Western Sun, Volume 3, Number 44, Vincennes, Knox County, 27 October 1810 — Page 2

From the Natchez Chronicle of Oct. 1. WE-FT-FLORIDA. Vic yefterday received by exprefs, froiii our correfpondent in Weft-Floiida, the following highly interefting communications, which we lofe no time in laying before our readers : Head Quarter i, Fort of Baton-Rouge, September 24, 1810. Sir, In obedience to the order ef the convention bearing date the SjZdinft.I directed maj. Johnfon to affembffuh of the cavalry as might be t ready at feafed, and march immediately for the Fort tf Baton Rouge ; I tnen proceeded for Springfield, where 1 found 44 of the grenadier company, commanded by col. Ballcnger, waiting the orders of the convention ; at 1 o'clock in the morning of the 23d, we joined maj, Johnfon, and capt. Griffith, with 21 of the Bayou Sara cavalry, and five or fix other patriotic gentlemen joined us on our march : at 4 o'clock the fame morning, we made the attack. My orders were, not to fire till we received a hot from the garrifon, end cry out in French & Englifh, ground your arms and you mall not be hurt.', This order was ftriclly attended toby the volunteers, till we received a difcharge of xnufketry from the guard houfe where the governor was, which wa3 brilkly returned by the volunteers ; we received no damage on our part ; of the governor's troops, lieut. Louis Grand Pre was mortally wounded ; lieut. J.B. Metzegnes, commandant of artillery, was aKo wounded, one private was killed, and four badly wounded ; we took 21 prisoners, among whom is col. Dclaflus, the reft of the garrifon efcaped by flight. The magazines, (lores, Sec. found in the garrifon liave been reported to you by Jas. Nelfon, cfq. who was appointed for that purpofe. The various and complicated duties devolving on me from the prefling circumftances of the moment, forbid a more minute detail. The firmnefs and moderation of the volunteers who made the attack was fully equa) to the beftdifciplined troops. Whole "Companies are daily flocking to our (landard, and the harmony and patriotifm prevailing in the garrifon muft be highly gratifying to every friend of his country. Accept for yourfelf and your body, afTurances ci my high efteem and regard. (Signed) PHILEMON THOMAS, Commander in chief of the fort of Baton Rouge and its dependencies. The hon. John Rhka, v Prefident of the convention of VV. Florida. Certified to be a true copy of the original in my office. (Signed) Andrew Steele, sec. J3y the Reprefentatives of the people of Weft-Florida, A DECLARATION. It is known to the world with how much fidelity the god people of tins territory have profefied and maintained allegiance to their legitimate forereign, while any hope remained of receiving from him protection for their property and lives. Without making any unnecefiary innovation in the eftabliQird principles of the srovernment. we

had voluntarily adopted certain regulations in concert with our fir ft magiftrate, for the tsprcfa purpofe of prefcrving this territory,

and Slewing our attachment to the government which had heretofore protected us. This compact, which was entered into with good faith on our part, will forever remain an honorable teftimony of our upright intentions and inviolable fidelity to our king and parent country, while fo much as a fhadow of legitimate authority remained to be exercifed over us. We fought only a fpeedy remedy for fuch evils as feeroed to endanger our exiftencc and profperity, and were encouraged by our governor with folemn promifesof afliftance & co-operation.

