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*777 counts of feveral; and that the coafts of Great Britain and Ireland have been infulted by them, in a mannernever before ventured upon by your hardieft enemies; fo as to produce the appointment of a convoy (for the first time ever known) to protect the linen fhips from Dublin and Newry. We learn alfo that the General Mifflin privateer, after making repeated captures, arrived at Breft, and faluted the French admiral, who returned the falute in form, as to the veffel of a fovereign independent ftate. We are likewise told, that though lord Stormont, on his threatening to return immediately to Great Britain, unless fatisfaction was given, obtained an order requiring not only all American privateers, but their prizes, to leave the French ports, the fame is evaded. However, his majefty's veffels on the American station, have not been idle; for they have captured very confiderably on these coafts and the West Indies. Their captures, indeed, are generally not of much value fingly, yet they have furnished, at times; fome rich prizes, and in the aggregate have been of great amount. But the balance of property will moft certainly be in favor of the Americans. The continental frigate Hancock, of thirty-two guns, moftly twelve pounders, commanded by capt. Manley, was taken, on the 8th of July, by Sir George Collier, of his majefty's fhip the Rainbow.

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Sir George, in company with the Victor brig, difcovered three fail in the morning of the fixth. He chafed with all the fail he could crowd: but obferving the next day that they fteered different courfes, about two in the afternoon he tacked after the Hancock, which appeared the largest ship. She feemed at firft rather

to outfail the Rainbow; but Manley endeavouring to 1777 make his fhip fail better, ftarted all his water forward, and fo put her out of trim. At half past eight the next morning, Sir George hailed her, and let the men know, that if they expected quarter, they muft ftrike immediately. Manley endeavoured to avail himself of a fresh breeze juft fpringing up, Sir George therefore fired into him, on which he struck after a chace of thirty-nine hours. He had lately taken the Fox of twenty-eight guns on the banks of Newfoundland; which was one of the three fail, and being difcovered by the Flora on the 7th, was chaced till re-taken. The third was the Bofton continental frigate of thirty guns, commanded by capt. M'Neal, which escaped. The public are not fatisfied with the conduct of the latter, imagining that if he had not left his confort, and that if both had behaved well, neither would have been captured. The Hancock's compliment was 290 men, near as many as the Rainbow's.

On the first of December, the ship Flamand, capt. Landais, arrived at Portsmouth from Marseilles. Mr. John Baptifte Lazarus Theveneau de Francey is come fupercargo and agent for the houfe of Roderique Hortales and company, alias Mr. Pierre Auguftin Caron de Beaumarchais. The fhip has brought 48 pieces of brass cannon, four pounders, with carriages complete-19 nine inch mortars-2500 bombs, nine inches-2000 four pound balls-a quantity of intrenching tools-3000 fufees-1110 of another quality for dragoons-about 18,000 pounds of gunpowder-and 61,051 of brimftone. The continent is looking out for important news from France.

LETTER II.

Roxbury, June. 1, 1778.

23.

HE hint have received of a defign to remove

TH

you

gen. Washington from the command of the American army, will have made you defirous of knowing more of that business: let it then be first related. 1778. The general, being applied to by one of his correfponJan. dents, answered from Valley-forge January the 23d"Whether a ferious defign of placing gen. Lee (before captivation) at the head of the army, had ever entered into the head of a member of congrefs or not, I never was at the trouble of inquiring. I am told a fcheme of that kind is now on foot by fome, in behalf of another gentleman-whether true or falfe--ferious or merely to try the pulfe-I neither know nor care. Neither interefted, nor ambitious views, led me into the fervice. I did not folicit the command; but accepted it after much entreaty, with all that diffidence, which a confcious want of ability and experience, equal to the difcharge of fo important a truft, muft naturally excite in a mind not quite devoid of thought: and after I did engage, purfued the great line of my duty, and the object in view (as far as my judgment could direct) as pointedly as the needle to the pole. So foon as the public gets diffatisfied with my fervices, or a perfon is found better qualified to answer her expectation, I fhall quit the helm with as much pleasure, and retire to a private ftation

with as much content, as ever the wearied pilgrim felt 1778. upon his fafe arrival at the holy land, or haven of hope; and shall wish most devoutly, that those who come after may meet with more profperous gales than I have done, and less difficulty. If the expectation of the public has not been answered by my endeavours, I have more reafons than one to regret it; but at prefent I fhall only add, that a day may come, when the public caufe is no longer to be benefitted by a concealment of our circumftances, and till this period arrives, I fhall not be among the first to disclose fuch truths as may injure it, how ever my character in the mean while may fuffer." On the 15th of February he had occafion for writing-" I can affure you, that no perfon ever heard me drop an expreffion that had a tendency to refignation. The fame principles that led me to embark in the oppofition to the arbitrary claims of Great Britain, operate with additional force at this day; nor is it my defire to withdraw my fervices, while they are confidered of importance in the present contest. But to report a design of this kind, is among the arts which thofe, who are endeavouring to effect a change, are practising to bring it to pass. There is not an officer in the service of the United States, that would return to the fweets of domestic life with more heartfelt joy than I fhould, but Į mean not to shrink in the cause. The defign is not only feen through but reprobated." On the 20th, Patrick!

Henry efq; governor of Virginia, forwarded an anonymous letter which had been fent him, to the general, and added" There may be fome fcheme or party forming to your prejudice. The enclofed leads to a fufpicion. Believe me, Sir, I have too high a fenfe of

1778. the obligations America has to you, to abet or counte nance fo unworthy a proceeding. I really think your perfonal welfare, and the happiness of America are intimately connected." The anonymous letter was dated— York Town, Jan. 12, 1778. It begins with highly complimenting Mr. Henry, and then proceeds to sketch out a difmal picture, and to hint at the remedy-" America can be only undone by herself. Her reprefentation in congrefs is dwindled to only twenty-one membersher Adams-her Wilson-her Henry, are no more among them. Her counfels, weak-and partial remedies applied conftantly for univerfal diseases. Her army, what is it? a mob. Difcipline unknown or wholly neglected:-The quarter-mafters and commiffioners departments filled with idleness, ignorance and peculation :-Our hofpitals crowded with fix thousand fick, and more dying in one month than perifhed in the field during the whole of the laft campaign :-The country diftracted with the Don Quixotte attempts to regulate the price of provifions:-An artificial famine created by it, and a real one dreaded from it. The northern army has shown what Americans are capable of with a general at their head. The fouthern army is no ways inferior.-A Gates, a Lee, or a Conway would in a few weeks render them an irrefiftible body of men. The laft in one of his letters to a friend fays, "A great and good God hath decreed America to be free-or the-and weak counfellors would have ruined her long ago." You may reft affured of each of the facts related in this letter.' When Conway had recovered his original letter, which was written in October, he faid to gen. Washington, in one of January the 27th," I find, with great fatisfaction,

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