The Pennsylvania Journal, Or, Weekly Advertiser

Extract of a letter from Col. Hendricks, to Brigadier General Lewis, dated Hampton, June 26, 1776.

"I send you four men under guard, who were taken on Monday, on board a brig from Barbados, bound for Dunmore. Early on Monday morning, we had information that a brig was aground off Willoughby's point. Major Leitch immediately made all possible haste, with twelve men, on board a small pilot boat which was in the basin, loaded with tobacco for the West-Indies, in order to examine what she was. On coming on board, he found she was from Barbados, bound for Norfolk, with the supercargo on board, loaded with 250 puncheons of rum, and a few barrels of limes. On examination, the Major found she had got a-ground about 12 o'clock the preceding night, that she was very fast, and consequently that he had no other way to proceed than to leave his people on board, and come to Hampton for assistance to lighten her. A sloop bound up James river was pitched on for this purpose, being the only vessel in our harbour. Unluckily, however, both wind and tide seemed to conspire against the measure, by putting it out of our power to get her down before a tender of ten carriage guns appeared in sight of the brig; on which Lieut. Herbert (of Capt. Lilly's armed vessel) thought prudent to send the pilot boat off, in order to know whether the vessel in sight was an enemy or friend, which was soon discovered to be the former. In the mean time, Mr. Herbert threw overboard five hogheads of rum, and luckily, got the people off, in a boat from the other shore (except one, who happened to be down in the hold) the pilot boat refusing to come on board to take them off. They got all safe ashore, although the tender kept up a constant fire upon them; two of the brig's crew being on board the pilot boat, and other two before brought on shore by Major Leitch. The brig belongs to a Mr. Walsh of Barbados, and the whole of the people on board seemed much chagrined at the appearance of our boat, and no doubt as much elated on our being obliged to quit her. A convincing proof of the friendship the West-Indians have for us."