The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1777-01-24 00:00:00, page 2

whisih divides the town into two parts,
and opens at right angles into the Dcla
ware. in their way through the towu the
enemy susscrccl much by an incessctsimt fire
of mulkctry, srom behind the houses and
bams. Their army had now arrived at
the northern side of the bridgc, whilst our
army was drawn up, in order of battle,
on the southern side. Our cannon played
very briikly from this eminence, and were
returned as br'xlkly by the enemy. [11 a
few mhmtes after the cannonade began &
very heavy discharge of nmlketry cnsued,
and Zont'umed for to or 15 minutes.
During the action a party of men were de
tached ffom our right wing, to securc a
part of the river, which it was imagined,
from the motionsos the enemy , they intend
ed to ford. This dctachment arrived at
the pass very opportunely, and effected
their sipurpose. After this, the enemy
'nudcte' ass feeble and unsupportcd attempt
Pphctss the bridgc, but this likewise prov
ed abortit/e. it was now near 6 ,o'cluck
in the evening, and night coming on,
closed the cngagement. Our fires were
built in due season, and very numerous,
and whilst_the enemy were amuscd by
these appearances, and preparing for a
general attacx tue cmumg luunuug, um
army marched, about ! in the morning,
from 'l'renton. on the south side of the
creek, to Princeton.' When they arrived
near the hill, about one mile irom Prince
ton, they sound a body of the enemy
form: (] upon it, and ready to receive them ;
upon which a spirited attack was made
upon them, both with field pieces and
muflcctry, and aster an ohffiuate rcsistance,
and losing :: considerable number of their
men upon the field, those of them who
could not make their escape shrrendered
prisoners of war. \Ve immediately march
ed on to the centre ofthc town, and there
took another party of' the enemy, near the
chilege. After tarrying a short time in the
town, general VVashington marched his
army from thence towards Rocky H'ffl , and
they are now at Morr'xs town, in high spi
si rits, and in expccitation of ajunction with
the rest oi'our iorces, sufficicntly seasonablc
tom xke a general attack upon the enemy,
and prevent, nsilcasi, a considcmble part
of them srcm reaching their asylum in
New York. [I is difiictsixlt. precisely, to
ascerta'm the loss we have sulhined in the
two cngagcmenrs; but, as near as ] can
judge, I think we have lost about 40 men
killed, and had near double the number
wounded. In the list of the former are
the brave c01. uazlct, cupt. dmppcn, auu
capt. Neal, who sell in the engagcmcnt
upon the hill near Princcton; amongst
the latter was brigachcr-gencml Merccr,
who received seven wounds, five in his
body., and two in hishcad, and was much
bruil'ed by the brecch osa mushet. His
lisc was yesterday almost despaired of, but
this morning ] find him much relieved,
and some of themofl: dangerous complaints
i'cmoved, so that ! (fill have hopes of his
recovery, and of his being again restored
to the arms oshis grateful country. He
is now a prisimcr upon parole. The ]osiz
shfl'ained by the enemy VV'lS much greater
than wars, as was easily discox crd by view
1213 the clcacl upon the field, after khe ac
tion. We have near me of their wound
ed prZs-onc-rsin th; town, which, together
with those who surrendercd, and were
! aken in small parisil-rsi) ,endcuvouring to m akc
thciuscape, lllssinkmustamountnearly to
the numhcr of 400, ch'ufiy British troops.
'Six brass pieces uk'czumon have fallen into
our {much, a quantity of ammunition,
:md stVernl wugssrgo-Ls us [zing-gage. A (apt.
