Ruddiman’s Weekly Mercury
This weekly newspaper, published by Walter & Thomas Ruddiman in Edinburgh, Scotland, is earliest I have. Though difficult to read, once the old English “f’s” have been changed to “s’s”, the Mercury gives us a fascinating insight into world events in the late 1770’s. Nearly three-quarters of the newspaper is devoted to European and American news, something that not many newspapers achieve today.
The paper heading is reproduced below, the rest of the text being transcribed using optical character recognition (and a lot of patience). Here is just one of the eight pages – the rest I will transcribe at a later date.
CONTENTS:
Frontiers of Silesia, Oct. 14 (1778).
The REBEL ACCOUNT of the Affair of RHODE ISLAND
Germany
Littaw, October 13 (1778)
His Prussian Majesty's army is still posted near Schatzlar, where there is plenty of wood. The King has ordered many thousand planks and deal boards to be collected, and brought to the camp, and since their arrival the whole army is employed in building huts. The King himself had occupied for some time part of a small farmhouse, the farmer’s family and cattle continuing in the other part, opposite his Majesty's quarters; but as, in course of time, both the king and the farmer seemed to want more room, the King asked, therefore, the farmer whether he would sell to him his cottage, and for what price ! The farmer, listening to the proposal, asked forty ducats. The King directly sent for a lawyer, ordered him to draw a proper instrument, fixed the purchase money to 100 ducats, which he directly paid to the farmer, and a regular transfer of the cottage was made to his Majesty in form prescribed by law. He having thus commenced housekeeper in Bohemia, seems to be fairly settled in that kingdom. – As to the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, he not only has occupied Upper Silesia, belonging to the Austrians, but likewise the best part of the circle of Perau, in Moravia, two tracts of land, where 50,000 of our troops may with ease take up their winter quarters; and the enemy has retreated towards Olmatz. The King has despatched several experienced engineers to the Hereditary Prince, with orders to fortify sundry places which his Majesty has put a mark to upon the map.
Frontiers of Silesia, Oct. 14 (1778).
Authentic intelligence is this moment come in by a report from the director of the chamber of war, at Glasgow, that the first division of the Russian army is arrived near our frontiers. This division is composed of nine regiments of infantry, four of (cuiassiers ?), 3000 Cossacks, and a large train of heavy artillery. They have directions to penetrate into Silesia, by the way of Tarnowitz, and were but a German mile from that place when the report from the Chamber of War, at Glasgow, came away. – The King of Prussia’s army remains encamped at Schatzlar, but it is supped the King himself will adjourn to Bressaw for a few weeks, until the Russians come up. –The emperor is encamped near Nimes, and the Hereditary Princes of Prussia and Brunswick are on the confine of Moravia. Some advices have it that the Prince of Brunswick has made himself master of Gratz, but this wants confirmation.
Lipstadt, Oct. 24 (1778).
Advices from Schatzlar import, that the King had sent several regiments to the frontiers of Moravia, to reinforce the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick. That Prince has been lately engaged in a bloody skirmish with a corps of Croats, and being marked to them by a deserter, the whole body of the enemy directed their fire to the place where he was, so that it was next to a miracle the Prince got away unhurt. There remains now no doubt but that the Prince will maintain his ground in Upper Silesia and Moravia, and there take up his winter-quarters.
Berlin, Oct. 24 (1778).
A courier arrived yesterday at the Prussian Ambassador's with the long expected agreeable declaration of the Empress of Russia, "That she found herself obliged to assist and support her royal ally, the King of Prussia, with all her forces, if the Imperial court did not renounce their pretensions to the Bavarian succession." The courier proceeded from hence to Brunswick.”
France
Brest, Oct. 23 (1778)
The
Amphitrite frigate, which brought to France the Count de Bouille, with advice
of the reduction of Dominica, took in her passage a privateer, and a merchant
ship – we calculate here the number of ships taken from the English in the
European seas, by the King's frigates, to Oct. 15 as follows:
Three frigates, of which was taken on the coast of St. Domingo; three cutters,
fifteen privateers, thirty-two merchant ships, and forty-three lesser vessels.
– By privateers and private armed ships, one privateer, 49 merchants
ships, some of which were ransomed; and 50 lesser vessels, – In all 153.
America
The REBEL ACCOUNT of the Affair of RHODE ISLAND
Philadelphia, Sept. 3 (1778)
Extract of a letter from Gen. Washington to Congress, dated Head-quarters White-plaits, Sept. 1, 1778.
