCED by a concern so! the best
I interest ot'thusc: who have put their lives
iujcop lrdy to defend the right; of'ctfsmrsiric'a,
I hue determined to address myself to
them in ;: scw letters, in which ! shall keep
the common soldicrs in Virginia chiz-fly in
my view; uml ! request, when it will not
prevent your inserling things as greater
moment, tlut you would give them a
convcya-xce through the medium of your
Gch-lte. lflattcr myl'ch'you will not deny
the savour, when ! assure you that ! do
not mean to amuse them with trikles, nor
sito gain the character oFan elegant writer,
But rather to call their attention to things
"deeply intercffiug, in plain decent Lm
guzgc . ['lease to excuse me: to Alontanus,
who unde his appearance in your paper a
fcw weeks ago, for assuming his name.
,Thc place of my rcsidence suggests to me
the propriety of my shbseribing myself
' lour most obedient humble servant,
_. MONTANUS.
LETTER ].
fothe Orkrcus ast/ze Vutcmm ARMY.
- GENTLEMEN,
\ fl.\ !" will be the issue osthe present
contest, between Great Britain and
ericn, is only known to the sJvcreign
'sposer of all events. The cause, how
" ver, in which we are emblrked, is_just.
You are now standing in deseucc of those
'lnestimshlc rights which the KlNG of
,}!EAVEN has confcrred Upon all, and of
'which no man, nor body of men, csim de
'prive another, Without being guilty of
robbery_ and sacrilege. Therefore, the
filccess ofyuur undertz-siking is most devout
] to be wished and expected. it is my
aily prayer to ALNIl'GHTY GOD that
his blessmg may attend you, that he would
make you pctttlerns of every manly and
Christian virtue, and defend you from the
destroying sword; that he Would prescrve
you from sickness and every contagctlous
disease, and from the still more pernicious
contagionosvice ; thatyou may be quickly
returned in triumph to the tender embra—
ces of your friends, and into the glowing
bosom of your country; or, if you are
Preventcsid bydcath, that youmay triumph
m glory. lsthe soldiers arc preserved from
the coutmnitlatitm OF vice, they will ever
be entitled to the highrfl estcctn of" every
friend to our U Nl'l'ED STA'l'i-LS; but
'lfthey become vicious, every good man
[must shujdcrat the melancholy consequen
ccs. Could ] contribute the smsidlest mite
to prevent the one, and promote the other,
] shou'r-ssl think myself extremely happy.
This I [lull attempt in a few letters. l
hope my unseigned regards for our annies
will be & sufficient apology for the freedom
] shall use in my ,addrelfes; and is they
merit. your approbatiun, I need not sulicic
you to patronisi: them, and to recommend
-f them to the men under your command.
' Give me leave, gentlemen, with the
greatest scrionshcss, -to reming] you, that
L llmsic are many youth, saw unexpericncad
*—1
youth, rcmnvcd from the inipcction of
watchful tender pau'cuts, aml' nzw put
under yonrimmed'ute czn'c . Their pzlrcnts
cctmsentul to this, with a chcex'sulncss
icarccly to be equallcd in any instance.
They hoped, and cm'si'lded, agreeable to
the ordimnzce osuur Convmtion in the case,
that 'ou would be the guardiems of their
mon} conduct, and not suffer gctming,
profimeness, and debauchcrctv , m prevail
amongst them. . They justly expected,
(has. you would cxcrt yoursilves to m.:kc
the army, not a scminsinry os'vice, but a
school of virtue. I hope that from a prin
ciple of bcnevolence you will checrsully do
this, and not give such worthy parcnts
the inexpresiiblc pain ofa disappuiutmcnt.
To these youth you are substituted in the
place usparcncs; and you are accousintable
to their natural parcms, to your country.,
and to your GOD, for the-saitlsisul d'rs
charge of the important. trust. If vice
prevails in our camps fame will soon pub
[till it throughout the country; it will
greatly alarm and discourage the inhabi
tants, and cause many to relent that ever
their sons entered into the service under
your command, and to do every thing in
their power to recall them as soon as the
time for which they were enlisted is expired .
It will also discoumge sober and virtuous
youth from entering into the service, for
the future; so that sinning with a high
hand will probably, in allthesi: respccts, be
attended with the most fatal conscqurnccs .
