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Officers to sign a representation of the state of the Garrison each giving the part that related to the Branch under his charge which was accordingly done and the representation sign'd by all the Officers of the Garrison.
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The three officers then went and brought a Draught of Capitulation from the French commander containing every thing we could expect or demand with the restrictions above, that is, not to be made good 'till the arrival of their sea force as mention'd before, and to go for nothing if our succours first arriv'd. I was desir’d and pretty much press'd to sign it, butt I absolutely refus'd it, and all I could be brought to was to allow the commissioners to sign it as preliminaries if they thought proper. Butt this not being to the purposs of the French Commander, he told the three commissioners that he had gone further than he ought, and the Capitulation must be signed to him absolutely, and that his intention was that the whole transaction should have been carried on between him and me only and that therefore he could go on no further unless we would come to his terms, upon which he produc'd another Draught of Capitulation which the three officers absolutely refus'd to bring to me. They then parted and agreed that the Truce should continue no longer than the next day att twelve o’clock unless I would send to him. This being reportted to me, all the officers being present, I shew'd them the French officer appeared to have no other intention than to entrapp us by sowing division amongst us and after further discourse on that head it was unanimously resolv'd to break all parley with him and to beginn hostilities att twelve o’clock, which was accordingly done on our side by firing two gunns att some men drawing too near the Garrison.
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Upon some intimation being given to me that the men were uneasy and threatened to seize their officers for parleying too long with the Enemy, I was heartily glad to see this spirit reviv’d which some officers had told me was entirely depress'd in our men. I immediately sent the Fort Major to acquaint them with what was past and that all parley being broke off, hostilities were agoing to beginn again, to which they express'd their assent by three chearfull Huzzas to my great satisfaction.
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The Enemy went on with their nightly attacks and daily skirmishes as usual, and became more and more contemptible to the Garrison, as we found little more harm accruing to us than the disturbance in the night, which I endeavour’d to make up for, by keeping as few men as I could for the day 10
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