ing of the troops; they difembarked at the above-mentioned bay without the leaft oppofition; when, being informed that the rebels had quitted the works in and about the town of Newport, and were retiring towards Bristol ferry, I dè. tached Maj. Gen. Prefcot, with the grenadiers and light infantry, to intercept them, fuftaining him with a body of troops under the command of Lt-Gen. Earl Percy. Maj. Gen. Prefcot took two pieces of cannon, a few prifoners, and obliged them to quit their fort on this fide the ferry, and retire to the continent. I likewise sent a battalion to take poffeffion of Newport, the capital of the ifland, in which were found fome can non and ftores, which the rebels, in their fudden retreat, had left behind them.

I fhall, as foon as poffible, fend troops to the inlands of Cananicut and Prudence, and occupy fuch other pofts as may be neceffary for the fecurity of the harbour. Having had it in command from Gen. Howe to give your Lordship the earliest intelligence of the fuccefs of his Majefty's troops; I have the honour to tranfmit this to your Lordship by Capt. Drummond, one of my aid-de camps, to whom I beg leave to refer your Lordship for any particulars which you may wish to be informed of.

f'have the honour to be, &c.

H. CLINTON."

Admiralty-office, Fan. 22. Lieut. Logie, of his Majefty's fhip the Mercury, arrived in town this morning from Rhode ifland with the following letter from Commodore Sir Peter Parker to Mr Stepheos.

SIR, Chatham, Rhode-island har bour, Dec. II. 1776. THE Commanders in chief in America having thought proper, while the feafon would admit of it, to employ a confiderable number of his Majefty's fhips and troops for the purpose of making defcents on the colony of Rhode island; and Lord Howe having done me the honour to appoint me to the command by fea, (Lord Shuldham having leave to return to England by the most early conveyance), I directed Com. Hotham (agreeable to my inftructions from the ViceAdmiral) to proceed with his Majefty's frigates the Brune, Mercury, and King'sfiher, and alfo all the tranfports with the troops under the command of LtGen. Clinton, (the Grand Duke of Ruffia excepted, which was judged to be

too large), by the way of the found, whilft I proceeded with the great thips, fome frigates, and the laft-named tranfport, by Sandy hook to the fouthward of Long island. I failed the ist instant, and on the 5th joined Com. Hotham in the found in Black point bay, a place he had judiciously chofen for the protection of the transports against the violence of a strong N. W. wind, which blew the night before. The 6th I turned down' with the fleet, to be as near as poffible to the place of our destination. At four the next morning the wind sprung up at W. S. W. and by three o'clock in the afternoon the whole fleet came to an anchor off Weaver's Cove, Rhode island. The following morning Capt. Caulfield, (who had the direction of the flat boats) landed all the troops without oppofition; and I have the pleafure to inform their Lordships, that Rhode island, with the ifles adjacent, are now in the poffeffion of Gen. Clinton.

Capt. Wallace, of the Experiment, led the fleet in by the weft of Narriganfet paffage. An arrangement was made for covering the tranfports; but we only paffed two works, without guns, and intercepted a brig of 160 tons, (which the Experiment took), laden with pipe and hogfhead ftaves; and bees wax. On the first appearance of the fleet, three rebelprivateers, of thirty-four, thirty, and twenty-eight guns, went up from Newwith feveral others; and I fhall hope to port to Providence, where they are now put an effectual ftop to any farther mifchief from that neft of pirates. Gen. Clinton fends one of his aid-de-camps in the Mercury with his dispatches; and I have directed Capt. Montagu to fend his lieutenant exprefs with mine. Inclosed is a lift of the rebel-privateers at Providence, commonly called The Conftinental Fleet. I am, Sir, &c.

According to private letters, Gen. Clinton's army were 9000 effective men; and it was furprifing the provincials had not put the place in a better pofture of defence, confidering its fituation, being the only port in North America where fhipping can go in and out during winter; but that the advance of the army was fo rapid, they had been obliged to mufter their whole force in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, where the great conteft will be next spring.

"Philadelphia, Nov. 29. A fort called Fort Granby, near twenty-three miles from this place, has, within thefe few months, been erected, under the direction of French engineers, and is garrifoned with 18,000 provincial troops."

A member of the continental congrefs, writes thus to his correfpondent in France, Sept. 16. "The Baron Wathe difhonoured your recommendation: he died a few weeks ago at Ticonderoga, with the effects of hard drinking. The Chev. Kormorvan behaved well. Five French offi. cers arrived here yesterday from Martinique, with ftrong recommendations from the Governor of that ifland."

"Continental War-office, Philadelphia, Sept. 14. The Congrefs having directed, that the board of war order all the French officers who have received commiffions in the service of the States, to repair immediately to their places of deftination, the faid officers are hereby required to repair to their pofts without delay.

"Rouen, Dec. 23. Mr Beaumarch is now at Havre fitting out three veffels with cloaths, guns, bullets, &c. &c. for the Americans. One of them failed twelve days ago, and has on board seventy-two French officers, engineers, gunners, &c. &c. There are 200 more of fuch people to follow in the other two fhips. They are bound for St Domingo. There are two English frigates cruifing off Havre, fuppofed to be waiting for the failing of the two laft: they cannot touch them; but it is imagined they will follow them."

