in its present dismembered state, might be attended with no great difficulty. Here would be probably found a good collection of arms and ammunition—the great desideratum.

I am, with much esteem, your Excellency’s most humble servant,

BRITANNICUS.

To His Excellency General Washington.

Cambridge, October 28, 1775.

SIR: As his Excellency General Washington desired me to reduce to writing any thing I knew respecting the Navy in Boston harbour, I beg you would show him the enclosed memorandum, which will afford a general view of their situation. The plan of attacking the Preston, hereto annexed, I send you . . . . . . . . . * I did not choose to present it to the General, lest he might think me too officious. You will make what use of it you please. I think there can be no objection raised against it that I cannot obviate. I am under a necessity to set off immediately for Newburyport, or I should have waited on you in person. Shall return in a few days, when I will do myself that pleasure; and am, interim, most respectfully,

Sir, your very humble servant.

To . . . . . . . . . . *

[* Erased in the original]

Thoughts on the practicability of taking the Flag-Ship PRESTON.

She mounts fifty guns, carries three hundred men, (officers included,) and now musters her full complement; the following draughts being made therefrom, viz: eighteen sick, forty lent to other ships, and forty in the floating batteries, leaves two hundred and two effective men. This deficiency of their full complement reduces them to the necessity of manning the guns on one side only at a time. When the watch is set, at eight o’clock in the evening, one-half the ship’s company retire to their hammocks; they have then eight marines and two sailors on the poop, one marine at each gangway, two marines and two sailors on the forecastle, one sentinel over the prisoners between decks, one at the great cabin, one at the ward-room, and one at the gun-room door; in the whole, twenty men under arms every night. The rest of the watch are totally unarmed and defenceless; their duty leading them to their respective quarters at the great guns, immediately upon an alarm. They have, indeed, armed chests on the poop, containing several hundred muskets, about twelve poleaxes, and sixteen spears, about eight feet long, on the quarter-deck; these are to be made use of only by the marines, about fifteen in number, who we suppose to be now in their hammocks. There is an accommodation-ladder, leading from the water into the ship, which will deliver about sixty men in forty seconds. The only difficulty lies in bringing about eighty or one hundred men within musket-shot of the ship unnoticed. Suppose, then, that number of men embark from the eastern point of Noddle-Island, on a cloudy evening, with a flood-tide; in this case, the accommodation-ladder, being on the larboard side, will afford the most convenient situation for boarding her. Four boats, I imagine, would conveniently carry the men. Let the first boat be about two hundred yards before the rest, and when the three last are perceptible, the first will be in possession of the ladder. To carry on the deception with greater certainty of success, let the first boat have a square-sail, (provided the wind is favourable,) which will give her the appearance of one of the Boyne’s boats. Upon being hailed, answer, Ay! Ay! which denotes your having an officer in the boat, and that you intend to board the ship you are hailed from. Upon a nearer approach, should they inquire, What boat is that? answer, the Boyne’s; and I imagine the chance to be a hundred to one if you meet with the least opposition. I have observed several instances exactly similar at midnight. These circumstances being given, their cannon can be of no service to them, and must produce the greatest confusion in the ship. Should they discover your intentions early enough to guard against them, you will have notice in season to retreat, by the drum, which always, on such occasions, beats to arms. The only possibility I can conceive of failing in such an attempt, must arise from their having some previous information of your design; in which case, you would have no warning from the drum; they would be all at their quarters, and, with their cannon, must totally defeat the assailants. About eleven or one o’clock would be the most convenient time for making the attack, as the guard boat would then be at the greatest distance from the ship, and that point of Noddle-Island.

Names, rates, and situation of the Navy in BOSTON Harbour.

The Boyne: Mounts sixty-four guns, and lies near the western end of Spectacle-Island.

The Preston: Fifty guns; is now moored for the winter between Long Wharf and Hancock’s Wharf, at the eastern end of the Town.

The Scarborough and another Sloop, one of twenty and the other of sixteen guns, are moored at a small distance to the southward of the Preston.

There are at present no other ships of force in the harbour, except the Mercury, stationed at the northwest side of the Town, upon Charles River.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN IN LONDON, DATED SAVANNAH, IN GEORGIA, NOV. 19, 1775.

The Province of South-Carolina is involved in all the horrours of a civil war. Colonel Robert Cunningham, a very considerable planter in the back settlements, being suspected of attachment to the King’s cause, was seized by a party sent in the disguise of Indian traders from Charles-town, by the Committee of Safety, and closely confined in the common jail of that Town. Mr. Patrick Cunningham, brother to the Colonel, having collected together the tenants and dependants of their family, seized some powder and shot belonging to the Committee, and, erecting the royal standard, declared for His Majesty and Great Britain, against all Rebels and their abetters. The Committee, in the mean time, ordered three detachments of their Army to march from different quarters, and to disperse the insurgents. A Colonel Williamson, with twelve hundred men, first arriving, took possession of a stockade fort, where he was instantly besieged by Cunningham, with his party. Williamson having remained confined for two days in the fort, destitute of provisions and water, was forced to sally with his men on the third day; but they were attacked by Cunningham, in the attempt, and totally dispersed. The Committee-men made so good use of their heels, that only twentyfive were killed in the flight, for fight there was none.*

DECLARATION BY THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF SOUTH-CAROLINA.

Charlestown, November 19, 1775.

It has ever been the policy of America in general, and of this Colony in particular, to endeavour to cultivate a good correspondence with the neighbouring Indians, and especially since the commencement of these present disputes with the British Administration. This policy originated from a view of preserving, at the cheapest rate, our borders from savage incursions. Of late this policy has been persevered in, and our endeavours have been redoubled in order to oppose and to frustrate the designs of the British Administration, by the hands of Indians, to deluge our frontiers with the blood of our fellow-citizens. Experience

* Major Andrew Williamson, who had the command of the Militia at Ninety-Six, went in pursuit of the party [under Patrick Cunningham and John Bowman] that seized the powder, but was obliged to retreat before superior numbers. In a letter from him to the Council of Safety, he informed them that he had had an action with the insurgents, under Major Robertson, for three days and three nights, without refreshments, in his fortified camp at Ninety-Six, and was reduced at last to the necessity of making a treaty with them; and, at their own request, they agreed to a suspension of hostilities for twenty days, with liberty for each party to send despatches, unsealed, to their superiors, informing them of their situation. At this time, Colonels Richardson and Thompson were inarching to form a junction to relieve Williamson. Of this the insurgents were informed, which induced them to agree to a suspension of hostilities. They had, by some means or other, kept up an intercourse with Lord William Campbell, who encouraged them to oppose us, by promises of great rewards; they were also instigated by Pearis, who had much influence in Ninety-Six District. The Congress was determined to send an army among them, but first sent out by authority this Declaration.—Moultrie.

*