The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-05-24 00:00:00, page 2

prisoners, 2; of which arr'Wed here last
evening. General Woustcr arrived before
Qlcbcck on Monday last. The banery
opened at Point Levi un TUesday morning.
One of capt. anb's company made his
escape from Quebcck, and informs, that
the soldiers and prisoners are at an allow
ance of three ounces of pork per day. A
Canadian, who brought letters from
Carleton to the inhabitants, is made pri
soner, and sa s (which he uffcrs to swear
t'!) that the inhabitants, as well' as suchi—
ers, have risen in a body and gone to
Car]_eton, and that he promised, is he did
not get afflstance in _14 days, to deliver up
the town."
w
1: A ]- '1' l .\l () H. tsi, May 14.
Extract of a letterfi'om a gentleman in Phi—
ladelphia, to his friend in thiJ town,'
date'd May lo, 1776. -
1 HAVE to inform you of an attack
made by our gondoia fleet against the
Roebuck man of war of 44 guns, and the
Liverpoo] srigat 0f28 guns. 'l'he attack,
or Bring, began oil the 8th instant, pre
cisely at 1 o'clock, when the challenge
gan was given by our gondolas at 45 mi
nutes past ]. There were severalguns tired
on our side. The enemy's first firing be
gan at : o'clock, and the Liverpoo] kept
at some distance, until near enough for
her small guns, which had but little effect.
The engagement held till ȝo minutes after
4 o'clock, in which time ourlittle, thou vh
courageous fleet, were under the neceshty
of retreatin about halsa mile, being out
of ammunitlon, but were soon furnished
wiR: plentiful quantity. We had only
on an killed, but what losh the enemy
sustained cannot be ascertained."
Wehear that the Roebuck asind Liverpool
men of'war, attempting to come up Phi
ladelphiu river on Wednesday last, were
attacked by the gondolas off Chrilieen,
when a heavy cannonade ensued on both
sides, and continued for three hours with
out any intermisiion. With the ebb tide
the ships thought proper to retire, when
the Roebuck ran a-ground on the jersey
shore, and continued there some time,
with the Liverpool a-breast of her.
Thursday evening the cngngement was
renewed, and continued some hours,
when the ships retired below Newcastle;
having, it is thought, received a good
deal of damage. Botsh the Roebuck and
Liverpool were hulled several times.
During the time the Roebuck was
a-ground, the Wasp schooner, which had
beenchasedinto Christeen bythc Liverpool, '
came out, and retook a brig that the
Liverpool had taken the day preceding,
By the best accounts, too much praise
canndt be given to the officers and men
on board the gondolas, who behaved with
the greatest courage and prudence.
They have received very little, if any
damage. .
L O N ]) 0 N, Fcbruary 6.
HE House of Lords were altogether
engaged in extraordinary affsiiirs the
ad and 5th us this month. The House of
Cummons, on the lst, did not sit but about
three quarters of an hour. ] t is ordered,
on the motion of mr. Grey Conper, that
there shall be-brought before the House
the state of the balance sound in the Ex—
chequer on the 5th ofjanuurv , after which
they adjourned to yesterday, and were
then engaged two hours on state assairs.
The committee os ways and means have
been successively adjourned to the ctzd, 5th,
and 7th, osthis month; and will be farther,
accordin to all appearance, until the mi
nister is & le to determine on the (lemamls
and propositions which are to be their
object.
ln the mean time, they continue their
wsirlike prepar'ltions. 'l'hc fleet dcstined
to actjn America will consist of 67 vessels,
viz. seven of 50 guns, two of 44, seven
of32, twelv: of 28, live of 24, live of 20,
two of 18, six oE 16, two of 14, sour of
10, three of 8, and twelve ()lhcfi armed
vessels. But if they did give attention
ch-siu they have more than 20 degrees (300
common haguck) ufcoast to watch, they
might easily judge that their talk will-nnt
be very enly. Viscount Hnȝne, vice-ud
miral, is to command the sea forces; ad
mirul Shuhlham, who succcded ;ulmirul
Graves, being recalled. 'l'his siviscuunt,
and general Howe, his msifly hmthcr. who
replaced gcneral (}z-nssyss'e at Boston, arc hue
thren to viscount Howe \\ hu was (] siin at
the attack of'l'icondemga, the jth ofjuly
175'8, and to whose memory lhc Anuri—
cans have erectcd a superb monument.
