His Excellency General [Thomas] Gage, having information that some brass cannon were deposited in or near Salem, he sent an officer to endeavor to discover where they were lodged, at the same time he ordered a transport to receive on board a detachment of the 64th regiment under the command of Lieut Col [Alexander] Leslie to bring away the above cannon They landed at Marblehead last Sunday [February 26] at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and marched immediately to Salem; where they were informed by the officer sent forward, that he had been in the place where the cannon were supposed to have been concealed; but found none: But the commanding officer having received intelligence that some trucks were seen going out of Salem that morning, he continued his march the road they were said to have taken; but coming to a draw-bridge over an arm of the sea, he found the people on the opposite side had taken it up to prevent his passage: He desired it might be immediately let down; but they refused; saying it was a private road, and that he had no authority to demand a passage that way: On this he determined to ferry a few men over in a gundola (which then lay on the bank) as soon as it could be got afloat; the people discovering this intention, immediately jumped into her, and with axes cut through the bottom; Col. Leslie seeing this, ordered a party to drive them out of her, some of the people however, having obstinately refused to quit her, the soldiers were obliged to use force; upon this a clergyman complained of the usage. the inhabitants were receiving, when Col. Leslie told him, that if the bridge was not immediately let down, they might expect worse treatment; the clergyman than prevailed with the proprietor to let down the bridge, and the troops marched on, leaving a party in possession of the bridge till they returned which they soon did it being dark, and hearing nothing more of the trucks they went in search of, they then went back to Marblehead, and embarked on board the transport between eight and nine o'clock that night, and returned next day to Boston.