[Friday, March 1, to Sunday, March 3]
Employ'd here [Abbacco] pilting Our Marines On b[d] the Sloop Providence, Likewise all the Marines belonging to the Fleet on board two small Sloops, the Comodore had taking, to Cary them to The Hand of Providence, On Sunday 3rd [illegible] & put to Sea with the Fleet, Steering S B E ½ E & S S E 54, then made the Iland of Providence. Bearing S S E 3 Lea[gues] Where we lay off and on Waiting for the rest of the Fleet at 10 AM Came too Under Roze Iland, with the rest of the Fleet in 4 fathom Water, The Comodore sent the Sloop Providence, Schooner Wasp & 2 Sloops with all the Marines, amounting to two Hundred and fifty under the Command of Capt [Samuel] Nichol[a]s; and at 3 in the afternoon they gott possession of the Eastermost Fort, Without Loosing a Man, the Inhabitance having. Desarted it, after firing 15 or 20 Cannon at them 2
1. Andrew Doria Journal, PRO, Admiralty 1/484.
2. Journal of John Trevett reads: "we took two small craft, belonging to New Providence, and got pilots, and went in the night over to New Providence and landed all the men we could spare. I took command of one of the companies and marched to the first fort. They fired a few 18 pound shot, but did no damage. We saw an officer coming & I went up to him to know what he wanted. He informed me that Gov. Brown [Montfort Browne] would wish to know who we were [and] what our business was. we soon gave him his answer, and the first fort st[op]ped firing; and that night we lodged in the fort," NHS. The narrative of Charles Bulkeley offers the most meager information of this event: "Sailed from the Capes of Deleware Feby 17th 1776 & arrived at New Providence, March 3d & took the place," NLCHS.
