The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-11-01 00:00:00, page 2

' :Z] zrtoshorsc provisions; some oFthc horses
cficcl of the stnggcrs, anditis supposed the
]:nc gales have xlclh'oycd many more. The
people in Englusiid, we hear, begun to be
very uneasy.
Th': prize ahnve-memioncd, we learn,
arrives! at 'l'nmu'hcud, at the eastward,
the middle of lust week.
A privateer belonging; to Sulcm, which
arrived there lust Thursilay, fell in wuh
the fleet of 12 ssisiil, aml was so duscly pur
sued by the: D.!)z-hnc that the enemy fircd
muiket huns at her; but by heuving over
hsissr guns, water, ungl provisions, and by
sixwing down hcruppcr wurks, they barely
escaped.
We also hear that three more prizes
have arrived at the eastward, two laden
with su'h, the mher with mnl-ctsscs.
..._.,..L.....-———
? ?; O V ] ]) t; N () E., Septcmbcr 28.
51 Sunday last capt. Gidcon Crawsurd
arrived here srum Numz, in France,
sisiallcr ;; passage: of eight weeks. He in
forms, that great warlike preparatiuns
continue to he made in that kingdom,
where every kind of imhflgence is lhewn
to Amcricsim vessels. (le also nclvises,
that. he saw an ucczzunt in a French paper
as the Mnrlhurough, aqo gumship, being
blown up at Plymuuth snme time in july
lust, and that great part ofthe crew pe
rished.
N E VV P () R T, Octobcr 7.
AST 'shmsday a prize brig, loaded
with rum and lugsiur, went up the
chalt l'ailhge; [he was huuncl srum Aulssigua
for the British fleet :uul army at New
York, and cz'lk'en by the privatecr lnduflry,
captsi (Lhihl, who ]].lcl taken another
large brig from ]amalca, loaded with su
gar, mohogany, um] ]ngwnml, which we
hear is shsc ;zfljxcd at the caflward.
The lmly Washingmu privatccr, capt .
James. Codsi'cy, has'Tcut & fine ship into
a port in the Muss-lcsihusclts state, loaded
with 425' hogsheads of sugar, some rum,
cotlon, &c.
IA ship loaded with dry goods, bound to
ucbeck, mul taken by cupt. Crawsord,
went into a snse port yesterday: about
the same time ginutlmr ship srom jamnica,
with sugar, rum, &c. taken by captsi
Cuffin, went into a sccurc hnrbour.
We hcur that lust VVcdnc-sday, as capt.
Hard'mgx. in a Connecticut brig oswnr,
was guingrup the Sound from a cruisc, he
was attacked by the Merhn ship oF war,
when a very warm eng-si'ngsicmcut rushed,
but anothfzr ship, supposed to be the (ler
bcr'us, comiag up, and endeavouring to
cut cupc. lianhnpj off from the land, he
made from them, and put susc into Sm
ningcsm. VYe do not learn what dumctlge
was. sustained on either side. At the s-me
thye a_th}.rd ship was .scen ncar Black
;
iflsmdu -
PHIL AD ELPIIIA, ()ctubcr 16
ES'FEH ]) \Y uiccrnoon t' 1c crsimt'. nen—
ml armed schouncr Wnsp, ca n.
Baldwin, returned hcrcsmm a ( wise, a ul
brourrhc m with her a large ['nip, boun !
from" ]1m uca to Ilvcrpuu], l-dcn with
rum and sucrnr, wl-ich he took about 12
days ago. ! he pnze : got up to () hestcr.
Extr act osa Ictterjrom [laerlem, Octrzbcr 1 '* .
" Yesteldzxy morning about 4000 of
the enemy l-mled at Fsilgg's or Prog's
pomt, in the Sound, about six mllsivs above
uss, ' & dctaclnncm w: is muncdizucly (ent,
toopposc them. [be enemy got poshzssi
on of the point, but , as I was informed
last night had ln'x de no shrthcr progress.
