The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette (Portsmouth, N.H.), 1776-11-05 00:00:00

Screamer's Journal
OR
New-Hampshire Gazette.
[ Vol. I. ]
TUESDAY, November 5, 1776.
[ No. 24. ]
A second letter from General Wolfe to the British Army in America.
BROTHER SOLDIERS and DEAR COUNTRYMEN,
SUFFER me, from the pure mansions of unprejudic'd truth and justice, (the endless source of perfect peace and happiness, in the regions of reward, to the faithful and righteous upon earth, when their short race, on the mortal stage of action is run,) once more to remonstrate to you, the iniquity, dishonour and danger, of your present pursuit and engagement.
Thro' the wicked advice of evil counsellors, and the baneful ministerial snares which encompass him, the King of Great-Britain, has been betrayed into an unjust, malevolent and impolitick inattention, to the most humble and respectful petitions, of his American subjects; by which means, he has compelled them, to renounce their allegiance, to their once lawful sovereign, and to reject the entire authority, of the British parliament; the latter of which was never well founded, tho' cordially, or at least, patiently submitted to, till more and more exorbitant exertions, of unrighteous power, have constrained the Americans, to assert their just rights and privileges, which were really and truly, ever the same with those of their British brethren.
The duration and stability of this revolution, at present, rest on an appeal to heaven; and if the justice of the American cause, be coincident with the divine plan of universal good, (the invariable rule of providence,) the Americans may be sure of supporting their independence, which it is their duty, to endeavour to defend, be the event what it will: The Rubicon is past, and their destiny upon trial, and with a manly fortitude, they wait the chance of war; or to speak in sacred language, the lot is cast into the lap, and the whole disposal of it, is of the Lord.
To be, or not to be, is the present precarious state of America, but inclining vastly in her favor; since he who gave her inhabitants existence, and their natural rights, they trust, will preserve them and their liberties, alive and entire: On his omnipotence, not on their own strength, (how great soever,) they rely for victory, over their unnatural foes, and to the eye of reason, their righteous cause will be crowned with success.
The numbers Britain is able to send against them, in comparison with those that can oppose them, similar in strength and courage, and capacity to learn the art of war, are so small, as fully to justify what I have advanced,
Europe being so remote from America, an expedition to the moon, seems scarce less romantic, than that which is at present prosecuted by the British forces, in that distant quarter of the world.
The gigantic power of Britons, nearer home, is reduc'd to that of dwarfs; and Brobdinnags dwindle into Lilliputians, when their operations are carried on at so vast a distance: By this means alone, at least nine tenths of their strength is abated, after which deduction, Americans must remain incomparably their superiors, in a defensive war.
If I may be permitted to speak figuratively, as well might ants from a mole hill, storm the tower of London, or mice devour the moon, if it was a large cheese, and those little animals, could be waited there, as more noble beings, transported across the atlantick, from England to America, be able to conquer, ten times their own numbers, in depth of woods embrac'd, where if attack'd, they may fight, as in close quarters, or if they see cause, to issue forth to the open field, with their well train'd legions, (which by daily exercise, make a rapid progress in the art military,) they have almost, a moral certainty of success, against the British troops; whether, I say, they meet in covert wilds, or on the naked plain.
I mean not by the simile I have used, to represent the absolute impossibility, but the utter improbability, that your present forces, with all the reinforcement that can be made, should exceed, or equal the combin'd strength, of those Free and Independent States, so firmly united in defence of their common rights, as they at present be, and are likely to remain.
I would not present the Americans, with a magnifying perspective, thro' which, delusively to view their power and safety; for the interpositions of Providence, may blast their fairest hopes and most sanguine expectations: Let them therefore trust solely in him, who with one can chace a thousand, and with two put ten thousand to flight; and remember, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that victory is of God alone.—On the other hand, let them not tempt Providence, by a supine security in its protection, without a rational exercise, of the ample means of defence, which all bountiful heaven, has so graciously put into their hands. Unhappy and deluded General! Distracted and ill fated Army! Notwithstanding the high esteem, you upon other accounts most justly claim from me, and which, I as assuredly entertain for you, yet the cause you are engaged in, with as much zeal and little know-
ledge, as St. Paul once persecuted the christians, is so very wrong and erroneous, that was I at liberty, to return to earth again, I should revisit America, and must be constrained, upon principles of justice and humanity, to measure swords with you, in behalf of her much injured inhabitants;
But I forget who it is, that wields the sword at the head of the American forces, and conducts their arms, (thro' the divine aid,) to victory; in comparison of whose martial skill and puissance, I may truly say of mine, non tali auxilio, nec defensoribus istis tempus eget —that my aid and assistance, would be no addition, to his superior heroism, and other abilities, to combat the evils of the present day; and to surmount all difficulties, which may surround him, in the support of the glorious cause of liberty.
