The New Hampshire Gazette Newspaper, October 19, 1759, Page 1

Noums. r59. GAZETTE. FRIDAY OcToBER 19. 1759. T HE o B il L T Continued frem our laft. My third reajon for humbiing this haughty m—r, is, becaufe be harraffes the army biyond all example., I3 predeceflors in power either collected : H the military force of Great Britain round the capital,where, cantoned in towns and 5 villages, or encamped on fome of the wholfome Downs, they waited peaceably for a foreign invafien ; in which fituations the officers _.of diftintion had the fuil enjoyment of all the pleafures of life, as became free Britons ; and did no duty but what conduced to health, and v ferved to whet their appetites for delicate food, beauatifal women, and moderate play : or, at the worft, they were fent over in a body to the plains of Flanders, to wage regular war under - generals of ability, for the glory of their country, and to maintain the baliance of power. But our new conduttor of the war has altered cur whole fy?em, and made a commiffion in the ar- my as intolerable as a place in the gallies of France, or a fiation in Bridewel. For, not to mention bis {ending the half of our troopsio North America to be fcalped by Indians, or ‘blown up by the more perfidicus French, and thofe devils the Canadians, has he not, for many mouihs, been contriving and executing expedi- tions to the coalt of France, for no apparent reafon but to vex, fatigue,and harrals oor troops, and efpecially thele pretty gentlemnen the o—rs " of the g—ds, beyond what they are able to bear? The man, as [ have difcovered ia the courfe of my reading wis onc2 an officer of the Jight ‘beife himielf ; fo that it is very difficult to con- ceive, what can excite ki rage fo much againtt whis own order. If I have any notion of the miiary art, the great object of 1t is the prefervation of the ar- my ; and from the minutes of feveral courts- martial, which 1 bave latwely perufed, I have ‘learned that the {afety of his majefly’s troops was formerly not only the m—’s, bar the g-— n—r—Vb’s chief care in, the conda&l of the war. But, if this man be fuffered to proeceed, at the rate he has begun, for cone ycar longer, I am really of opinion that no man above the rank of acolonel wiil remain in the army. And what will become of an army without generals ? It is neediefs ‘to explain. Many of the moit an- tient and refpectable officers have alieacy de- clined the fervice 5 aand fuch an eniverfal dif. content prevails among them, that I tremble for the approach of that hour,when the whele hoary "band, who, like the venerable licns on the heads of cur fhips, have flood fo many {lorms of bat- tle, and cut their way thro’ fo many feas of blood, fhall, with ene confent, lay down their truncheons at the fect of their maiter. For my part, I ‘would rather be a (hoe black, or rake ‘the kennels for hobgails, than ferve as a l—t _of me—r g—! under fuch 2an eaterprifing 2nd expedition-making min—r. g I dao coufefls, my dear conntrymen, that, upon this fubjcft, I caanet keep ny temper : It is not the great men themfelves 1 {o much regret, for moft of them, thanks to the difcerniang fpirit of aur former m-—rs, and the gratitude of their country, are able to live indepeadent of the {er- vice ; and the remainder, if they pleafe, will find refuge and reft in thiearmics of che monarch vvof Praflia. But, it is the fervice itfelf, it is the condud of our future armues, it is the honour of my country, that makes me {0 caraclt on this part of my fubject. In the name of all the powers of war, why was he not contented with the milcarriage of the expedition in the year 1757 2 Why mult he contrive new projsés to ftamp the namss ot fCantaifli;zg the Fre/bgfl_ Advices the commanders of that famous year, and the great things they might bave done, fiill deeper on the memory of the pablic? Had he any reafon to think that there were abler or better men than they upoa the lifts, or men who had the hononr and intereft of their country more at heart ? No, it is evideat his defign muit have Been to ruin the arm alinageiher, by contriving impadible defcents upon the cosll of France, or fuch as are worfe than impeflible. It is very trae that the thipping at St. Maloes have been burnt, and the bafon of Cherburg blown up : and it is poflible too, that 50,000 troops have been detained on the coafts, who, but for our alarms, Lad been on the banks of the Rhine, St. Cas ? /Acnd is not the life of a fiagle Britith foldier of more value than a thoufand wooden fhips, or ten thoufand buiwarks of ftone ? And as for the detaining 50,000 Frenchmen at home 1 rather compute that as a lofs. For befides that France had the advantage of their pay, which would have been fpeut in Germany but for our invafions ; if {o great'a number of troops had juined their army 1o Weftphalia, they would bave bgen much more ftreightred for provifions, and the vi€tory at Crevelt would have been fhill more glorioas. Bat great and unaccourtable as cur lofs was, in the late defcent upon ke coaft of France, there is one circumtiance relating to that expe- dition which gives me more pain than the lofs wé have fuflained. A circumfiance which, if forefcen by the m —~—r as barcly pofiible,there %s no punilhment he does not deferve. Itis this ; That fince the days of