[Newport, December] 9.
About one o'Clock this Aft. a small open Boat was coming into this Harbor: the Glasgow 20 Gun ship Capt Howe fired several shot at her; but she refused to bring too. They manned out a Barge ー the Men in the Boat had small arms & fired three Guns into her, & kept on their Way. Capt How thereupon fired several shot at her but in such a Range that they came into To & struck. I was standing on a Wharf, when a Nine pound shot came & struck the stores just North of me. As I turned about to come off the Wharf, there came two shot, one a Nine pounder within a few feet of me, & passed a few feet right over the heads of about 20 Men standg on the next Wharf, & struck & went thro' the adjoyng stores into the contiguous houses, & another lesser Ball struck & fell in the Dock next the Wharfe where I stood, & within a few feet of me. But thro' a merciful & gracious providence we all escaped untouched ー nor was any killed or wounded.
1. Manuscript diary of Dr. Ezra Stiles, The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, YUL. Hereafter cited as Diary of Ezra Stiles, YUL.