I shall conclude with observing, that the time has been, when Americans were happy in owning allegiance and paying obedience to one common sovereign with the Britons; but that dominion is now at an end; without any fault or just blame of the former, and must solely be imputed to the misconduct of the latter. The only saving left to Britain to hope for, is, by immediately receding from her present violent measures, to endeavour a reconciliation, and to renew and cultivate, a mutual voluntary intercourse, between the two contending countries, founding their good will, in free will, and a liberty of thinking, speaking and acting; without which, instead of excluding America, from all other nations, and monopolizing her utility, she alone will be excluded from it, and every other power in Europe, be benefitted by her commerce, to the great prejudice and diminution, and I fear total demolition of Great-Britain. Be timely wise O Britons!
Lest it should be your hard fate, To repent when it's too late.
With the tenderest care and concern for your honour and safety, and the glory of the British arms, (so ignobly tarnished by your present attempt,) I am Gentlemen, your sincere and affectionate (tho' departed) friend and humble servant. JAMES WOLFE.
P. S. Give me leave to recommend to you, the revival of my former letter on this subject, published in the Massachusetts Spy, of March the 30th, 1775, connected with the Irish Draper's Letters from Elysium to Vespasia.
To be sold at the Printing-office, and at the shop opposite Mr. William Appleton's Book-Store, — An easy plan of
Discipline for a Militia, By TIMOTHY PICKERING jun.

Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, [Nothing— 'Twas mine, 'tis his, & has been slave to thousands! But he that filches from me my Good NAME, Robs me of that which not enriches him, But makes me poor indeed!
SHAKESPEARE.
TO THE PUBLIC.
AT a time of general calamity, it may seem hardly justifiable for an individual to trouble the public with his own particular wrongs and sufferings.
Yet as I am reduced to the sad alternative of either doing this, or of sitting down patient and contented with the character of a scoundrel and an enemy to my country; self-preservation impels me to chuse the former, which I hope will be my excuse.
In an Exeter paper of the 7th of September, (and I know not in how many more papers) is a piece signed by one John Trumbull , Deputy Adjutant General to the northern army, containing an account of my being tried before a general court martial at Ticonderoga, for refusing to go on duty when regularly warned thereto, by the Adjutant of the regiment to which I belonged; that I was found guilty and sentenced to be cashiered and advertized in the public newspapers, as having wilfully neglected my duty with a view of being discharged the service. And, as if this was not enough, the said Trumbull of his own head goes on, and adds.—“Agreeable to this sentence, Jonathan Wentworth of Somersworth, in Strafford County, New Hampshire, late Captain in Col. Poor's regiment, is published to the world as a scoundrel, guilty of neglecting his duty, evidently with a view of being discharged from the service of his country.” And he calls on my countrymen to treat me with the “contempt merited by so infamous a conduct.” How aggravated must be the offence of disobedience, to deserve all this? How wise must be those judges, who could thus, without hesitation, determine not only upon actions, but upon their motives; even the very inward thoughts and intentions of the heart? And what a polite, candid and impartial gentleman must be the publisher, commentator and embellisher of all this, Mr. Trumbull! Before I make any further remarks on this gentleman, or his publication, or enter more fully into my defence, I will endeavour to give the public the true state of this affair, by telling in a few words, simply as it was.
