Easthampton, April 7th, 1776.
Gent. ー An opportunity presenting, we embrace it to acquaint you that our guard at Montauk, about sunset yesterday, saw a number of vessels to the southward of Block island, and this morning being foggy, saw nothing of them until about nine o'clock. The fog cleared off in part, when they saw thirteen vessels between Fisher's island and Gardiner's island, but could not tell what sort of vessels they were, by reason of thick air. We saw this afternoon about eight or nine vessels all together, off against this town, standing to the eastward, but the fog came on, and saw no more of them. They have fired single cannon by spells all this afternoon from both quarters, and suppose they fired in order to keep the vessels together, the fog being very thick. We are gent. [&c.] By order of the Committee of Easthampton.
Burnet Miller, Chairman.