“I am sorry that I am now to Acquaint your Grace with the Advices I receiv’d last night by Express from Nova Scotia giving me an Account that the Detachment of Troops under the Command of Lieu^t. Colonel Noble, which I Inform’d your Grace in my last of the 21^{st.} instant had taken possession of Minas, and had kept it near two months, was for want of a proper Security for the Men and Intelligence from the Inhabitants surpriz’d on the 31^{st.} of January last at three o’Clock in the morning by between 5 & 600 Canadeans & Indians in which Lieu^t. Col^o. Noble with four Officers more and about 80 men were killed, and three Officers and about 60 Men were wounded and taken prisoners before it was light enough for our people to get together; they however obliged the Enemy, upwards of 20 of whom were kill’d, and about 15 wounded, to allow ’em an honourable Capitulation, a Copy of which I inclose to your Grace together with the Account given of this Affair by the Officer who was Commandant of the Detachment at the time of the Capitulation, & Extracts from Lieu^t. Governour Mascarene’s Letter to me upon this Subject, from whence I choose your Grace should receive the Acco^t. in the same light it has been Conveyed to me in, and which upon the best Inquiry I can make, seems to be a just one. I also Inclose to your Grace an Extract from Col. Noble’s Letter to me dated two days before his death, giving me an Account of the Situation 343 of Affairs then at Minas; from whence your Grace will perceive that even then he was in Expectation of being Join’d by the Rhode Island Forces & the Company from this Province, which had the Misfortune to be Shipreck’d; and that, had they arriv’d at Annapolis, and the New Hampshire Companies had not return’d home without acting, the Enemy would in all probability have been drove out of Nova Scotia, and every good purpose, which I had propos’d, been answer’d before this time. As it is I shall use my best Endeavours forthwith to fit out a sufficient force by Sea to destroy M^r. Ramsay’s Vessels at Schiegnecto, and recover our own by Spring, & to send M^r. Mascarene such a Reinforcement of Troops as may still drive the Enemy out of Nova Scotia by the same time and prevent any bad Consequences from the late Accident there, which seems necessary to be done (if possible) and I shall hope to succeed in, if the neighbouring Governments of New England will assist in, which I shall urge ’em to do. “I likewise inclose the Answer of the Inhabitants of Minas to the French Letter which I some time ago Inform’d your Grace I sent M^r. Mascarene last Fall, and a Paragraph out of one of his Letters to me upon the same matter; whereby your Grace will perceive that that Letter seems to have had an happy Effect upon the Inhabitants at a most critical Conjuncture.