For some time before this pretended great offence was committed, I had been without a tent; this was rendered still more inconvenient and irksome, by my being in a weak and low state of body, but ill recovered from the small-pox and camp distemper. I often remonstrated on this hardship, but in vain: I still remained without any tent of my own. Thus situated, hardly able to crawl about; without a tent; and chagrined at being so neglected, I was ordered by the Adjutant to go on duty; I refused going; but the manner of my doing it plainly shewed it was rather through haste and passion than a fixed design to disobey orders. But even that would not have been wholly unjustifiable, considering my miserable situation, and unfitness for all public duty. However this was eagerly catch'd at, I was complained against, ordered to be taken into custody, was arrested, disarmed, and a few days afterwards brought before a court martial, tried and sentenced as above. The only evidence that appeared against me on the trial was the testimony of the adjutant, who swore that I replied to his orders—I sha'nt! Words of heat, as I before observ'd, rather than the effect of deliberation; much less of such a mean, unheard of, foolish and ridiculous design, as I am charged with, to get
discharg'd from the service. For admitting I wanted to leave it, (which was far from the case) how easy would it have been to resign my commission? Is not this the common and natural way? How forc'd and strained is the supposition, that I laid a deliberate plan and executed it, to get dismissed from the army with disgrace and contempt. When I could so much easier have effected it, with honor to myself and without the least trouble to any one. But I did not want to leave the service; I was fond of it. I had steadily been in it ever since Lexington Battle, and should probably have continued in it to this day, and many days to come, had I been well treated. In this situation and with these sentiments, it could not but be extreme painful to me to be so cruelly handled, first for so venial a fault to be put under guard, tried, condemned, and so severely sentenced, and afterwards to have my name published, by a young, conceited upstart, as a scoundrel; a person to be abhor'd and detested by all mankind, but especially by my own country. That country for whose protection and defence, I have ever been, and still am, ready to fight, to bleed and to die. I am aware how indispensably necessary it is, that strict discipline should be kept up in the army. That a ready uncontroverted obedience is more requisite in military than in any other government. But was a soldier, even in the British army commanded to do what was impracticable, to rise and run; when he had lost one of his legs, or if he had lost an arm, to load and fire, he would surely be justifiable in disobeying. If I have reason thus to complain of the severity of the sentence, I have still more at the manner in which it is published. I am called a scoundrel! this is no part of the sentence; and my countrymen are desired to treat me with the utmost contempt. However this language may have been intended to disgrace and ruin me, it is so gross, so wholly unbecoming the stile of an officer, and a gentleman, and favours so strongly of malice and revenge, that it reflects more on the court, and indeed on the whole army, which happens to have one in it capable of making use of such language, than it does on me. I do not desire to render railing for railing, or to put myself on a footing with a person I despise; but truth obliges me to say, that the account published by the young lad before mentioned is false; false in those particulars already pointed out, as well as in others which I can also point out, and will if I am called upon to do it. Justice to my own character, to the court, (whose mandates have been so far exceeded) and to the whole army oblige me to say thus much. I do not call on every printer on the continent to publish this. I do not think myself of importance enough to require it: and I have no wish to injure even my enemy. But to stand fair with the good and virtuous part of the community to which we belong; to share their esteem and confidence in what every honest man must ardently wish, and is indeed what he is entitled to. This alone prompted me to address the public at this important crisis of our affairs; sickness, and the misfortune of losing a parent, have alone prevented my doing it sooner. And I trust it will have the desir'd effect; that the public in general will consider me as one much injured, and afford me their commiseration, and that my more particular friends will wholly lose ev'ry ill impression they may have taken of my character & conduct, and receive me into their wonted esteem and favor.
JONATHAN WENTWORTH.
BALTIMORE, September 23.
One of the prize ships, taken by the Harle-
quin, Capt. Woolsey, of this port, is arrived at Chincoteague, and most of her cargo safely landed.
NEW LONDON, October 11.
A ship burthen 225 tons, taken by Captain Tho. Nickson, in the privateer sloop America , belonging to Plymouth, was last week brought into a port in this State. The privateer had been only 7 days out when she took this prize, and was left in chase of another. The cargo of this ship is as follows, viz. 200 hogsheads sugar, 100 puncheons of rum, 20 casks of Madeira wine, a quantity of logwood and Metogany.
Last tuesday two prize snows were retaken by two British men of war in sight of Stonington harbour—one of them was a prize which had been taken by a providence privateer, commanded by James Munro; the other had been taken by a privateer belonging to the State of Rhode Island. We learn that the people got on shore in their boats.
