the Effex's are faved (with as many of the Stores as poffible) except one Lieutenant and a Boat's Crew, who were drove on the French Shore, and have not fince been heard of: The Remains of both Ships were fet on Fire. We found the Dorsetshire, Revenge, and Defiance, in the Night of the 20th put to Sea; as I hope the Swiftfure did, for the is ftill miffing. The Dorfetfhire and Defi ance returned next Day, and the Latter faw the Revenge without. Thus, what Lofs we have fuftained has been owing to the Weather, not to the Enemy, feven or eight of whofe Line of Battle Ships got to Sea, I believe, the Night of the Action. As foon as it was broad Day light, in the Morning of the 21ft, I difcovered feven or eight of the Enemy's Line of Battle Ships at Anchor, between Point Penris and the River Villaine; on which I made a Signal to weigh, in order to work up and attack them; but it blowed fo hard from the N.W. that instead of daring to caft the Squadron loofe, I was obliged to ftrike Top-gallant Mafts. Most of thofe Ships appeared to be a-ground at low Water; but on the Flood, by lightening them, and the Advantage of the Wind under the Land, all, except two, got that Night into the River Villaine. The Weather being moderate on the 228, I fent the Portland, Chatham, and Venge ance to destroy the Soliel Royal, and Heros. The French, on the Approach of our Ships, fet the first on Fire, and foon after the latter met the fame Fate from our People. In the mean Time I got under Way and worked up within Penris Point, as well for the Sake of its being a fafer Road, as to destroy, if poffible, the two Ships of the Enemy, which lay without the Villaine; but before the Ships I fent a-head for that Purpofe could get near them, being quite light, and with the Tide of Flood, they get in. All the 23d we were employed in reconnoitring the Entrance of that River, which is very norrow, and only twelve Foot Water on the Bars at low Water. We difcovered at least seven, if not eight Line of Battle Ships about half a Mile within, quite light, and two large Frigates moored a-crofs to defend the Mouth of the River; only the Frigates appeared to have Guns in. By Evening I had twelve long Boats, fitted as Fire-ships, ready to attempt burning them under Cover of the Saphire and Coventry; but the Weather being bad, and the Wind contrary, obliged me to defer it, till at leaft the Latter fhould be favourable; if they can, by any Means, be destroyed, it shall be done. In attacking a flying Enemy, it was impoffible, in the Space of a fhort Winter's Day, that all our Ships fhould be able to get into Action, on all thofe of the Enemy brought to it. The Commanders and Companies of fuch as did come up with the Rear of the French, on the 20th, behaved with the greatest Intrepidity, and gave the strongeft Proofs of a true British Spirit. In the fame Manner, I am fatisfied, would thofe have acquitted themselves, whose bad going Ships, or the Distance they were at in the Morning, prevented them from getting up. Our Lofs by the Enemy is not confiderable; for in the Ships which are now with me, I find only one Lieutenant, and 39 Seamen and Marines killed, and about 202 wounded. When I confider the Seafon of the Year, the hard Gales on the Day of Action, a flying Enemy, the Shortness of the Day, and the Coaft we are on, I can boldly affirm, that all that could poffibly be done, has been done. As to the Lofs we have suftained, let it be placed to the Account of the Neceffity I was under of running all Risks to break this ftrong Force of the Enemy: Had we had but two Hours more Day-light, the whole had been totally destroyed, or taken; for we were almost up with their Van when Night overtook us. Yesterday came in here the Pallas, Fortune Sloop, and the Proferpine Fire-fhip. On the 16th I had dispatched the Fortune to QuiBeron, with Directions to Captain Duff, to keep ftrictly on his Guard. In her Way thither the fell in with the Hebé, a French Frigate of 40 Guns, under jury Mafts, and fought her feveral Hours. During the Engagement Lieutenant Stuart, ad of the Ramilies, whom I had appointed to command her, was unfortunately killed; the furviving Officers, on confulting together, refolved to leave her, as the proved too ftrong for