[Extract]
B[raintr]ee March 16 1776
... the Last I closed this Day week; since that time there has been some movements amongst the Ministerial Troops as if they meant to evacuate the Town of Boston. Between 70 and 80 vessels of various sizes are gone down and lay in a row in fair sight of this place, all of which appear to be loaded and by what can be collected from our own observations and from deserters they have been plundering the Town. I have been very faithless with regard to their quitting Boston, and know not how to account for it, nor am I yet satisfied that they will leave it ー tho it seems to be the prevailing opinion of most people; we are obliged to place the Militia upon Guard every Night upon the shoars thro fear of an invasion. There has been no firing since Last Twesday, till about 12 o clock last Night, when I was waked out of my sleep with a smart Cannonade which continued till nine o clock this morning, and prevented any further repose for me; the occasion I have not yet heard, but before I close this Letter I may be able to give you some account of it.
1. L. H. Butterfield, ed., The Adams Papers, Series II, Adams Family Correspondence (Cambridge, Mass., 1963), I, 357-61. Hereafter cited as Butterfield, ed., Adams Family Correspondence.
