Octob ,3. THE Number 449.
NORTH-CytROLINs? GAZETTE.
With the lateft ADVICES, Foreign and1 Domestic.
i.
SEMPER PRO LIBERTATE, ET -BONO PUBLICO.
r
PHILADELPHIA, September 3, 1778.
le'.ttr from the Honourable Mcjor General Sullivan to the Prefi
dtmt of Congrefs, dated Head-Quarters, Tivfrton,
Am 31, 1778.
Esteemed Sir,
-ST PON the Cnont D'EiUing's finding himfrlf order
a nccelTiiy ct goir-i to 2?fy to recair the !ois he At
tained in the late gale of wind, I though: i: belt to
& J " carry on my approaches with as much vigour as pof-
fible again ft Newport, that no time might be loft in
making the attack opon the return of his licet, or any part of ft
toco-operate with us. I had fent eprefie? to the Count to haf
t:n his return, which I had no doubt would at lead bring part of
his fleet to us in a few days. Our batteries played upon the ene
my's works for feveral days with apparent go d fuccel;, as the
enemy's fire from the outworks viftbly grew weaker, and they be
gin to abandon fome of thofe next usj and cn the 27th, ws found
they had removed their cannon from all the outwork? except one.
The town of Newport is defended by two fines, fupportcd by fe
1 -1 ri'uhtss r.nn-clel w-t-' th? lires. ".The frfl of th:f- lines
vends from a large pond called Eajlon Pond near to Tcmminy.
Hill, and then turns oft to the water, on the north of IVindmiU
lliU. This line was defended by five redoubts in front. The
fecosd line is more than a quar er of a rr.'.'.c within this, and ex
frds from the fea to the north ide of the ifland, tcrnirarin at
t-.e nrrth battery. On the fouth. at the entrance by Eajions
k-ath, where thislire terrr.iratcs, is a redoubt which commands
the pais, a ad has another rcdruht about twenty rods on the north.
There is a number of fmall works iBterfper&d between -the lines,
which render an attack extremely hazardous on the land fide,
i:hout a naval force to co operae i h it. I however fhou.'d
have attempted canjing the works by llorm, as foon as 1 f.iuad
they bad withdrawn their cfnnnn from their outworks, had I not
fvued, to my great furprifc, that the volunteers, which compof
ed great part of my army, had returned, ar-d reduced my num
hf.'s o little more than ihm ot the ertenr . Between two and
in C. IIIIV11U rCkUIDLU III HC W'UIIC i.. uuui J, auu miiiu v- -
oing clT,"kpon a fuppclliion that nothing could be done be
fore the return of the fletrt. thefe cireumilancesj and the
apprchcr.fjn of the arr-ival of an Emglijh fleet wita a reinforce
Bier.: to relieve the garrifun, I fent away all the heavy articles
that cculd be fpared from the army to the main ; alio a lare par
ty was detached to get the wrks in repair cn the north end 01 the
iihr.d, to throw up fome additional ones, ar.d to put in good re
pair the batteries at Tiverton and Brifiol, to fecure a retreat in
c.of BCCcffity-. On the 2&;h a council wes called, in which it
was cnacifnoufly ccrm ii t i to remove to the Berth end of the
:d, f rtifv our Cfp, ftcure rtir c mmanicatirn with the
rto? and hold cur ground cn the ifland ti i we could know whe
ther the French fleet wou'd foc-n return to our affilUnce. On the
tvetting of the 28th we rrrvrd with our ftores and baggage
fcf.kh had not been previoull fent Rrw&rd, and atom two in
the miming encamped on BulVs Hill, with cr r'ght rxtending
to the weft read, and left to the eaft read, the flankirg and co
vering parties fli.l farther towards the water, on the right and
hft. One regiment was p'ftcd in a redoubt advanced on the
icq; 01 ins nr:t line : v.cionci no. u. i-.v.r
Corps
ment f-oni
Hsiht
detachment and a detach -
, uaiumu jii me can ruao ; anoincr
conflfiinr of Colonel JaciWs
-. k
the army
corps under the command of Colonel Laurent. Colonel
F.cury, and M .jor Talbot, was pelted on the weft road. Thefe
corps were pofLd near three miles in front ; in the rear of thofe
was the picket of che army, commanded by Colonel IVade. The
enemy, having received intelligence of our m.vemei,ti came out
earlv in the morning with near.y their whole force, in two co
lumns, advanced in the two roads, and attacked our Kgh: corps.
They made a br.-iVe refiftance, and were fopportcd for fome time
by the picket. I ordered a regiment to fupport Colonel Living'
(ton, another to Col. neJ Laurens, and at the tame time fent them
orders to retire to the main army in the beg: order they couJd.-
They kept op a retreating fLe uoon the enemv. dnH r&treA in
- . a . 1 7? m-
exceiJent order to the mam army. The enemy advanced on our
1 r 1 . jm . -
ieu very near. Out were rt-nuif d bv Ci. neral Glover. The? then
retired to Quaker Hill. , The Htjfian colomn, formed on a chain of
cf hills .uiiuing northward from Quaker Hill.- Our army was
drawn up, the fi.il line in front of the works on Bull's Hill, the
fecond in rear of the hill, and the refervene ;ar a creek, and near
half a milt ir rt-ar of the fi.fl line. The dlilaave between thoftf
hilis ia about one mile. The ground between the hills is mea
dow land, interfperfed with trees and fmail copfes of wood. The
enemy began a cannonade upon u& about nine in the morning.
wn-ch was returned with double force. Skirm.lhinj continued :
bet wet the advanced parties ctm! nearUeft ioc!ock, 'vhen the e
ntmy's two ihips of war, and fome fmaii armed velTls, havlrg
gained our light flank and begun a fire, the enemy bent their
whole foice thac way, and endeavoured to turn oar right upder
cover of the mips fire, and to take the advanced red ubt on the
right. They were twice driven back in gieat cenfefion ; but a
third trial was made with greater numbers and with more refofu
tio which, had it not been for the timely aid fent forward,
wouid have fucceeded. A lharp conflict of near an hour enfued,
in which the cannon from bah a.mies, placed 00 the hills, pKy
ed biifkiy in fupporr of their own party. The enemy were at
length routed, and fled in great Confufion to the li ail where they
firlt formed, and where they haj artillery and feme works to co
ver them, leaving their dead and wounded in coriderable num
bers behind tkem. It was impofiible to afcerrain the number of
dead on the fuld, as it could not be approachid to ei her party
without being expofed to the cannon of the ether army. Our
party recovered, about twenty of their wounded, and took near
iixty prifoners, according to the bell accounts I have been able to
collect; amongft the prifoners is a lieutenant of grenadi rs. The
number of the dead 1 have nor. been able to afceitaio, but know
them to be very confiderable. An fficer inf rms me, that ia
cne place he counted flxty of their dead. Colonel Campbell came
rut the next day to gain permiiJion to view the held ot action, to
feareh for his nephew, who was killed by his fide, whofe body
he could not get off, as they were cloftlv puitued. The firing of
art liery continued through the day ; the mu&etry with intermif-fi-
n, fix hcuis.' The heat of the action conrjnued near an hour,
which muft have ended in the ruin cf the Britijh army, had not
their redoubts cn the hill ccered them from farther pjurfuk; We
were about to attack them in their lines ; but the n.tn's having;
had no reft the niht before, ar.d notni? g to eat either that night
or the day of the action, and having been in conftant action thro'
w '
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