the Edwards and the Fenrys the Englth have had no epportu nity of fizhting the Freneh upon cequal terms in their owa country, til the toth or 11¢ch of laft September. [ tremble when I think of the imminent dangtr our army efcaped. Ag 1 aftei’the m~——-r’s owsd heart would have cer- tainly fought. With an Englilh P—ce once more on French pround, with the fortune and valoor of another Edward on hisfide, he would have feized the glorious opportusity, which the chance of war brings round in 500 years. He would have foucht, and what would have been the confcquence ? If we may believe in paft examples of the like ftuation, and in the ac- koowiedged biavery of our troops, it is more than probzble he would have been viltorious. tle would have 2mbaiked at his leifare, and re- turned ia trinmph ; and next fummer we fhould have made war exaftly in the famne manner ; a thing, as I have (hewn, utterly difagreeable to all the great o—rs, and pretty g—ti—m-—n of the army. I do aflure you, my dear friends, the very thoughts of the hazard we run of mak- ing a Crefly or an Agincourt of it, has kept me awake many a night ; and my indignation a- gainlt P—t is ratled in proportion to the num- ber of {lceplefs hours he has coft me. Let us thack heaven,which better direledour g 1; bad he yielded to his own flupid impetucfity, cr Litened to the advice of eone rath ¢——1, we had been undone by fuccefs. But the guar- dian angel of Britain interpofed, in her well known thape ol a council of war. We turned our backs, and the enemy gave us a kick on that fide which was turned to them, and all fuch idle expeditions are at an end for ever. But what have been the confcquences of this war of alarms, expeditions, and enterprides ? Has it not proceced things ftrange and unheard of in the ifland of Britain ? Have not upflarts and beardlefs boys gained fome name in the army ! Heretofore it was age, and long fervice in the ficld of war, or of Si. St.—ph~-n's; it —— han But did we not lofe 300 men at# Foreign ;hd Dézfle/fick. g was a modeft deference to the opinions, and an implicite fubmiffion to the will of their {uperiors (which are the great principles of military difci- pline) that procured men preferment in the ar- my. But now, to be impudent enough to talk of battles and of fieges, to have what they call a genius for war, as if a man could be born a general any more than he could be born a but- ton maker: and when in the field to have mind- ed fomething befides their platoons or batallions (which is abfolutely contrary to good difcipline) thefe, and fuch as thefe, are now the chief qua- lities that recommend a2 man to favour and pre- ferment. [To be continued.] ‘ N E W.Y O R K, Oftober 8. Friday laft arrived here the Earl of Halifax Packet- Boat, Capt. Boulderfon, in 46 Days from Falmcuth ; and from theEnglith Prints brought by her, we have the following freth Advices. DRESDEN, Avec. 1. E learn (iat Gen. Wodel was joined on the 27th by a large body of troops un- der the P. of Wirtemberg. Letters from the King of Pruflia’s head quarters, of the 24th advife, that as foon as his Mezjelly wasinformed of the advantage -gained by the Ruffians, he marched at the head of 20,000 of the flower of his Army, and was to join him on the 30th alt. near Segan, a large bedy of forces under P. Henry, and both were to reinforce General "VCdC:’& A\lu;y. ‘ Martfhal Daun, who continued atMark- Lifla, according to our laft Accounts, receiving notice of theKing's departure, {etached 40,000 men, under Landohn, Haddick, and M’Quire, to- wards the Lower Lulutia, to endeavour to join the Ruilians, or to attack Prince Henry in his march. Berlin, July 30. Advice is juft receiv’d that the King had joined Gen. Wedel. Thhe Queen and Royal Family are retired to Potzdam. Amflerdam Aug. g. Several Leteers fay, that the Ruflians took Pofleflion of Creffen on the 23th patt, and of Fraackfort the 2g9th. Their light Troops- entered Berlin on the 2d inft, Amfter. Gaz. Beskow, (near Frankfort, on the River Oder, Head Quarters of thePruffian Army, duguft 3. On the ¢irft we marched from Chriftianftads to Somme:ficldt, which the Fnemy quiited ; and notwithftanding they made great Difpatch, our Huflars actacked them in the Rear, and made a greatBooty. Ten of Kleift's Regiment got 7000 Dollars, and five loaded Waggons, which they brought in here. Yeflerday our Cavalry dttacked theRear of General Haddick, with fuch Succefs, that we tock 1236 Men Pri- foners, four Pieces of Cannon, 2 Colours, 300 Waggons ladén with Meal, the greateft Parc of their Bakery,and valiQuantities of gun powder. The Ruflians have quitted Croflen,which Gen. V/¢del is inPofleflion, and To-morrow we fhall be in Franckiore.” Bzriiw, Julv 25. Count Dohna, not having behaved to the King’s liking in his expedition againit theRuflians,isdifmifs’d from hisMzjefty’s fervice, and is recurned to this capital, where he lives as a private genileman. This General, for whofe return fome people aflign other reaf- ons, hearing that Gep, Wedel was to have the command in his room, and that he had orders. to attack theRuffians, faid to fome of his friends that he knew Wedei’s abilities,and if he attack- ed the Ruflians he would be beat, What hap- pened on z3d proves that he was miflaken. [ For more Foreign Neavs, foe the 54 Page |