of eighteen guns, with some smaller armed vessels. The same day Captain Mowat arrived from North-Carolina, with an express from General Lee, informing that the fleet had left North-Carolina, and that he would be here as speedily as possible, with several Continental regiments, to our assistance.

A few days after the arrival of the fleet, several transports and small armed vessels went to Long-Island, (situated to the eastward of Sullivan's Island, from which it is separated by a small creek called the Breach?) where they landed a large body of troops, who encamped there. The wind and tide being favourable for the four following days, about thirty-six vessels came over the bur, and anchored at about three miles distance from Sullivan's Island. Two of their transports got aground in coming over; one got off, but the other went to pieces. On the 10th the Bristol came over, her guns being previously taken out.

On the 7th, a boat, with a flag of truce from the enemy, came towards the Island, but was fired on by an ignorant sentinel. The boat thereupon immediately put about, and would not return, notwithstanding the officer who was sent to receive the flag waved his handkerchief, and desired them to come ashore. Next day Colonel Moultrie sent an officer to the fleet to acquaint them of the sentinel's having fired without orders, and that he was ready to receive anything they had to send. General Clinton was satisfied with the apology, and said the intention of the flag's being sent was only to deliver the following Proclamation, which the officer brought ashore:

By Major-General CLINTON', Commander of His Majesty's Forces in the Southern Provinces of NORTH AMERICA:

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas a most unprovoked and wicked rebellion hath for some time past prevailed, and doth now exist within his Majesty's Province of North-Carolina, and the inhabitants (forgetting their allegiance to their Sovereign, and denying the authority of the laws and statutes of the Realm) have, in a succession of crimes, proceeded to the total subversion of all lawful authority, usurping the powers of Government, and erecting a tyranny in the hands of Congresses and Committees of various denominations, utterly unknown and repugnant to the spirit of the British Constitution; and divers people, in defiance to all legal authority, are now actually in arms, waging unnatural war against their King; and whereas all attempts to reclaim the infatualed and misguided multitude to a sense of their error have unhappily proved ineffectual,—I have it in command to proceed forthwith against all such men, or bodies of men in arms, and against all such Congresses and Committees thus unlawfully established, as against open enemies to the State. But, considering it a duty inseparable from the principle of humanity, first of all to forewarn the deluded people of the miseries ever attendant upon civil war, I do most earnestly entreat and exhort them, as they tender their own happiness and that of their posterity, to appease the vengeance of an injured and justly incensed nation by a return lo their duty to our common Sovereign, and to the blessings of a free Government, as established bylaw, hereby offering, in his Majesty's name, free pardon to all such as shall !ay down their arms and submit to the laws, excepting only from the benefit of such pardon Cornelius Harnell and Robert Howe. And I do hereby require that the Provincial Congress, and all Committees of Safety, and other unlawful associations, be dissolved, and the Judges allowed to hold their Courts according to the laws and Constitution of this Province, of which all persons are required to take notice, as they will answer the contrary at their utmost peril.

Given on board the Pallas transport, in Cape-Fear Rirer, in the Province of North-Carolina, the 5th day of May, 1776, and in the sixteenth year of his Majesty's reign.

R. CLINTON.

By command of General Clinton:

R. REAVE, Secretary.

Major-General Lee, Brigadier-General Howe, Colonel Bullitt, Colonel Jenifer, Otway Byrd, and Lewis Morris, Esqs., Aids-de-camp to General Lee, with some other gentlemen, arrived at Haddrell s Point in the morning of the 9th. After having viewed the fortifications there and on Sullivan's and James's Islands, they came to town. Orders being given on the 10th for a number of buildings on the wharves to be pulled down, intrenchments to be thrown up all around the town, and barricadoes to be made in the principal streets, every person, without distinction, were employed on those works.

On the 12th there blew a violent storm, in which an hospital ship and the Friendship, which were at anchor on the other side of the bar, were obliged to put out to sea, but returned in a few days after. A schooner having on board some provisions and coals, drifting a little way from the fleet, was taken by one of our pilot-boats, and brought to town. Her crew took to their boat on observing the pilot-boat's approach.

