The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a letter from Elizabeth Town Point (New Jersey) dated August 7, 1776.

"I was ordered, by Col. Chevalier, to wait on two Gentlemen, Mess. Madison and Johnson, one of whom is a clergyman, and both natives of Augusta county, Virginia, who arrived in the Lord Hyde packet from Falmouth, at Staten Island the 29th of July, and have brought papers from London to the 23d of May, which are now here, and kept for the use of General Washington, who, it is said, will be in town to-morrow.

A copy of the King of England's speech is enclosed. The above-mentioned Gentlemen left the island this morning with Lord Howe's approbation, and inform that Lord Cornwallis and General Clinton, with all the troops, arrived there on Thursday last from Carolina, as a reinforcement preparatory to the attack on New York, which these Gentlemen say would, in their opinion, be made in less than a week, without waiting for the arrival of the remainder of the foreigners, who were hourly looked for, having sailed three days before this ship. That the troops now on the island amount to about twelve thousand, and those expected will make the enemy twenty thousand strong.

The current opinion of the British Generals is, that they will find no difficulty in taking possession of New York, but are much afraid that the rebels (as they call us) will destroy it, as they speak most contemptuously of us, looking upon us as an undisciplined rabble; and that they are confident of effecting a junction with Burgoyne from Canada, and thereby facilitate the subjection of this country. The Gentlemen add, that the enemy are much distressed for want of fresh provisions.

The English papers inform that the Minerva, Winning, from Philadelphia, was arrived at Londonderry in five weeks; loaded with 320 hogsheads of flaxseed, and that she was immediately made a prize of, being American property. An article mentions that on the question for independence in Congress the Pennsylvania Delegates voted against it, and in consequence thereof the other colonies kept a jealous eye over them.

The papers contain many other matters, but I cannot keep them any longer, to transcribe particulars."

Tower Hill, London, May 22, 1776.

Mr.'s compliments to Mr., and begs his care of the enclosed letter.

Mr. may rely on it that the French Ministry is changed; the pacific men are turned out, and the spirited men, friends to America, are to come in, viz. Duke de Choiseul, &c. &c.—Therefore a French war, or submission to America, is inevitable.

The stocks, from the battle of Lexington to this day, have fallen upwards of six per cent. a loss on the national debt of at least seven millions.

These things should be publicly made known.

To Mr.

The above letter is from Mr., of London, to Mr. Madison, one of the Gentlemen mentioned in the letter from Elizabeth Town, and cannot be doubted.