138 Journal and Correspondence

Original

[Price to Council.]

Upper Camp St. Georges July 29^th 1776
Gentlemen
The day before yesterday in the Evening the Roebuck and
other Ships returned down the river and came too about 5
Miles from this Place at two oClock yesterday Morning I
rec^d a line from Captⁿ Nicholson Acquainting me that he
intended to Attack the Fleet at Day break I immeaditly
dispatched an officer with orders if Possible to speak to Captⁿ
Nicholson and let him know the Ships had returned down the
river and where then within Nine or Ten Miles of the fleet
and that I did not think it Prudent to Attack them Col^o
Barns had dispatched an officer some time before The one I
sent Got over to his Camp but neither of them could Come
up with Captⁿ Nicholson I Immeaditly on rec^t of the Letter
Ordered the Troops under Arms and dispatched Captⁿ
Thomas with about forty on the Island to Alarm the Enemy
on that Quarter Major Eden with about the same number on
the Point with a four Pounder and I took the remainder 25 in
Number on board of two Boats and Cannoes & went down
St. Georges River as near the Enemy as we Could with
Safety where I left them under Command of Lieut: Addams
with Orders if there should be any Confusion in the fleet to
Push up with their Boats to Cherry field Point where I would
be I then went a Cross to the Point where our People from
the Lower Camp had been at Work all night and by the time
the sun was rising Mounted the two Largest Cannon about
an Hour after we Espied the Defence making up for the
fleet The Fowey which lay ab^l a Mile from the Battery did
not see her or seemed to take no notice of her for more than
an Hour when we Noticed boats goeing aHead of her as we
suppose to Carry out her Anker in Order to whey her out and
in a Short time we observed her hailing out when I Immeaditly
Ordered the Cannon, to be fired at her we fired four times
from the nine pounder & two from the four one of which the
nine we think huld her the other struck a boat laying at her
Stern with I Beleave Men in her I saw them a very little
before, the Fowey all the time hailing out By this time
Observed the Defence put about and stand down the River
I Beleave she must have seen the Roebuck who was seen
some time after standing down after her the Fowey giveing
Chase a verry little while before upon the whole the Enemy
Appears to be a Good Deal Alarmed and I am in hopes will
leave this in a Short time. Captⁿ Boucher came to Camp last
night he left two Roe Gallys about 15 Miles above this place
I furnished him with a Boat and some hands to goe Back by