The land forces, it it said, are to be di—
vided into three bodies, one of] 2 ,ooo men,
under- gencral Carleton, on the river dta
Luurence; the second, all?) of 12,ooo,
under general Howe, at New York; and
the third, in Virginia and Carolina, will
be of 1 ! ,ooo, and commanded by generals
Clinton and Cornwnllis. These bodies to
be supported and reinshrculjl as needsnl,
by a reservcd body, whose (tation is not
yet fixed. This armument, however,
meets with many obltncles, from a (lisin—
clinzttion to the service in Amcricu. Man)
captains, Iieutcnants, and enfigns, on hals
pay, who were appointed the 14th of Au
gust, to serve in the new companies added
to the old regimcnts, not having )sset pre
sented themselves to the war office, have"
been summoned anew, on penalty of being
erased from the list} They are not a little
emba'rrassed to equip the transports destin
ed for America. Even the guardships are
obliged to lend their hands to do the work
on board these vessels.
The count De Guignes, at'nbassudour
from France, has taken leave of the king
to return to Paris. The prince de Masse
rano, ambassadonr from Spain, has been
very ill for some days past of an apopleXy ;
but he begins to grow better, and is
thought to be out oFd unm-r.
8 0 8 T () N, [May :.
Extract osa letter dated April 22, 1776,
from a master of a vessel lately arrived
upon this continent srom-France, which
he lest about the 18th of Maa'ch.
PON my arrival here ! was extremely
. hap/y/ to hear of the gondsucce/Is of
this country against her unnatural enemies,
who are collecting all the force poffil-[e to
masse head againt m. The account in
Bourdeaux ii, t zut 20,ooo Hcffiam and
Hanaverium are at Embden, ready to embark
on board the English ships, to join 12,ooo
Enghsh, and sail immediately for slmerica.
This, however, you may depend upon, that
about 40 fizil of tranct/portsshiled fi-om Pty
mrmth about the loth of March for Asinerica;
with about 5000 soldier: (m board ; they
had been, fizme month: before, mjilr to the
westward q/"Capc anct'stcre, and all put back
bystrcjs} oswenther, am! di/per/cd in diffe
rent parts. One ran (t/hare in [relsmd , and
the captain and almost all on board peristwzd.
lfitpfm/Z'. by this time, they are very near
this coa/t."
We hear that the ]Warstz/zeld Tartar, said
in our la/I to be arrived off' that place, have
not been to Haltfux, but have been lurking
about the bay evursince the memorable flight
of the 17th oj'IWarch, till, overcome [ly
hunger, thr-v were obliged to throw them
sZ-lvcs upon the mercy of their country. It
is shid they are committed to Plymauth jail .
Two regimsut: are now raising in this cu
lony, jbr it: immediate (lcy'bnce.
We are in/brmcd that an addition!!! fit];
fly (s ten tum of powder was rsieceivezl, a
few day.: since. in this s-sil/mv. fi-om Europe.
PHILADELPHlA, 1Way13.
Extract of a letter from St. Lushuia,
April 12, 1776.
HE 16th ult. there were 23 transports
went pus}: this place, under convoy
of the Experiment, :! 40 gon ship, bound
sur Boston; but there were no vesiLIsis in
the flcqt of any force, except ;; French
built ship of 8 gnns, and :] Bcrmuda flsimp,
sillcd out us Antiguu, us 8 guns, but no.
hut ufsslhc 8 ]].1ppcnul to be wood. "l'hc
have likewise a lwisirss lined out ()fssl)01nsslnic_1
to cruile, but ] hope we [Il 1" bc Up with
them as soon as the Conglels gruuls cunn
lulshons.
