on the coaft, and this privateer we faw failed remarkably fast. Three days were employed putting her in a condition to make fail, and five for the Savage, who was exceedingly fhattered. Indeed it is aftonishing more damage was not done, as the weather was fine, the water remarkably fmooth, and the fhips never thirty yards afunder. The courage, intrepidity, and good behaviour of the officers and hip's company I had the honour to command, deserve the highest commendations, and my warmest thanks. Lieutenant Shiels diftinguished himself by his gallantry, activity, and attention; as did Mr. Gyam the gunner. Mr. Wightman, the mafter, fell early in the action, by which I loft the affiftance of a good officer. The inferior officers behaved well in their refpec tive stations; and the men fought with a cool, determined valour, that will ever redound to their credit. I cannot conclude without obferving, that Captain Geddis and the officers of the Congrefs, after fighting us bravely, treated us when prifoners with great humanity. Inclofed is a return of the killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. CHARLES STIRLING, His Excellency Rear-Adm. Graves. A lift of the officers and men killed and wounded on board his majesty's Loop Savage, Sept. 6, 1781. Killed, mafter and 7 feamen: wounded, captain, lieutenant, 3 midshipmen, 21 feamen: to tal 34. CHARLES STIRLING. Extract of a Letter form Vice Ad miral Arbuthnot, to Mr. Stephens, dated Bedford, off Sandy Hook, July 4, 1781. I HAD the honour to mention, in my letter of this date, my intention of reporting fome parti cular circumftances refpecting the capture of the Atalanta; they are communicated in the inclofed paper. The Atalanta, with a gallantry that does her captain the highest honour, maintained the action fome time after the Trepaffey ftruck, until he was a wreck, in which state she was carried to Halifax. The behaviour of Lieutenant Samuel Arden, of the Atalanta was brilliant beyond expreffion: he loft his right arm in the fight, and, the inftant it was dreft, refumed his ftation on deck, where he remained until fhe ftruck, notwithstanding his weakness and lofs of blood. I doubt not, these matters will be thought entitled to their lord fhips confideration. Report of Mr. Philip Windfor, late Mafter of his majesty's Sloop the Trepaffey, in Halifax Harbour, June 11, 1781, viz. ON Sunday the 27th of May, 1781, being on a cruize with the Atalanta floop, by order from the commanding officer at St. John's, Newfoundland, in lat. 41. long. 61. W. faw a fail at three P. M. S. E. diftant 4 leagues; we bore up, and came within one league; finding her a large thip, fuppofed her a two-decker, and night com ing ing on we hauled our wind, and failed in fight of her all night. About twelve at noon the next day, it being almoft calm, and the ftrange fhip about half a mile to leeward, the hoisted Rebel colours, and gave the Atalanta and us a broadfide, we being then very nigh to each other; we then bore up clofe alongfide of her, the Atalanta on the ftarboard, and the Trepaffey on the larboard quarter, and began to engage. About an hour after the action began, Capt. Smith, of the Trepafley, was killed; upon which I fent to Lieutenant King to acquaint him thereof in order to his refuming the command, and engaged the enemy in the fame pofition for two hours and an half longer, and at laft ftruck the colours, in obedience to the orders he fent me by Mr. Samue! Pitts, a midfhipman of the fhip: we loft five feamen killed, and ten wounded in the action, which ended at half pal three P. M. The Atalanta continued to engage fome time, and then ftruck alfo. The rebel frigate proved to be the Alliance. Captain Edwards of the Atalanta, and his lieutenant, and alfo Lieutenant King of the Trepailey, are carried away as prifoners, and myfelf was left in charge of the two fhips companies put on board of the Trepailey by Mr. Berry, Captain of the Alliance, who for that purpofe diffabled and turned the Trepaffey into a cartel brig; and have brought her in here, with I HAVE received difyour patches of the 2d of Jan. together with the letter from Sir Henry Clinton of the 21ft of the fame month, and have had the honour to lay them before his majetty. The proclamation of 29th December, which came inclofed with your difpatches, will, I hope, produce thote good effects which you expect from it, and which, by its being fo well-timed, gives every reafon to hope for. It will be a great fatisfaction to me to prefent the king with an addrefs from any one of the revolted pro vinces, begging your interceffion This letter and the one following, were taken by the French in the packet for North America, and were afterwards published in the Amfterdam Gazette. for for pardon, and its being restored to the privilege of British fubjects. The narrow limits within which you have circumfcribed your exceptions, and the generality of affurances given by you of re-establishing the former conftitutions, were, I doubt not, very judicious, neceffary, and convenient but as there are many things in the conftitution of fome of thofe colonies, and indeed in all of them, in which the people wifhed to fee fome alterations; and there being others, which it is the common intereft of both countries to change, you must be very careful left either your actions or proclamations fhould preclude a thorough inveftigation of thofe objects, or prevent the poffibility of introducing, in their conftitution, fuch alterations as the people may chufe to grant or folicit." fion to monarchy, it may be in your power to prevent the commiffioners making any conceflion that may tend to keep up thofe principles amongst the inhabitants, and to fee that no alteration be made in their constitutions, as it is intended to establish amongst them diftinctions of rank, and new model their government, by that of Great Britain. This method would certainly be more advantageous to the people, as it would bind them more firmly to this country, and be the means of preventing calamities fimilar to thofe they now experience." Parliament-fireet, 30th Jan. 1781. 