About one o'clock yesterday morning, the bomb-brig, a schooner, and 2 or 3 armed sloops, left the harbour, went to Conanicut, and landed upwards of 200 marines, sailors and Negroes at the East ferry, marched in three divisions immediately over to the West ferry, and set the several houses on fire which were near the ferry place, then retreated back, setting fire to almost every house on [each side the road, from the west to the east Ferry,] and several houses and barns some distance on the N. and S. side of the road; driving out the women and children, swearing they should be burnt in the houses if they did not instantly tum out[The houses] were plundered of beds, wearing apparel, and such household furniture as could be conveniently carried off, the rest were consumed. Some women, we are told, were stripped of some of their best clothes they had on. 'Tis said Capt [James] Wallace commanded on this humane expedition. A company of minute-men had left Conannicut the afternoon before, so that there were but abput 40 or 50 soldiers on the island, most of whom had been inlisted but a few days, and arrived there but the evening before, in miserable condition for such a sudden attack; but notwithstanding, tis said there is certainly one officer of marines killed, and 7 or 8 badly wounded. There was not one Provincial either killed or wounded, except Mr. John Martin, who was shot in his belly standing unarmed in his door. ー The above vessels brought off about 30 head of oxen and cows, a few sheep and hogs, most of which they killed before they took them on board. The left Conanicut yesterday, and came to this harbour again about noon.
The above houses were not all occupied by the owners, but each had at least one family in it, and some had two. We expect to give more particulars of this matter next week.
A vessel belonging to a rank Tory of this town, was lately seized at Cape Francois, 'tis said, because she belong'd to a villain who was an enemy to America; and we hear the people at the Cape intend to make the Congress a present in powder, equal to the value of the above vessel and cargo.
