On this day 250 years ago, a small British fleet commanded by Captain James Wallace anchored off Bristol, Rhode Island. Wallace demanded that the town provide 200 sheep and 30 cattle to feed the hungry British troops besieged in Boston or he would open fire on the town. When the townspeople refused his demand he began the bombardment and sent men ashore to plunder the town. After one and a half hour of bombardment, and the destruction of about twenty buildings including the Meeting House and several homes, the town surrendered. The townspeople were unable to round up all the livestock demanded and Wallace sailed away with the promise of only 40 sheep.

Source: https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/bristol-bombardment-1775/

On this day 250 years ago in Barnegat Bay off the coast of New Jersey, Monmouth County militia captured a tender of the HMS Viper.

Source: https://www.yorkmaine.org/DocumentCenter/View/10983/American-Revolution-Chronology-

And on this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:

The Situation of Things, is so alarming, that it is our Duty to prepare our Minds and Hearts for every Event, even the Worst. From my earliest Entrance into Life, I have been engaged in the public Cause of America: and from first to last I have had upon my Mind, a strong Impression, that Things would be wrought up to their present Crisis. I saw from the Beginning that the Controversy was of such a Nature that it never would be settled, and every day convinces me more and more. This has been the source of all the Disquietude of my Life. It has lain down and rose up with me these twelve Years. The Thought that we might be driven to the sad Necessity of breaking our Connection with G.B. exclusive of the Carnage and Destruction which it was easy to see must attend the seperation, always gave me a great deal of Grief. And even now, I would chearfully retire from public life forever, renounce all Chance for Profits or Honours from the public, nay I would chearfully contribute my little Property to obtain Peace and Liberty.—But all these must go and my Life too before I can surrender the Right of my Country to a free Constitution. I dare not consent to it. I should be the most miserable of Mortals ever after, whatever Honours or Emoluments might surround me.

Source: “John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 October 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-01-02-0194. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 1, December 1761 – May 1776, ed. Lyman H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963, pp. 294–296.]