[Camp before Boston]

On the night of the 1st & 2d of March our batteries both on the Roxbury & Cambridge side commenced & continued discharge of shott & shells on the town, some of the balls fell in the town, for after we had entered it a gentlemen, in whose house Genl. [Robert] Pigot had lodged, shewed me the hole where one of the cannon balls had pass'd a little way over his bed which he was sleeping in. a fourteen inch mortar which among other military stores was captured in the ord'nance brig [Nancy] by Capt. Manly -was burst in firing from our lines on the enemy in Boston. we had set a high value on it ー call'd it the Congress. it wounded one or two in bursting, but killed none.

during our fire ー on the night of the 4th of March a detachment from our army moved on to the hights of Dorchester point ー this is also a peninsula joined to the main by a narrow neck; on this was placed ー on the side looking toward the enemy ー a line of bundles of pressed hay to defend our troops from the enemies fire while passing it.

This detachment proceeded to the top of the hill and immediately commenced making a redoubt, entrenching tools & facines being carried there & ready: the next morning at 8 oClock a relief was sent on ー of which I was one ー in passing the neck the tide having overflowed it I found my boots filled with mud and water, but we had no dry clothes with us, nor any time or opportunity for changing.

Of this event I think some remarks more than a mere passing notice are proper .... Having carried you to the top of the hill on Dorchester point I found a redoubt considerably advanced in a position well calculated for defence. Outside the parapet were casks filled with sand and so placed that a slight touch would set them rolling down the hill which was very steep on every side, and thus break the ranks of the enemy on their advance. On the afternoon of the 6th ² we very plainly saw the enemy in motion in the town: dense columns of troops moving down the main street to the wharf and embarking on board the ships which moved down the harbor and formed in a kind of crescent at considerable distance from the hill.

most of the next day was spent by those ships in beating up nearer to our post ー the wind being a head: we continued our work incessantly in compleating the redoubt, being urged to exertion by a full expectation of being attacked by the enemy's troops we had seen embark on board the ships; we had no time to spare for reflecting on and counting the cost of the issue of the expected battle. we did not work litterally with arms in our hands, but they were lying by our sides, and it is presumed that every one ardently wished for the opportunity of shewing the enemy what freemen would do when contending for their just rights. No one needed stimulating to the performance of his duty as every one possessed the inclination.

As night approached an uncommonly severe South East rain storm came on with yery high wind, and in that elevated situation, surrounded by the sea, it was felt in all its force, but the severity of the storm did not stop our work, which we pushed forward with the utmost alacrity. The next morning presented to the view of the enemy a regular fort, far advanced to completion ー and to our view their ships below apparently in a very disorderly condition: the day passed without any thing worthy of particular notice. You may form some faint idea of our situation; thoroughly drenched by the copious rain, exhausted by severe exertion and want of refreshment, & of course without cover.

At evening we broke ground on Nook, or Nuke point, a small hill very near the water oposite South Boston. The enemy could plainly hear the sound of our entrenching tools, on which they opened and continued an incessant cannonade with a general direction towards this point. I counted the number of discharges up to about 1500 during half an hour and then left off counting; this firing was continued through the night, and the morning shewed a novel sight; the ground all around where the work had been carrying on appeared as if it had been plowed irregularly, and a very great number of cannon balls were picked up; but strange as it may seem there was but a surgeons mate and two privates killed during the night.