They heard a gun fire, and a man call upon heaven for mercy, which he judged to be Adams. The next morning I called a council of war, who gave it as their opinion, and in which the Indians were extremely urgent that 1000 men should be detached, and a number of their people would go with them, in order to catch the enemy in their retreat from the other camp, either as victors, or defeated in their design. The 1000 men were detached under the command of colonel Williams, of one of the Boston regiments, with upwards of 200 Indians. They marched between eight and nine o'clock. In about an hour and half afterwards we heard a heavy firing, and all the marks of a warm engagement, which we judged was about three or four miles from us; we beat to arms, and got our men all in readiness. The

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fire approached nearer, upon which I jmlged our people were retreating, and detatched lieutenant colonel Cole, with about 300 men to cover their retreat. About ten o'clock some of our men in the rear, and some Indians of the said party, came running into camp, and acquainted us, that our men were retreating, that the enemy were too strong for them. The whole party that escaped returned to us in large bodies.

As we had thrown up a breastwork of trees round our encampment, and planted some field-pieces to defend the same, we immediately hauled some heavy cannon up there to strengthen our front, took possession of some eminences on our left flank, and got one field-piece there in a very advantageous situation : The breastwork was manned throughout by our people, and the best disposition made through our whole encampment, which time and circumstances would permit.