Dear Sir

The Ship Charming Nancy being detained till tomorrow Morning Early, when she will Certainly Sail, gives Me the oppertunity of writing you another letter besides mine of the 11th Instt

I have now the pleasure to acquaint you that our fleet that went to look out for live Stock is returned, and have brought in with them 1900 Sheep 103 Black Cattle 110 Cord of Wood a few Piggs and some Poultery which has put us all in good Spirits, as our Sick will be well supplied for some time, and we can aford to Issue fresh Provision to the troops two days in the Week for some Weeks to come; The General has opened the Port for all Vessells that will come with Provisions or Fuel, wch we hope will encourage many to come from the Eastward, the Men of War have brought in several Ships loaded with flouer bound to Europe, which, is unloaded here, and the Owners get a Reasonable price for it in bills on the Treasury, we shall therefore be in no want of that necessary Article, and two days ago the two Ships sent wth [Colonel Richard] Prescot to Quebec returned with a large Supply of Salt beef, Pork, and Eight Hundd barrells of flouer, a Quantity of Oates and Intrenching tools which were much Wanted, Gamble has wrote Sherrieff a long letter out of which I have taken the Inclosed Paragraph, by which you may form some Judgement as to the disposition of the Canadians, but as I have Extracted this Paragraph without anybodys knowledge, I beg you will keep the intelligence therein to yr Self, or at least not let it be known from whence it comes to you, I also send you under the same Confidence Copys of Letters that pass'd a few days ago between Washington and General [Thomas] Gage.

On Tuesday night last [August 15] the Rebells threw up a Battery with 4 Ambrasurs on the hill to the right of the burying ground at Roxbury, and next Morning fired two shots from One Gun Into our lines, which we returned, but it did not seem to disconcert them much as they Continued to Work hard to Compleat it, which they have Effected. On Thursday Morning we discovered another Battery of 6 Ambrasers in the Orchard to the left of Roxbury Just behind where the George tavern Stood, and a line drawn aCrose the Road between the two Batterys, it seems to be rather a defencive that Offencive Work, and our Artillery say they can soon dismount their Guns by a superior fire shou'd they begin to Cannonaid. General How[e] has fortified the hill at Charlestown in such a Manner as will prevent their daring to insult him, and we are dayly Strengthing the lines, and Wharfs opposite to Dorchester Neck. and have Bartons Point and all that Shore well defenced by incampments & brest Works We still remain in doubt what is intended from home. not a ship from thence since you left us, nor have we heard from New York as yet. We are drolly Situated totally neglected by all the rest of the World.

About ten days ago Mr [Benjamin] Hallawell the Commissioner and the Admiral had a Skuffle, opposite Mr Brantones house. It seems Mr Hallawell had wrote a letter some time ago, relative to some Hay the Admiral had taken from Mr Hallawells farm, on one of the Islands. wch letter the Admiral did not Answer being (as he the Admiral says) wrote in disrespectful stile, when Mr Hallawell met him he asked him, the reason he had not Answered his letter, the Admiral replyed he did not Chuse it, as it was wrote in an Improper stile, the other said he was a Gentleman and intitled to an Answer and by God he wou'd be treated as such, the Admiral said again, he wou'd never Answer that letter upon which Hallawell came close up to him & told him he was a damed Rascall, upon which the Admiral gave him a back handed Stroke in the face, that knocked him down, and then steped back and drew his Sword half out, but on perseiving that Hallawell was not Armed, he put it up. Hallawell then closed with him, struck the Admiral and in the Scuffle drew the Admirals Sword and snaped it in two peices, upon this Dunkin and some other people that were near rushed in, and Separated them. thus ended this bloody  [Unfinished]