[Extract]
On Monday evening, July 8th, 1776, deserted from on board the Amity's Admonition, commanded by Captain John Noles, (it being one of the fleet now lying in our harbour,) a certain Ebenezer Colefox, who says: That on the 22d of May last he was taken a prisoner in the sloop Macaroni, commanded by Captain John Arthur, belonging to Mr. Nathaniel Shaw, of ー New-London, of which sloop he was mate. That he was carried into Halifax by the vessel that took him. That the vessel in which he was a prisoner arrived in Halifax on or about the 10th of June last...Does not know that any ship of war was left at Halifax, except the frigate which took him, called the Cerberus. In the fleet in our harbour now are the Asia, two ships of fifty and one of forty guns; the Greyhound frigate; two sloops, commanded by [James] Wallace and [James] Ayscough; one small sloop cruising on the back of Long-Island, and a few small armed vessels. The tender on which we fired some days ago much damaged, and had one man killed and eight or nine wounded... He got ashore by swimming on a piece of plank to LongIsland; when near the shore he called out, and the guards came down and received him, almost spent with being in the water two hours.
Taken this 9th July, 1776.
Jno. Morin Scott, Brigadier-General.
