For six days previous to the evacuation of Fort Mifflin, the fire from the enemy’s batteries and shipping had been incessant. Major Fleury kept a journal of events, which were daily forwarded to General Washington, from which the following are extracts.
“November 10th, at noon.—I am interrupted by the bombs and balls, which fall thickly. The firing increases, but not the effect; our barracks alone suffer. Two o’clock:—the direction of the fire is changed; our palisades suffer; a dozen of them are broken down; one of our cannon is damaged; I am afraid it will not fire straight. Eleven o’clock at night:—the enemy keep up a firing every half hour. Our garrison diminishes; our soldiers are overwhelmed with fatigue.
“11th. The enemy keep up a heavy fire; they have changed the direction of their embrasures, and instead of battering our palisades in front, they take them obliquely and do great injury to our north side. At night:—the enemy fire and interrupt our works. Three vessels have passed up between us and Province Island, without any molestation from the galleys. Colonel Smith, Captain George, and myself wounded. These two gentlemen passed immediately to Red Bank.
“12th. Heavy firing; our two eighteen pounders at the northern battery dismounted. At night:—the enemy throw shells, and we are alarmed by thirty boats.
“13th. The enemy have opened a battery on the old Ferry Wharf; the walk of our rounds is destroyed, the block-houses ruined. Our garrison is exhausted with fatigue and ill-health.
“14th. The enemy have kept up a firing upon us part of the night. Day-light discovers to us a floating battery, placed a little above their grand battery and near the shore. Seven o’clock:—the enemy keep up a great fire from their floating battery and the shore; our block-houses are in a pitiful condition. At noon:—we have silenced the floating battery. A boat, which this day deserted from the fleet, will have given the enemy sufficient intimation of our weakness; they will probably attempt a lodgment on the Island, which we cannot prevent with our whole strength.
“15th—at six in the afternoon.—The fire is universal from the shipping and batteries. We have lost a great many men to-day; a great many officers are killed or wounded. My fine company of artillery is almost destroyed. We shall be obliged to evacuate Fort Mifflin this night. Major Talbut is badly wounded.
“16th. We were obliged to evacuate the fort last evening. Major Thayer returned from thence a little after two this morning. Everything was got off that possibly could be. The cannon could not be removed without making too great a sacrifice of men, as the Vigilant lay within one hundred yards of the southern part of the works, and with her incessant fire, hand grenades and musketry, from the round-top, killed every man that appeared upon the platforms.”
After this devastating conflict, Fleury was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the army. He had already received from Congress the gift of a horse, as a testimonial of their sense of his merit at the battle of Brandywine, where a horse was shot under him.
“To the President of Congress—