[Philadelphia]
[September] 27th. At ½ past 8, wind at the West. Two of the Rebel Frigates and 5 row Callies came up with the Tide with orders to lay as close to the City as possible, and cannonade it in order to drive the King's Troops out. Fortunately the 2 lower Batteries were just completed as they approached us within cannon shot, when we opened upon them and the artillery being extremely well directed their best Frigate the Delaware which got somewhat aground, struck to us and one of the Callies having her fore-mast carried away run ashore at New Jersey directly opposite to our Batteries. The other Frigate and 4 Callies in great haste put about and went back to the Fort. This Frigate has 24 Twelve pounders, and 6 Nine pounders with 150 men. She had but one man killed and six wounded. She was 2 or 3 times on fire owing to one of our shot having drove through her caboose, it not being easily extinguished was also owing to one of our Royal Howitzers having burst within her near the bows. Captain [James] Moncrief and the carpenters principally on board the Frigate to extinguish the Fire by cutting away parts of her side. Learnt by deserters from the Rebel Fleet that the Galley drove ashore on the Jersey side had 4 men killed and 6 wounded. We found in this city about 50 Boats of all sorts and procured a Durham boat from Frankford creek that will hold 100 men. The Boats of the Ferries secured, accounts received that Lord Howe and the Fleet were within the Light House. . . .
1. Scull,ed., The Montresor Journals, 459.