" 'l here ]Sfl great opportunity of mnk
inn- :1 ioltune at this time, it (he commit—
iiuns ucle gl mmccl. As for the Aminu—
ans, they me the most cruel uml muust
wretches txiffing; [un they cuncletssh c\ :—
ry vcshl, it she ]: 15 only the name of being
once in An1-1ic._'1.
.; _.—___-—-——si—*——
w ] 1, l.] A 31 5 13 11 it 11, [way 14.
Extractoj a/eltct-rfl'c/rn capt. ()cursisieJuhn
lion, ctluted, Alqy 20, 1776.
ESS. 'l'chbs, Di'cksh'sin, :tnd myself,
with about 15 Him, took a wzstk in
to nursolk this ciening. ] detached a
si'sdenl, with six of the men, to the
\hudsimill Point, where 'they observed,
about 25 us the ministerial gentt'cty, at
whom our men tired a few guus; "l'ffl-l
which the enemy ran towards the shure,
in c-xpedtatitm ostlect))ittg us, but ] htcki-si
ly got up and prevented a pursuit, ubservsi
ing that they meant to surrotmd us. ,]
then ordered our people to retrcat to the
cross sUled, upon which they stctlkmed,
and when within about 200 yards thesisirsi
ing began, tilthpttgh ] much wctished ctttj
]]JVC kept up out's till they cttme 'nctea'tsicrj
but the urdour us our nicn eouid thtctbd
restraiucd. 'l'he-engagsiementlastedabosiuf;
25 niinutes, very" hot,- __a,nd atsilength the;
enemy retreatsied, after losing st-i'n'e blood;
A little before it was over, ! was t'ehiss-si
furccd to the number of abodt 50, in all;
] detsiached capt. Fleming, with asewsi
men, to their ground; who observed
them paradcd on the bench, about tC-o
strong. I kept my post tillsunset, and
they have chiefly gone on hoard, though.
] am inclined to believe they intend re—_
ncwing the attack some time this night.
If they do, 1 shall endeavour to keep ctmy
ground. None of my men are hurt. (
receixed a ball on my toe, which did no
other execution than cutting the soul of
my shoe." si
Last Sunday morning our guard at Nor
follss took a couple ot' ]ads belonging to
the Otter, regahngthemselves ulhorc vssith
sh'awberrieh; also a little boy, whom
after ztlking a seW queflions, they suffered
to go about his business. -
By a gentleman liom Phiiadeiphia, \\ be
left th\tt city the llth instunt, we ]etssl
that it was rtsimrted there, and gectntraily
believed, that 27 Britilh cunlmisiiuners
had arrived in Nuntuiket t'uztd, escutsited
by 12,ooo llefliunb; and he lsisiasst'ned, that
the Con'gress were about despatchiug an
officer of the light herb to thusc cum—
miilioners, to oticr them a guard tu Pni
'lctsitdelphia, should they be inclined, or em
powered, to treat with their body, but
it they had any other errand, to acquaint
them that they would not be suffered to
lsiuul.
The sinne gentleman mtorms, that
capt. Bellcw, haxing lately alked per
mifliou of the Cunpssrcss for his lady to
\isit her relations in New England, they
desputched & gentleman vxith :: carriage
to conduct her to Philudclphiu; hut upon
his going on board the Liverpoo], which
happened to bcjuik alter her engagemcnt
with our row-gulhes, he found the cap
tain in a very bad humour, whu told him
he had aitcrcd his mind, and that mrs.
Bellcw should not now go amongst them,
as their dumn'd gonrhsiflas had treated him
so ungcntully . 'l'hc gentleman who
went un board was fully cmnsiincsi-d, from
v\ hut he had an uppurcunity of being wit
ness to, that the capiuin h-siul very good
reason (or his chugrin; for his ship had her
quarter fails emirrl) curlicd away, and &
number of plugs were in hz-r side, vshich
makes it high!) ,]iruhuhic that he lufl many
ol' his crew. The Rucbuck also was in