And besides, if lieentioushess prevail:
among the soldiery, is it not greatly to be
feared that they are ripeusimg for & final
deseat, and not for victory? Or, if the
LO RD should mercisully prospes our
arms, consider how deplorahlc will be the
consequenccs, should thele brave men,
after proving succcsasul in repelhng the
invaders ofssour country, return home dis
sulute and abandoned, not to be usi-sul
honourable members of the common
wanlth, but to corrupt and debauch our
youth of both siXCS, or to deluge the
country with rapine and violence, and every
lpecics us wickedness. ] shall not now
bring into thelist thejudgrncnts us GOD,
in the lise to come, against the Workers of
iniquity ; but every wise pchtician will as
scl'l, that " justice, temperance, singu
hty, and virtue. are essentitzlly necessary
for the preservation osa free state ;" and
that, in the revolwiou t-fa few years, by
indulging the revcrse of thete, He must
lose what we are now maintaining with an
infinite cxpense of blood and treasure.
Endeavourss then, gentlemen, by every
powerful persuzxsivc, by the proper exerti
on of your authority, and by your own
laudable example, to discountensmcc every
kind and every act of vice ; and to recom—
mend every politica], social, and moral
virtue, in your rcspectivelpheres. Duty,
bencvolcnce, humanicy, and the love of
00!) and man, with united voice, call
upon you to exert ydur utmost influence;;
and this cal], ! hope, and believe, you Will
cheersullssv obey. ] beg leave to add 11
short accu'. 11: osa scene which must have
been very llsisisiLllc'sis to you, hsitd you been
present. Agcrsi-tiemxmvf mvncquaintuncc,
who ]asiety [paid & \isit to the. :rt'my, on his
return, had the ple.- su-c to Hshusie a num—
her of his neighbours us the ] nuluble and
tirtuous behaviour of their sans. 'l'ho
agreeable intcll'figenccsu trunsportcd them
with juy that language sailed them, but
the tears wh'ch flowed from their eyes in—
chzt-tcd the tender and pious feelings of
their hearts. 'l'his has confirmed me in
theopini-m, that many parents could hear, .,
Rsillh L-ss (l.uruhle pain, that their sans had
continual to behztye themsdves like men
and Chriffictnz, until they were slain in
battle, than that they were living and in—
du1ging "themselves in the vin'lssttion of the
precepts osuur most holy rehzxsiton.
] repeat my request, gentlemen, that
'a
Vou mill communicate my future ]cttets to
ynu—r mm, and thereby pjtc me the pt't
sitctichc of'tefl}t'_\ing vtith how much-respcsict
and affection ! am your and their sinccrc
friend mad humble servant,
stsflNTANUS.
WlLLlA MSBURG, zrgssst 30.
HE REA S ] have been so inly: udc-nt
as to act contrary to the gth anidc
of the continenm] association, as me;}! as of
a resolution us the cummittce of Norfolk
couuty, in the s-sixlc ofa paitc ! oscom, I
do now declare my sincetc sorrow For
the said offence, which proceeded entirely
from my mishuderstamfing the matter;
and ] promise 12: to conduct myself 'nu su
turc us to give no just c. use ofcomplainc,
and humbly hope the publick will accept
ofth'u acknowlcdgment, by againrcceiv—
ing me into their invour and proteCt'u'm.
BENNET Almn'xono.
Nouo-Lx, 7"l)' 18, 177'6.
m
At :: meeting of the committee jbr Ndrsollsin
county, 7119 18, 1776.
T having been made appear to the com
mittce sorthis county, held on the zoth
of love last, that Bennct A'mstroozg had
vioiated the gth nrtide of the (()nlihmllal
assochtion, which was then ordered to be;
published in the GAZETTE, and the sctid
Arng/Zrong this day appearing, zmd_ pre
senting a recrmtsictiun. Promiimg in (more
to giw nojnst caule of complaint,
Re/blvcd, tha t thc {sixid Bennct s/rmstrong,
on pubhshing Izis apo ug) ctin the 0! 2 LTT E.,
be recommended to the publick add proper
object of clemencv.
LATIMER HOLSTEAD, clctkprotempure.
Death.] Lutcly died at Hampdcn—
Sizhxcy acct drmy, in the 22cl year of lain
age, Mr. SA MU ? 1, H -' ch' Y olsiCulpcper
CUllIlty, to which scminmy he repaired to
quulisy himscls for the sacred desk. He
was a youth oisi'an amiable disposition, un
exceptionable in his morals, diligent in his
studies, and succesisulthcrcin.' 'shccarly
and strong bias of his soul to virtue, his
care to cultivale the principles of" genuine
Christianity, and to adorn hiz m'md with
that kind of kno wledge suil'mg to the high
culiing which he: had in view, suggested to
his acquaintances the pleasing cxpectation