tuated to these, that probably the greatest quantum of courage is acquired. Frequent skirmishes are good preparatives, by which to qualify raw foldiers to fight as veterans in fet battles.

Two floops, and an armed fchooner with foldiers, 21. failed to Grape Ifland to get hay. The provincials fol-, lowed them as foon as the tide admitted, drove them off by their approach, burnt all the hay, about eighty ton, and brought off the cattle from the island.

A committee having been appointed to inquire what 24. was the stock of powder in certain towns, reported, that in thirty-nine towns in Suffolk, Effex, Middlesex, Plymouth and Worcester, there were 67 barrels. The reft of the towns in the colony had none worth mentioning. How painful a circumftance, the fmall quantity of powder, to those Americans, who have any idea of the great confumption which war occafions! The want of it had been fenfibly felt for fome time; and therefore, beside the adoption of other measures, orders were given for the importation of that, and other military stores ; but it must be long before they can be procured in this way, fhould they come fafe.

The Cerberus arrived at Boston with the three gene- 25. rals, Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne. They were fo affured in their own mistaken apprehensions, that there would be no occafion to draw the fword in fupport of ministerial measures, that they had prepared to amuse themselves with fifhing and other diverfions, inftead of expecting to be engaged in military fervice. They were aftonished at the fituation of affairs, and when in company with generals Gage and Haldiman, afked how the fortie happened. General Haldiman anfwered, “I

knew nothing about it, till the barber came in to fhave me, and faid, that the troops were gone out and that they had been fighting. I did not choose that he should know I got my information from him. I therefore called my footman, and fent him out upon a frivolous errand, well knowing, that if there was any truth in what the barber reported, he would bring me word of it, which he did. In this way I became acquainted with what had happened.". The newly arrived generals. declared their surprise in the fignificant looks which followed this relation from the fecond in command.

May About fix hundred of the Maffachusetts and New 27. Hampshire forces were employed to bring off the stock from Hog Inland and Noddles Island, which lie contiguous: the intervening paffage is fordable at certain times of the tide. A party went on and fired the hay and barn on Noddles Inland, on which a number of marines croffed from Bofton; and, upon the provincials retreating to Hog Ifland, were decoyed down to the water fide, when a hot action commenced, which did not close with the day, The king's troops amounted to fome hundreds, and were fupported by an armeḍ fchooner of four fix pounders and twelve fwivels, an armed floop, and the barges all fixed with fwivels. The provincials were commanded by general Putnam. Dr. Warren's zeal and courage would not admit of his remaining at a distance: upon hearing what was going forward, he repaired to the spot to encourage the men. They had two pieces of artillery, which were well ferved, and did confiderable execution. The night was very dark, but the action continued all through it. Toward morning the fchooner got aground upon Winni

fimmet ferry ways; the British were obliged to abandon her, and the provincials boarded, and after ftripping her of every thing valuable, fet her on fire. They loft not a man, and had only three wounded, not one mortally. The regulars were faid to have fuffered very much, not to have had less than two hundred killed and wounded. The lofs was, probably, greatly exaggerated: that, however, had a good effect on the provincials. The affair was matter of no finall triumph to them, and they felt, upon the occafion, more cou- ' rageous than ever.

The provincials went afresh on Noddles Inland, and 30. burnt the manfion houfe, which answered no good purpofe whatever. But there are too many, who deftroy property merely because of its having belonged, or being supposed to belong to thofe Americans, who have taken the oppofite fide of the question in the present controversy. The stock, confifting of between five and fix hundred sheep and lambs, twenty head of cattle, befides horses, was taken off by them in the course of the day. The next day five hundred sheep and thirty head of cattle were removed off Pettick's Ifland by a party under colonel Robinfon. On the night of June the fecond, June eight hundred sheep and lambs, together with a number 2. of cattle, were carried off Deer Inland by a corps of provincials under major Greaton.

The agreement with general Gage, relative to the inhabitants leaving the town of Bofton, was well obferved in the beginning; and their requeft was granted, with the approbation of all. But after a fhort time, they were detained upon the plea, that perfons going from thence for the goods of those who chose to abide there were

not properly treated. The embarraffments and delays which the inhabitants had to contend with, induced the provincial congrefs to order the fending of a letter to general Gage, to remonstrate with him upon the fubject. The letter however did not anfwer. The truth is, after a number were allowed to depart, great clamors were raised. Such perfons as were, or pretended to be well affected to the British government, alleged that none but the ill-inclined were for removing, and that when they were fafe with their effects, the town would be fet on fire. A demur foon afterward arofe about the meaning of the word effects, whether merchandise was included; and the general, being fenfible, that the permitting articles of that kind to be carried out, might ftrengthen the Americans in their refiftance, would not admit of their removal. This proved a hardship to many who quitted the town, as it deprived them of the refource for living in their accustomed affluence. In a variety of inftances, the paffports were fo conducted, that families were cruelly divided; wives were feparated from their hufbands; children from their parents; the aged and the fick from their relations and friends, who wished to attend and comfort them. The general was very averfe to the allowing of women and children to leave Bofton, thinking they contributed to the safety of the place, and prevented his being attacked; but of that no real danger exifted, notwithstanding the high tone of the people without, and the intimations of fome within the town. Numbers of the poor and helpless were however fent out, and several of them infected with, or not fully

recovered from the fmall-pox, by which mean the provincials were great endangered.

These were employed in collecting their force, from every, quarter, with all poffible dispatch, which could not be dif penfed with, confidering the reinforcements which had arrived, and were arriving at Bofton. But they were diftreffed for want of money; and a letter was difpatched, by the Maffachusetts congrefs, to their receiver general, upon the abfolute neceffity of paying the colony forces immediately, and directing his attendance forthwith; and a fo acquainting him, that a gentleman at Salem had 3751. fterling, which he was willing to lend the province, and which would be of the utmost importance to pay directly to the foldiers, and might prevent the greatest mischiefs. The want of cash obliged them to have a recourse to province notes, which they ftruck off night and day, for the advance pay of the men who had inlifted.

3.

They were better off as to provifion, and established 10. a too plentiful allowance, beyond what the troops could expend. By the general return of the army at Cambridge, it amounted on the ninth to 1581 officers, commiffioned and non-commiffioned, fergeants, &c. and 6063 privates, in all 7644. But fuch was the want of regularity, that no dependence could be had upon its exactness. The number of privates was probably much aggravated. Too many of the officers did not fcruple to make falfe returns for their own emolument. The large proportion of them fhows that the regiments were far from being full, or were much over-officered. Several of the Maffachusetts officers are miferable tools, and must be discarded fooner or later, It is owing to their