To the Honorable Nicholas Cook Esquire, Govourner Capt General, and Commander in Cheaf in and over the English Colony of Rhodlsland, and Providence Plantation in New England &cー

Sir I hereby acquaint your Honr That about the 15th Inst. hearing a Fireing of Cannon down the Bay, went instantly into N. Kingstown opiset where the Ships then lay, found the well disposed Inhabitance very uneasy, Thinking their Scituation very danjerous. Several respectable Persons there recommended that a Beacon be erected on an eminence in sd North Kingstown, to Alarm the Country ajacient, should the Enemy Attempt to Land. I gave orders to a Company of Soldiers there posted, and a Beacon was on the 16th erected ー But in the Night following some evil Minded Person or Persons, willing to defeat the salutary purposes for which said Beacon was erected, set fire to the same, and it was consumed: Jabez Reynolds, Frances Tanner and Benjamin Tanner all of sd N Kingstown, being suspected of having fired the Beacon. I on the 20th took up, and examind the Suspected Persons when it appea[r]ed that all said Persons were ve,ry averce to the present Opposition, (and I beleive Grand Tories) and by Many Cir[c]umstances the Likeliest Men to have Burnt said Beacon that I know of ー But Promising on their parole to Hold themselves in Radiness to Appear before your Honour on the first notice given them for that Purpose, and to be of Good behavour in the mean Time Purmitted them to return to their respective Homesー

I Likewise acquaint your Honour. That on Sunday evening last I was informed that Coll George Wightman had got on board Capt [James} Wallace, went that Night into North Kingstown where examining into said affair found even by the voluntary confession of some of his Family, that he (said Wightman) with one of his Sons and [one] John[    ] got on Board sd Wallace Last saturday Night ー This [day] finding a samll freighting Sloop the Property of Said Wig[htm]an Lying in the mouth of that call'd Thomas All[e]ns Cove in sd N Kingstown, Tho't it my duty. And I took her into possession and sent her into the Harbour of E Greenwich where she now lyesー

I Hope my conduct herein will meet your Honours Approbation, and that of the General Assembly ー I am with unfeigned respect [&c.]

North Kingstowns Feb 26. 1776 ー