CHRONOLOGY : THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD : 1776-1783     1151
 

all the parties at war;" also, that the king, "in order to remove all
obstacles to that Peace which he so ardently wishes to restore, has
comraanded his Ministers to direct Mr. Grenville, that the Inde¬
pendency ot the Thirteen Provinces should be proposed by him,
in the first instance, instead of making it a condition ot a general
treaty; however, not without the highest confidence, that the
Loyalists shall be restored to their possessions, or a full compensa¬
tion made them for whatever confiscations may have taken place

Transports, they state, have been prepared to convey American
prisoners to this country, to be eichanged here. They urge, "by
every consideration ot huraanity, the roost speedy exchange." A
proposal has been made that the Sritish soldiers, so exchanged,
"shall not serve in or against tbe Thirteen Provinces tor one year."
—Royal Gaz., Ag 7, lySj. Inhabitants within the British Unes were
requested to appoint delegates to meet at Roubalet's Tavern on
Aug. 9 to consider this communication and adopt suitable mea¬
sures.—Ibid. Commenting on the news. Smith writes that It is
"Evidence of great internal DeblKty—or of Menaces frora other
European Powers . . . Thatitmust Ught up a CivilWarinGreat
Britain unless it was not absolutdy necessary to Self Preservation—
That the Ministers who advised it would not be sate from Assassina¬
tion in the Streets of London—That it would transfer the Affection
of all America to France—That we thought we had in himself a
sure Pledge for Liberality to America & vigor to put down Opposi¬
tion to any unreasonable PartiaUties, And that as the Situation of
our Affairs was at present more flattering to our Wishes than at
any Time within the five Years past, those who advise the Measure
must bave Republican Desires to overturn the Constitution and up¬
on the whole that this Information shook me as much as the Loss
of all I had in the World & my Family with it."—Wm. Smith's
Diary, VU. Subsequentiy "some observations" upon this letter
were printed in the Royd Gazette oi Ag iq (q.v.). His diary discloses
that Smith wrote these "observations."

Smith writes that he hears it asserted "that the People of Eng¬
land are in general thed of the War & desirous of Peace at any
Price."—Wm. Smith's Diary (MS.), VU.

Henry Ludlam advertises a bathing house, for the use of ladies,
which he bas erected In his yard on North River, adjoining Powles
Hook Ferry. His charge is four shillings for bathing "each time."
—fioyo/ Gaz., Ag 3, 1781.

"This evening ail the citizen watches in New York were dis¬
continued on account of the peace, by tbe English and Hessians."
—Von Krafft's Jour.,  165.

A letter written from New York contains the following: "The
communication of this place with the country Is so open, that boats,
kc. from Philaddphia, Boston, and di the northern provinces.
 

in and purchase goods, kc.
encaraped between King's
about 15 railes off; both
appearance ot bos till tics."
 

admitted without flags of
without molestation.   The troops ;
Bridge and Greenwich.   Washingto
armies reraain quiet, and [there is]
—London Ckron., S ia-14, lySz.

One "Captain Rover" publishes the following letter, dated at
Boston, Aug. 7, and addressed to "Mr. Printer;"

"Happening to be at Mr. Bracket's tavern last Saturday, and
hearing two gendemen conversing on the surprising dteration in
regard to the treatraent our prisoners met with in New-York,
and as I have had the misfortune to be more than once a prisoner
In England, and in different prison ships in New-York, and having
suffered every thing but death, I cannot hdp giving all attention
to any thing I hear or read rdating to the treatment our brave
seamen met with on board the prison ships In New-York. One of
the gentiemen observed that tbe treatment to our prisoners raust
certainly be much better, as so raany of our Commanders had
signed a paper [see Je 12] that was wrote by Mr. David Sproat, the
Commissary of navd prisoners io New-York. The other gentleman
answered, and told him he could satisfy film in regard to that
matter, having seen and conversed with several of the Captains
that signed Mr. Sproat's paper, who told hira that altho' they had
put thdr hands to the paper, that Mr. Sproat sent thera on Long-
Island; where they were upon parole, yet it was upon these condi¬
tions they did it, in order to have leave lo go horae to their wives and
families, and not be sent on board the prison ship, as 'Mr. Sproat
had threatened to do if they refused to sign the paper that he sent
them. These Captdns further said, that they did not read the
paper nor hear it read. The gentieman then asked thera, how they
 

could sign their names to a paper they did not read;  they sdd it   Aug.
was because they raight go horae upon parole.   He asked one ot     7
them why he did not contradict it since it had appeared In the public
papers, and was tdse;  he said he dare not at present, for fear of
bring recaUed and sent on board the prison ship and there end bis
days;  but as soon as he was eichanged he would do it.

