210 THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
November 4th. —I went down this morning to the 12-pr. battery on 
this side the Schuylkill, and observed the rebel shipping were in reach. 
I fire four shot, one of which went into the provision ship, and the 
others went so near them that they immediately quitted their station 
and went more over to the Jersey shore and higher up towards Glou¬ 
cester Point. 
November 5th. —-I went this day at 1 o’clock to relieve Captain Scott 
on Province Island. I found the six 24-prs. drawn up to Blakney 
house. As soon as it was dark, so that we could work with safety, we 
began to repair the road down to the battery for the guns. Several 
rounds of round and grape shot were fired at us from the fort without 
doing any damage. This afternoon about 5 o’clock all the rebel gal¬ 
leys drew up in form, and went down and began a very heavy fire at 
our two uppermost men-of-war. They continued near an hour firing, 
but at such a distance that they did little or no execution. Two or 
three of the galleys felt more bold than the rest and ventured pretty 
near the men-of-war that had not yet returned one single shot, but 
when he saw them at a tolerable distance John Bull began to speak 
to them in so rough a tone that they tacked about and made the best 
of their way back after expending a great quantity of ammunition. 
The attack was very beautiful, the evening was fine and a dead calm, 
the galleys rowed down in two divisions, and though the smoke had a 
great effect their fire was incessant The rebels opened a two-gun bat¬ 
tery on the Jersey shore to-day and fired several shots at our men-of-war, 
but John Bull did not care a fig for them and lay immovable as a rock. 
The day is not far off that we shall repay them with very great interest 
for all their incivilities. General Howe visited all the batteries on 
Province Island to-day, and has given directions to repair those that 
want it, and to push on the 24-pr. battery with all haste. Its situation 
is on the right of the left hand howitzer battery and nearly opposite 
to the centre of the fort on Mud Island. I attempted to get down the 
24-prs. to the battery, but the night turned out so bad, dark and 
rainy, that, after trying from 6 in the evening till 2 in the morning, 
I was obliged to desist. 
November 6th. —I was relieved this afternoon by Captain Adye. 1 
November 7th. —This day Captains Traille, Standish, Stewart, and 
Huddlestone with three subs and 160 men were ordered down to Province 
Island, thereto remain till further orders. They are to get the 24-prs. 
on the battery and see everything in readiness and order for the day of 
opening. 
November 8th. —This morning I went down to the island. The 
24-prs. not yet ready. The rebels seem very busy in their fort. 
November 9th.—' Two 32-prs. were got to the battery near the Pest 
House. The 12-prs. were drawn off. These guns began a fire on the 
fort on Mud Island, and by their situation very much damaged it and 
annoyed the rebels. I got down from town an 18-pr. and placed it 
i Kane’s List No 308. CaptainS. P. Adye,‘'Brigade-Major to Colonel Pattison, R.A. He 
afterwards was appointed Judge Advocate General to the Army. 