them. I have detached Captain Young to Quiberon Bay with five Ships, and am making up a flying Squadron to fcour the Coáft to the Ile of Aix, and, if practicable, to attempt any of the Enemy's Ships that may be there. I am, Sir, &c. 28th, carly in the Morning, the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, and Prince Charles of Bevern, fet out from Marburg with the following Regiments, viz. De Boch, Hanoverian Dragoons, Prince William and Prince Frederic of Heffe's Cavalry, two Battalions of the Regiment of Guards, and two of Imhoff's of Brunfwic, the Regiment of Grenadiers, Heffians, and that of Blunf. bach, 1oo Hunters of Trimbach's Corps, one Squadron of white, and one of black Huffars. This Corps having left their Bag gage behind, marched the fame Day to Kifdorff and Heimer fhaufen ; and the fol lowing, being the 29th, to Angerfbach, their Van-guard having in their Way gallantly repulfed a Body of the Enemy, confifting of the Volunteers of Naffau. The two Battalions of the Regiment of Guards, and thofe of the Regiment of Imhoff, and Boch's Regiment of Dragoons, lay that Night at Angerfbach. Prince Charles of Bevern, with the other Regiments, at Lau. terbach. The Huffars and the Volunteers of Trimbach were pofted further on at Landerfhaufen; and the Hereditary Prince paffed the whole Night at the advanced Post of the Huffars. At one o'Clock in the Morning of the 30th, the whole Corps was again put in Motion, and marched directly towards Fulda. As the Enemy did not in the least expect this Vifit, no Troops were met on the Road. At a little Distance from Fulda, the Hereditary Prince having ordered the whole Corps to be drawn together behind the nearest Heighth, and the Huffars to march forward; his Serene Highness went to reconnoitre, in Perfon, almost up to the Gates of the Town. *** The Lofs in General Finck's Affair does not turn out to be fo co fiderable as was at first apprehended; a great Number of Infantry as well as Cavalry having, during the Confufion, made their Escape; and many of them are actually returned to the Army or to General Hulfen's Corps. A fmall Body of Huffars fwam the River, and it is imagined, may be got into Silefia. Upon the Whole, if Reports from Dresden may be credited, the Auftrians have not marched above scoo Prifoners into Bohemia. Gen. Finck had left two Battalions at Freyberg to guard the Boulangiere, which are happily faved. The Reports from Drefden in regard to Marshal Daun's keeping Poffeffion of that City, are various and contradictory, but they all agree that Provifions and Forage are extremely fcarce in the Auftrian Army, and that there are no Magazines in Drefden, Prague, Dec. 6. An Exprefs is just arrived with Advice of an Advantage which Gen. Beck gained the 4th Inftant, near Meiffen, over a Body of Pruffian Troops, commanded by Gen. Hulfen, of which the following is the preliminary Relation. Marthal Daun judging it to be absolutely neceffary to attack a Body of Pruffians, confifting of 10 on 12 Battalions, and about 1000 kkorfe, which had taken Poft at Colin over-against Meiffen, and Part of which was even advancing towards Drefden, his Excellency commanded Lieutenant-General Beck, who was at Drachenberg with some Troops, to watch the Enemy very narrowly, and at the fame Time reinforced him with two Battalions of Grenadiers, three of Fufileers, and 500 Carabineers, under the Command of General Pellegrini. The 3d Inftant was the Day fixed upon for the Attack. "The Enemy were informed of our Motions; fo that when Gen. Beck advanced towards them about two in the Afternoon, he found them pofted in fuch a Manner in the Vineyards of Z{assendorff near Meiffen, that he could neither attack them in Front nor in Flank, nor even in the Rear towards the Elbe, on Account efpecially of the heavy Artillery which they had posted advan◄ tageously upon the Rifing Grounds. Gen. Beck therefore formed another Difpofition: He fet about cutting off the Enemy's Retreat, and with this View Gen. Pellegrini was placed above the Elbe, and Gen. Wiefe below it, with the Cavalry. Gen. Naundorff attacked in the Valley, on the Right of the Mountains, Part of the Enemy's Cavalry, Huffars and Ulans, commanded by Col. de Schiebel, defeated them, killed feveral, took