The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Sept. 10. The following is said to be copies of two letters, which lately passed between the Duc de Crillon and Gen. Elliot:

"SIR,

Camp of Buenveta, Aug. 19, 1782.

His Royal Highness, Comte d'Artois, who has received permission from the King his brother to assist at the siege, as a volunteer, in the combined army of which their Most Christian and Catholic Majesties have honored me with the command, arrived in this camp the 15th instant. This young Prince has been pleased, in passing through Madrid, to take charge of some letters, which had been sent to that capital from this, and which are addressed to persons belonging to your garrison. His Royal Highness has desired that I would transmit them to you, and that to this mark of his goodness and attention, I should add the strongest expressions of esteem for your person and character. I feel the greater pleasure in giving this mark of condescension in this August Prince, as it furnishes me with a pretext which I have been anxiously looking for these two months that I have been in this camp, to assure you of the highest esteem I have conceived for your Excellency's of the sincere desire I feel of deserving yours; and of the pleasure to which I look forward of becoming your friend, after I shall have learnt to render myself worthy of the honor of facing you as an enemy. - His Highness the Duke de Bourbon, who arrived here in 24 hours after Comte d'Artois, desires also that I should assure you of his particular esteem. Permit me sir, to offer you a few trifles for your table of which I am sure you must stand in need. As I know you live entirely upon vegetables, should be glad to know what kind you like best. I should add a few partridges for the gentlemen of your household, which I presume will not prove disagreeable, in the excessive heat of this climate, at this season of the year. I hope you will be obliging enough to accept the small portion which I send with this letter.

I have the honor to be, &c.

His Excellency Gen. Elliot, &c.

THE ANSWER.

"SIR,

Gibraltar. August 20.

I find myself highly honored by your obliging letter of yesterday, in which your Excellency was so kind as to inform me of the arrival in your camp of His Royal Highness the Comte d'Artois, and the Duke de Bourbon, to serve as volunteers at the siege. These Princes have shewn their judgment in making choice of a master in the art of war, whose abilities cannot fail to form great warriors. I am really overwhelmed with the condescension of His Royal Highness, in suffering some letters for persons in this town to be conveyed from Madrid in his carriages. I flatter myself that your Excellency will give my most profound respects to His Royal Highness and to the Duke de Bourbon, for the expressions of esteem with which they have been pleased to honor so insignificant a person as I am.

I return a thousand thanks to your Excellency for your handsome present of fruits, vegetables and game. You will excuse me, however, I trust when I assure you, that in accepting your present, I have broken through a resolution, which I have faithfully kept since the beginning of the war; and that was, never to receive or procure by any means whatever, any provisions or other commodity for my own private use; so that without any preference, everything is sold publicly here, and the private soldier, if he has money, can become a purchaser, as soon as the Governor. I confess I make it a point of honor, to partake both of plenty and scarcity, in common with the lowest of my brave fellow soldiers. This furnishes me with an excuse for the liberty I now take of entreating your Excellency not to heap any more favors on me of this kind, as in future I cannot convert your presents to my own private use. Indeed to be plain with your Excellency, though vegetables at this season are scarce with us, every one of us has got a quantity proportioned to the labor he has bestowed in raising them. The English are naturally fond of gardening and cultivation; and here we find our amusement in it during the intervals of rest and public duty.

The promise which the Duc de Crillon makes to honor me, in proper time and place, with his friendship, lays me under infinite obligations. The interests of our Sovereigns being once solidly settled; I shall with eagerness embrace the first opportunity to avail myself of so precious a treasure.

As I have the honor to be, &c."

His Excellency the Duc de Crillon, &c.