Part 7 (2/2)
[Footnote 125: The Americans were alarmed on the 24th by indications that the whole British army in Boston was about to force its way across Boston neck. At noon they commenced throwing bombsh.e.l.ls into Roxbury, but the alert soldiers prevented damage from them, and saved the town. Colonel Miller, of Rhode Island, said in a letter--”Such was the courage of our men, that they would go and take up a burning carca.s.s or bomb, and take out the fuse!”]
the 25. Sunday Nothing remarkable.
the 26. This morning very early our men went to set Browns house on fire but did not efect it.[126]
[Footnote 126: The house and barns of Thomas Brown were on the neck, about a mile from Roxbury meeting-house, and were occupied by the British advanced guard. Two Americans tried to set fire to the barn on the 24th, and were killed.]
the 27. Nothing remarkable this day.
the 28. We moved to a little house that capt Bligs formerly Lived in but we Soon moved from there to Slaks house again.
the 29. Nothing remarkable this day.
the 30. Nothing hapened only there was a Smart shower.
JULY.
the 1. Nothing remarkable this day.
the 2. Dito.[127]
[Footnote 127: The British again hurled some sh.e.l.ls into Roxbury on Sunday, the 2d of July, but the extent of the damage was setting fire to one house, which was consumed.]
the 3. Dito.[128]
[Footnote 128: George Was.h.i.+ngton was chosen commander-in-chief of the continental armies on the 15th of June, 1775. He set out for the headquarters of the army at Cambridge on the 21st, reached there on the 2d of July, and took formal command of the army on the morning of the 3d.]
the 4. Their was a flag of truce come out of town to our centry on the neck.
the 5. Nothing worth a mentioning to day.
the 6. Nothing remarkable this day.
the 7. Early in the morning we were alarmed and all of us repaired to our alarm Post and we had not been their Long before we Saw Browns house and Barn on fire and they were both consumed[129] these were Set on fire by some of our brave ameracans and they took one gun and too Bagonets and one halbert.
[Footnote 129: A party of volunteers, under Majors Tupper and Crane, attacked the British advanced guards, drove them in, and set fire to Brown's house. They took several muskets, and retreated without loss.]
the 8, 9. Nothing remarkable.
the 10. About Eleven o clock their was a party of Soldier sent to germantown[130] to get some whale Boats they marched down their that night the next night being clear they set out for Long island and arived there in a Short time then they Plundred the island and took from thence 19 head of horned cattle and a number of Sheep and three Swine[131] also eighteen priseners and amongst them were three women.
[Footnote 130: It is impossible to identify this place. A letter, dated on the 12th, says, ”We have just got, over land from Cape Cod, a large fleet of whaleboats,” &c., &c. The place alluded to in the text was probably near Boston.]
[Footnote 131: This party went from Roxbury camp.
The report says that they brought from Long island ”fifteen prisoners, two hundred sheep, nineteen cattle, thirteen horses, and three hogs.” The prisoners were taken to Concord.]
the 11. Nothing remarkable this day.
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