The Virginia Gazette

The London Gazette has made the most of the Penobscot business; and the ministerial runners and writers, magnify it as much as they can. They have so few victories to rejoice at, that we could pardon their exultations, if we did not know that there was more real cause for weeping than rejoicing. The only thing that Sir Henry Clinton has been able to do during this whole campaign, was getting possession of that important post Stony Point, up the North river. And General Washington watches his opportunity; takes it by surprise, with all the cannon, mortars, &c. carries them all off, and then dismantles it. This is another Trenton affair. With this difference, that the Hessians at Trenton were made prisoners. The garrison at Stony Point were put to the sword, above four hundred. This was in retaliation for certain cruelties committed by our soldiers last year. These massacres were too bad to be related, even in our Scotch gazette. Of one of these massacres, one English officer said 'it was fortunately quite dark, and they only heard it; if it had been day light they could not have bore the sight.' The Scotch officers thought there was no need of it. The refugees alone rejoiced.

The gazette is silent respecting Powles Hook. Is it not taken by the Americans? And were not the troops found in it put to the sword?

The Ministers at length have thought proper to give the publick some account of Cornwallis's business; but why dare they not publish General Prevost's letter? That letter in the gazette is not his; and they have artfully put his name to the return, not to the letter, to cover the deception. Fie upon such dirty tricks!

Notwithstanding all the puffing made about Sir George Collier's success, taking the retreat of General Prevost into the fleet, the whole seems to be no more than a drawn battle; for if we have conquered by sea, the Americans have conquered by land.