Moor'd in the Seaconnett Passage [Rhode Island]
At ½ past 6 A M the Rebells began to fire on us from 3 guns they had brot during the Night and placed on the Main from behind a Hill at the back of the Neck of Land that forms the Ferry. we immediately began firing & continued so till 8 o'Clock when I found we .could not dislodge them and that every shott from them struck us and kill'd or wounded the People I immediately determind to Slip the Nothem Cable hove to the Sm Br to shift our position they as soon shifted their Cannon to the Black Point I was then Oblig'd to Weigh and get under sail, tho the Wind was very scant and endeavour to lay down over the Middle ground which we accomplished by its being high Water. as soon as the rebells Saw our Sails loose they began to alter their direction of firing their passing over & thro' the Sails and rigging (fourtunately the Masts and Yards were not touch'd) in hopes to dismast us, we had 2 Seamen 2 Mar[ine ]s killed & 9 Men Wounded, 4 of them slightly the Ship was hull'd in 8 or 9 places above water & several below in one of which just abaft the Mizn Mast a shot had peirced without going thro' into the Bread room that we made two feet & half in a half hour our rigging was much Cutt, the Mn stay, Collars of the Fore Topm Stay, 2 Main Studs 3 Lower dead Eyes & Main Topmt Back stays, One Mizn Shrd, Bumpkin Block, M: tackle M & Fore sheets, Topsl Halliards several other running ropes stood out till I coud find out the prin.cipal leak then stood in to smooth water and drove a shott plug in, after I had done this wore & stood out it coming to blow very strong we found we had reduced the leak to two feet p hour & after it grew Mod: we only md 1 foot p Watch, In standing off and pitching very heavy the Sm Br Anchor not being well secured washed off the Bill Board and gave us a deal of Trouble to secure it, in doing of which six of the Forecastle Men from being under Water in the wash of the Sea (it freezing very hard) were so greatly Chilled that they were obliged to be carried off the Deck, quite stiff and in great danger found a Shott had enter'd the Booms & totally destroyed the driver Boom or Mn Topsl Yard.
First pt fresh Gales & Squally Middle & Latter Modt & C[l]ear. at 2 PM split the Fore Topmt Stay Sail at 4 handed the Fore & Mizn Top sails