Decennium luctuosum. An history of remarkable occurrences, in the long war, which New-England hath…

While they thus beheld a Formidable Crew of Dragons, coming with open mouth upon them, to Swallow them up at a Mouthful, one of the Soldiers began to speak of Surrendering; upon which the Captain Vehemently protested, That he would lay the man Dead, who should so much as matter that base word any more! and so they heard no more on't: But the Valiant Storer was put upon the like protestation, to keep 'em in good ⟨p. 94⟩Fighting ••im, a board the Sloops also. The Enemy now Approaching very near, gave Three Shouts, that made the Earth ring again; and Crying out, in English, Fire, and Fall on, Brave Boys! the whole Body, drawn into Three Ranks, Fired at once▪ Captain Convers immediately ran into the several Flankers, and made their Best Gun Fire at such a rate, that several of the Enemy fell, and the rest of 'em disappeared almost as Nimbly, as if they had been so many Spectres. Particularly, a parcel of them got into a small Deserted House; which having but a Board-Wall to it, the Captain sent in after them, those Bullets of Twelve to the Pound, that made the House too hot, for them that could get out of it. The Women in the Garrison, on this occasion took up the Amazonian Stroke, and not only brought Ammunition to the Men, but also with a Manly Resolution fired several Times upon the Enemy. The Enemy finding that Things would not yet go to their minds, at the Garrison, drew off, to Try their Skill upon the Sloops, which lay still a breast in the Creek, lashed fast one to another. They built a Great Fire Work, about Eighteen or Twenty Foot Square, and filled it up with Combustible matter, which they Fired; and then they set it in the way, for the Tide now to Float it up, unto the Sloops, which had now nothing but an horrible Death before them. Nevertheless, their Demands, of both the Garrison, and ⟨p. 95⟩the Sloops, to yield themselves, were answered no otherwise than with Death upon many of them, Spit from the Guns of the Besieged. Having towed their Fire-Work, as far as they durst, they committed it unto the Tide; but the Distressed Christians that had this Deadly Fire, Swimming along upon the Water towards 'em, committed it unto God: and God looked from Heaven upon them, in this prodigious Article of their Distress. These poor men Cried, and the Lord, heard them, and saved them out of their Troubles;