Wednesday a brig bound into this port, from the West Indies, was taken by a man of war near Montauk point; but the people got on shore in their boat.
Yesterday the prize ship (a Guinea man) mentioned in our last to be taken by Captain Harding, in the brig defence, belonging to this State, arrived safe in this harbour.
NEWPORT, October 11.
Capt. Vickary in 16 days from Hispaniola, informs, that about a fortnight before he sail'd an english frigate took an American vessel near that island, and carried her off for Jamaica; and that a French frigate, whose top masts were then down, got ready and sail'd in two hours for Jamaica, to demand the American vessel, but had not returned when Capt. Vickary came away; and that no vessel is suffered to wear English colours in any French port; but Continental colours are displayed every Sunday, and much admired.
Capt. Steut, who arrived here yesterday P. M. from Rye, about 20 miles on this side King's Bridge, informs, that on Friday, under a very heavy fire from a number of ships, the enemy landed about 10,000 men, at a place called Rodman's Point; that General Lee sent about 500 men down to attack them, and retreat back to the place where he lay with about 3000 in the front, and the like number as a flanking party. The 500 engaged the enemy, and retreated; the enemy followed 'till they came within about 50 yards of Gen Lee, 'till then undiscovered, when his party gave them three very heavy fires, which threw them into great confusion; upon which the flanking party began to play upon them so warmly, that they only gave one or two fires and retreated with great precipitation, being pursued by our troops 'till they got under cover of their ships. The loss on our side was very small, that of the enemy's not ascertained, but supposed to be very great.
PROVIDENCE, October 26.
A letter from Maryland to a gentleman in this town mentions, that a Spanish vessel had arrived there from the Havannah, with 10,000 dollars to purchase flour, the captain of which confirmed the account of a war between Spain and Portugal; and further advised, that a Fleet of Spanish men of war and transports was daily expected to arrive at the Havannah with a large body of troops.
The brig Cabot , Eliza Hinman, Esq; commander, in the service of the United States, has taken two ships from Jamaica, bound to London, laden with Sugar, Rum, Indigo, &c.
Capt. Stacey, in the privateer Diamond , has taken a ship, bound from Quebec to England, laden with Coal, Copper Kettles, &c.
Capt. Christopher Whipple, in the privateer brig Putnam , has taken a ship bound from

Nov 3d Sailed to Jamaica, laden with Fish, Boards, Spars, &c.
Capt. Jauncy, in the privateer Washington belonging to the State of New York, has taken a large Snow laden with Provisions, &c. bound from London to New York.
All the above prizes have arrived in safe ports; as also two others, lately mentioned to have been taken by the Providence Sloop of war, in the service of the United States, John P. Jones, Esq; commander.
NEW-HAVEN, October 23.
The enemy have extended themselves this way, as far as New-Rochel, & small parties of them, have advanced as far as Marrineck. In one of the churches at New-Rochel, was stored more than two thousand bushels of salt, which has fallen into the hands of the enemy. It was owned by the State of New York.
Last Friday there was a smart skirmish near the church, between a detached party of the enemy; and one from our army, in which we lost eight or 10 men, & some wounded, among the latter was Col. Shepard, of the Massachusetts-Bay, who was slightly wounded in his throat, and who commanded the party; the enemy's loss is not known.
We hear, that near 200 sail of the enemy's fleet are this side of Hell-Gate, the chief of them lying near Heart-Island.
HARTFORD, October 28.
Gen Waterbury, with about 100 of our people who were taken prisoners in our late unsuccessful engagements on Lake-Champlain, were soon after released, on giving their paroles, not to take up arms against government till an exchange takes place, and are all returned home.
By the Southern post we have the following particulars from our lines near New-York, in addition to what is contained under Newport and New-London heads, viz. That on Monday last, a party of Tories (about 100 in number) some of whom came from Long-Island, under the command of the infamous Major Rogers, made an attack upon an advanced party of our men when a smart engagement ensued, which lasted a considerable time, in which the enemy were totally routed, about 20 killed on the spot, and 36 taken prisoners, who are safely lodged in the goal at the White Plains—That the gallant commander with his usual bravery, left his men in time of action, and made his escape.—That on Thursday morning another engagement commenced between a body of the British troops and a party of our men under the command of General Lee, near the house of Mr. Stephen Ward, about 6 miles from the White Plains, which had not terminated when our informant left that place.
