[Extract]
Dear Sir.

Before this reaches You, it is very probable, you will have heard that a large Body of the Enemy in the night of the 24^th. of last Month, landed at Warren towards break of day, and from thence marched to a place called Kakemuet¹ where lay our flat bottom'd Boats, and burnt about Seventy or eighty. They then proceeded back to Warren, &c burnt the Meeting house, parsonage, house and Caleb Childs's house, as Also the Magazine, in which was a Considerable quantity of Powder, and partly burnt one of Our Galleys,² and a new Privateer³ that lay in the Harbour, they then proceeded to Bristol, wher[e] it is said they burnt 20 dwelling Houses, and a considerable number of other Buildings, and then Imbark't on board their Boats, carrying with them about Sixty Prisoners. among whome was Sylvester Child & Parson Thompson⁴ of Warren,⁵ On the 31^st. following being perhaps flush'd with their former success, they again landed at Fall river, with a Body of about 150 and burnt one House, and a Mill and were proceeding no doubt to burn the remainder of the Mills as there is two Corn Mills, two Saw Mills, and a fulling mill upon the same Stream, near to where they burnt the other, but as there was a bridge to pass to the other Mills, which our People took up, and then placed themselves behind a wall and then began to fire upon them, They retreated with the loss of one Man, Killed, and one Mortally wounded who I hear is since dead.⁶

These Alarms have greatly distressed this State, more especially as our sister States have neglected sending us any Troops, for a Very considerable time past, and by the means of our Shores being so Very naked, the Enemy embrace the opportunity of discovering their Savage Intentions, wherever any oppertunity offers. In consequence of the foregoing, our Assembly has been convened, and they have enacted that our State Battallions shall be fill'd up to the number agreed on by the Convention at Springfield by the tenth of this Instant, and in the mean time have order'd out a considerable part of our Militia to do duty on the Shore. that as we go on I see nothing but that there is the greatest appearance of this States being Intirely laid Waste, on the one hand as we are almost entirely neglected by our Sister States by having our Country destroy'd by the Enemy, or on the Other by keeping the most considerable part of our Militia on duty (for we have but about nine hundred including Officers now on Duty) we shall be prevented from raising the necessaries of life. . . .

The resolve of Congress respecting the Commanders of Arm'd Vessels strictly adhering to instructions of Congress was published in the Providence Gazette of the 30^th. May, as also the Address to the Inhabitants of the United States,⁷ which please After making my Compliments to the President to acquaint him with. . . . am with Great respect [&c.]

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