[Extract]
The most particular acct. we can hear of the Late Unhappy affair at Boston is that their are Upwards of 300 of the troops Killed Missing & Wounded. Amongst the last is Lord Piercy & GI. [Frederick] Haldiman & Since the Engagement Piercy is dead, amongst the Country 40 odd Killed in which is one Colonell Gardner, it seems the troops lost their Old English Courage & turnd privet Murderers of Old Men & Children thus far you may be assured that the troops fired first & that their never ware more than 600 Country people Engaged their 1700 Men untill the[y] got Close to Charles town whare the Country people got more assistance & if I Judge well I really think that if 5000 troops Comes out the[y] will not put the accts in force as those people to the Northward Seem Resolved to die or be free & the spirit of freedom seems to spread fast, as all the Southern provinces are getting under Armes. You need not wonder at the Assembly of N. York as the[y] are all place Men, but be assured Liberty has learge Majority in all that province, Numbers of Vessells are Loading for England say London & Bristol but not one for Ireland, but I find there is a Snow this Morning Come up from Belfast I have not Yet heard who is too, but I suppose to Ewing I have not yet got any letters
You may be assured that all Exporting will stop agreeable to the Rules of the Congress & I think before as our [Provincial] Congress are now sitting at present & from the procedings of General [Thomas] Gage we have Reason to Expect that all exports whatever will soon stop but of that you shall hear the Earliest Intelligence