Newspaper Page Text
BOSTON, March i.
t
Last Monday morning, Royal Ty
ler, Elq. arrived in town from the
camp at Pittsfield, and brought the
following intelligence:
Feb. 27, 1787.
Dear General,
“ I received information this day,
about eleven o’clock A. M. that a
large body of the rebels had been
plundering the town of Stockbridge,
and were diteding their course this
way ; the militia of this town were
immediately collected, and as many
as could be provided with arms, em
bodied under lieut. Goodrich. The
.militia trom Great- Barrington under
the command of Capt. Ingersoll,
joined us about one o’clock, when
our number was about eighty $ with
this number I conceived it not im
prudent to engage -the enemy (with
regard to whole numbers we had
various accounts) and accordingly
ordered the troops to move towards
Great-Barrington, where they then
were. Cn our route we were in
formed that the rebels had moved
westerly, towards the ffate of New>
York, byway of Younglove’s tavern. •
1 conlequently ordeied the troops
under my command to file ofFby Ja
fpar Saxton’s towards bgremont, in
order to get in their front, knowing
that the militia from the northward
were in the rear. Upon different in
formations that they were bending
their courle towards Sheffield, we
immediately marched back and met
them in Sheffield, near baxton’s—
the rebels began the attack by a scat
tering fire, from a considerable di
llance—the troops under my com
mand advanced rapidly towards them
and a warm fire commenced, which
continued about fix minutes, when
the rebels fled in very great disorder
and in different directions. The
woods and morafles bordering upon
the field of aCtion, rendered our pur
luing them with success impractic
able. Capt Hamlin, who command
ed the rebels, is dangerously if not
mortally wounded—two of the ene
my were killed w'hom we have found,
probably more are in the woods
whom we have not diicovered —25
of them we have taken prisoners and
three wounded. The loss on our fide
was two killed, one of them a pri
loncr with the rebels, and probably
killed by our fire,.and one wounded,
a worthy young gentleman, a son of
Mr. Burghard of Great-Barrington.
The spirit and firmnefs of the troops,
many of whom difcliarged 6 rounds
during the adtion, d.eferve commen
dation. The northern militia arrived
*
soon after the adtion, and facilitated
the capture of prisoners.
I have the pleasure to felicitate you
on this fortunate issue of so alarming
an incursion of the rebels, and am,
dear fir, with great esteem, your
moil obedient humble servant, .
JOHN ASHLEY, jun.”
N. B. The prisoners are taken on
by the militia under command of
Gen. Patterson, who arrived soon af
ter the adtion.”
Major Tyler further informs, that
sixty two of Hamlin’s men, among
whom were a number who had tak
en the oath of allegiance, were on
Wednesday escorted by a party of
light-horse to the Proved in Pitts
• field } that half an hour previous to
the time of adtion, the reoels had
paroled part of their prisoners upon
condition of their proceeding to Egre
mont under a Small guard of four
men, and that it was currently le
ported that those gentlemen were re
lieved a few hours after the adtion
by a party of horse.
General Ethan Allen, we are in
formed, lately declared, in presence
of several gentlemen of this date, that
he never had any communications
with Shays or his adherents, diredfly
or indiredtly; but that he heartily
despised both them and their cause.
We are informed, that the rebels,
in the adfion with Col. Ashley, placed
the prisoners whom they took at
Stockbridgc,, in their front; which
adt of savage barbarity, we conclude,
was the occasion of the death of Mr.
Gleason, mentioned in Col. A Alley's
letter.
We hear that the celebrated Chap
man, and one Jonathan Faucit, a re
presentative to the aflembly of Pitts-
ford, were lately upon an embahy < 0
Lord Dorchester, to ftek luppl ies Q V
inen, money, &c, tor the rebels. As
they reached St. John’s they
themselves too low in pocket to pr o . •
ceed lurther without assistance; but
impressed with the great importance
ot their million t 6 the Engliffi nation
they had no doubt but, upon the
firfl: intimation, the British command
er at the polt would immediately ad
vance guineas by handfuls—when
alas l he laughed at them and their
i cattle, and communicated their pro.
found secret to the people. The
young apprentices conllru&ed a
wooden horse, and determined to ho
nor thole rebels with a ride. Faucit
etcaped without his laddle-bags—
Chapman was miffing, and we do
not know but he has taken an air
,'ing upon the British Rolinante.
A larch 28. Major Cookfon, who
arrived in town lall: Sunday night,
from camp at Pittsfield, informs, that
not less than seven thousand families
inhabitants of the three weHern coun«
ties of this Rate, have within about
fix weeks past removed into the Rate
of Vermont.
HARTFORD, Feb. 12.
The great increase of lawyers a
mong us since the revolution begins
to give serious concern to all good
men, and I am -told a pamphlet of
more than one hundred pa-ges is now
in the press, or soon will be, pro
posing an easy method to reduce their
numbers in lels than fix months.
Peter the Great, in his time, had but
four lawyers in bis whole dominions,
and two of thele he hanged. Forniy
own part, I will read no tedious el
fays on this fubjedt—Let individuals
check the prelent prevalent ipirit of
wrangling and litigation, and the
number of attornies will soon be in
confiderable.Ko man will follow any
trade or profeffion longer than he
can live by it.
The people of Dorcefler, near Bo-
Ron, are brewing a new (edition, by
proposing an unconßitutional mode
for the choice of Senators, and ap
pointing delegates for a county con
vention to effect it.