At 2 this morning, we were waked by the guards, who informed us that New York was on fire. As the fire began at the South East end of the city, a little East of the grand battery, it was spread by a strong South wind, first on the East River, and then Northward, across the Broad Way, opposite to the Old English Church (If I mistake not the name) from thence it consumed all before it, between Broad Way and the North River, near to the college, laying about one third part of the city in ashes [(]is the opinion of those best acquainted with it); and had not the wind as it veered to the West, died away, the remainder of that nest of vipers would have been destroyed.

This evening a seaman who said he belonged to Providence, that he was taken and obliged to fight against his countrymen on board the Roebuck, made his escape by swimming from New York to this place ー he informed that the men on board the Roebuck were very sickly, that they had lost 100 since they left the Capes of Virginia. He also gave notice, that preparations had been made to attack this post ー that a number of large ships were to come up and endeavour to silence our batteries, while a large body of troops in boats (which we discovered on the opposite shore above us[)], and endeavour to cut off our retreat ー that it was to have been executed this morning, but the fire prevented.²