On his arrival he reiterated the refusal to supply the British invaders with what had been demanded.
"Beresford repeated his threats and at length, on the 6th of April, sent Captain Byron, with the _Belvidera_ and several smaller vessels, to attack the town.
"He fired several heavy round shot into it, then sent a flag of truce, again demanding the supplies Beresford had called for.
"Colonel Davis, the officer in command of the militia, repeated the refusal; then Byron sent word that he was sorry for the misery he should inflict on the women and children by a bombardment.
"To that a verbal reply was sent: 'Colonel Davis is a gallant officer, and has taken care of the ladies.' "Then Byron presently began a cannonade and bombardment and kept it up for twenty-two hours.
"The Americans replied in a very spirited manner from a battery on an eminence.

Davis's militia worked it and succeeded in disabling the most dangerous of the enemy's gunboats and silencing its cannon.
"The British failed in their effort to inflict great damage upon the town, although they hurled into it as many as eight hundred eighteen and thirty-two pound shot, besides many shells and Congreve rockets.

The heavy round shot injured some of the houses but the shells did not reach the town and the rockets passed over it.

No one was killed.
"Plenty of powder was sent for the American guns from Dupont's at Wilmington, and they picked up and sent back the British balls, which they found just fitted their cannon." "How good that was," laughed Lulu.

"It reminds me of the British at Boston asking the Americans to sell them their balls which they had picked up, and the Americans answering, 'Give us powder and we'll return your balls.' But is that all of your story, papa ?" "Yes, all about the fight at Lewis, but in the afternoon of the next day the British tried to land to steal some of the live stock in the neighborhood; yet without success, as the American militia met them at the water's edge and drove them back to their ships.
"About a month later the British squadron dropped down to Newbold's ponds, seven miles below Lewis, and boats filled with their armed men were sent on shore for water; but a few of Colonel Davis's men, under the command of Major George H.Hunter, met and drove them back to their ships.