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Dear Brother ー This will inform you of my Proceadings since I left Philadelphia which Place we left the 1st May but was detained at the Fort Island 20 Days by the Comeing up of the Roebuck & Liverpool Ships Warr as soon as they came down we followed them & went out on a short Cruize of 10 Days then returned hear again dureing this Time Nothing very materal happened more than convoying several Vessails off & bringing some more safe in one of which was a large Ship from Jamaca taken by the Sloop Congress a Privattear belonging to Philad, the Prizes Cargo was very vallueable as it concisted of Sugar & Rum² we have bin blocked up hear ever since our Return by a Fleet of british Ships Warr & nothing more had happened since our Return untill Friday the 28th June when we ware informed by the Gaurd at Cape May that there was a Brigg about 4 or 5 Leagues to the East ward of Cape May standing in a long Shore. We recd this Information at Dusk & thought it best to let the Captns Barry of the Brigg Livingston [sic Lexington] & [John] Bauldwin of the Schooner Waspto go out to thier Assistance it being light Winds & the Chance difficult we could not get out with the Ship. I ordered our Barg to go & assist in geting the Brig & Schoner out & was strongly solicited by our Brother Richd, to let him go to command the Barge which I refused several Times but at las was prevailed on to let him go. they streched out and came too an Anchor about 3 or 4 Miles to East ward of Cape May all Night as it was so dark they could not see the Brig in the Morning they saw the Brigg 3 Leagues Dist to the Et Ward 32 Men Awarr & 2 Tenders in Chace the Brigg & Schoner finding it impossible to be of any Service streched into the Rhode when our Brother Richd pushed of[f] into thier Assistance & horded her in Defiance of the Man Awarr who was so near as to fire often at them on getting on Bord thought it most prudient to cut her Cable & runn her a Shore in order to save her Cargo if possible as it concisted of Powder Arms Rum Sugar & dry Goods they got her a Shore, where they soon were joined by Captn Barry in his Boat, By this Time the Kingfisher had got in so near as to heave her Shott far over them and keep up very heavy Fire on them Not with standg this they got to work and landed the Goods as fast as possible, on their seeing this they maned four Boats in order to bord the Brigg if possible these Boats were soon beat of[f] & sent back from whence they came when they returned thier Fire with redoubled Fury from the Kingfisher who had then anchored about 3 or 4 Hundred yards from the Brigg after fireing for near half an Hour they maned 5 Boats & sent them to make a second Attack as our People still continued landing the Cargo as fast as possible from the Time the 5 Boats left the Ship they keep up so constant a Fire from the Ship that they obliged our Men to leave the Brigg & take to the Beach where they fought the five Barges for about half an Hour during which Time they killed several of their Men which they saw fall over bord besides others wounded they got Possession of the Brigg at last who blew up in about five Minutes after they horded her and allso blue up one of their Boats and a great Number of their Men on this Accident happening the other 4 Boats made off as fast as possible in a shattered Condition weakly maned the Loss sustained on our Side was the Life of our dear Brother who was shott through the Arm and Body by a Cannon Shott 4 or 5 Minutes before the Action ended. we have this Consolation that he fought like a brave Man & was fore most in every Transaction of that Day this is confessed by Captn Barry whome was present all the Time he is much regreted by all the Officers in our Fleet & particularly Captn Barry who says a braver Man never existed than he was, in him I have lost a dear Brother & a good Officer which I know not where or how to replace there was one Man belonging to the Brigg wounded whom I think will dye this was all the Loss on our Side, we gage that they Lost from 40 to 50 Men at least & one of thier long Boats, the Train that blew the Brigg up was laid by our People before they left the Vessal but we are not certain whether they or us set it on fire. We saved 265 half Barrels of Powder 50 Muskets 2 three Pounders three Swivels & about £1000 wort[h] dry Goods out of her in about 4 Hours the Action lasted from 8 A.M til M.D³ youl recv from Allen Moore Esqre one Bal Sugar & one Bagg Coffe I arrivd just at the Close of the Action Time enough to see him expire a noble Contest in the Arms of Victrtory, he was buried very decently the 30th June in the Meeting House Yard at Cape May when the Clergymen preached a very deacent Sermon youl disclose Love to Nancy the Children & our Sisters & my Complyments to all our this Secret with as much Caution as possible to our Sisters Please give my Relations from your affectionate Brothr

P.S. I am now going a Cruize to the Westindies ー the Coffee comes by Duck Creek ー

L. W.