october 24 1777 the number 399 /%/ ■ m **^ m mw^m *** 1 j sm mm \ m m m |\/ m m m 1 i w with the latcft advices foreign and domestic semper pro libert ate et bono publico baltimore sept 29 1777 by his excellency william howi xc a declaration to the inhabitants of pennfylvania the lower counties on delaware and the counties on the eaftern shore of maryland si r william howe regretting the calamities to which many of his majefty's faithful fubjefts are ftill expofed by the continuance ofthe rebellion and no lefs delirous of protcfting the innocent than determined to purfue with the rigours of war all thofe whom his majefty's forces in the courfe of their progrefs may find in arms againft the kin doth hereby affure the inhabitants ofthe province cf pennfylvania tbe lower counties of delaware and the coun ties of maryland on the eaftejfn bhore of chefapeak bay that in order to remove any roundlefs apprehensions which may have been r;:i*vd oi their fuirerings by depredations of the army under lm command he hath blued the flrifteft orders to the troops for the prefervation of regularity and good difcipline ar.d has hmiified that the moft exemplary punifhment thai be inftifted upon thofe who fhall dare to plunder the property or mole the perfons of any of his majefty's well difpofed fabjefts security and protection are likewife extended to all perfons the inhabitants of the province and counties aforefaid wtu not guilty of having affumed legislative cr judicial authority may have acted illegally in fubordinate ftadons and confeious cf their mifconduft have been induced to leave their dwellings : provided fuch perfons do forthwith return and remain peacea bly in their efua places of abode confideriag moreover that many oflicers a id private men now aftually in arms againft bis majefty may be willing to re iinquifh the part they have taken in this rebellion and return to their allegiance sir william howe doth therefore proraifefa free and gene ral pardon to all fuch officers and private men as fhall volunta rily come and furrender themfelves to any detachment of his majefty's forces before the ddy on which it fhall be notified that the faid indulgence foail be difcontinued given under my hand at head quarters of the army the 217b aeguft 1777 by his excellency's command robert m'kensie " _ > t ii i s day came frakcis alexander new-tattle tt j j a r . p . lta ble reiident in the county a forefaid before me the fubfertber a juflice of the peace made oath that he was eye wknefs to feveral brutal ravages commit ted by the mercilefs troops ofthe tyrant cf great-britain on their late landing on the rfcad cf eik that he particularly fa-.v one of them r in the p efeu.ee of divers otbcis iaviih or attempt violently to effect a rape on the perfon cl a young woman of fpotlefb character living at hi houfe notwithstanding here ies and refinance to the contrary at tbe fame tiri-e making ule of fevere menaces in cafe of retufal ; and fundry other afts cf bar barity he faw there perpetrated lh ecking to humanity and which cry aloud for veueeance francis alexander your vengeance fhould pafs over left in the fever iiy of your dif pleafure we fhould be utterly confumcd ; ana hence actuated folely by that humanity which moves your excellency fo fince re - ly to regret tnoie calamities to which many of his majefty's *' faithful fubjefts zxeftill expofed by the continuance of rebelli on although your excellency moft confident affured your royal mafter and the britifh nation this rebellion fhou d long e'er now be totally fupprefled by the immortal prowefs of your victorious arms jour excellency hath been gracioufly pleafcd and who can fufficiently admire the unparalleled condefcenfion to iffue your declaration calling us forth from thofe retcats to which you fuppofed us driven by our fears and kindly inviting us to our fvriaken habitations holding forth to us terms of do meftic fecarity and protection how unfeeling muft be that heart which evei flows not withr gratitude fjr thai peculiar attention your excellency hath ihewn to the weak and the timid who ftart at fhadows of their own formation and tremble at imaginary dangers when you point ouc to them the caution you have taken to remove even their " groundlefs appreheniions tia.vir._i been informed and fome of us eye witneftes ofthe infults ihe cruelties ar.d barbarities infiifted on the perfon — and the ravages devaluation ar.d wanton deftruftion of the pro perty of the inhabitants of the jerfies and other parts of this con tinent of which you have had a temporary poffeuion hav ing head of the indignities fhoeking co humanity offered with out regard to age or character to that lex which the brave of every nation ever held themfelves bound by the ftrongeft ties xo protect and defend — indignities the recollection of which crinafons the cl&ek of american mardiood with a b'uih of virtu ous indignation only to be effaced by the blood of the more than lavage perpetrators from the knowledge of thefe fafti we fbohihly had imagined thut tbe fame fcenes of rapine op preflion and violence were about to be re-afted on our theatre unlefs by a brave exertion of our arms we fhould be able to chafe hence with infamy the brutal aftors ; but how were ail our fears bulbed to filence when we found from your excellency's decla ration a authority which would fureiy be higf'iy criminal to call in queftion that all thefe ** ap prehenfions which to our weak underftasdi&'g appeared io welt founded are perfeftly *' groundiefs and delufury ; and that the troops under your com mand from having been inuied to a long feries cf cruelty in ftead of being thereby familiaritied to violence and i eeled a g.a:nft the gentle movements of compaftion and fo prepared to improve even upon their former barbarities have en a fad den become filled with remorfe and determined by their fu ture to atone for their pait conduct we acknowledge your excellency's unmerited goodnefs in if fuing your ftrifteii orders for the preservation of regularity and good difcipline ' but at the fame time we mult cblerve how extremely fortunate it is that our apprehenfions lor the re moval of which your excellency hath taken all this trouble are •"' groundlefs iir.ee we are too well alfurvd that were there any pgaj foundation for them your excellency's " ftrifteft orders ought to be of no avail for their removal ; — t*e know your e ceiler.cy bath frequently of your great clemency iifued orders of tbe fame nature and we alfo know the conduct of thofe troop to whom they were directed have been the very reverfe afford ed neither fecurity to tbe perfoas nor to the property of any who confiding therein have unhappily fallen into their way \ nor can we reafocafoly flutter curfelves the any ftrifter obedience will be paid to your orders in this than have been in other in stances ; or that ihe threat of exemplary puniftiment annexed by your excellency will be mote regarded by your troops than for merly on the contrary we have reafon tu fear that having been long accuftcmcd to violate with impunity thofe orders yo"r excellency hath from time to time heretofore iffued for fimi lar parpofes they may thereby be encouraged to affure themfelves of a continuance of impuuity thefe refteftions had inclined us to believe that if there was any fecurity for our perfons or property on the part of j our ex sworn before me this 31ft aug 1777 geo latimer the above depofition taken in the prefenci of wm max well brigadier alexander martin colonel ar.d tfaeo bland colonel of a regiment of light draroor.i the humble address of the inhabitants of pennsyl vania th lower counties on delaware and the coejiries on the eastern shore of ma air land to his excellency sir william howe 0 c your excellency having in the courfe of your voyage from new york frequently appeared off our coafts wuh your nsmerous fleet upon your arrival at the head of elk ex ulted to doubt in the flattering idea that unable to fupport even the diftant view of your force filled with the moft abjeft terrour and difmay we had fled from our homes and embolom d ourfelve in woods 2nd moraffes there to lie concealed until