The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1778-11-06 00:00:00, page 2

LONDON GAZETTE EX'FRAORDIN A RY.
BY AUTHORlTY.
ADMlRAL'lY OFssi'lCL', August :, 1778.
APTAIN Faulknor, of his Majesty's ship tht- Victory,
arrived at this office yesterday in the aftrrnoon, with a
letter from the Honourable Angustus KCPPC], Adnriral of '
the Blue, and Commander in Chicf of his Majesty's ships em
ployed to the westward, to Mr. Stephcns, of which the fol
lowing is a copy :
S ; R, Vicsironr, a! sun, jub- 30. 1778.
MY letters of the 23d and 24th instant, by the Peggy and
Uffi'on Cutters, acquainted you, for their Lordships informa
tion, thatl was in pursuit, with the King's fleet under my
command, of ;: numerous Heat of French ships of war.
Frctom that time till the z7th, the wsinds constantly in the
S. W. and N. W. quarters, sometimes blowing strong, and
the French fleet always to windward, going off, I made ule of
ever, method to close in with them that was possible, keeping
the king's ships at the same time collected, as much as the
nature of a pursuit would admit of, and which became ne
cessary from the cautious manner the French proceeded in,
and the difinclination that Appeared in them to allow of my
bringing the King's ships close up to a regular engagement;
this left but little other chance of gett-ng in with them than
by seizing the opportunity that offered the morning of the
27th, by the winds admitting of the van of the King's fleet
under my command leading'up with, and closing with their
centre and rear. "
The French began firing upon the headmost of Vice Admi
ral Sir Robert Harland's divzsion, and the ships with him. as
they led" up; which cannonade the leading ships and the Vice
Admiral soon returned, as did every ship as they could close up.
The chace had occasioned their being extended, nevertheless
they were all soon in battie. .
Thgflcets being upon different tacks, passed each other very
close; she object of the French seemed to be the disabling the
Big ; ships intheir masts and saiis, in which they so far suc
-_ _ as to prevent many'of- the ships of my fleet being able
vfolbxme. when] worectto'stand after the French fleet , this
Wax to wear "n'; tsiojqin thosi: ships, and thereb'y al- .
._ ___, __ssct
Jew of-the French ming their fleet again, and range t in
) ;:
"a line td leeward of the King's fleet, towards the closesso 'the
. day}, which I did'not discoutage, but allowed of their doing
":,
{eg- I;
_it witbwtfiring upon them, thinking they meant handsumcly
to try Wine: with usctctthessnext mornin ; but the; had been
&.
sssi'M the day; that they took the vantage of the night
co offl? _ ss . .
?hcssfffindsi' and weather being .such that they could make
their own shores before there was any chance of the King's
fleet geuingup with them, in the state the ships were in,_ in
their masts, yards and fails, left me no choice of what was
properand advisable to do. The spiriccd conduct of Vice
Admiral Sir Robert Harland, Vice Admiral Sir Hugh Palli
scr, and the Captains of the fleet, supported by their officers
'md men, deserVes much commendation. "
A list of the killed and wounded is herewith inclosed.
- ' Isend Captain Faulknorct, Captaip of the Victory, with this
.ccount to your Lordships, and am, Sir, your most obedient
and very humble'servant, A. KEPPEL. '
Phili Ste m, Esp; Say. to the Admiralty.
LIST o nen ct 'ctledsiqnd wounded, in theaction with the French
flat, tbc-aylb afjuly 1778.
Total killed 133." Total wounded 373,
Office" wounded 3 Lict'ztenants and : Surgeon. '
ct' ' A KEPPEL.
PHILADELPHlA, October 17.
, !] (: O N G R E 8 5, Sepumbtr 28, 1778.
HE President laid before Congress a letter, dated " New
I York; ! thofSeptember, 1778, signed, H. Clinton,
directed to lgis Excellency Henry Laurens, Esq; the Pus:—
dent, and others the members of the American Congress, at
Philadclphia," enclosinffla paper, purporting to be '* an
extractof a letter from t e Right Hon. Lord George Ger
mainc, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, to
his Excellency, Sir Henry Clinton, K. B. &c. &c. &c. dared
Whitehal], ]une 12, 1778'," which were read, whereupon,
Ordered, that the Secrctary return the following ansWcr:
Sir, I am directed to inform you that the Congrcss of the
Uniced Statcs of America make no ansWcr to insoksint letters.
l am, &c.
