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Communication to the Sea for the numerous Vessels which had long
been block’d up in our Harbour and River. By my exertions, on the
first day of my command, I had the good Fortune to take one of the
British Tenders and clear’d the Bay of the remainder, whereby the
principal part of our home ward bound Vessels arrived Safe without
Opposition, and the Day became memorable for the first shot that
was fired on the Water in Defiance of the British Flag, which I
Ventured to do at no small Hazard, from a sense of my Country
wrong’d and at a time when no other Man in the Colony would under-
take the Hazardous Business lest he should be destined to the
threatened Cord [Hangman's Rope].
I continued cruising in our Bay and Rivers until the 12th of September 1775 during which period I had a number of Actions with Vessels of superior Force, which were productive of advantages to America, and served to convince our Enemies that her Sons wanted not Spirit to defend their just Rights even against a very formidable Power, and under almost every discouragement. I was then ordered by the Colony to go [-->page 3]