fome Prisoners, and obliged the reft to retreat to the Foot of the Mountain, under Cover of their Cannon. Hague, Dec. 7. The laft Letters bring no thing very interesting from the Armies upon the Lahne. Prince Ferdinand's Head Quarters continue ftill at Kroffdorff, and the French are encamped about Gieffen. Nor has any Change happened lately in their refpective Pofitions, except by the Detachments made, on each Side, of their Cavalry into Quarters of Cantonments. M. de Brog lio has fent a Body of Troops to penetrate by the Country of Fulde into Lower Heffe, and his Serene Highness, it was faid, was preparing to detach a Corps to oppose them, having recalled that which had marched under the Prince of Bevern, towards the Country of Cologne, Dec. 17. and remained there on the 20th, with only Extract of a Letter from the Hague, dated three Ships of his Squadron, and a small Prize; the other three having been feparated from him in a Gale of Wind, and is thought to be put into Port more to the Northward. Paris, Dec. 8. An Exprefs from the Hague has brought us the Declaration made by the Courts of London and Berlin to the Belligerent Powers. The King our Sovereign, who has never had any Thing more at Heart than the Repofe of Europe, and who only took up Arms becaufe he was forced to it, has fent to the Count d'Affty, his Ambaffa dor, fuch an Answer as might be expected from his Majefty. Our Enemies feel, as well as we, the Calamities of the prefent War, and the Neceffity of putting an End to it: But the Difficulty of fatisfying the Parties unjustly wronged, and fettling a lafting Peace is certainly great. The Duke d'Auguillon has put the Troops, which were deftined for the Invasion, into Winter-Quarters along the Coafts, where they will be ready in the Spring, till when the Expedition is deferred, and will take Place, if there fhould be no Change in the Difpofitions of the Belligerent Powers. Marthal Conflans having charged his Misfortune upon the Second in Command, who, he fays, deferted him, and carried off eight or ten Ships, that Officer will be tried; as will also another, who is at prefent Prifoner in the Baftile, and who is faid to have amufed himself in carrying on a clandeftine Trade, when he should have been landing Succours in Gaudalupe. Notwithstanding the great Number of Hands that are employed at the Mint to convert the Plate that is brought thither into Money, they are not able to make a fuf ficient Difpatch; for which Reason several Goldsmiths are employed in casting of Ingots, and in that Shape the Sums allotted for the Payment of the Ruffian Army, are fent out of the Kingdom. 14. By the laft Accounts from PrinceFerdinand's Army of the 9th,hisSerene Highness's Head Quarters continued at Kroffdorff. The French were retreating by Butzback towards Friedberg. The Governor, that was left at Gieffen with a Garrison of 2000 Men, having refused to furrender upon a Summons, the Place was blockaded by a Body of Troops under the Command of the Duke of Holftein, and the rest of the Army is to be in Quarters of Cantonment in the adjacent Villages. Letters from the Hague of the 16th pofitively affure us, that a Congrefs for a general Peace will be opened at that Place, on the 26th Day of this Month. A Body of about 5000 Men, belonging to Prince Ferdinand's Army was, by our laft Accounts from thence, preparing to befiege Gieffen, which they concluded would furrender immediately upon the coming up of the Cannon; the rest of the Army were all cantoned. In a private Letter from Rotterdam there is the following Paffage: "I just now received a Letter from Paris, giving a most difmal Account of the Distraction which reigns in the Court of Verfailles, the City of Paris, and the whole Country of France. The King, by the Artifices of Madam Pompadour, is kept eternally drunk, and scarce knows a Circumstance of what paffes in the World. Rancour and Animofity tear our Councils; what is refolved upon by one Faction, is thwarted by a Second, and a Third oppofes both. Some are for Peace, others for a vigorous War, and those who find their Account in their Country's Misfortunes, endeavour to preferve Things in their old Channel. Every Courtier, you would fwear, undermined his Neighbour; and when two