islands, a league from the Town. As the Town perceived it was Captain Mowat, by whom they had been before threatened, and knew him to have great reason to be bound in gratitude to several gentlemen in it, it was the less alarmed. But supposing him to be in quest of cattle and provisions, the Committee sent the greater part of Captain Noyes’s men, and some of Captain Knight’s, to guard the islands, where there were large stocks of cattle and quantities of hay. The next day, being Tuesday, we saw the fleet warping up towards the Town, as the wind did not favour them; and about four o’clock, P. M., they anchored in a line close to the Town. Though the publick has been told that Captain Mowat came ashore at this time, it is not true. He sent a messenger, with a flag, who delivered the following letter:

“Canceau, Falmouth, October 16, 1775.

“After so many premeditated attacks on the legal prerogative of the best of Sovereigns, after the repeated instances you have experienced in Britain’s long forbearance of the rod of correction, and the manifest and paternal extension of her hands to embrace you, again and again, have been regarded as vain and nugatory; and in place of a dutiful and grateful return to your King and Parent State, you have been guilty of the most unpardonable rebellion, supported by the ambition of a set of designing men, whose insidious views have cruelly imposed on the credulity of their fellow-creatures, and at last have brought the whole into the same dilemma; which leads me to feel not a little the woes of the innocent of them in particular on the present occasion, from my having it in orders tp execute a just punishment on the Town of Falmouth. In the name of which authority, I previously warn you to remove, without delay, the human species out of the said Town, for which purpose I give you the time of two hours; at the period of which, a red pendant will be hoisted at the main topgallant mast head, with a gun. But should your imprudence lead you to show the least resistance, you will in that case free me of that humanity so strongly pointed out in my orders, as well as in my inclination. I do also observe, that all those who did, on a former occasion, fly to the King’s ship under my command, for protection, that the same door is now open and ready to receive them.

“The officer who will deliver this letter, I expect to return immediately, unmolested.

The Town met immediately, and appointed the Honourable Jedediah Preble, Esq., Doctor Nathaniel Coffin, and Mr. Robert Pagan, a Committee to wait upon Captain Mowat, to know of him in general the meaning of his letter, and the reasons for the threatenings therein contained. The Committee acted accordingly, and have testified as follows:

“Captain Mowat informed us, that his orders from the Admiral did not authorize him to give any warning to the inhabitants, but that they required him to come opposite the Town with all possible expedition, and there burn, sink, and destroy; and that he had taken upon him to give this warning at the risk of his commission. He further told us, that these orders did not respect this Town only, but also all the sea-port Towns upon the Continent. We then expostulated with him upon the severity of such orders, and entreated that, if possible, some method might be fallen upon to save the Town, or at least to give the inhabitants an opportunity of removing some of their effects, &c.; upon which he said, if the inhabitants would, in the morning, by eight o’clock, deliver up four pieces of cannon which were in the Town, with their arms in general, and ammunition, he would in that case do no hurt to the Town, until he had despatched an express to the Admiral, who, he did not doubt, would order him to save the Town. And as a token that his demand would be complied with, he required that eight arms should be delivered up by eight o’clock that evening, which should be the condition of the Town’s being safe till eight o’clock next morning. We told him we were pretty certain these demands would not be complied with; but, that in discharge of the trust reposed in us, we must inform the Town of his demands. Upon this, we went to the County house, and acquainted our constituents with the terms abovementioned, who disapproved of delivering up the cannon or their arms. But that they might have an opportunity of removing the sick, with the women and children, and as many of their effects as possible, they ordered the eight arms to be sent on board, and desired us to inform Captain Mowat that the Town would meet early in the morning, and send him an answer by eight o’clock. The Town accordingly met in the morning, and resolved by no means to deliver up the cannon or their arms, and sent us with this message, at the same time desiring us to endeavour to prolong the time on board as long as possible, that more effects might be removed. We went on board with this message, and staid till half past eight o’clock, when we were desired to go ashore, and Captain Mowat, at our request, gave us half an hour longer, to get out of the way ourselves; at the expiration of which time, the firing upon the Town began.

It was about nine o’clock on Wednesday, being the 18th of October, that the firing began from all the abovementioned vessels, with all possible briskness, discharging on every part of the Town, which lay on a regular descent towards the harbour, an horrible shower of balls, from three to nine pounds weight, bombs, carcasses, live shells, grape-shot, and musket balls. The firing lasted, without many minutes cessation, until about six o’clock, P. M., during which time several parties came ashore and set buildings on fire by hand. Parties of our people, and others from the neighbouring Towns, ran down to oppose them, and it is thought killed several. One officer, after he fell, was stripped of a neat pair of pistols, his flask, and cockade. Through the goodness of God, no life was lost on our side, and only one man wounded, viz: Mr. Reuben Clough, of this Town. Had no opposition been made, we do not believe they would have left one building standing; and more opposition would have been made, had not the people’s attention been taken up in securing their effects. Besides, it was very unfortunate that our Companies of sea-coast men were put under the direction of a Committee; for they did not, and we suppose could not, get together in the hurry of affairs, and therefore could give no authoritative directions.

As near as we can judge, about three-quarters of the buildings, reckoning according to their value, are consumed, consisting of about one hundred and thirty dwelling-houses, many of which held two or three families apiece, besides barns, and almost every store and warehouse in Town. St. Paul’s church, a large new building, with the bell; a very elegant and costly new court-house, not quite finished; a fine engine, almost new; the old Town house, and the publick library, were all consumed. But one or two wharves have escaped the flames; and every vessel in the harbour, of any considerable bigness, was burnt, excepting two, which the enemy carried away with them. The warning given was so short, that but few teams could be procured to remove the goods out; much was carried out by hand; but, as far as we can learn, not much more than half of the moveables were saved out of the buildings that were burnt. All the cornpact part of the Town is gone; and among the hundred dwelling-houses that are standing, there are but few good buildings, and those damaged with balls passing through them, or bombs bursting. They are mostly the refuse of the Town, and their owners do not generally inhabit them, as we are apprehensive our enemies will soon endeavour to seize so fine a harbour as ours, and to possess themselves of so advantageous a post as the remarkable eminence on our neck.

Our hearts ache for the misery in which a great part of our people are involved. The most were greatly impoverished before the final catastrophe, by the decay of navigation and trade, which were our sole means of support; so many have lost a part or the whole of their substance, that we conjecture not less than a hundred families must have suffered for want of necessaries, unless relieved by charity. The settlements back of us are new, and but little cultivated. The inhabitants are mostly poor, and have never yet been able to raise their own bread, so that much alms is not to be expected from them.