L'. she wus found amongstthc encmy'sdead ,
and was this da-si; buried usiuh the honours
osw'xr A n.] nlrr of oth- r officers wcrc
:ds-J isiuuzsicl on the (i -'--.I, but they were not
Tzsiwctn, and were burisd vssith the other
dead . Accordingtu izzfsirrmqtion from the
inhabitantsosPsinsssi-ctcm, the number w hich
simm'chcd out of it to attack our army
amountch w 13,coo men , under cummzmd
osgeneral(jmsiuwall'm. This body, as soon
as they discovered that they were out:
gencrallcd by the march ol'genera] V'v :ctih
mgton, being much chagriucd at t'lzcir
disappointment (as it seems they intended
to have cut our army to pieces, crossed the
Delawarc, and marched immediately,
without any fartherdelay, to l'l'ziladelphis)
pushed, with the greatest precipicmion, to
wards Princeton, wherethey arrived about.
an hour after general Wzsishingzon had lest
it; and imagining he would anempt to
take Brunswnck in the same manner, pre
ceedcd directly for that place. Our so!
diers were much sudgued, the greatest
part of them having been deprived of
thcirrest the two preceding nights, other
wise, we might, perhaps, have posil-sscd
ourselves of Brunswick. The enemy ap
pear to be preparing to dccamp, and re
tire to New York, as they are much dis—
gusted with their late treatment in New
jersey, and have a grcntiuclination w
lfst themselves a little in some (Lcure win
ter quarters."
Capt. Eleming, of the In vxrglma regn
ment, was killed in a late engagement in
]ersiy, in which he proved himself'a gul
lmt suldicr.
Fiscy lhssx—ans were, a sew days ago,
taken prilbnersinjerscy, b'ffisi detuchmcnt
of the American army, and carried to
Morris town.
Since our last 50 Heffian officers :md sol
diers, who w ere lately made prisoners at
Trenton, arrived here srom Ph ludelphia.
VVILLIAMSBURG, firm. 24.
INCE our last two or three British ships
of war have arzived, one of which is
supposed to be the Roebuck. 'I'hcy took
several prizcs in Mobjack bay, and are
now, it us said, in klaenpton road.
Extract of a letter ji'am Baltimore, datcd
the 16th iuflant.
" ] wrote you an account osour brave
gencrnl's success, against the Hesslans, since
which Howe came upon him, at TrentC-n,
with all the force he could rnisc. Vtht
his number was gwera] Wush'mgton does
not say . The two armics lay cannonadiug
each other for the evening, and then,
seemingly, returned to rest; but, about
midnight, our general (lippcd off, got
between three regimcnts and lIUWe's muin
body, which they were sul!uwing,,ssssand
entirely descatcd them. We kissed and
took prisoners about 500 men, and then
retired to a place of safety in the high] mds.
This succesa, however, has been dearly
bought. General Merccr was supposed
to have been killed, but he is said now to
be on the recovery. 'sil'wo coloneis, two
capfidins, and sour or five sitbnltcrns, are
certainly gone, amongst whom is _]ACK
p'LEMING, who bLhilVCd and died as
bravely as a Caesar could have done, or
dering his men to dress hes< re they sircd,
though the enemy were within 40 yards
oshim, advancing fast- with uhusive threats
what they would do. However, they
were miltukcn, and most of them out to
pieces.
" Since this there have been several {Lir—
mishes between p'sstics nearly mntched,
in all which we have been tictoricus. Fish;
miiitia, and fifty YVzsiidechc-rs, met and
eng ged; the miiitisit hiilcd text of them,
and took 39, without the loss uf'u mzm."
Last 'l'lun'sdzzȝsi Liliti l'rit'zay thc loilczw
ing criminals wsiszrc brought [xx.-sore the
commisswners us ())ctcctr uncl 'I'cxsimizer at
the Capitol to Luke their trinis, and next
(iny received sentence us follows, viz..
ZlssCh-Il'iilh jones, from Aibemn'ie, for
manflss—ughter: guiitv. Burntin the hand.
John Emmet, srom Bcriuify, {or he iisitii
.
ty: acqu'sstcz}. ?Jm". [T'x'ss-wh si'r 11- 'i- .I-sii
ley, iur child mmsidu: 'rsiv'uliss'jsiss ssss. '- :ss,
(Ihsn'lc-si Tumyhus, (sum li'ns-xss :,,
1!\-.ss:3s_u]]\jss,si. !'-\H'n'si'1-1 th hnctssiu. &.lzsi-rhsi
Bm, [: s, from lctruicr'sick, sur p.]!hsi-siz (( nu—
tcctil'ssdt mous): :uquisiluss Gsiorsi-f, sir,.) ,
smm Hrur-svfck, shrhm si flexxLuL-z nuss' v.