Rogues unite, it is only to ruin a Third, which, when they have accomplished, they fall upon one another. From three or four principal Factions, into which the Court is divided, fpring about a Dozen leffer Factions, which are all of them fubdivided into fmaller Parties, all actuated by different Interests, every one mining and countermining their Oppofites, and feem unanimous in nothing, but involving their Country in Mifery and Deftruction. In the City of Paris the Decay of Bufinefs begins to make a vifible Progrefs. The Languor produced by the Stagnation of Trade, in the Sea ports of the Kingdom, which has long ago infected the other Members of the Body politic, has now made its Way to the Head: And nothing is heard or feen there almost but Clamour, Riot, Murmurings, and Invectives against King and Miniftry. Number lefs are the feditious and treasonable Libels, which are pafted up, or dropt in every Corner ; amongst the reft, one with thefe Words, France requires a Ravillac or Damien to preServe ber from impending Ruin: Tho' many Rioters have been feverely punished, it rather feems to increase, than allay the Ferment. In short, every Body is either actuated by a Spirit of Fury, or flattened into the most abject Defpondence. When à Meffenger or Courier arrives at Court, we immediately fufpect it to be fome Aggravation of our Misfortunes; we are however 002 fo well ufed of late to bad News, that we hear of the Route of an Army, or the Defeat of a Fleet, with the greatest Coinpo fure, as a Thing of Course, which we had no Reason to expect should have happened otherwise," AMERICAN NE W S. Extract of a Letter from Quebec, dated Chimneys are beat down, the greatest Part "T of us, at least for fome Time, muft want both Fire and Candle. "We are, however, close employed in making what remains of the Houfes as commodious as poffible, and will continue as long as the Seafon permits. "General Murray is to command the Troops left at Quebec, and the Honourable Captain Maitland is appointed AdjutantGeneral." HE Remainder of the French and Canadian Army are still in the Field, about 18 Miles off, under the Command of M. Vaudreuil, the late Governor, and M. de Bourgainville, Brigadier-General. This laft was in Town Yesterday, to propose, as is imagined, fome Terms of Surrender; a Measure they must be obliged foon to come into, if we can credit Deferters, Numbers of whom come in daily, and all agree, that, Extract of a Letter from an Officer at Quein their prefent Situation, Cold and Famine muft foon difperfe them. What will become of them, if they do not furrender, God knows, as their Corps are moftly detroyed, and upwards of 3000 of their Houfes on the River Side burnt down. "We have now here an Army of 5000 Men, not an Invalid amongst them, as all the Sick or Wounded are to be fent to New York or Bofton. We have ten Months Provifions, fo we have nothing to fear from the French. Fresh Provifions, however, are very fcarce; and, I am afraid, we shall foon have none at all. What we have is Mutton, about is. 3d. per Pound; and nothing is reasonable here but Port Wine, which fells at about 81. the Quarter-cak. Tallow Çandles are at Is, each; and as most of the bec, 08. 21. "I believe we shall be well provided with every Thing this Winter; there feems to be no Want of fresh Provifions to any Body that has Salt, or falt Provifions to give in Return, The Soldiers and the Country People make amicable Exchanges of Meat; and the little Corn that remained on the Ground, is now pretty well got in. "The Accounts from Montreal fay, that they envy the Fortune of the People about this Place, as the English take nothing from their Conqueft without paying for it in agent fonant (Money) while the French take from their Friends half of every Thing they have and pay them in nothing but Paper, which is good for nothing.” IRELAND. Dublin, Nov. 17. Tis with Pleasure we can affure all our Correfpondents, that public Credit is established, to the entire Satisfaction of all People in this Kingdom; and that last Thursday Mr. Stephen Miliar arrived from Holyhead with above 45,000l. in Specie, under his Care, for the Bank of Thomas Finlay, Efq; and Company. A very loyal Addrefs of 124 Roman Catholics of the City of Corke