But thole mealures which were intended tor our prefervation, he has endeavored to pervert into an engine of deftrucYion by en--couraging in the moft perfidious manner, the violation of ordinances fanclioned Scef. tablifbed by himfelf as the law of the l?nd. Being thus left without any hope of protection from the mother country, by bring betrayed by a magiftrate whofe duty it was to have provided for the fafety U. tranquility of the people and government committed to his charge, and expofed to all the evils of a ftate of anarchy, which we have fo long endeavored to avert ; it becomes our duty to provide for our own fecurity as free and independent ftate, abfolved from all allegiance to a government which no longer pro tects us. We, therefore, the reprefentatives aforefaid, appealing to the fupreme ruler of the world for the rccYitude of our intentions, do folemnly publilh and declare, the feveral diftricls compofing this territory of Weft. Florida to be a FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATE, and that they faavV'a right to inftitute for themfelves futh form of government as they may think conducive to their fafety and happinefs to form treaties to cftablifh commerce to provide for their common defence,' and uo all ads which may of right be done by a fovereign and independent nation. At tie fame time declaring all acts within the faid territory of Weft-Florida after this date by any tribunal or authorities, not deriving their power from the people agreeable to the proifionsof this convention to be null and void and calling upon all foreign nations to rcfpedl this our declaration, acknowledg. ing our independence, and giving us fuch aid a6 may be confident with the laws and ufages of nations. This declaration made in convention, at the town of Baton Rouge, cn the 2Cthday of September, in the year of our Lord, 1810. We the reprefentatives in the name, and on behalf of our conflituents, do hereby folemnly pledge ourfclves to fupport with our lives and fortunes. (Signed) John PI. Johnfcn, John Miller John W. Leonard, William Barrow, Phillip Hicky, John Morgan, Edmund Hawei, Thomas Lillry, William Spiller, John Rhea, Prefident. By order of the convention, Andrew Steele, sec. rOSTCRIPT. Juft as our paper was going to prefs we were inforrr.td by a gentleman direct from the town of Wfliington, that his excellenry David Holmes, governor of this tcr. ritory, had received intelligence by i:i ci-

prefs, that col. James CallTer, of Wafhinjton county, with a party of forty or fifty men had taken poflcifion of the garrifon and Spanifii fettlcmcnt on the Mobile. Vgive this as we received it we canno: vouch for its authenticity. Nat Chronicle. THE LOAN. It will be recollected by our readers that at the late feflion of congrefs, in order to fupply the deficiency in -the fum annually appropriated for the payment of public debt, the prefident of the United States was bylaw empowered to borrow a fum not exceeding the principal of the public debt winch will be reimburfed according to law during the prefent year, at a rate of intercft not exceeding fix per cent. The lav alfo ay. thorifed the bank of the United States to lend the faid fum or any part thereof ; becaufe it was known that from that inftitu tion the money could be obtained with greater facility, and at lower intereft fcr fo Ihort a time as will elapfe before its reimburfement, than from individuals. In pur fuance of thofe provifions, about 3 months ago, a loan was obtained from tlx bank of the United States for the fum of three millions feven hundred and-fifty thojfand dollars, at fix per cent the money to be reimburfed on the 31ft December, IS 11. If the charter of the bank of tie United States fhall not be renewed or continued, the money loaned is to be reimburfed to the bank within three months after notice given by them. ' ; Nat. Int. It is with pleafure we inform the public that there is creeling in Marietta, a Steam Mill, under the fuperintendance of Williani Green, and from his mechanical knowledge united with the cnurifel and afliftance cf fome of the firft rate artifts and mechanics in the United States, we have reafon to expect it will not be inferior, if notfuperior to any piece of mechanifm of the kind in the United States. It is to confift of a Steam Engine, of the force of twenty, horfes, on Evan's new principle, with two pair of five feet Burr Mill Stones, with elevators; and all other machinery r.ecefiaiy to errcl a complete Merchant Mill, which will be in operation in time to receive the next crop of wheat (for which a Iibeial price will be given in Cafli) to which will be attached an extenfive Diftillery and a Woollen manufactory, on the beft improved plan, leaving fufneient power to turn an extenfive Cotton manufactory. This laudable undertaking, is by Benj. I. Gilman, Efq. and others, who have formed themfelves into a Company for the purpofe. Marietta paper Domestic Manufacture. There has been made in the town of MedvilJc, Pa. this year between 7 and 800 gallons of currant wine, little inferior in flavor, body U. appearance to the beft merry. The average coft of this wine will not exceed 30 cents per gallon. There is a difpatch from mr. Pinknry fcr the U. States government by the Mf-y Irn from Liverpool, and fome letters of 'the 17th and 19th Aug. from London, which ftate thatnir. J. Adams, ourminiftera: Ruffia, had been fome time in a bad ftMi of health, and liniSrd his intention of returnlnff hcs1- Aurora