Death. \V.*h un joncs, sron'. !}.ss-siss. !]
lus ]!(H'sisicsi'sizli'lhssfjss: guilty. Deum. jmzsisi
Mccnm, from buuthz-wplun, so:" nssuzclm':
j-usixhy. ])cuth. V'. ilhum :;ml Ci wiss
Guntcr, from Hanovsstr, sorhcxstikcrsi! ::sict:
acqniuccl. '
Extrad (sisalcttcsirfisic-m Winchcster , slxm. 8,
" The company(:slssrsidnid'si x'i-Psizzt'si'siua
commanded by the rev. ()hsinisis ?.issz-nct-u
Thmston, consisiing of about No mm,
marched srom this town un Sunday just,
in order to join the army under the tom
mand of his excellency general W'alhing
ton, in ccsspnscquence of orders from the
lion. )omiucmal Congrcss. 'l'hc grcatcit
part of khc company consists os gentlemen
of the first rank in the county; and the snns
of the principal inhabitants of it. The
were all extremely Wc" armed, find doth
ed in an exact uniform. from my know
ledge of both officers and men, and from
the great checrsuhzess and alaczicy with
which they engaged in the common cause,
I have the most ssictr-guinc cxpcctation they
will do honour to themselves, and render
service to their country."
Death;.j Miss NANCY BUTLER, of
Prince. George county. She was & dutifnl
and affectiounte child, stead)! in her friend
ship, and :) cheersu] and agreeable com
panion. Her death, therefore, is justly
regrettcd by all who had the pleasure of
her acquaintance.
At Kimem, the ssssint osmrs. Campbell
osWtstmorelnnd, lnssd'KATHAklNl-IMAC
KAY, astera short and scvere inflaissi—j, which
she sustained with that comrvnsure and se
renity which rendered lovely the conduct
of her whole life.
In the hospital sor hmmicks, ANNE
POLLARD, from H'mlpshire, and DAVID
SULLWAN, from Essex county.
ADVERT}SEMI—si.NTS.
Isuz nffi lGHT, Yan. 7, 1777.
Mr. PURDlE,
"'HE snbscribcr hired last year to one
70 eph Harris, sirmorcr to the first
rcsi-jm-ctnt. which was then stationed at.
lVilliamj/mrg, a ncgro man called
(jllARLES, by trade ;: blacksmith; and
as the said Hurri: hath since removed to
some place unknown, and the time as the
ncgru's hire expired thn hsist day of De
cember, but he luth not:;ct appeared, nor
can l be informed where to inquire zssier
or apply for the sc'dow, I should be glad.,
through the Channel of your paper, to in
sorm mr. Harris, that itsihe does not sc—
lnrn the fellow immediately, together
with his hire lalhezn', l lh'ffl ]nsiossisiculc him
with the utmost rigunt", and I shall be ex
tremely oh'zipss'ed to any person who will
give. me such intelligence us xn'n: be news
sary to my reg-siliningsi the pofl-si'shon of the
fellow, and where I can find the shid
Harris.
2'l THOMAS FlVEASH.
jANUAaY 2,1777.
LL officers belonging to the ?}! batta
lion us cnn'siincnml troops raised sun"
lhc shllcsi. osGcorgia, now withinlhsiu cum—
monwccdlh, are desired w culkict vsshsit
men they isizwc c:n':'zH<.d. m du: pluccs t'.--::
rcsizcctsiwc c'Lptzx'tns ib A! dccznmafl conve—
nient. sUl' their rcmlzzwzus, ivy; the: :ozh
instrctnt, that the. m'ns wsiufiss' m- " he sup
plied as szu' us poliiblctz, flux! \h.:c ;' r.: um;
be had to procure ths msiccli'siark-si- Until arc
waming' [er their march, which I :L—n
dCsFZ'UliUCC! shaHhc-gin lhcct-{irs'si oi ["of-71! ny.
2}[ ROBER'F 11}; ct', liult. cul.