We hear the enemy have left their lines at Harlem.
BOSTON, October 31.
Donations received October 1776, by the hands of the box. Samuel Adams, Esq; viz. From Bucks County Pennsylvania, £ 162 5 11 From the County of Cumberland, do. 168 11 2 From the County of Hunterdon in New Jersey, 10 11 4
Philadelphia Currency, £ 341 8 5
is Lawful Money, 273 2
Extract of a Letter from Ticonderoga, Oct 20.
The enemy are in possession of Crown Point, and we expect they may fancy this ground in a day or two. They must pay a great price for it however, as we value it highly. Fourteen boats or burch canoes, with Indians, were just now seen by our guard boats, five miles from this. We expect an attack every moment; whenever it comes it will be furious, and the defence obstinate, cruelly obstinate."
Extract of a letter from East-Chester, Oct. 23.
The enemy have landed the main body of their army at East-Chester, where we had a small engagement; we lost 12 men, but had the advantage of them. We have authentic intelligence of their losing 500 killed and
wounded. The enemy lay on the East River and we on the North, two miles distance from each other, except our advanced guards, 25 miles from New York.—We have New York Island still in our possession, with a garrison of 1800 men, commanded by General Putnam. The main body of our army lays at the abovenmentioned place, waiting for the enemy to attack us; it is my opinion, if they should not do it soon, we shall attack them. We have gained the advantage of them the two last engagements; there is no dispute but what a general attack will commence very soon. I have just received intelligence of a battle that was fought last night at Merrynick, about seven miles from this; the enemy had a number killed and wounded; we took 30 prisoners. I cannot learn what loss we sustained, but we came off victorious."
The beginning of this week arrived at Dartmouth, a vessel from St. Eustatia, in 17 days, with 6 and 9 pound cannon, duck, &c. &c. The master of which says, that the governor told him, that by the time he sail'd War would be declar'd in France against England.
By the Post from Charlestown, No. 4, we have advice, that Gen. Burgoyne had landed the main body of his army within a mile and a half of Ticonderoga; and that the general engagement was expected every day.
We hear from the Eastward, that on Friday the 20th of September last, a number of persons belonging to the private armed Schooner Hannah and Molly, Agreeen Crabtree, master, went into the port of Liverpool, in Nova Scotia government, and crossed by land till they came within call of a large ship of 500 tons, mounting 4 carriage guns 4 cohorns, and 4 swivels; the leader of the party hailed the ship and desired them to send the boat ashore; accordingly the mate came with the boat; the privateer's men got into her, went on board the ship and took her. They brought the guns to bear upon a brig loaded for England, and ordered the master of the brig to come along side the ship with the brig. They then striped the ship of every thing valuable, and put the effects on board the brig, and let the ship go on shore, and came off with the brig. The same crew also at the same time took two Schooners & a Sloop; a Schooner and the Sloop have arrived, but the brig had not arrived in port the 6th of October, so that we fear she is retaken. The captain of the privateer was so careful as to put all the guns and cannon, with a quantity of powder on board his own privateer, so that they arrived safe. The Schooner and Sloop had nails, fish, and a number of valuable articles on board.
BEHOLD a COWARD! Head-Quarters, Ticonderoga, Octo. 22, 1776. THE public is desired to take notice. That Daniel Pittee, Ensign in Capt. Timothy Stow's company, Col. Wheelock's regiment, applied at Head-Quarters for a discharge, upon hearing the enemy were likely to attack our lines, he was refused, and next day deserted our camp. This infamous run-away belongs to the South parish of Dedham, in the county of Suffolk. Published by order of Brig. Gen. Bicknell. Andrew Brown, Maj. Brigade.
PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 3, 1776 Last Thursday was brought in here, by Capt. Robert Parker, in the M c Clary Privateer (fitted out of this port) the ship Hero, Charles Harford Master, with 500 hogheads rum, bound from Jamaica to Quebec, but not being able to get up the river, bore away for New-York, was taken in Lat 43, 00 Long. 70, 00.
