the 1. This morning very early just past one o clock the enemy began
to fire from their Brest Work and their floating batery which
ocationed an alarm their fireing Semed to be at our main guard and
piquet they fired a number of guns and threw several bombs and they
were permitted to kill too men the one belongd to Col Huntingtons[150]
Regement and the other belonged to col Davidsons Regement and one of
the riflemen was slitely wounded but see the Providence of god in it
when 6 or 7 hundred men were before the mouths of their canon there
was but too men killed We should not have thought it strange if they
had killed 20 considering the Situation that they were in too of the
regulars centrys deserted about a hour before the firing began this
was the smartest fireing that ever has been this campaign in the
afternoon they fired upon our fatigue party but did no Damage also
about Sunset there was several guns fired on board the Ships there was
several Ships came in to the harbour thus far the proceding of the 1
day.
[Footnote 150: Colonel Jedediah Huntington, of
Norwich, Connecticut. The British now seemed
determined to make a general assault upon the
besiegers, and a heavy cannonade was opened
simultaneously upon the Americans at Roxbury and in
the vicinity of Cambridge.]
the 2. I went down to the right hand of the burying place and we had
not been their Long before we were ordered of and the canon began to
play upon the enemy from Roxbury fort on the hill and the field peices
from the brest work in the thicket the ocation of our mens fireing
upon them was this they had advanced about 30 or 40 rods this side
their other brest work on the neck and were intrenching their[151]
they fired several guns at us but did us no Damage in the afternoon we
went down to our work again expecting every moment when they would
fire at us but they never fired one gun in the afternoon at night thir
was a platform caried down to the thicket in order to mount a canon
their Nothing more remarkable to day.
[Footnote 151: They threw up a slight breastwork a
little in advance of their lines on the neck, and
not far from the George tavern.]
the 3. Being Sunday we turned out about day and went to our alarm post
and it rained and we cam home and John coleman drinkt 3 pints cyder at
one draught nothing more remarkable this day.
the 4. We turned out this morning before day and went to our alarm
post nothing remarkable this day at night I went upon the piquet down
to Lambs Dam[152] nothing more remarkable.
[Footnote 152: Lamb's dam was between Roxbury and
Dorchester. There the Americans completed a strong
work on the 10th of September, and mounted four
eighteen-pounders.]
the 5. Nothing remarkable only Benjamin Mc Lain sent home 10 Letters
at one draught by Lieutenant Bacon and Lieutenant Foster had Likt to
have been put under guard for playing ball.
the 6. Nothing remarkable this day at Night our men went down below
the george tavern for a safe guard for the centrys.
the 7. We turned out early this morning and went to our alarm post and
had a smart scrimmage[153] with no enemy and this day I went upon the
creek guard several Ships sailed out of the harbour old White was
buried and their was much joy.[154]
[Footnote 153: Skirmish.]
[Footnote 154: We can not explain this local
allusion.]
the 8. Came of the creek guard and nothing remarkable hapned onely
they enemy fired at our fatigue party but did no damage at night upon
the door guard.
the 9. In the morning the enemy fired upon our fatigue party but did
them no Damage in the afternoon I went upon fatigue at night our men
caried Several canon down into the thicket to the brest works
their.[155]
[Footnote 155: The breastworks in the thicket were
the Roxbury lines of fortifications in advance of
the fort.]
the 10. Being Sunday our men went on fatigue and the enemy fired upon
them and broke three guns that were paraded but hurt no man at night
their was a man deserted from cambridg and went to the enemy.
the 11. We turned out and went to our alarm post and Ensign Parot
shook one of his men for disobying orders this day their was a boat
drove ashore belonging to the regulars and a Seargent and 5 men on
board and they were all taken prisoners at night I went upon the
piquet and was almost frozen to Death.
the 12. Our men went down to Lambs Dam to entrenching not above half a
mile from the enemys brest work but nothing remarkable hapened.
the 13. Colonel Clap officer of the day our men took this day 26
prisoners in mistick[156] river as we heard.