has been prefented to his Grace the Lord Lieutenant. Letters from Dublin give the following pofed, to prepare them for the French Invafion, had been poifoned by their Emiffaries, with the Notion of an Union being intended between England and Ireland; that they were to have no Parliaments, were to be fubject to the fame Taxes, &c. Upon this a Mob of many Thousands broke into the Houfe of Lords, infulted them, and would have burnt the Journals if they could have found them. Not content with this, they obliged all the Members of both Houfes that they met in the Streets, to take an Oath that they would never confent to fuch an Union, or give any Vote contrary to the true Intereft of Ireland. Many Coaches of obnoxi ous ous Perfons were cut or broke, their Horfes killed, and one Gentleman narrowly escaped being hanged on a Gallows erected for that Purpose. The Horfe and Foot were drawn out on this Occafion, but could not difperfe them till Night; and the Day after, the Addreffes to the Lord Lieutenant were agreed to, and a Committee of Enquiry appointed. The Lord Lieutenant and Council have iffued a Proclamation, in order to bring fuch enormous Offenders to Punishment (in Purfuance of an Address of both Houses of Parliament prefented to his Grace) declaring, That if any Person or Perfons fhall, within the Space of three Kalendar Months, difcover any of the Perfons concerned in the faid Riot and Outrage, they shall receive as a Reward the Sum of Fifty Pounds for each of the first ten Perfons who fhall be apprehended and convicted thereof. And that if any Perfon or Perfons fhall, within the Time aforefaid, discover any of the Persons who compelled any of the Members of either House of Parliament to repeat the said Oaths, the Sum of one Hundred Pounds upon their being convicted. And if any of the Perfons concerned fhall difcover any of the Perfons who excited and encouraged the faid Multitude to commit the faid Offence, fo that fuch Perfon or Perfons be convicted, shall, over and above the said Reward, re 0% ceive his Majesty's most gracious Pardon for the faid Offence. And as a Drum was beat for gathering a riotous and tumultuous Affembly, at a Place known by the Name of the Liberty, in the remote Parts of Dublin, and an Oration publickly made, for infufing groundless Fears and Apprehenfions in the Minds of his Majefty's Subjects, and for inciting them to Tumult and Disorder: In Confequence of which, great Numbers of Perfons re-affembled in College green, where feveral unheard of Outrages were by them committed, and Infults offered to many Members of both Houses of Parliament; the Lord-Mayor of Dublin hath offered a Reward of Fifty Pounds to fuch Perfon or Perfons as fhall, within three Kalendar Months, first difcover, and cause to be apprehended, the Perfon who beat the Drum; and Fifty Pounds, for discovering and ap prehending the Person who made the Oration; and also Twenty Pounds for difcovering and apprehending each of the Perfons immediately concerned and acting in any Infult as aforefaid, offered to the Perfon of any Member of either Houfe of Parlia ment. The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Commons, and Citizens of the City of Dublin, in Common Council affembled, have presented a moft dutiful Addrefs to his Grace the Duke of Bedford on the fame Account. COUNTRY N the 7th Inftant a Man and four Lads Lives there in this Manner, within these few Years. Plymouth, Dec. 21. Wednesday arrived here the Adventure, a Tranfport, Walker Mafter, from Admiral Hawke's Fleet, who fays, that the Ships in Villaine River, are not deftroyed; and that two French Frigates lay moored within the Bar of the River, to oppose any Attempts our Ships might make. The Admiral has bombarded and destroyed the Town of Croizeer, because the Batteries fired on our People, while they endeavoured to weigh up the Brafs Guns of the Soleil Royal. LONDON. St James's, Nov. 27. Thomas Pownall, Efq; to be Captain GeIS Majefty in Council was this Day neral and Governor in Chief of his Majesty's appoint the following fons to be Governors in America, viz. William Henry Lyttelton, Efq; to be Captain General and Governor in Chief of his Majefty's Inland of Jamaica, in the Room of George Haldane, Efq; deceased. |