Displaying 1 - 17 of 17
The late heavy wind and rain have been productive of great mischief to the mills, corn, &c. &c. in and about this neighbourhood . . . We are informed that the devastation at Norfolk is inexpressible. Four or five and twenty sail of ves[sels] are run on shore there, many of which are irrecoverably gone. The Mercury ship of war is also aground, and it is thought will remain so for some time...
Date: 7 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
The little hornet (alias master Squire) lately sent the following courageous letter to Mr. [John Hunter] Holt, printer of the Norfolk Intelligencer.1 As it is one of those great productions which never fail to characterize a genius of the first magnitude, we, in justice to that illustrious captain, present it verbatim to our readers.
[Here is inserted Captain Squire's letter of...
Date: 14 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
If you can, please to inform us why the Mercury man of war, which has so long been the terror of Norfolk, and a refuge to our slaves, is not yet burnt, notwithstanding she has been ten days and upwards upon her broadside. We, sir, who live at a distance, are at a loss how to account for the strange remissness of the inhabitants of Norfolk in neglecting to seize the opportunity which Heaven has...
Date: 21 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
We are highly pleased with the conduct of the people of South Carolina, who have taken the troops destined for Virginia from Saint Augustine, and think ourselves the more obliged to those brave Carolinians,2 as those troops were to have been a reinforcement to the sixty men who have been so very formidable to the towns of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Gosport. What might have been the...
Date: 21 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
A few days ago lord Dunmore, in consequence of a piece in the Norfolk Intelligencer, commanded about a dozen of his men to go and seize the publisher of that paper, as also all his materials. The printer fortunately escaped, but they succeeded in their other attempt, and carried every article belonging to him on board the man of war. ー Shameful as the proceedings of these harpies were, we forbear...
Date: 5 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2
The affair at Hampton is at once a proof of the natural bravery of our countrymen, of the excellence of their aim in firing, and of the insignificancy of tenders. No troops could shew more intrepedity than the raw, new raised men, under the command of captain [George] Nicholas, of the second regiment, and captain [George] Lyne, of the minute men, together with some of the country militia. These...
Date: 26 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2
For the satisfaction of the public, I shall endeavour to give you as true an account of the late matters at this place as I am able.
Last Wednesday night [October 25] a party of men from the tenders went on shore, and robbed several houses on Mill Creek, nigh Hampton. We heard of this the next morning, and observed the tenders at anchor, no great distance from the place where several vessels had...
Date: 1 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2
This morning between the hours of 1 and 2, as the guard at the treasurer's was just going to be relieved, they discovered some men coming up the bottom a little below the treasury office; upon which the guard repeatedly hailed them, but they refusing to reply, the former fired upon them, without doing any damage. The rascals almost immediately returned the fire, but also did no injury. We...
Date: 2 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2
This afternoon a man of war and 3 tenders came to anchor at Burwell's ferry, and fired several times, but did no other damage than sending one shot through a warehouse near the water-side.1
Mr. William Pierce, junior, of this city, who was in the late engagement at Hampton (and whose genius is greatly admired for many valuable productions in the celebrated art of painting) we are...
Date: 9 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2
We hear from Smithfield that this day doctor Foushee, from Norfolk, is just arrived there, and gives intelligence that the king of the blacks, alias pirate, alias Dunmore, and his banditti, consisting of regular soldiers, sailors, negroes, and Scotchmen, in number about 350, marched to Great Bridge, in Norfolk county, in order to take up the bridge, and reconnoitre the ground, expecting our...
Date: 16 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2
A few days ago captain Barron1 took a vessel which was clearing out with wheat.2 We are told she belonged to Mr. Archibald Govan. Many letters were found in her from a pack of tories to people in Scotland, representing this country in the most odious colours.
Date: 6 December 1775
Volume: Volume 2
An express arrived last Thursday night [December 7], who informs, that we have taken a little fort belonging to Dunmore, with 40 stand of arms.
An honest negro (Caesar, the famous barber of York) being asked what he thought of lord Dunmore's setting negroes free, said, that he did not know arty one foolish enough to believe him, for if he intended to do so, he ought first to set his own free.
Date: 9 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3
A few days ago 6 of lord Dunmore's men deserted from the Otter. They met some of our men, on their way to this city, by whom they were treated with the utmost hospitality; in return, they assisted us, with the highest pleasure, in stowing away our baggage, and in expediting our troops to their destined place. When they were asked what induced them to leave Dunmore, they answered, "Hungry bellies...
Date: 13 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3
On Wednesday the 13th instant a sloop belonging to captain Mallory, and a schooner belonging to captain Brown, bound to Smithfield, from sea, were taken by a tender, which put amidshipman, two sailors, and a negro pilot on board, with orders to carry them to Norfolk; but last night the captains of the vessels, by a promise of 43 dollars and a passage back, prevailed on them to join them in...
Date: 23 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3
We have just received an account of the taking 14 whites, and 2 slaves, which were on board a tender sent out, as it is thought, to plunder the inhabitants on the seaboard, and to pick up such other base wretches as might be found to join in this accursed trade, as they had 8 stand of spare arms, besides other military stores, on board. On Friday the 22d instant advice was received at Hampton...
Date: 30 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3
By an express from Norfolk, and letters from colonel [Robert] Howe, we learn, that all the ships and tenders which had been drawn up close to the town with springs on their cables began a heavy fire at 3 o'clock in the evening of Monday last [January 1], that after about an hour's firing, a few boats were sent ashore under cover of the cannon, and concealed by their smoak, which was blown in on...
Date: 6 January 1776
Volume: Volume 3
Mr. Pinkney,
You, or your correspondent, made a great mistake in your paper of the 30th of December, in your account lord Dunmore's cruelty to the poor Highlanders, in saying that they arrived after the battle of the Great Bridge, for they really were brought to Norfolk, pressed into Dunmore's service, promised land and every necessary, were armed against us, and a report industriously propagated...
Date: 10 January 1776
Volume: Volume 3