We, the subscribers, joined three companies of the 26th battalion of militia, under the command of col. [William] Harrison, at Sandy-Point, on Tuesday the 23d July last, early in the morning, in the character of volunteers. About 9 o'clock the ships began to man their tenders and small boats, when col. Harrison ordered the three companies to stand to their arms, and after watching the motions of the enemy a few minutes, gave orders for capt. [Francis] Martin's company, consisting of about 45 men, including officers, to repair to the head of a valley which led down to the river nearly opposite the Roebuck. ー We fell in with this company at the head of the valley. ー A little while after that came three or four strangers, who were questioned by col. Harrison, and informed him that they had come up the river, were going to Alexandria, and had landed a little below in two small boats: ー those we understood to be capt. [Robert] Conway, his lieutenant, and two men: ー By this time ten rowboats, two tenders and a gondola were

[illegible]ed with men along side of the Roebuck, which lay near 400 yards from the Maryland shore. It was every moment expected the enemy would land and attack us. ー col. Harrison told capt. Martin's company that, in case the enemy attempted to land there, he should instantly march down at their head and post them behind the beach, and after admonishing them, begged that if any one felt confused or under any panic, to candidly inform him and turn out of the ranks, on which one of the privates turned out and told him that he did not like to march down the hill. ー He was then ordered to give up his gun and ammunition to some other, that would, and col. Har-rison delivered his gun to capt. Conway's lieutenant, who said he would march down with us. About ten oclock the enemy's boats, tenders and gondola left the Roebuck, giving three cheers, and contrary to our expectation, went over to Virginia, where they landed and set fire to Mr. Brent's house. ー Col. Harrison ordered the company down to the beach in order to show them where he intended to post them, had the enemy attempted, or in case they should attempt a landing at that place ー Before the enemy returned from Virginia, we were reinforced with about 120 men under col. [Samuel] Hanson ー About 5 or 6 o'clock afternoon, the enemy's small tender, and the gondola, were observed to be manning, and in a few minutes left the Roebuck and directed their course towards the bay where capt. Conway's boats were landed. ー Col. Harrison immediately ordered the men to arms, and conceiving the enemy's design was to take off capt. Conway's boats, gave capt. Martin orders to take about 20 of his best armed men, and follow him down to watch the motions of the tender and gondola. ー This detachment we joined with two other volunteers ー in the whole we think it consisted of 25 persons ー We proceeded towards the bay with all haste, and near the head of a valley met with capt. Conway and some of his men. ー Capt Conway went down the valley with col. Harrison to shew where his boats lay, and we followed close after in [illegible] and were halted at the mouth of the valley ー He told the colonel that one of his boats was drawn over the beach into a marsh, the other, was on the shore staved, which was about 50 yards from us, though we could not see her from the mouth of the valley on account of some bushes, which grew on the beach. ー The tender had got in the bay before we reached our post, and lay about 150 yards off. ー As soon as we were halted, the tender fired one of her carriage guns, which was presently succeeded by a discharge of grape shot from the gondola; this load grounded within a few paces of us, and many of the shot, with several cannon balls, were picked up the next day ー sundry great guns were discharged at us whilst we remained at this post. ー The gondola, after she came against the boat, rowed off and on, and, after a short time seemed to be gradually getting more into the bay, as it designed to open the valley and rake it. ー We heard capt. Conway say to col. Harrison, that he thought she was endeavouring to rake the valley, and advised him to order a retreat, or words to the same purpose. ー The colonel, after taking a view of the gondola, turned about, and in a low tone gave orders for a retreat to the head of the valley, the gondola being within 70 or 80 yards of us at the time. ー Five or six of the men who were in the rear retreated some distance beyond the place intended, which we firmly believe proceeded from their not having heard the orders distinctly, as most of them returned immediately to the head of the valley, on being called to by some of the others. ー From this place we observed the Roebuck had got under way and fallen down, and began to fire on us; also the tender, our situation being open to them both. The colonel returned to the mouth of the valley, and we and others went different ways to take another view of the gondola, which we found lying quite still, nearly opposite the boat, with her hatches close shut, and nothing visible but her oars and guns, though capt. Conway's lieutenant had just before informed, that her hatches were up and men exposed, which raised our hopes of getting a shoot. ー We recollect that, previous to our leaving the mouth of the valley, capt. Conway asked col. Harrison to let the gondola be fired at, to scare her off from the shore, which was refused, as there was no living object to shoot at. ー A retreat was then ordered to the main body by col. Harrison, and the detachment directed to scatter as they retreated through the old fields, to observe the flash of the enemy's cannon, and to fall down whenever they saw it. ー The fire from the Roebuck, armed schooner, and gondola, grew very warm, and the frequent falling down of the men occasioned a general laughter. ー We retreated to a fence at the edge of a wood, and lay behind it until the enemy's fire ceased ー then returned to the main body, with which we remained until the ships went down the river, and the troops were discharged.

John Matthews,
William Stoddert,

(Copy.)

Charles county, October 18, 1776.

Then came Messrs. John Matthews and William Stoddert, gentlemen, and made oath on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that the above is a true state of the transactions at Sandy-Point, under col. William Harrison, on the 23d of July last.

G. R. Brown.