A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > Delaware > Sussex http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=642 Also visit our new sister site: http://www.Genealogy101.com Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=43443 Submitted by: Harrison H Howeth Article Title: The Pennsylvania Evening Post Article Date: April 9 1776 Article Description: Naval Skirmish at Cape Henlopen Article Text: Port Lewes on Delaware, April 9, 1776: >From the Commanding Officer at Lewes. On Sunday, the seventh of April, an express came from the light-house guard at Lewes with intelligence that CAPTAIN FIELD, who commanded a schooner sent by the council of Sussex on Delaware, to St Euftatia for powder, had just arrived abd dememded assistance to unload her. I gave orders for the troops to march as soon as boats could be had to ferry them across the creek, which the inhabitants procured with amazing dispatch. We than marched with the utmost expedition to reinforce our guard which had taken post by the schooner toassist in discharging her cargo, mostly 'coarse linnens'. She then lay 7 or 8 mles to the forth ward of our cape. At the time of our arrival, the 'tender' making sail,bore down upon the schooner. On observing this the men immediately ran her on shore. My troops were outgone by the tender, although they marched at the rate of 7 miles per hour and just before our arrival the tender gsve our guard a broadside with swivels amd musketry, which they return! ed. One our junction a constant fire was kept up for some time, till we pereceived the distance too great. We then left off firing snd unloaded the schooner though seversl shot were fired at us to prevent it. Our people picked up many of their shot balls rolling in the sand. The tender disspatched one of the barges to the ship for assistance, who made sail immediately, bur soon was obliged to come to anchor for fear of running on the Hen and Chickens. About the time the shio turned the cape, the tender anchored within musket shot of the schooner and kept up a continual fire with her swivels. We had by this time got two swivles in the schooner loaded with grape shot and a constant fire for two hours was kept up on both sides. We undoubtedly wounded some of their men for we perceived some to fall and others run to their assistance. They made several efforts to purchase their anchor which we prevented by our fire, but at last they succeeded. Fortunately however one of our swi! vel shot cut their halyards and down came their mainsail, which oblige d them to anchor once more. At last, the wind shifting, thay had a boat tow them off. WE then turned our fire on the boat when two men were seen to fall, the barge returning from the ship joined to tow them out. Our men escaped unhurt. The militia officers at Lewes acted with a spirit which does honor to their county. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DE-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com