Now is June we are under sail bound to the Vineyard to get a few men and I took a step on shore at Bedford and pressed one John Scranton, one of my townsmen; and three others and then proceded on board and sailed for Old town; arrived the next day & got what men we could; lay there 2 days and then ran for Sandy hook & Made it, saw some large ships lay there and at the same time saw a ship; brig, Schooner and sloop get under way and come out standing to the S.E. we dodged them until the next day, when we thought we had got them a good distance from the hook we stood for them. About 3 P.M. we came up with the ship 3 the other vessels near to her on her weather bow we hailed the ship as She had her Pendant Jack and ensign flying at her mizzen peak she gave us no answer we gave her a bow gun intending to break her cabin windows, drew very near her, the wind so scant we found we could not get to windward we bore away and went under her lee as near as we could and gave her a good broadside immediately she gave us as good a one when she run us aboard on our starboard quarter & hung there about five minutes until she broke all our sweeps that were lashed there at the same time the Brig of 10 guns & the Schooner of 8 lost no time, all three of them firing into us at once. As the ship fell off she gave us the starboard broadside we shot ahead of them with our sails and rigging much cut to pieces and then we bore away, all hands employed in fixing our rigging, we had but a poor crew at this time. Our loss was our sailing master, Capt. George Sinkens of Newport; he was killed & only 2 or 3 slightly wounded. we hove him overboard got our rigging as soon as possible ready and made sail for the ship came up with her just after sunset with a determination to board her for we well knew if we carried the ship the rest of the vessels would fall into our hands. we ran within half of pistol shot, gave her a full broadside but all three of them played their part so well we gave it up then it was near dark. At this time the Schooner was ahead of the other vessels we ran for her & ran along side & took her. we found her to be a Schooner near 140 tons burthen & found the ship to be of 16 guns Henry Johnson commander all of them bound to Jaimaca in ballast. The Schooner had a spand of horses & some carriages on board we ordered her for Bedford where she' arrived safe.4 We had 12 guns only we steered the same course as they steered intending at daylight to take the 3d heat at them but in the Morning saw only one sail a long distance to the South, we stood for her and she for us, we saw she was a Privateer, she ran and got away, we continuing Southward & Eastward, Nothing happening for some days, saw & spoke a Brig from Eustatia bound to Holland, let her pass. saw several Deans and Duch, we being in the Gulf-Stream. . . . Nothing material happening we finished our Cruise and returned into Bedford and find our ship much out of Repair. — August 1777. Set the Carpenters and caulkers to work. and I went to spend a few days at Providence and East Greenwich.
