[Extract]

On Wednesday last [December 14] after 12 o'clock, an insurrection suddenly took place in town and immediately proceeded to his Majesty's castle, attacked, overpowered, wounded and confined the Captain, and thence took away all the King's powder. Yesterday numbers more assembled, and last night brought off many cannon, &c, and about sixty muskets. This day the town is full of armed men, who refuse to disperse, but appear determined to complete the dismantling the fortress entirely. Hitherto the people abstained from private or personal injuries; but how long they will be so prevailed on, it is impossible to say. I most sincerely lament the present distractions which seem to have burst forth by means of a letter from William Cooper to Samuel Cutts, delivered here on Tuesday last P.M., by Paul Revere. I have not time to add further on this melancholey subject.

P.S. The populace threaten to abuse Colonel Fenton, because he has to them declared the folly of their conduct, and that he will do his duty as a justice in executing the laws. They will never prevail on him to retract, if all the men in the Province attack him. If I had had two hundred such men, the castle and all therein would yet have been safe. At this moment the heavy cannon are not carried off, but how soon they may be, I cannot say.