On Friday arrived the Prize Snow Three Friends, Thomas Russel master, from St. Eustatia to Ireland, laden with 210 hogheads of sugar.
Same day arrived the ship Live Oak, (late commanded by Capt. Duncan, who died on his passage) from Honduras to London, laden with Mahogany & logwood.
above were taken near the Banks of Newfoundland, by the above mentioned Privateer.
Thursday the 21st inst. is appointed by the General Court as a day of publick Thanksgiving throughout this State.
The Income of this Paper scarcely exceeding the Expence of printing it, the Publisher had taken a resolution to discontinue it, at the expiration of six months from the first publication (of which there are but two weeks to come); but by the particular request of his friends has determined to continue it, if those Gentlemen who have kindly encouraged its publication, by subscribing for six months, will renew their encouragement by sending four shillings L. M. for the ensuing six months on or before the close of the present, according to the method established at the first appearance of this paper. Those Gentlemen who do not comply with this request, will not be considered as subscribers, and their papers stop'd accordingly.
N. B. Such Gentlemen as paid for more than six months, and those who subscrib'd for that term since the first number, are not called upon to renew their engagement until the expiration of the time agreed for.
State of New-Hampshire, Rockingham ss.
A LIBEL being filed before me against the ship named the Hero, about one hundred and eighty tons burthen, her cargo and appurtenances commanded by Charles Harford. Also against the ship named the Live Oak, about one hundred tons burthen, her cargo & appurtenances lately commanded by Nicholson Duncan, but when taken by — Leslie. Also against the Brigantine named the Three Friends, about seventy tons burthen, her cargo and appurtenances lately commanded by Thomas Russel. All which vessels are said to have been the property of some inhabitant or inhabitants, subject or subjects of Great-Britain and Ireland, (other than the inhabitants of the Bermuda and Bahama islands) and taken, and brought into the county of Rockingham in the State of New-Hampshire; This notice is given agreeable to the laws of said State, that the maritime court erected to try and condemn all vessels found infesting the sea-coasts of America, and brought into the said State, will be held at Portsmouth, the 27th day of November inst. at 10 o'clock before noon, to try the justice of said captures, that all persons concerned, may appear and shew cause (if any they have) why the said vessels, their cargoes and appurtenances should not be condemned.
J. BRACKETT, Judge of said court. 4-6
Public Vendue.
ON Friday the 8th of November instant, will be sold at public Auction, on mess. Sherburne's wharfe in Portsmouth, at 10 o'clock A. M. The Schooner Glasgow, about 50 tons burthen, together with her cargo, consisting of 107 & half Quintals Jamaica Fish, five tons train oil, several barrels of mackarel, three hogheads mudfish, &c. &c. Likewise the Schooner Neptune, about 70 tons burthen, together with her cargo consisting about 50 Quintals of Jamaica fish, & 344 bushels Liverpool salt.
At the same time and place will be sold a mainstay, forestay and topsail, suitable for a ship of 250 tons. By order of the Agents.
GEO. WENTWORTH, Auctioneer. Portsmouth Nov. 1, 1776. 4-
Public Vendue.
On Tuesday next at Three o'Clock Afters noon, will be Sold, at the Vendue Room, adjoining the Printing-Office in the pav'l Street leading to Spring-Hill,
Variety of Household Furniture, Among which are the following Articles, Red bottom'd Mahogany Chairs, Hair bottom'd ditto; a Mahogany Bureau, a Cheese Tray, all very neat. Feather Beds and Bedsteads, Looking Glasses, &c. &c. Also, A compleat Chaise and Harness.
TO BE LET
Two convenient Chambers, in a commodious part of the town. Enquire of the printer.

POET'S CORNER.
A Common Prayer for the Present Times.
