[Extract]

Sir, On the 26. Ulto I had the honour of addressing you and there mentioned that we were making preparation for taking possession of Dorchester Heights. ー I now beg leave to Inform you, that a Council of General Officers having determined a previous Bombardment & Cannonade expedient & proper in order to harrass the Enemy and divert their attention from that Quarter, on Saturday Sunday, and Monday nights last, we carried them on from our posts at Cobble Hill, Letchmore's point & Lams Dam ー Whether they did the Enemy any considerable & what Injury I have not yet heard, but have the pleasure to acquaint you that they greatly facilitated our Scheme, & wou'd have been attended with success equal to our most sanguine expectations, had It not been for the unlucky bursting of Two Thirteen & three Ten Inch Mortars, among which was the Brass one taken in the Ordnance Brigg
² ー To what cause to attribute this Misfortune I know not, whether to any defect in them, or to the Inexperience of the Bombardiers. ー But to return, on Monday Evening as soon as our firing commenced, a considerable detachment of our men under the command of Brigadier Genl. Thomas crossed the Neck and took possession of the Two Hills without the least interruption or annoyance from the Enemy, and by their great activity and Industry, before the morning advanced the Works so far, as to be secure against their Shot ー They are now going on with such expedition that in a little time I hope they will be compleat, and enable our Troops stationed there, to make a vigorous and Obstinate stand ー during the whole Cannonade, which was Incessant the two last nights, we were fortunate enough to lose but two men, One a Lieutenant by a Cannon Ball's taking off his thigh, the other a private by the explosion of a shell which also slightly wounded four or five more.

Our taking possession of Dorchester Heights is only preparatory to taking post on Nuke Hill and the point opposite the South end of Boston ー It was absolutely necessary that they should be previously fortified in order to cover and command them ー As soon as the Works on the former are finished and compleat, measures will be immediately adopted for Securing the latter and making them as strong and de[f]ensible as we can ー their contiguity to the Enemy will make them of much Importance and of great service to us.

As Mortars are essential and Indispensably necessary for carrying on our operations & for the prosecution of our plans, I have applied to Two Furnaces to have some thirteen Inch ones cast with all expedition Immaginable, and am encouraged to hope from the Accounts I have had, that they will be able to do It ー When they are done and a proper supply of powder Obtained, I flatter myself, from the posts we have just taken & are about to take, that It will be in our power to force the Ministerial Troops to an attack, or to dispose of 'em in some way that will be of advantage to us ー I think from these posts they will be so galled and annoyed, that they must either give us Battle, or quit their present possessions: I am resolved that nothing on my part shall be wanting to effect the one or the other.

It having been the General opinion that the Enemy wou'd attempt to dislodge our people from the Hills and force their works as soon as they were discovered, which probably might have brought on a general Eng-agement, It was thought advisable that the Honble Council shou'd be applied to, to order in the Militia from the Neighbouring & adjacent Towns ー I wrote them on the Subject, which they most readily complied with; and in Justice to the Militia, I cannot but Inform you, that they came in at the appointed Time, and manifested the greatest alertness and determined resolution, to have acted like men engaged in the cause of Freedom.

When the Enemy first discovered our Works in the morning, they seemed to be in great confusion, and from their movements to have Intended an Attack. ー It is much to be wished, that it had been made ー The event I think, must have been fortunate, and nothing less than success and victory on our side, as our officers and men appeared Impatient for the appeal, and to have possessed the most animated sentiments and determined resolutionー

On Tuesday Evening, a Considerable number of their Troops embarked on board of their Transports and fell down to the Castle, where part of 'em landed before dark; One or two of the Vessells got aground and were fired at by our people with a Field piece but without any damage ー What was the design of this embarkation and landing I have not been able to learn; It would seem as If they meant an Attack; for It is most probable that If they make one on our Works at Dorchester at this time, that they will first go to the Castle and come from thence ー If such was their design, a violent Storm that night and which lasted till Eight O'Clock the next day, rendered the execution of It impracticable ー It carried one or two of their Vessells ashore, which have since got offー

in Case the Ministerial Troops had made an Attempt to dislodge our Men from Dorchester Hills, and the Number detached upon the occasion, had been so great as to have afforded a probability of a successful attack's being made upon Boston, on a Signal given from Roxbury for that purpose, agreable to a Settled and concerted plan, Four thousand chosen men who were held in readiness were to have embarked at the Mouth of Cambridge River in Two divisions ー The first under the Command of Brigadier General [John] Sullivan ー The Second under Brigadier General [Nathanael] Greene, the whole to have been commanded by Major General [Israel] Putnam ー The First division was to land at the powder House & gain possession of Beacon Hill & Mount Whoredom-The Second at Barton's point, or a little South of It, and after securing that post, to join the other division and Force the Enemies Gates and Works at the Neck for letting in the Roxbury Troops ー Three floating Batteries were to have preceded and gone in Front of the other Boats, and kept up a heavy Fire on that part of the Town, where our men were to Land ー How far our views would have succeeded had an opportunity offered for attempting the execution, is impossible for me to say - Nothing less than an experiment cou'd determine with precision-The plan was thought to be well digested, and as far as I cou'd judge, from the cheerfulness and alacrity which distinguished the Officers & men who were to engage in the Enterprize, I had reason to hope for a favourable & happy Issue.