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Besides the before-mentioned stock from Gardiner' s Island, we are informed that the same crew of freebooters took from Fisher' s Island twenty-six fat cattle, and about one thousand sheep; also from Plumb-Island, fourteen fat cattle. At this last island they had only one prize wood-boat and a transport brig. On their arrival and landing on one side of the island, they were fired upon by about one hundred of Colonel Wooster' s Provincials, who had landed on the other side. But it being represented to the commanding officer, that the island was nearly surrounded by a number of the enemy' s armed vessels, who would be likely to cut off their retreat, they fired but one volley, which did not appear to have done any execution, and then retired to the main land, when the fourteen cattle were taken off.
After these exploits, three more transports appearing in sight, on Tuesday morning the Rose and Swan, sloops-of-war, sailed to meet them, in order to make a descent upon and plunder Block-Island; the success of which attempt we have not yet heard.
It is the opinion of good judges, that only two hundred Provincial Soldiers, well posted on either of these islands, would have repelled the attack made upon it by the Regulars.
We have advice from Huntingdon, on Long-Island, that on Wednesday morning, the ninth, forty volunteers from
The number of men who appeared to oppose these depredations of the Regulars, is supposed to exceed a thousand, with whale-boats ready to have carried them to the scene of action; but being deceived by false intelligence, they turned back, and only one company of about forty went to Gardiner' s Island, where they arrived in time to see the enemy under sail, and in a few hours after their departure.
The following is an estimate of the value of the Stock feloniously plundered by the Men-of-War and Transports from Gardiner' s Island, viz: 8 Oxen, £130; 25 Steers, three years old, £250; 25 Heifers, two years old, £137
10s˙; 5 Cows, £48; 4 Calves, £8; 13 large Hogs, £39; 7 whey Hogs, £17 10s˙; 16 Shoats, £12 16s˙; 28 Geese, £2 16s˙; 4 Ducks, 6s˙; 1166 Sheep, £583; 90 Cheeses, £72; Damage, &c˙, £34 14s˙ 6d. — Total, £1335 12s˙
6d. By half a Guinea, 18s˙ 6d˙; Pistareen, 1s˙ 7d˙ —
£1 0s˙ 1d. Balance due, £1334 12s˙ 5d.
Account of the plundering of the Islands by the British
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that place, and many from the parts adjacent, went off to join General Wooster' s forces, but that on the way being informed by false intelligence that they were too late, for that the enemy had done their business and were gone, they returned back, and on their way disarmed a number of Tories at Southold, and lodged one of the most obnoxious (the Rev˙ Mr˙ Lyon) under guard in General Wooster' s camp.