Last night between 10 and 11 oclock all the Grenadiers and Light Infantry of the Army making about 600 Men (under the command of Lt. Coll. Smith of the 10th and Major Pitcairn of the Marines) embarked, and were landed upon the opposite shore on Cambridge Marsh; few but the Commandg. Officers knew what expedition we were going upon. After getting over the Marsh where we were wet up to the knees, we were halted in a dirty road and stood there 'till two oclock in the morning waiting for provisions to be brought from the boats and to be divided, and which most of the Men threw away, having carried some with 'em. At 2 oclock we began our March by wading through a very long ford up to our Middles: after going a few miles we took 3 or 4 People who were going off to give intelligence; about 5 miles on this side of a Town called Lexington which lay in our road, . . . we waited a considerable time there and at length proceeded on our way to Concord, which we then learnt was our destination, in order to destroy a Magazine of Stores collected there . . . . we march'd into the Town after taking possession of a Hill with a Liberty Pole on it and a flag flying which was cut down; the Yankies had that Hill but left it to us; we expected they wou'd have made a stand there, but they did not chuse it . . . . having done the business we were sent upon, We set out upon our return; before the whole had quitted the Town we were fired on from Houses and behind Trees, and before we had gone ½ a mile we were fired on from all sides, but mostly from the Rear, where People had hid themselves in houses 'till we had passed and then fired; the Country was an amazing strong one, full of Hills, Woods, stone Walls, &c., which the Rebels did not fail to take advantage of, for they were all lined with People who kept an incessant fire upon us, as we did too upon them but not with the same advantage, for they were so concealed there was hardly any seeing them: in this way we marched between 9 and 10 miles, their numbers increasing from all parts, while ours was reducing by deaths, wounds and fatigue, and we were totally surrounded with such an incessant fire as it's impossible to conceive, our ammunition was likewise near expended . . . . When we got to Menotomy there was a very heavy fire; after that we took the short cut into the Charles Town road, very luckily for us too, for the Rebels thinking we shou'd endeavour to return by Cambridge had broken down the Bridge and had a great number of Men to line the road and 'to receive us there; however we threw them and went on to Charles Town without any great interruption. We got there between 7 and 8 oclock at night, took possession of the hill above the Town and waited for the Boats to carry us over which came some time after; the Rebels did not chuse to follow us to the Hill as theymust have fought us on open ground and that they did not like . . . . we embarked and got home very late in the night. Thus ended this Expedition, which from beginning to end was as ill plan'd and ill executed as it was possible to be;had we not idled away three hours on Cambridge Marsh waiting for provisions that were not wanted, we shou'd have had no interruption at Lexington, but by our stay the Country People had got intelligence and time to assemble. We shou'd have reached Concord soon after day break, before they cou'd have heard of us, by which we shou'd have destroyed more Cannon and Stores, which they had had time enough to convey away before our arrival; we might also have got easier back and not been so much harrassed, as they wou'd not have had time to assemble so many People; even the People of Salem and Marblehead above 20 miles off had intelligence and time enough to march and meet us on our return;they met us somewhere about Menotomy but they lost a good many for their pains. Thus for a few trifling stores the Grenrs. and Lt Infantry had a march of about 50 Miles (going and returning) through an Enemy's Country, and in all human probability must every Man have been cut off if the Brigade had not fortunately come to their Assistance; for when the Brigade joined us there were very few Men had any ammunition left, and so fatigued that we cou'd not keep flanking parties out, so that we must soon have laid down our Arms, or been picked off by the Rebels at their pleasure ー nearer to ー and we not able to keep 'em off.