The Virginia Gazette

From the Boston
GAZETTE
of August
II.

HEAD QUARTERS, Moses's Creek, July 28, 1777.

SIR,

It is with astonishment and concern that I observe in your late papers a vein of prejudice against General St. Clair, incurred by retreating from Ticonderoga, equally impolitic, ungenerous, and inhuman; for it is certainly impolitic to depreciate the influence of an officer high in command; it is truly ungenerous to put the worst construction on every incident attending the retreat; and it is truly inhuman to murder a man's reputation, without giving him an opportunity of vindication.

If Gen. St. Clair has transgressed, he will surely answer for it at a proper tribunal; don't then prejudice him, or disgrace your paper, with the malicious innuendoes of every envious talkative puppy.

Be charitable enough to suspend your opinion for a little time, and a scrutiny of his conduct,--which General St. Clair has already claimed, will satisfy you and the public.

Your correspondent from Manchester (it pains me to expose an officer) furnishes you with a gross misrepresentation; for be assured that I myself ordered his regiment to strike their tents one full hour before a man moved from Ticonderoga, though it is equally true I could not find the Colonel; I suppose, instead of attending the embarkation of the stores, he was packing up. I am obliged too to invalidate the authority of your "Gentleman of capacity and character, who had the first opportunity of knowing there were upwards of four thousand effectives in the garrison," since the returns of the army are made to me; and I declare to God and the world, that there were, exclusive of about seven or eight hundred militia, who had just arrived, only two thousand and eighty four fit for duty.

"Believe it who will."

You observe that "the greatest number of the enemy, allowing the accounts of those whose business it is to make it as large as appearances would allow, could not exceed six thousand, it was in all probability short of that number;" the malice of this suggestion time will evince; I wish we may not find the enemy one thousand stronger. The number of silly, malicious questions, which follow this observation, are too pitiful to be answered.

I join with you in thinking there ought to be an inquiry after the arms and clothes you mention, for they really never reached Ticonderoga, though your interrogations on that head are improperly directed, and maliciously pointed.

Believe me, Sir, if virtue or justice have existence, that the man who now stands condemned for retreating from Ticonderoga, will ere long be thanked for the salvation of near three thousand men, who, instead of being in captivity, are now opposing our enemy.

I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,

JAMES WILKINSON, Dep. Adj. Gen.