"SIR,
I DO myself the honour of transmitting to you a copy of a letter I this minute received from General Sullivan. I congratulate congress on the repulse of the enemy.
Head quarters, Aug. 29, on the north end of Rhode Islands.
"Dear General,
”A retreat to the north end of the Island having been deemed advisable from our great diminution of numbers, by the determination of a council of war, held the 28th inst. I last evening gave the necessary orders for, and effected a well- timed and regular retreat, without losing any part of my baggage, stores, or heavy ordnance. The enemy was apprised of the movement some time of the night -they had, I suppose, concluded that I had retreated in confusion and with precipitation, and no doubt with an expectation of my having crossed part of my army, and that the remainder would become an easy victory. In this belief they advanced in two columns, on the east and west roads, and vigorously attacked Colonels Livingston and Laurens, whose corps were disposed between the two roads in front of the army; they were warmly received by those two gentlemen, whom I reinforced occasionally, to prevent the contest being too unequal, though at the same time they were directed to retreat regularly, and at their leisure. They strictly complied with the order, for I scarcely remember any thing of the kind more regular. The enemy was naturally led on to the neighbourhood - they took post on a commanding ground in our front, and immediately attempted to turn our right flank. To prevent this I detached considerable bodies of infantry.– Our artillery was well served, did great execution, and contributed not a little to the honour of the day; skirmishing prevailed during the day, and the success of it was determined by a warm action. Our loss in killed and wounded is not yet ascertained by returns, but is very considerable – among the latter I have the mortification to find many valuable officers, whose names and rank shall be transmitted to your excellency in my next. The loss of the enemy must have been great. Two of the enemy’s ships endeavoured to (ensilade ?) our lines, but did us no injury. I shall make it my business to inform your excellency as soon as possible, of such corps and officers who had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves in the action; for my whole army seemed to want an opportunity of doing themselves and country honour. I am sorry I cannot at present be more particular. I am, &c. JOHN SULLIVAN.
Sept. 8th Sunday afternoon Major Merris, aid-de-camp to General Sullivan, arrived in town, with the following letter from the General :
Letter from the Hon. Major General Sullivan, to the President of the Congress, dated Head quarters, Tiverton, Aug. 31st 1778.
" Esteemed Sir,
" UPON the Count d'Estaign's funding himself under a necessity of going to Boston to repair the loss he sustained in the late gale of wind, I thought it best to carry on my approaches with as much vigour as possible against Newport, that no time might be lost in making the attack upon the return of his fleet, or any part of it, to co-operate with us. I had sent expresses to the count to hasten his return, which I had no doubt would at least bring part of his fleet to us in a few days. Our batteries played upon the enemy's works for several days with apparent good success, as the enemy’s fire from the out-works visibly grew weaker, and they began to abandon some of those next to us; and on the 27th we found they had removed their cannon from all their outworks except one. The town of Newport is defended by two lines, supported by several redoubts connected with the lines. The first of these lines extends from a large pond, called Easton-pond, near to Tamminy-hill: this line was defended by five redoubts in front. The second line is more than a quarter of a mile within this, and extends from the sea to the north side of the Island, terminating at the north battery: on the fourth, at the entrance of Easton’s beach, where the line terminates, is a redoubt which commands the pass, and has another redoubt about 20 roods on the north. There are a number of small works interspersed between the lines, which render an attack extremely hazardous on the land side, without a naval force to co-operate with it. 1 however, should have attempted carrying the works by storm as I found they had withdrawn their cannon from the outwork, had I not found, to my great surprise, that the volunteers, which composed great part of my army, had returned, and reduced my number to little more than that of the enemy; between two and 3000 returned in the course of 24 hours, and others were still going off, upon a supposition that nothing could be done before the return of the fleet. Under these circumstances, and the apprehension of the arrival of an English fleet to relieve the garrison, I sent away all the heavy articles that could be spared from the army to the main; also a large party was detached to get the works in repair on the North end of the Island, to throw up some additional ones, and put in good repair the batteries at Tiverton and Bristol, to secure a retreat in case of necessity. On the 8th, a council was called, when it was resolved to remove to the north end of the Island, fortify the camp, secure our communication with the main, and hold our ground on the Island till we could know whether the French fleet would soon return to our assistance. On the evening of the 28th we moved with our stores and baggage, which had not been previously sent forward, and about two in the morning encamped on Bull’s hill, with our right extending to the west road; and left to the east road; the flanking and covering parties still further towards the water on right and left; one regiment was posted in a redoubt advanced on the right of the first line; Col. Henry B. Livingston.
… and so it rambles on