The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

LONDON, October 20.

The facility with which the Americans recruit their scattered forces, is truly alarming, and affords the strongest proof of the firmness and sincerity with which they are attached to their new rulers, and their new form of government. The superior skill and appointment of the English soldiers may gain them some occasional conquests, but the American forces recruit more strong and collected from every defeat. Facts will speak for themselves.

The defensive system which has been pursued for these several years past, is the most impolitic that ever was recorded in the history of the world, to say nothing to the unjust principle on which the war is founded. The usual object of armies, raised and supported at an immense expense, is either to make conquests, or to defend acquired dominions. But we are raising immense armies, and transporting them across the Atlantic, for what purpose? Not that they may subdue those distant regions, and subject the inhabitants, for that has been long proved to be impossible, even if it were just; but that they may be able to defend themselves, may instruct a rising people, whom we have made our enemy, in the arts of military discipline, and may foster their growth by the dispersion of our wealth in their country.

If truth is treason, and a manly declaration of the dangers and distresses which surround this kingdom can be construed into faction, some of the most distinguished and able characters may be included in the general stigma. The zeal of opposition has been represented as injurious to the State, and the freedom of representing our weakness been perverted into indirect encouragement to our numerous enemies; but some recent discoveries will do away the foul aspersions, and Ministers may be at length convinced that their greatest enemies were among those of their own house.

The following authentic returns of the number of men encamped near Brest, St. Maloes, Havre de Grace, and St. Omer's may be depended upon, viz.

Gen. Rochambeau, 5,600; 840; 19,840; 26,180.

N.B. The artillery men with the regimental guns, are not included, but amount to 1,500. The parks to each camp are composed of 18, 12, and 6 pounders, and the magazines tolerably well furnished with ammunition.

	Caval.	Artill.	Infan.	Totals
Brest,	2,000	240	6,380	8,620
St. Maloes,	900	190	4,600	5,690
Havre de Grace	1,000	180	4,360	5,540
1st line St. Omer's	1,400	90	2,800	4,290
2d line, ditto.	300	140	1,700	2,140