SINCE we are taught, in scripture-word, To pray for friends and foes; Then let us pray for George the Third, Who must be one of those. Heav'n bless America, and Britain, May folly past suffice, Wherein they have each other smitten Who ought to harmonize. Ally'd by blood, and interest too, Soon let them re-unite, May heav'n tyrannic minds subdue, Haste, haste, the pleasing fight. May ev'ry morn and ev'ning pray'r Repeat this just petition, What thinking Christian can forbear Appriz'd of our condition? Britannia's sins are our worst foes, Let this be Britain's creed, For those who God and man oppose, Must rebels be indeed. This rebel-host, how num'rous grown! This growth kind heav'n forbid; 'Tis fear'd some are too near the throne, And seem securely hid. Just heav'n to light all rebels bring Who hate, or love the people, Rebels to God, and to the king, And rebels to——the PEOPLE.
From the St. James's Chronicle.
To the PRINTER.
SIR,
IT is to congratulate my dear Countrymen on the implicit Confidence, which they so reasonably place in the present unparallelled Administration; and which neither Rashness, Waste, Negligence, Miscarriages, nor Disgrace can shake.
Last Year the Ministers promised every Thing, and performed nothing; nothing fell out as they had foretold; their Informations and their Guesses were equally bad; all their Measures were ill taken and worse executed; the Provincials proved as brave as they had been proclaimed Cowards; and all the Steps taken from hence but tended to cement Union between those who had been represented as unalterably disunited.
The indulgent Nation, duped by such shallow Artifices and disappointed by such weak Councils, still persisted in believing in those who had nothing but Falsehood to varnish over Blunders. A whole Campaign was lost; a Royal Army, that was pretended to have been twice victorious, remained cooped up and starving in Boston, most ignominiously.
Instead of attempting to cover this glaring Shame, by exaggerating the Numbers of the Besieged, our judicious Ministers and their Tools amused the poor Nation with Stories of Defections from the Provincial Army, of Defections in it, and of the raw, undisciplined Peasants of which it was composed.
No Truth was suffered to be divulged; the Nation was not permitted to know the state of the Case; and seeing how much the People would bear, all Freedom of Correspondence was debarred, and their own Representatives excluded them from hearing any Debates, in which the general Interest of the Nation was concerned. All this has been tamely borne; for to be ignorant credulous and passive, is the Character of the present Times.
We have been lulled with Visions and Victories and been assured that the next Campaign would put a glorious End to the Quarrel;—the Hero of Minden was taken into Council, and Triumph must wait on his determined Air.
An Account is come that the Royal Army has fled from Boston, nobody knows whither. Has fled from the cowardly, ragged, undisciplined, disunited Provincials, whom Jeremy Twitcher, and the Wits of the Court, had reviled with as much Humour, as they used
to laugh at the Hero of Minden.
How many Millions have been squandered at Boston, I do not pretend to know. Let the country Gentlemen compute, who have saddled themselves for ever with an additional Land Tax. Whatever Part of it was given for Boston is thrown away. The Lives spent there are more serious. Five & Twenty Thousand Pounds for Pickles is a heavy Article, considering Boston is gone.
Much Blame was laid on the General and the Admiral before they were recalled; but they probably were innocent, for they have been brought to no Account.
As the Nation chuses to think neither the Ministers nor those they employ guilty, let whatever abuses or miscarriages happen be imputed to nobody. The Nation is so good as to take the Whole of the Disgrace upon itself. It approves of seeing its Fortresses garrisoned with foreign Mercenaries; of buying four thousand Pair of Shoes for bare footed Foreigners, who are to fight its Battles; of persecuting English Protestants, and of restoring Popery in Favour of French Canadians; and there is no Doubt but the Gazette, which so kindly bestowed a Victory on Lord Dunmore, which he never gained, will celebrate the Flight from Boston as consummate Policy, and an earnest of that tide of Victories which the S—— at W—— prophesied would redeem the Disgraces of the last Campaign, and render the present Civil War as glorious as the Conquest of Lord Chatham over France and Spain.
Let us go on in cutting up our Trade by the Roots, in voting Millions, or by lavishing Votes of Credit. Let new Taxes be devised and entailed; let us hire the pitiful Troops of every beggarly Prince in Europe, & waste our Money when we have not Men to waste; let us lay open our Nakedness to France and Spain, till they are ashamed of not taking Advantage of it; and as fast as our Disgraces multiply, let us, to reinspire our desponding Armies with Courage, recall to the Command of them every Man who has been shattered for Cowardice.