[Footnote 156: Mystic.]
the 14. This morning I went upon fatigue down in the Street[157] and
the enemy fired one shot at us and struck the brest work but did no
Damage captain Pond[158] comanded of the party.
[Footnote 157: The road leading from Roxbury across
the neck into Boston.]
[Footnote 158: Captain Pond was from New Hampshire,
and was an officer in Colonel Stark's regiment.]
the 15. Their was a regular and too men of wars men[159] ran away Last
night and this morning nothing more remarkable their was 3 guns fired
on board the Ship in cambridg Bay.
[Footnote 159: From the vessels known as
men-of-war.]
the 16. Nothing remarkable hapened only the regulars fired several
Shot at our men that were upon fatigue but did no Damage.
the 17. Being Sunday I went upon the fatigue and the enemy fired
several times at our men but did no Damage and they threw several
Bombs.
the 18. I came of the creek guard and the enemy fired several canon at
our men but killed none and onely wounded one or too slitely and Last
night their was several men ran away from a man of war and toward
night the enemy fired several Shots from the Ship in cambridg bay and
our men fired one Shot from Prospect hill at the Ship in the Bay but
did not strike her.
the 19. The enemy began to fire about eight oclock into the street but
did no damage except slitely wounding one or too at night I went upon
the piquet and Nothing remarkable hapened also their was a man put
under guard for comeing on to the parade Drunk.
the 20. Nothing remarkable hapened this day the enemy fired one shot
at our fatigue party but did no damage they fired over at Bunkers hill
and threw several Bombs.
the 21. Last night I was on the door guard and this morning the enemy
fired small arms at our men but did no Damage in the afternoon they
fired canon but to no purpose.
the 22. Last night I was upon the door guard this being the Kings
crownation[160] the enemy fired a number of canon and toward night
they put in balls but did no damage.
[Footnote 160: Coronation. George III. and his wife
Charlotte were crowned on the 22d of September,
1761. It was always a holyday next to that of the
king's birthday.]
the 23. I went upon fatigue down in the street and the Enemy began to
fire at us about 9 oclock and fired without intermition for some time
bie the best acounts they fired above one hundred balls and our men
fired 3 canon from our brest work near Lams Damb and one of the balls
went into Boston amongst the housen but through the good hand of
Devine providence in all their firing they did not kill one man nor
wound any except one or too slitely.[161]
[Footnote 161: Frothingham says: "On the 23d, the
British discharged one hundred and eight cannon and
mortars on the works at Roxbury without doing any
damage."]
the 24. Being Sunday we went to meting and heard a fine Sermon from
psalms 14-11 this day our men went on fatigue as usual but the enemy
did not fire upon them.
the 25. I went on fatigue down in the thicket in the forenoon and at
noon I was taken not well and did not go in the afternoon our men
fired three field peices at the enemy but what execution they did we
canot determine nothing more.
the 26. Nothing remarkable hapened this day onely their was 200 men
draughted out to go to the governors Island to take some cattle.
the 27. Our men went to the Island and took 12 head of Cattle and 2
horses and came of without any Molestation[162] at night I went upon
the piquet and it rained very hard and we turnd in to the housen and
La their Colonel Clap[163] was officer of the piquet.
[Footnote 162: This expedition was under Major
Tupper. They burnt a fine pleasure-boat just ready
to be launched, belonging to some British
officers.]
[Footnote 163: Of the Rhode Island "Army of
Observation," under General Greene.]
the 28. Nothing remarkable hapened this day there was too guns fired
from the ship in Cambrige Bay.
the 29. This day the Ship sailed out of cambridge Bay and their was
another came and took her place at night I went on the piquet without
any supper nothing remarkable.
the 30. This morning our men fired one field peice as the regulars
came to relieve their main guard and that afronted them and they began
to fire their canon from their brest work and floating Batry and they
fired about 30 canon but did no damage also last night their was too
regulars deserted and came to our centrys on the neck nothing more
remarkable this day.