An officer writes from New York, "Col. Cadwallader was fecond in command in Fort Washington. He is the son of a physician at Philadelphia, who thewed fome civilities to Gen. Prefcot when prifoner. Of this the General made mention to Sir William Howe; who was pleased to order Mr Cadwallader's immediate release, without parole, or even injunction not to ferve the congrefs. This was a handfome compliment to Gen. Prefcot, and is one of the numberless inftances of generofity that mark the cha→ racter of our commander in chief. - The young officer burst into tears, and difcovered fuch fenfibility as did him honour as a man and a gentleman."

An officer who was prifoner with Gen. Prefcot, at Philadelphia, and who is now in England, fays, That as a party of them were one day dining with Gen. Prefcot, a provincial captain, with thirty foldiers, came into the room, and faid, he was ordered by the congrefs to carry General Prefcot immediately to the common gaol. The General, with the greateft compofure, fubmitted to his fate. The room in which they lodged him was cold and damp, bare walls, no fire-place, the furniture nothing but a chair and a truckle bed. From the unwholefomenefs of this fituation, and other hardfhips, the wounds he had received in former fervices broke out afresh, and reduced him to fo low a ftate, that his death feemed inevitable. Major Prefton, who was also a prisoner, went to Hancock, the President of the Congress, and told him, that if they were determined to facrifice his brother-officer to their refentment, it would be an act of humanity to dispatch him immediately, and not fuffer him to linger in mifery. Upon this representation Dr Cadwallader was fent to vifit him; who, by his humane account of the General's cafe, and other kind offices, obtained leave for his re

moval

and decifively afferted their right of miking laws to bind you in all cafes whatso

ever.

Oppofition was made to thefe encroachments by earnest and humble petitions from every legislature on the continent, and more than once by the congrefs, reprefenting the whole. These were treated with the utmost contempt. Acts of the most unjult and oppreffive nature were paffed, and carried into execution; fuch as, exempting the foldiers charged with murder in America from a legal trial, and ordering them to be car ried to Britain for certain abfolution; as alfo directing prisoners taken at fea to be entered on board their fhips, and obliged either to kill their own friends, or fall themselves by their hands. We only mention these from among the many oppreffive acts of parliament, as proofs to what horrid injuftice the love of dominion will sometimes carry focieties, as well as men. At the fame time, to thew how infenfible they will be to the fufferings of others, you may fee, by the preambles to the acts, and addreffes to the King, that they conftantly extol their own lenity in thofe very proceedings which filled the whole continent with refentment and horror.

To crown the whole, they have waged war with us in the moft cruel and unrelenting manner, employing not only the force of the British nation, but hiring foreign mercenaries; who, without feeling, indulge themfelves in rapine and bloodshed. The fpirit of the army in general is but too well determined, by the inhuman treatment of those who have unhappily fallen into their hands.

It is well known to you, that, at the univerfal defire of the people, and with the hearty approbation of every province, the congrefs declared the United States free and independent; a meafure not only juft, but which had become abfolutely neceffary. It would have been impofible to have refifted the formidable force deftined against us laft fpring, while we confeffed ourselves the fubjects of that ftate against which we had taken arms. Befides, after repeated trials, no terms could be obtained, but pardon upou abfolute fubmiffion; which every public body in America had rejected with dif

dain.

Refiftance has now been made, with a spirit and refolution becoming a free people, and with a degree of fuccefs hitherto which could fcarce have been ex

pected. The enemy have been expelled from the northern provinces, where they at first had poffeffion; and have been re pulfed in their attempt upon the fouthern by the undaunted valour of the in habitants. Our fuccess at fea, in the capture of the enemy's fhips, has been aftonishing. They have been compelled to retreat before the northern army. Not withstanding the difficulty and uncertain ty at firft of our being fupplied with ammunition and military itores, those we have now in abundance; and by fome late arrivals and captures, there is an im mediate profpect of fufficient cloathing for the army.

What we have particularly in view, in this addrefs, is, not only to promote un animity and vigour through the whole ftates, but to excite the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the adja cent ftates, to an immediate and fpirited exertion in oppofition to the army that now threatens to take poffeffion of this city. You know, that, during the whole campaign, they have been checked in their progrefs, and have not till within thefe two weeks ventured above ten miles from their fhipping. Their prefent advances are owing not to any capital defeat, or a want of valour in the army that opposed them; but to a sudden diminution of its numbers, from the expiration of those enliftments, which, tơ eafe the people, were at first adopted. Many have already joined the army, to fupply the deficiency; and we call, in the moft earnett manner, on all the friends of Liberty, to exert themselves without delay in this most preffing emergency. In every other part your arms have been fuccefsful; and, in other refpects, our facred caufe is in the most promifing fituation. We think it proper, to inform and affure you, that effential fervices have been already rendered us by foreign ftates, and we have received the moft pofitive affurances of further aid. Let us not then be wanting to ourselves. Even a fhort refiftance will probably be effectual, as General Lee is advancing with a ftrong reinforcement, and his troops in high spirits.

What pity it is, then, that this rich and populous city of Philadelphia fhould fall into the enemy's hands, or that we fhould not lay hold of the opportunity of deftroying their principal army, now removed from the fhips of war, in which their greatest Krength lies!..

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