without coming to any agreement, Captain Wallace told them, I have this one proposal to make: “If you will promise to supply me with forty sheep, at or before twelve o’clock, I will assure you that another gun shall not be discharged.” The Committee, seeing themselves reduced to the distressing alternative, either to supply their most inveterate enemy, or devote to the flames the Town, with all the goods', besides near one hundred sick persons, who could not be removed without the utmost hazard of their lives; I say, seeing themselves reduced to this dreadful dilemma, of two evils, reluctantly chose the least, by agreeing to supply them with forty sheep at the time appointed, which was punctually performed.

The Reverend Mr. John Burt having been confined to his house by the camp distemper, when the cannonading began, left his habitation to seek some place of safety, and the next day was found dead in a neighbouring field. It is conjectured, that, being overcome with fear and fatigue, he fell down, and was unable to raise himself up, and so expired. A child, also, of Captain Timothy lngraham, having been removed in the rain, died the next day.

What equally challenges our admiration and gratitude to God, is, that no more lives were lost, or persons hurt, by such an incessant and hot fire, the streets being full of men, women, and children, the whole time. The shrieks of the women, the cries of the children, and groans of the sick, would have extorted a tear from even the eye of a Nero; but I forbear; no words can describe the dreadful scene.

After the ships had received their supply, and stole about ninety cheeses and some poultry from Papaquash, they weighed anchor, and moored at Papaquash Point. The next day (being Tuesday) they went into Bristol ferryway, and fired a number of shot at the houses and people on each shore, where three of them got aground; but the tide rising towards evening, they left us, and have not molested us since. A great number of dwelling-houses, &c., were shot through, but suffered very little damage. A cannon ball entered a distill-house, then passed through three hogsheads and barrels of rum, and spilt their contents.

MAJOR-GENERAL HOWE TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH

Boston, October 9, 1775.

MY LORD: General Gage having communicated to me your Lordship’s separate letter of the 2d of August last, in obedience to your Lordship’s commands, I trouble you with my ideas upon the subject of the ensuing campaign. But I must beg leave to premise, that this Town, without the most unforeseen accident, will be in no danger from the enemy during the winter; on the contrary, that the re-enforcement of two thousand men or five Battalions, from Ireland, will enable us to distress the Rebels by incursions along the coast; and I hope Portsmouth, in New-Hampshire, will fee! the weight of His Majesty’s arms in the course of that season.

From the present appearance and strength of the Rebel Army, and from the extent His Majesty’s Troops now occupy for the defence of this place, nothing material will probably be attempted during the remainder of the campaign.

The Army will shortly have full employment in preparing quarters for the winter, that we may get under cover by the middle of November, or sooner, if expedient. A fortification is lately begun near the extremity of the Town, on the Roxbury side, on which six hundred men are daily at work, and in this state there is only a proper relief for the defence of the place. The corps upon the heights of Charlestown is also employed in securing that post for the winter.

In answer to your Lordship’s first question, viz: whether the ensuing campaign should open from hence with the whole force? I beg leave to say, that the opening of the campaign from this quarter would be attended with great hazard, as well from the strength of the country as from the intrenched positions the Rebels have taken, from which they probably would not be forced without considerable loss on our part; and from the difficulty of access farther into the country, they would have every advantage in the defence of it on their side, being indefatigable in raising field-works, which they judiciously suppose must wear us down by repeated onsets, whereas they are so numerous in this part of the country, that they would not feel the loss they might sustain in the least degree of proportion with us; neither could we prevent them from having supplies of all denominations from the Southern Colonies, or even preserve the communication between the Army and this Town without difficulty. I may add to this the considerable expenses attending carriages, artillery, &c., from the want of a water conveyance from hence, except for a short distance.

Your Lordship’s second query regards the division of the Army, for the possession of Nero-York and this Town. I am humbly of opinion that our strength at present is not adequate to the undertaking. The Generals Gage, Clinton, and Burgoyne, having declared the same, I am to wait His Majesty’s further pleasure on this head; in the mean time, the utmost attention will be paid to the health and discipline of the Troops.

If my orders shall be to leave a force here for the preservation of the Town, and to proceed with the remainder to New-York, I beg leave to intimate to your Lordship, that not less than five thousand men, or eight or nine Battalions, upon the proposed plan of augmentation, will be, in my humble opinion, sufficient for the service required. Such a force having Major-General Clinton at the head of it would probably find employment for an Army of ten thousand Rebels.

And I would propose twenty Battalions to compose the division for New-York, which would be near twelve thousand men: this corps to be employed in opening a communication with Canada in the first instance, leaving five Battalions for the defence of the City of New-York.

There would then remain three thousand Regulars for Quebeck, who, with three or four thousand Canadians, and some hundred Indians, would compose the Army of Canada. But whether these numbers for Quebeck would be adequate to the service required on that side, I do not presume to give an opinion.

The accomplishment of the primary object for opening the communication being obtained by the two Armies, and secured by proper posts, in which operation the reduction of the Rebels in the Province of New-York must in some measure be included, these corps might take separate routes into the Province of Massachusetts-Bay, as circumstances may arise.

But I am humbly of opinion, that by the entire evacuation of this Town, and taking hold of Rhode-Island with the force proposed for this place, the Army would be better connected, and the corps would act with greater effect on that side, from whence it might possibly penetrate into the country; whereas, in this station, it could only defend the post, and perhaps make some few incursions for fresh provisions, without the power of reducing the inhabitants. The diversion it would occasion, by drawing after it a large portion of the Rebel Army, would, I imagine, be equal in both situations; but being in that of Rhode-Island, it would occasion such a jealousy in Connecticut, that the Army furnished by that Province would probably be kept at home for its defence.

And for the blockade of this harbour, should that measure be expedient upon the Town being evacuated, a small force might probably be intrenched with security on some commanding spot in the neighbourhood of Nanlasket Road, for the convenience of the shipping, which I suppose might lie there for the purpose of blockading the port.

General Gage will have the honour of informing your Lordship of the steps he has taken for the immediate defence of Halifax.

Your Lordship having been pleased to say that the strength of the American Army for the ensuing spring shall amount to twenty thousand men, may I hope it may be composed of thirty-four Battalions of ten Companies, at fifty-nine rank and file, according to the proposed plan of augmentation, which will produce the number required of regular Infantry, upon whom we must depend for decision? Were it expedient to add six Battalions to the thirty-four already proposed for the American Army, amounting to about five thousand men, by an equal partition of them between the Canada and Rhode-Island divisions, I have no doubt of the effects being adequate to the extra expense incurred by such addition.