[Extract]
The morning was calm clear and pleasant, without a breath of wind, and the town was crowded with people and carts from the country to assist in removing the goods and furniture of the inhabitants.
At exactly half an hour after nine the flag was hoisted at the top of the mast, and the cannon began to roar with incessant and tremendous fury.
The Commodore, perceiving the streets replete with people, oxen and horses, directed his men to fire over the tops of the houses, but this solemn exhibition struck the multitude into instant alarm and amazement. The oxen, terrified at the smoak and report of the guns ran with precipitation over the rocks, dashing every thing in pieces, and scattering large quantities of goods about the streets.
In a few minutes the whole town was involved in smoak and combustion.
About a thousand men in arms attended this scene of devastation, besides a prodigious number of both sexes, without attempting any repulsion.
The bombardment continued from half after nine till sunset, during which all the lower end and middle of the town was reduced to an heap of rubbish. Several houses in the back street and in the upper part, together with the church shared the same fate. The front of the Meeting house was torn to pieces by the bursting of a bomb, and the buildings which were left standing had their glass windows broken, and both walls and apartments terribly shattered.
In a word about three quarters of the town was consumed and between two and three hundred families who twenty four hours before enjoyed in tranquility their commodious habitations, were now in many instances destitute of a hut for themselves and families; and as a tedious winter was approaching they had before them a most gloomy and distressing prospect.