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came up to Westover, having, on their way, taken possession of some works we had at Hood s, by which two or three of their vessels received some damage, but which were of necessity aban doned by the small garrison of fifty men placed there, on the enemy s landing to invest the works. Intelligence of their having quitted the station at Jamestown, from which we supposed they meant to land for Williamsburg, and of their having got in the evening to Kennon s, reached us the next morning at five o clock, and was the first indication of their meaning to penetrate towards this place or Petersburg. As the orders for drawing militia here, had been given but two days, no opposition was in readiness. Every effort was therefore necessary, to withdraw the arms and other military stores, records, &LC. from this place. Every effort was, accordingly, exerted to convey them to the foundery five miles, and to a laboratory six miles, above this place, till about sunset of that day, when we learned the enemy had come to an anchor at Westover that morning. We then knew that this, and not Petersburg was their object, and began to carry across the river every thing remaining here, and to remove what had been transported to the foundery and laboratory to Westham, the nearest crossing, seven miles above this place, which operation was continued till they had approached very near. They march ed from Westover, at two o clock in the afternoon of the 4th, and entered Richmond at one o clock in the afternoon of the 5th. A regiment of infantry and about thirty horse continued on, without halting, to the foundery. They burnt that, the boring mill, the magazine and two other houses, and proceeded to Westham ; but nothing being in their power there, they retired to Richmond. The next morning, they burned some buildings of public and private property, with what stores remained in them, destroyed a great quantity of private stores, and about twelve o clock, retired to wards Westover, where they encamped within the neck, the next day.
The loss sustained, is not yet accurately known. As far as I have been able to discover, it consisted, at this place, of about three hundred muskets, some soldiers clothing to a small amount, some quarter master s stores, of which one hundred and twenty sides of leather was the principafarticle, part of the artificers tools, and three wagons. Besides which, five brass four pounders which we had sunk in the river, were discovered to them, raised and carried off. At the foundery, we lost the greater part of the papers belonging to the Auditor s office, and of the books and pa pers of the Council office. About five or six tons of powder, as we conjecture, was thrown into the canal, of which there will be VOL. i. 26
