The reason you did not see your friends upon the lines the day you went down was, it was agreed soon after the first Letters came out, that the small pox should go thro' the town, and accordg that day was appointed by (How[e]) that. the inoculation should take place, wch accordy did & they within conclud'd that it would be best Polley with the other children should take it, & they all took it upon that Day, which was the only reason that prevented her coming out, which she will do if she lives thro' it. we have not had one day since but agreeable new's has turnd up of prizes being taken, some day's they bring it [sic in] 2 or 3 & some times more prizes of a day, load with warlike stores & proviss & one or 2 of them load'd with English goods &c. the men of War are all unrigd and afraid of the cosst & season so that our privas have a fine time of it, I suppose before this will reach you'll hear of the fate of the transport & 5000 Troops at Newfoundland, they have been fishing their this summer under the chars of fishermen, to make fish for the support of the army &c in Boston this winter, who were ready to sail the beging of September, the 9 Inst such a storm arose as never was known in the memory of man, by wch 4000 of the troops out of the 5 were drownd & washd on shore  many others of them are missg & not known as yet what their fate is, the damage of the transports the fish &c wch are all lost is computed to be not less than 140,000 Sterling, and some say much more, wch will go very near to ruin the Merts in Pool who were concernd in this plot, you may depend upon

Since you left us we have not taken less than 20 or 30 very valuable prizes, wch will, greaty distress the troops, & ruin many (Tory tools) who have lost their Vessel[s] & cargo  we have likewise good news from Collo Arnold, for part[iculars] see the news papers, you have had remarkable good weather for your Journey & I hope you got home safe & well, the Stores from the prize at Cape Ann are dayly arrivg at head Quarters, the great Mortar is arrivd safe, & such an one I dare say you never see, (General [Israel] Putnam) upon its arrival with a bottle of old Brandy, as he could not find any spirits stronger, gave it the name of (Congress) &c at present  from your Affect Brother [&c.]

Mr Joshua Green  Att Westfield
[Endorsed] From Edwd Green  Decr 4: 1775.  Recd the 12th