His Excellency the President on the 14th proposed to the Militia under arms an oath of fidelity, which was voluntarily and readily taken by every one present excepting three. The next morning it was proposed to the country Militia doing duty in town, and to the Artillery companies, when it met with their unanimous assent.

A sloop from the West-Indies for this port, with a cargo of gunpowder, arms, rum, &c, having, in the afternoon of the 16th, descried the fleet, attempted to make her escape; but, through the ignorance of her pilot, run aground and bilged. Next day she was discovered by the men-of-war; and a tender, with several boats full of armed men, came towards her. The crew, being only twenty-two men, unable to cope with such a force in the situation the vessel was in, quitted her. She was soon after boarded, set on fire, and blew up with great explosion.

By some sailors who deserted from the Ranger sloop, lying near Long-Island, we were informed that the land forces were about two thousand eight hundred (some say three thousand three hundred) men, under the command of Major-General Clinton, who had under him Major-General Lord Cornwallis and Brigadier-General Vaughan.

On the 21st, our advanced party at the northeast end of Sullivan's Island fired several shot at the armed schooner Lady William, an armed sloop, and a pilot-boat, lying in the creek, between Long-Island and the main; several of which hulled them. For several mornings and evenings the enemy threw shells, and fired from some field-pieces on our advanced post, but without any effect.

A large ship hove in sight on the 25th, in the morning. She was thought to be the Roebuck, but we have since learned she was the Experiment, Captain Scott, of fifty guns. Next day she came over, having her guns out. On the day following, the 27th, between nine and ten in the forenoon, as soon as the Experiment had her guns all in, the Comodore hoisted his topsails, fired a gun, and got under way. His example was followed by several others of the men-of-war; but a squall coming on, and the wind shifting from southeast to the opposite quarter, prevented their coming much nearer at that time. In the afternoon, the Commodore again got under way, and came about a mile nearer Sullivan's Island.

Next morning, June 28th, the following was the disposition of the ships-of-war: The Friendship, at the distance of about a mile and a half from Sullivan's Island, covering the Thunder (bomb); the Solebay, Sphinx, Bristol, Active, Experiment, Acteon, and Syren. About half an hour past ten o'clock in the forenoon, the Thunder began throwing shells on Fort Sullivan, and the Active, Bristol, Experiment, and Solebay, came boldly up to the attack, in the order their names are put down. A little before eleven o'clock the garrison fired four or five shot at the Active, while under sail, some of which struck her; these she did not seem to regard till within about three hundred and fifty yards of the fort, when she dropped anchor and poured in a broadside. Her example was in a few minutes followed by the other three vessels, when there ensued one of the most heavy and incessant cannonades perhaps ever known. The bomb vessel was at the same time throwing shells; a firing was heard from the advanced post at the northeast end of the Island, and more vessels were seen coming up. Our brave garrison, (consisting of the Second Regiment of Provincials, a detachment of Artillery, and some Volunteers,) under all these difficulties, which to the far greater part were entirely new, encouraged by the example of their gallant commander, Colonel William Moultrie, and the rest of the officers, behaved with the cool intrepidity of veterans. Our cannon were well served, and did dreadful execution. About twelve o'clock the Sphinx, Acteon, and Syren, got entangled with a shoal, called the Middle Ground. The two first ran foul of each other; the Sphinx got off with the loss of her bowsprit, but the Acteon stuck fast. The Syren also got off. Much about the same time, the bomb vessel ceased firing, after having thrown upwards of sixty shells. We have since learned that her beds got damaged, and that it will require much repairing before she is fit for service again. In the afternoon the enemy's fire was increased by that of the Syren and Friendship, which came within five hundred yards of the fort.

Till near seven o'clock was the enemy's fire kept up without intermission. It slackened considerably after that, and they only returned the garrison's fire, but generally twenty fold. At half after nine, the firing on both sides ceased, and at eleven, the ships slipped their cables.

About the time the ships came up, an armed schooner and sloop came nearer our advanced post, in order to cover the landing of their troops, and every other preparation for