pping, with bombs, carcasses, rockets, round,
grape and cannister shot, and sent their boats to land under cover of
their fire. We let them come within small grape distance, when we opened
our fire upon them, from our two 18-pounders, with round and grape shot.
They soon retreated out of grape distance, and attempted a landing on
the east side of the village; we dragged a six-pounder that we had
mounted over, and met them with grape, and all our muskets opened fire
on them, so that they were willing to retreat the second time. They
continued their fire 'till 11 at night.

The next morning at seven o'clock, the brig _Despatch_ anchored within
pistol shot of our battery, and they sent five barges and two large
launches to land under cover of their whole fire (being joined by the
_Nimrod_ 20 gun brig). When the boats approached within grape distance,
we opened our fire on them with round and grape shot. They retreated and
came round the east side of the town. We checked them with our six
pounder and muskets, 'till we dragged over one of our 18 pounders. We
put in it a round shot and about 40 or 50 lbs. of grape, and placed it
in the centre of their boats as they were rowing up in a line and firing
on us. We tore one of their barges all in pieces; so that two, one on
each side, had to lash her up, to keep her from sinking. They retreated
out of grape distance, and we turned our fire upon the brig, and
expended all our cartridges but five, which we reserved for the boats,
if they made another attempt to land. We then lay four hours without
being able to annoy the enemy in the least, except from muskets on the
brig, while the fire from the whole fleet was directed against our
buildings. After the third express to New London, some fixed ammunition
arrived. We then turned our cannon on the brig, and she soon cut her
cable and drifted out.

The whole fleet then weighed, and anchored nearly out of reach of our
shot, and continued this and the next day to bombard the town.

They set the buildings on fire in more than twenty places, and we as
often put them out. In the three days' bombardment they sent on shore 60
tons of metal, and, strange to say, wounded only one man, since dead. We
have picked up 15 tons, including some that was taken up out of the
water, and the two anchors that we got.[18] We took up and buried four
poor fellows that were hove overboard out of the sinking barge.

Since peace, the officers of the _Despatch_