SlR, New YORK, Sep. 19, 1778.
NOTHING but his Majesty's possitivc instructions, of
which I send you an extract, could have induced me to
coublc you or the Amcrican Congress again on the subject:
osthc troops detained in New England, in direct contravcncion
of the: tlsi-si'aty entered into at Sarsiitcgsii. The nc-glcct of the
rcquisitions already made on this silbjkct, is aitugcchcr unpre
ceden cd among partics at war. I now, however, rrpcat the
demand, that the cunVcntion of Szzrutoga be iulfilicdz and
Osscs, by express and rcCcnt authority from the King, rcceivcd
since the date of the late requisition made by his Majesty's
commisiioners, to renew, in his Majesty's name, all the con
ditions stipulated bv Lieutcnant General Burgoyne, in resprt
to the troops serving under his command.
In this I mean to discharge my duty, notoniy to the King,
whose ordcrs I obey, but to 16? unhappy people likewise, wss' :
affairs are committed to you, and who, I h , will have :
candour to ac uit me of the consequenCe that must follow
from the new ystem of war you asslss'e pleased to 'int'rocmce.
I have the honour to be; Sir,
Your most obedient, and most humble servant,
H. C l.. 1 N T O N.
His Excellency Henry Laurens, Esq; (be Pnsidmt,
am! 'tlm': lb: member: of ib- Amesican Con
grej}, at Philzddphia.
Extract of a letter from the Right Honourable Lord George
Germaine, one of bit Majesty's princina] Secretavsiiez of State,
to bi: Excellency General Sir Henry Clinton, X; 'BZ'UL Us.
Us. dated Whitehall, jane 12, 1778. ",
" l AM to signify to you his Majesty's pleasure, that-you
do tak: cw ry necessary step for the strict observance of what
is flipulatcd in the convention of Saratoga on the part of Lieu- _
tenant General Burgoyne, and that you do give the fussllest
asiurance that the troops, when embarked, shall be imme
diately sent to Great Britain, and every Condition agreed upon - "
between Lieutenant General Burgoyne and Major. General
Gates, respecting them, be faithfully obshrved."ctsi .s. f 4!
Asitruc extract. - '
] O H N S MI TH, Secretary.
Ordered, that the letter from General Sir Henry Clinton,
of the 19th of September, t778, with the 'eXtra'ct ofthe letter
from Lord George Germaine, be published, together with the
resolution of Congress thereupon. '
HENRY LAURENS; President.
Extract of a letter from Lord Sterling, commanding the conti
nental troops in New Jcrscy, daled Octaber 13, 1 778, to the
Prqsident of Congresr.
" By all the intelligence] have been able to collect, a grand
_*).
embarkation will immediately take place at New York. They
give out it is for South Carolina; some say it is for Boston.
But from the season, and a variety of other circumstances, I
conclude it is [or the (West lndies. _
" Your most obedient servant,
-" STERLlNG.
" P. S. It is this moment reported that fort independencc
and Kingsbridgc are evacuated ; if true, further symptons of "
the evacuation at New York.", . .
Ordcrcd by Congress to be published.
HENRY LAURENS, Prrsident.
Extract of a letter from the commiffioners as the Nafzssy Baard al
Boston, to the Marine Cammittee of Cangrqss, dated th: 7tb
of October.
" This will inform you of the loss of thessRaleigh frigate,
commanded by John Barry, Esquire. She sailed on Friday
the 25th of September, and in a few hours after discovered
two of the enemy's ships, one of 50 or 60 guns, and the other
a frigate, which Captuin Barry cndeavoured to avoid, and
once supposed himself clear of them; but the next tiaywas
pursued by the same or two other ships. The frigcttte after
some time, hzing a copper bottom, and going vcry fast, came '
up. and an engagcment cnsued between the two higatcs, which
lasted several hours, in which the Raleigh, though she lost
her fore-top-masi had the advantage, and would have taken