Enclosed letter from Colonel Woodford

v4:539

Norfolk, January 4, 1776, three o' clock, P˙ M.

About quarter past three, on Monday afternoon, the whole fleet began a heavy cannonade, which lasted seven hours, without any intermission, and, indeed, continued, off and on, till last night, since which we have been tolerably quiet. Under the fire of their ships, they landed in many places, and set fire to the houses on the wharves. In these attempts, many of them, we are certain, were killed, and never failed being repulsed by our people. We had not a man killed, and only five or six wounded, one supposed mortally; and two or three women and children are said to be killed. Providence certainly interfered in our favour, or more lives must have been lost. They once landed and got into the streets with field-pieces, but were beat back with loss, and no execution done by their fire. Nine-tenths of the town are destroyed, but the fire is now out.