THE SERVICES OE LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 21 i 
near the 12pr. battery on this side the Schuylkill to disturb the rebel 
shipping that lie at anchor off that point. 
November 10th .—This morning the 24-pr. battery and all the other 
batteries on Province Island opened upon the fort and kept it up the 
whole day. The rebel fire damaged our works and killed two men. 
Before evening their barracks, blockhouses, and other work appeared 
in a tattered condition, and one of their batteries was silenced. Two 
brigs and two sloops with provisions from our fleet passed the fort in 
the night and got up the Schuylkill without any loss, though the fort 
fired both cannon and small arms at them. 
November 11th. — Ns soon as daylight appeared our batteries began 
again, and in a short time silenced one of the rebel batteries. A few 
men were wounded to-day. By my application a battery was made 
this evening for a gun on the wharf about half way between the Pest 
House and our batteries. It was made and a medium 12-pr. got on 
by the morning. The gun by situation flanks the rebel works, and of 
course must much annoy them. It also commands a wharf opposite 
to it on Mud Island and prevents the enemy from coming down to fire 
on our boats that pass and repass every night with provisions and am¬ 
munition. 
November 12th. —The firing from our batteries in a small degree 
kept up during the night and pushed on with vigour when day appears. 
Our men-of-war are approaching nearer the chevavx-de-frise. The 
Vigilant is to come up as soon as the tide will admit her. She is not 
to come over or through any part of chevaux-de-frise, but up a creek 
between Province Island and another small isle. Her station is to be 
on the angle of the rebel grand battery and on the right of our bat¬ 
teries. A sloop, likewise, with three 18-prs. is to follow the Vigilant, 
and after she is moored the sloop is to anchor just ahead of her. The 
men-of-war are -to approach as near the chevaux-de-frise as possible 
and to keep up a fire on the fort and prevent their galleys from falling 
on the Vigilant. The floating battery with two 32-prs. is to be sta¬ 
tioned on the left of our batteries, and a detachment of the guards is 
to be'in readiness to storm. 
November 13th. —The wind blows exceeding hardly; the Vigilant 
cannot come up, nor the floating battery get down. Our batteries 
keep up a constant fire with cannon and mortars. The fort appears 
a perfect wreck; they return our fire but very faintly. The wind 
abated in the night. The floating battery went down and took her 
station. 
November 14th. —This morning at daybreak the rebels discovered 
the floating battery and directed all the guns they could against it and 
in a very little time obliged the officer and men to quit her. The shot 
went through and through but fortunately they lost but one man. It 
was now proposed to take the guns out of her and put them on the 
wharf where I had made a battery. As soon as night came on, boats 
went down and towed her alongside the wharf, and one gun was taken 
out and put on the platform; the other remained in her. 
November 15th. —In the morning early our batteries renewed their 