66 SIR, "I have received the honour of your different letters, inclofing bills of exchange upon Harley and Drummond (bankers to the court) to the amount of 5,000l. fterling, of the receipt of which I regularly gave you notice. On the day they were paid, I placed the fum in the funds in compliance with your intimation; and as the time was extremely favourable, I flatter. myfelf with the pleafure of meeting your approbation, and that you will be pleafed with the manner in which I have difpofed of it. As As it is probable that fome orders may arrive from you, directing the difpofal of your money in fome different way from that in which I have employed it, I thought it beft not to fhut up entirely, as a long time might elapfe before I received from you the neceffary powers for transferring the capital, in cafe I had purchafed the ftock in your name; mean while the dividends could not have been received for your ufe. The method I have adopted is commonly practifed in fimilar cafes, and I can immediately alter it in whatever manner you think proper, as foon as you will do me the honour to give me notice of your fentiments by a letter. The account is as follows: Bought by Meffrs. Samuel and William Scholey, Stock-Brokers, for Major-General Arnold, 7,000l. fterling in the new annuities, at 72 per cent. in the manner following: There then remains of the 5,000l. three pounds thirteen fhillings and fix-pence. Thus by this method, if I receive any inftructions from you for employing your money in a different manner, I can fell out the 6,900l. and difpofe of your money agreeable to your directions before this letter reaches you; and if it is your wish that it should remain in the funds, it can be placed under your name, by my tranf ferring the 6,900l. and joining it to your tool. The reason of my purchafing the latter fum in your name, was, that you might have an account open. The letter of attorney, here enclosed, enables me alfo to receive the dividends for the whole 7,000l. after I have transferred, if it is your with that I fhould do it. I hope that I have now explained every thing fufficiently, and I can affure you, I have acted with greater care in this tranfaction than if it had been for myself. I have the honour to be,.. 。 16 To the Honourable Benjamin Harrifon, Efq; Speaker of the Hofe of Delegates, Richmond, Vir €4,996 6 6 ginia. Head Quarters, New Windfor, by the unfortunate diffolution of DEAR SIR, I very early faw the difficulties and dangers to which the southern ftates would be expofed for refources of cloathing, arms, and ammunition, and recommended magazines to be established, as ample as their circumftances would admit. It is true, they are not fo full of men as the northern states; but they ought for that reafon to have been more affiduous in raifing a permanent force, to have been always ready, because they cannot draw a head of men together, as fuddenly as their exigencies may require. That policy has unhappily not been purfued either here or there, and we are now fuffering from the remnant of a British army what they could not, in the beginning, accomplish with their forces at the higheft. As your requifitions go to men, arms, ammunition, and cloathing, I fhall give you a fhort detail of our fituation and profpects, as to the firft, and of our fupplies and expectations as to the three laft. Men. By the expiration of the times of fervice of the old troops, by the discharge of the levies engaged for the campaign only-and VOL. XXIV. tachment under the command of the Marquis de la Fayette, with a garrifon barely fufficient for the fecurity of Weft Point-and two regiments in Jerfey; to fupport the communication between the Delaware and North River. The York troops I had been obliged to fend up for the fecurity of the frontiers of that ftate. Weak however as we were, I determined to attempt the diflodgment of Arnold in conjunction with the French fleet and army, and made the detachment to which I have alluded. I In my late tour to the eastward, found the accounts I had received of the progress of recruiting in thofe ftates, had been much exaggerated-and I fear we shall, in the end, be obliged again to take a great proportion of their quotas in levies for the campaign, instead of foldiers for three years, or for the war. The regiments of NewYork having been reduced to two, they have but few men to raife. Jerfey depends upon voluntary enliftments upon a contracted bounty, and I cannot therefore promife myself much fuccefs from the mode. The Pennfylvania line you know is ordered to compofe part of the fouthern army. Ge neral Wayne is fo fanguine as to fuppofe he will foon be able to move on with 1000 or 1200 men, but I fancy he rather over-rates the matter. You will readily perceive, from the foregoing ftate, that there is little probability of adding to the force already ordered to the fouthward. For fhould the battalions from New-Hampshire to New[R] Jerfey |