242 THE SERVICES OP IIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A 
so that the coast of Virginia was not reached until the 5th July, the 
day on which the British army embarked at Sandy Hook. Mean¬ 
while the English government equipped a fleet of equal strength, and 
in May despatched it under Admiral Byron to America. 
We now return to Captain Downman’s narrative, at the point where 
we left off 1 . 
Chapter V. 
The army from Philadelphia arrives at the heights of Nave Sink. 
Cross over to New York. A French fleet appear off the coast. 
Anchors off Sandy Hook. Proceeds to Rhode Island. Manoeuvres 
of the French and English fleets. Violent storm. Colonel Bolton’s 
expedition. 
June 28th , 1778. —I went to Jamaica, Long Island, to Colonel 
James. At 10 o’clock the same evening an express arrived and in¬ 
formed him the bomb vessels were ordered round to Sandy Hook to 
cover the embarkation of our army from Philadelphia. We set off 
directly to go down to the Narrows. We lost ourselves in a wood 
and did not arrive at Denyse’s Ferry till six in the morning, where 
we got a boat and went on board the Thunder bomb, from whence we 
reached the Carcass bomb tender and proceeded to the Hook with a 
number of other ships. 
June 29th. —Our army is arrived near the shore to the right 
of the Nave Sink. The flat and other boats are preparing to receive 
them. 
June 30th. —Very early this morning the sick and wounded and 
baggage were embarked, also the artillery that formed the park, and 
all the provisions and other waggons. Our army has taken post on 
the commanding ground near the bay. They have had a most fatigu¬ 
ing march. They have not only had rebels to encounter, but intense 
heat and a general want of water, for the rebels cut the ropes of all 
the wells and filled them with rubbish, so that many of our men died 
raving mad. 
From the 1st to the 4th July, 1778. —The artillery horses, etc., have 
been embarking. The horses with a great part of the army chiefly 
embarked from Lighthouse Point. The rebel army fired a feu de joie 
about 7 o’clock this evening, the anniversary of independence. 
Jidy 5th. —During the day the whole of our army embarked and 
the vessels proceeded towards the Narrows. The embarkation of 
our troops was not at all molested by Mr. Washington, who retired 
to some distance after the affair of the 28th of last month, the account 
of which is as follows :— 
The action commenced after a march of eight hours at 12 o’clock on 
the hottest day imaginable. The British guards formed the rear of 
the army, the rebels insulting the flanking parties. At 11 o’clock 
the General reconnoitred the enemy, and finding them in force 
ordered a halt on the heights of Freehold; having given orders accord- 