We have taken the Counter Part of every Thing that made us so glorious in the last Reign—Let us bring on universal ruin; but let us continue to admire our Ministers, who have contrived and effected the Destruction of so mighty a Country!
JUDÆUS APPELLA.
From the Independent Chronicle.
Messieurs POWARS and WILLIE, Please to insert the following in your Chronicle.
THE people of New England, in many instances, of all others, perhaps, are the most improvident.—Having been long used to ease, peace and plenty, they seldom dream of want or danger, until near at hand. The season of the year is now arrived, when Salt (an important article of life) is much wanted. The scarcity of it might have been easily foreseen, and the want of it will be severely felt. Had towns or the State taken timely care, the evil might have been in some measure prevented. An eager thirst for gain hath induced many to expend their Salt on alewives and other fish for the West India market, which had it been distributed amongst the inhabitants of the State, might have done much towards preventing the present evil.
It were to be wished that more social virtue prevailed amongst us; it would contribute greatly to lessen our distresses. But that selfish spirit that in all instances seeketh her own, will, I fear, finally prove our ruin. But few seem to preserve any bounds to a price for what they know another cannot do without.—Where the lives & health of a people depend upon any article of which there is not a sufficient stock, & no probability of a speedy supply, ought not the State
to secure what there is, & order a just distribution of it? This hath been done with respect to Salt at Philadelphia, as I have been informed.—The inland towns will probably suffer much for want of it, as to those who live on the sea shore or salt-water rivers, with some trouble, they may be always supplied as long as wood and kettles last.—Every family may make sufficient for their own use. Twenty gallons of water, taken at high water, at the head of a river communicating with the sea, & ten miles distant from it yielded, by boiling, five quarts of good Salt.—This water could not be so strongly impregnated with Salt as that which is taken directly from the sea, for the fresh-water from the ponds above emptying into the river must necessarily weaken it. It is probable that the same quantity of water, taken from the sea would have yielded six or seven quarts of Salt.—The person who made the experiment, supposed himself well paid at six shillings per bushel. A.
THE Creditors to the estate of John Royal at Boston, late of Wells, Mariner, deceased, represented insolvent, are hereby notified that the subscribers appointed by the Hon. John Bradbury, Esq; judge of the probate of wills, &c. for the county of York, to receive & examine their claims, (six months being allowed for that purpose) will attend that business at the dwelling-house of John Cole, Innholder in Wells, on the second Monday in November next, and the first Monday in the four next following months, from 3 to six o'clock in the afternoon.
Wells Oct. 5, 1776. Nathaniel Wells, Joshua Clark. 3 5
THE Creditors to the Estate of Samuel Bourn late of Wells, Shipwright, deceased, represented insolvent, are hereby notified that the subscribers appointed by the honorable John Bradbury, Esq; judge of the probate of wills, &c. for the county of York, to receive and examine their claims, (six months being allowed for that purpose) will attend that business at the dwelling-house of John Cole, Innholder in Wells, on the second Monday in November next, and the first Monday in the four next following months, from three to six o'clock in the afternoon.
Nathaniel Wells, Wells Oct. 5, 1776. Joshua Clark. 3 5
PUBLIC AUCTION.
ON Tuesday the 12th day of November next, at ten o'clock, A. M. will be sold at public vendue, at Capt. Moffatt's Wharfe, the Prize-Ship Royal Exchange, with her cargo consisting of
284 Hogheads choice Grenada clay'd and Muscovada Sugars.
55 Hogheads Rum.
1 Pipe and 1 Hoghead Madeira Wine.
JOHN LANGDON, Agent for the United States.
Portsmouth, Oct. 19, 1776. 2—4
State of New-Hampshire, Oct. 22, 1776.
WANTED for the use of the troops in the Continental Army from this State, sundry articles of cloathing, viz. Cloths for waistcoats, shirts and breeches; also shoes, hats and stockings; whoever can furnish any of said articles in a short time upon reasonable terms, are desired to apply to the committee of safety, or either of them, who will agree and pay for the same, said Articles being immediately wanted for the soldiers now engaged in the defence of our lives and properties; it is hoped that every friend to the cause will exert himself in order to procure as many of them as they can. 3—5
A Second-Hand CHAISE, To be sold cheap.
Enquire of WILLIAM MARSHALL.