"If this gentieman, through tear, dare not contradict such a
piece of f alshood,—I dare, and if I was again confined on board the
prison ship in New-York, dare again take the boat and make my
escape, although at the risk ot ray life,

"Sorae of the Captains went on board the prison-ship with Mr.
Sproat, a few moments, but did not go off the deck.                           '

"In Justice to mysdf and country, I am obliged to publish the
above.                                                                    Capt. Rover."

—Ind. Chron. (Boston), Ag 15, 1782.

An affidavit, denying the statements contained in the report of
the ship-masters, was made on July 16 by one John Cochran, a
prisoner on the "Jersey" at the tirae these captains made thdr
superfidd inspection from the deck of tbe ship; it was published
in the Penn. Packet, S 10, r782; and in Greene's Recollections of the
Jersey Prison-ship: from the MSS. of Cap:. Thos. Dring (ed. by
Dawson, 1865), 156-57.

An "Officer of Rank at New York" writes to a friend in Lon- 9
don: "It is currently tdked of to-day, that the French are landing
on the east end of Long Island, and that the rebds appear in force
near the post at King's Bridge, on this island. What will be the
event of it God only knows; this I know, that the offers of inde¬
pendency, which were made public a tew days ago, will be a great
detriment to the garrison in repeUing a serious attack on this place,
as the militia (a body of near 5000 men) and the refugees (near 1000)
are extremely alarmed at tbe acquiescence of the Ministry, and con¬
cessions of Government. The majority of these people have already
sacrificed their property to their prinriples, and now have the
raortification to find the one will avail them as mucb as the other."
—London Chron., S 28-O I, 1782.

"Addresses to the King and to His Majesty's Commissioners 10
having, by tbe direction of a very respectable nuraber of Gentie¬
men, been prepared, I am desired to give this notice, that the said
Address will be read this Day at Twdve o'Clock, to such persons
as choose to attend at Roubalet's Tavern, in order to receive either
thdr approbation or dissent. Robert Alexander, Chairman."—
Royal Gaz., Ag IO, 1782.   See Ag 15.

" .A plan of Mount Pitt in the Out Ward," the residence of "
Supreme Court Justice Thomas Jones, drawn by E. Bancker, Jr.,
bears this date ot survey. It shows a "Pde Pence" where Grand
St. was later cut through; and another "pale Pence" directiy in
front of the bouse. It shows the position ot tbe mansion, stable,
kitchen, fowl house, and other out-buildings, as weU as trees.
It is preserved in the Bancker Coll., in the N. Y. P. L.

The address of Aug. 10 (q.v.) to Gen. Carleton and Admiral   15
Digby from "the I.oyd Inhabitants and Refugees al New York," is
answered.—Hsporf on Am. MSS. in Royd Institution ofGt. Britain,
TU:  72.

The "Military" and tbe "Fire Club" assist the city firemen to    16
put out a fire in WaU St., which " threatened the destruction ot the
city."—Royd Gaz., Ag 17, 1782,

"I gave Rivington," says Smith, "a note of Reasons to shew 17
that the Whiggs are as disgusted as the Tories to rdse an Idea in the
Towns & Country of the Emptiness of such an Independency as is
proposed [see Ag 2]—It is in this Days Paper."—Wm. Snaitb's
Diary (MS.), VU. So it is now possible to pubUsh the fact that tbe
"Correspondent" from whom the printer has received "some
observations" is William Smith. Rivington explains further that
the correspondence rdates to a "Note, which was annexed to a
mutilated Copy of the Royal Coraraissioners Letter to Genera!
Washington, dated August id [q.v.], and which it is thought proper
in this place to reprint, from the Philaddphia Journal, dated
August loth." These "observations" read:

"Though one might have Imagined, that nothing could have
given more joy to the Parly ot Independents in the different
Colonies, than the consent of Great-Britain to their having, as
they stile it, a Name among the Nations, yet the truth is, that the
late intimation of the proposition to admit their Independency,
creates as much disgust in them, as it does in tbe Loyalists, who
dways thought this iraaginary blessing, the heaviest curse that
could befal this country.—The objections that arise, are as various