The Virginia Gazette

The enemy by the last accounts, after having burnt the town of Suffolk, destroyed the provisions there, and plundered its inhabitants, retreated to Portsmouth, where they are still in the provisions they have taken in their depredatory excursions to the adjacent counties.

To shew the barbarous and unmanly disposition of those invaders of our country; we submit to the publick these following facts, authenticated by the testimony of one of the parties concerned. Four boys—viz. John Phripp, Thomas Walke, Thomas Lawson, and Peter Bowdoin, who were on their way from Mr. Andrews's school near Suffolk, to their parents in Princes Anne county, were overtaken by three of their light horse, and after striking one of them with a cutlass, and the most abusive language, robbed them of their shoe and knee buckles, handkerchiefs, money, and all the clothes they had, telling them at the same time, they might think themselves fortunate in not meeting with the Hessians instead of them, as they would not only have robbed them, but would have put them to death. How are the laurels of the British valour fallen, when, women and boys are now become the objects of their vengeance.