[Extract]

I wrote you several Letters last week by the Ships that sailed the 15th Inst for England...

The day after the Ships Sailed from Hence for England, the Scarborough, Man of War of 20 Guns lying at Bartons Point, began firing at a New Work the Rebells are Erecting at Phipsses farm ー soon after the Salute was returned from 2 Guns they have in the Redoubt on Coblers or Mil[l]ers hill Just below Mount Pisgea; the Sixth Shot they fired hit the Ship, and she was soon after ordered to fall down opposite to Charlestown Ferry, where she now Rides in Safety ー We have fired Many Shot & Shells from our Batterys at Charlestown & Bartons Point, these 3 days past on this new work of theirs, which we apprehend is intended to disturb us in our Quarters, which it certainly will, if we are not able to Silence it by a Superior fire. they threw an 18 pound Shot last Monday [December 18] from Coblers hill into Lord [Hugh] Percys Garden, & we Dayly Expect a Salute from the Morter they took in the Ordnance Brig they got from us, which on being brought to Cambridge was made use of as a Punch bowl, out of which it is reported they drank good health to Admiral Gs [Graves] ー Our Sea Morters are Mounted & yesterday there was a Shell thrown out of one of them from Charlestown to Cambridge, you know the distance ー

But four of the thirty Sail of provision fuel & Store Ships are as yet arrived from England, One said to be the Spy was taken last Sunday Morning and carried into Salem her Cargo is Chiefly Coal, an Article we much want, there is now about 800 Chalderen [chaldron] arrived and our Consumption is 214 Chaldren P Week. last Week there was orders for pulling down the useless houses and breaking up the Wharfs, to form Magazines of fuel in the different destricks of the Regiments; they had been at Work two days, but on the arrival of the Ships with Coal that order was Countermanded however I fear we must fall to Work again very soon unless more Coal arrives; the Renown Man of War got on shore at the back of the lighthouse on Sunday night, but has got off again without much Damage, the Sheep and Hogs Shiped on board, the four Ships already arrived have almost all died, one Ship that Sailed with 1400 Sheep has landed only 18, and the others in the same proportion; the Potatoes are a good deal damaged, but the Porter is in good order Shou'd all these Ships arrive safe here it will be a Very seasonable & welcom Support to us, but shou'd We loose it all, its a great Satisfaction to find that Government has so Generous an attention to our Wants, and has taken much pain's to Supply us ー

Colonel Massey the other day appointed in orders a Brigadr with Mr Stodham a Gentleman he brought with him his Major of Brigade, is arrived at Halifax, with the 27th Regt and the remaining Six Companys of the 17th Regt the 65th Regt was as far down as Nantasket on board a transport for that place, when the news of their arrival came here, on which they were ordered back and disembarked this day ー the 55th Regt its said is ordered to this place, and the 20th & 46th to Quebec, if the news we received from a flag of truce at the lines last Tuesday be true, they will be prisoners if they go there; as its said the Rebels had the night before an Express from Canada of the Surrender of Quebec and all that Province to them, and that Brigr General Prescot was prisoner; they go so far as to say, that General Carleton is prisoner, but you may depend on Prescots being taken; in short that Country is nowiritirely lost to us, and must cost us a Campaign to regain it. ²

Its a long time since we heard from New York or the Southern Provinces. The Rebell Admirals OBryan, and Hopkins Reign triumphant or'e the deep, the former has lately Vissited the Island of St Johns with a Ship of 20 Guns and two Armed Sloops, and have taken off the President of the Council from that Island & 14 Sail of Vessells along the Cost ー ³

Captn Wallace of the Rose ー Stationed at Rhode Island continues to act wth his usual Spirit, he landed lately at Connanicut in that Government, burnt 70 houses and brought of[f] Eight prisoners, its said that Hopkins is fiting out three Ships at Philadelphia 1 of 28 & two of 20 Guns Each, to come and atack Wallace who will be glad to see them, as he has his own Ship of 20 Guns the Glasgow of 20 Guns and the Swan of 16 Guns to receive them. Captn Vandeput in the Asia is gone to Virginia, and the Phenix [Phoenix] with the Viper are Stationed at New York ー ⁴ We are dayly sending out the People who incline to go from hence and shall have shortly none of the inhabitants remaining with us, but the few friends to Government who dare not go among the Rebells ー... the Torys in this place, (tho' they are in some measure the innocent cause of the Misfortunes of it, by not Exarting themselves in proper time) are realy to be pittied, many familys with whome you were acquainted last Winter, & had their Seven or Eight fires in their Houses, are now reduced to one, to Cook and sit by it, with their Servants ー In short we are Caught in the Toil, and it will be some time before we shall be able to work our way out of it. The Yankies will have fine pelting at us with Shot & Shells this Winter, the[y] have left no place un Occupied round us but Dorchester Neck