Manuscripts and Special Collections
Me C 28/2 : Letter from Sir Henry Clinton, Boston, to Charles Mellish; c. 24 Jun. 1775
the consiquence, thought I might be of use,
passed the river, assembled the debris of
the left, & what other troops I could get,
and marched to the assistance of my friend.
I found that the enemy was quitting his intrenchment
and was retiring; took with his
approbation my friend Howe's avant guarde
to finish whatever remained to be done,
followed in expectation of meeting with a
second redoubt which we had half finished
a month before but the stockaders had done
nothing to it, on the contrary had left it in
the only state in which it could anoy
them. Our troops got possession, but still
were exposed to the fire from some houses
which the enemy still kept possession off. I
sent for some canons & Housting[?] but being
wooden houses they suffered very little. I
thus proposed to go and burn them with the
light infantry, thinking it best to finish the
affair, so feared the enemy seeing their
troops in possession of these houses
