Newburyport, May 26 [1775]
Last Tuesday evening [May 23] a barge belonging to the man of war lying at Portsmouth, rowing up and down the river to make discoveries with. two small officers and six seamen, the tars not liking the employ, tied their commanders, then run the boat ashore, and were so impolite as to wish the prisoners good night, and came off. The officers soon got loose and rowed themselves back to the ship.