[Footnote 141: A party of British troops sallied out toward Roxbury, drove in the American pickets, and burned the tavern which was situated upon the portion of the neck nearest Roxbury.]
the 1. The floating Battery[142] went up towards Brookline fort[143] then our men perceiving her move they began to fire at her out of colonel Reeds fort untill they drove her back to her old place the same day they fired from Roxbury hill fort and it was said that they fired through their Baracks.
[Footnote 142: When the British built their breastwork on the neck, the Sunday previous, they had a floating battery brought into Charles river, and moored it within three hundred yards of Sewall's point.]
[Footnote 143: The Brookline fort was on Sewall's point, between Roxbury and Cambridge. It commanded the entrance to Charles river.]
the 4. Nothing remarkable to day only I went to the main guard and the enemy fired at us as we came up.
the 6. Being Sunday nothing remarkable at night I went on the piquet guard.
the 9. Nothing remarkable this day only I went upon fatigue.
the 10. Nothing strange We had a great rain.
the 11. Their was three men whipt for deserting they were whipt ten stripes apiece they belonged to the conecticut forces.
the 12. Nothing remarkable to day I went upon fatigue to Dorchester.[144]
[Footnote 144: The village and church of Dorchester was four miles from Boston. The heights of Dorchester are in what is now called South Boston.]
the 13. Being Sunday we went to Hear Mr. Willard[145] and after Meting our Men went to Entrench down at the George tavern and About Brake of day they got Hom.
[Footnote 145: Joseph Willard, D.D., who was made president of Harvard college in December, 1781. He died in New Bedford, in 1804, at the age of sixty-four years.]
14. Their was Nothing Remarcable I went upon fatigue down to the George tavern.
15. Two Oclock this Afternoon when the Lobsters[146] fired on our guards which was returned by our Roxbury fort the fireing was continued for some time but how much to their Damag we dont know one of our men was slitely wounded their fireing was from a floating Batery and it is thought would have killed one or too men if they had not have Lain down for the Ball passed within about 4 foot of our Barack the night passed without any alarm.