()ur pcoph. ] am t-silsl, 12.HK taken up zt
bridssc which was thar", and sclkd trees
across th: mad, to c-hsh'uct them till &
reinsm'cr-vitnnt cvss T ' arrive. in the aster
nocu 42 ssiil gvctsi.:'T.-.l the mouth nsllzshctr-m
river,, in t'xzrssr wav to the prvizzt; KIH'Y
cmlsifl'c-l (sivsfl-mpsi, ssi,]:mmcrs, Urisssi az-Ll
nine ships. i uxsicc't share: will be bloody
work there to-day. From the number of
men landed, and the ships which went up,
I think this can be no seint, but that the
mnin body of Howe's army must be there,
and that there he intends to make his
coup de main, This week will probably
finish the campaign. Upon the arrival of
the ships at Dobb's serry they landed some
men, and plundered a storehouse. ] sup
pose those men who landed yesterday are
to go across the country, an] form a line
from from Flagg's point to Tarry town,
sour miles above Dobb's scrry, where the
ships he, but in this ] expect they will be
mistaken."
Extract of a letter from Boston, Octobcr 7.
" 'l'he ]n'iZe taken by capt. Ureely, and
sent first into Marblchead, has since come
round here. She has pnpcrs to the middle
osAugust, which give particular accounts
of the Spaniards invading the kingdom of
Pnrtugal, and taking- pusscffion otsi several
to vms. 'l'hc insercnce is plain: War is,
or must be, declared.
" 'l'he mate of;; London ship brought
tip this cveuinctg by cupt. Atkins informs,
that the minillry are so suspicion!; of plots
and conspiracics being laid that four persons
dare not be seen conversing together in
London, but they are immediately dis
]nrsu]. A privatcer is just arrived at
Snlem, astcr taking three prizes, one of
which is loaded with dry goods to the
amount of 37 oool. sterling. This sine
prize has not yet arrived. A day seldom
pull'cs, without provision vesicls, jamaica
men, Londoncrs, orsomethingis taken."
EA tract of a letter fi'nm Baltimore, Oct. 1 2 .
" We have nothing new here, save the
arrival of a Spanish brig in our bay from
anannah. The captain confirms their
having declared warugainst the Portuguese;
that a number of Spanish men of war and
troops had alre'ldy arrived at the Havan
nah, on some secret expcdixion. He has
bruught 12,ooo Spanish milled dollars to
procure pruvision for them, and says we
may expect a number of their vessels to
the cgvlcinent in the course osthe winter."
Intcllissxssrcnce rl'ceivcd in 0 0 N G R 5 8 5,
06?!) 'u-r 3 1 s}, m the middle and northern
. departmentl. .
In the night of the 15th instant general
Mcrcer passed over to dtntcn island with
part of the troopsposted at Perth Amboy,
and advanced within a few miles of Rich
mond town, having been informed, that
a company of British troops, one of
l-lcflians, and one of Skinncr's militia, lay
tiurc. Cnl. Grisiin was dcmched with
cui. Patterson's battalion, and major
Clarkc at the head of some riflemen, to
ssizll in upon the east end ofthe down, ctwhile
the remainder of the troops enclosed it on
the other quarters. Bolh divisions reach—
ed :he town by break of day, but. not be
fore the enemy were alarmed; most of
them lied , after exchanging a sew shot with
Cu]. Grifliu's detachment. Two soldicrs
of the enemy were mortally wounded,
and 17 taken prisoners, with the loss only
of two suidiers 'killed on our side. Col.
Gtiflin received a wuund in the sum from
a muskct ball, and lient. col. Smith was
nightly wounded in the arm. Amongst
the prissimcrs taken in this action are eight
Hcsiisims. ()ur troops brought off from
Stntcn iilmd 45 muilccts, a number of
hayonefs, cutlziises, &c. and one standard
of' the British light horse.
]t has been determined in & council of
war ::K hczid quarters to remove the arm
from ths.- hcights os Huericm towards East
and West (.lhc-stc-r, in orderto outflnnk thc
enemy, :md dishppoint' their intentions.
()u Friday the 18th inshmt one of the
cncnw's advanced parties near F.:u't
Ch- s'rcsir sc'ii in with part of col. (jlovcr's
ln'iguzlc, when :: smart. and close engage
mcnt cnsusi-d; in which our men hchuvcd
whh great (:uwlness mid iutrepi'lity', and
drove the enemy back to their nuin body.
