Sr

your favour of yesterday with the two barriels powder Came to hand two Clock this Morning & is in my Store and Shall be Improved in the best Manner for the Publick ー your favour of this day is before me  the Ships have not fired as I Can learn since about 5 Clock Last Evening  the best accounts I Can get of the beginning of the Hostilities is that two Packets employd by Rhod island to Land 200 Men at Block Island from Stonington after much Hazard from the men of Warr & Transports round Block Island landed their Men their & pushed back for Stonington being pursued by Two Tenders into Harbour  then the Tenders took 2 Vessels at Anchor & went to the wharfe to take more Vessels & after prohibition from so doing & threats no doubt on both sides they persisted in their Robary and then it appears probable to me the Americans fird and killed some Menowars Crew ー The Tenders then fired a few Shott & put out met Capt [James] Wallace in the Rose off Watchhill, they returnd with him into Stn Harbr & fired upon the Houses  a Flag was Sent on bord Walace abt noon to know why they fired on them  he Shewd the flag four dead men of his Ships Crew & one his hand Shot off & Said he was on the defensive and would blow the Town down & as soon as the flag returned he renewed the cannonading with the utmost Vigor we had one man mortaly wounded in the neck & one other slightly wounded  the Country are gone from the Northward to their assistance  Majr [Jonathan] Latimers detachmt of 200 arraived their early in the Evening ー at 11 Clock last night Thos Mumford Esqr left the Ships in Stn Harbour  am told whilst he was their writing a Letter a Cannon Ball passd through the room he Sat in  I have not seen him  The Transports its aprehendd will not be able to take B. Island Stock  Expect they will Try Montauk & its Neighbroad  Genl [David] Woster is their and the Committe of Suffolk who ware notified by Express from hence last fryday of the Advice  Govr [Jonathan] Trumble cornmund to us from Genl Washington ー therefore they will no doubt be ready to receive them the Stock is Sd to be of[f] Gardiners & Plumb Island  supose it is so  Our Stock of Powder & Ball is all deliverd out how it was at Groton dont know but as the mesinger from Stonington to us Yesterday was after powder presume Groton could not Supply it.

Yr [&c.]