That on the nth inflzmt, at 8 (l'dock
in the morning, the e:1csim_y's\lcc.t01si1 Luke
Chumlzlain, Cunsiliing ol'unc ship ml-utzt—
in;: 16 ;siutsits, onc snow mnumis-g lhl: same
numbcr, one sc;hooncr of 14 ;;uus, two of
12, two floops, a bomb-kctch, and :;
large vessel (her force unknown) with 15
or 20 ilJt-buttomed boats or gcmdulas,
carrying one 12 or _18 pounder in their
bows, apptsiarul usi (jumbctsiland Head.
General Arnold, with his forces, immedi- ,
ately prepared to rcccive them. At 11
o'clock the attack began, and at halspnfl:
12 the engagement became general and
very warm; some of the enemy's ships,
and all their goudolus beat up, and rowed
within muiket shot of our fleet". They
continued :: Very hot sirc with round and
grope shot till 5 o'clock, when they
thought prolver tu retire about 6 or 7oo
yards distance, and continued there until
dark. General Arnold and his troops con
ducted themselves during this action with
great iirmness and intrepidity, and made
a better resistance than could have been
expected against a force so greatly superi
our; the whole oFour killed and wounded
amountcd to about 60. The Ph'fladel
ph'ta gondola and a schooner were lost in
the engagemcnt, but all the men were
saved. 'l'he enemy landed a large num
ber os lndians on Schuyler's island, and on
each shorc, who kept up an inccssant sire,
but did little damage. The enemy had,
to appearance, upwards of 1000 men,!n
battcaus, prepared sor boarding.
The enemy's force being so greatly su
periour, it was determined in council to
remove to Crown Point, in order to resit
and collcct our force. At 2 o'clock ?. M.
the 12th, our fleet weighed anchor, with
a fresh breeze to the southward. The
enemy's fleet at the same time got under
way; our gondolag made very httle way
a-hend. In the evening the wind mode
ratcd, and we made such proprcss that at
6 o'clock next morning we were about 28
miles from Crown Pomt. The enemy"
fleet was very little above Schuyler's illsimd
when the wind breezed-u to the south
wurd, so that we gaine very little by
beating or rowlng; at the same time the
enemy took a sresh breeze from the N. E.
and by the time we had reached Split Rock
were along-side of us. The Washington
and the Congress were in the rear, the
rest of our fleet a-hcad, except two gon
dolas sunk at Scuyler's island . The Wash
iugtorsigalley was in such a lhattered 'con—
dition, and had so many men killed and
wounded, that she struck to the enemy
after receiving a ikw broadsides. The
Congress was then attacked by a ship
mount'mg twelve 18 pounders, aschooner
osx4 sixes, and one of 12 sixes, two under
her stern, and one on her broadside, within
muiket shot. The enemy kept up an in
cesi'ant hre about hve glallcs wnh round
and grape shot, which was returned as
brilkly. The fails, rigging, and hull, of
the Congress, were shattcred and torn in
pieces ; when, to prevent her safiing into
the enemy's hands, general Arnold, who
was on board, ran her ashorc in a small
creek ten miles srom Crown Point , where,
after taking" out her small arms, she was
set on fire, with four other gondolas, with
whose crcws the general reached Crown
Point that evening, ]uckily escaping the
savages, who waylaid the road in two
hours after he had puffizd it. Osmn' \\ hole
fleet we saved two gallics, two schoone-rs,
one gondulu, and (me floop.
General Arnold hehavctl with such in
trcpicjity that he covered the rcsitreat of
the scw vessels we shvc—d, at the cxpensc
osonc third cisithe crew. 'Our comman
ders and men hchzn ed most pss'ZAHZ-Bnfl) ; some
vrfllsils, having lust al] theirnlhvcrs. sought
notwixhstandingsi', nnd rcsusu] 10 He M but
with their lives. The enrmv siacknnw
ledge our hravery, and confess their loss
of man tquzd to uuz-ct'.