Scarborough, Piscataqua 30th May 1775
(Copy)
Sir I received your Letter of the 25th Inst and likewise your Order with the two restraining Bills and Orders to stop and send to Boston all Vessels loaded with Provisions; In my last I acquainted You of my giving Lieut Mowat Orders to proceed to Halifax, the Wind continuing Easterly, made it impossible for him to get out of the Harbour, on the 23d he sent me a Copy of your Order, which he had received by Mr Tyng in a small Sloop from Boston desiring he might remain at Falmouth, till further Orders, in consequence of which, I ordered him there as soon as he could get ready, which took up some time, as he was in want of Provisions.
Yesterday two Sloops arrived here from Long Island, loaded with Corn, Flour, Pork, and Bread, which I have stopt and sent round to Boston agreeable to your Orders.
The Stopping of these Vessels have been the cause of great Commotions in the Town of Portsmouth, A Committee applied to the Governor to have them discharged by either writing to me or coming down himself, accordingly he came Onboard here Yesterday in the afternoon he ask'd me whether I could consistent with my Orders allow those Vessels to go to Town and unload, I told him, I could not and shewed him your Orders to me, he said it might be of fatal consequences to many of the King's Subjects ー I told him I could not help that, I must do my duty, he then delivered me a Paper a Copy of which I herewith transmit to You, I have just been inform'd there is a large body of People, come into Portsmouth from the Country, The Collector of the Customs and two or three other Friends to Government have taken shelter Onboard the Scarborough, wether the Governor means to come onboard I cannot as yet inform You, for when he came onboard Yesterday he was oblige to promise the people of the Town that he would return again so that he has not the least power or authority there; They threaten much for two or three thousand people to come down and destroy the Scarboroh; If they should have the madness to attempt any thing of that kind You may be assured the King's Ship will be defended; it was a very lucky Circumstance of my dismantling the Fort for they might very easily have come in and taken possession of it. There was a battery about a Mile and half from where I lay of eight twenty four Pounders, there are no Carriages to them, I heard they intended to move them upon an eminence in order to fire upon the Scarboroh Upon my hearing of their intentions, I ordered the Gunner to go onshore and spike them up, which has render'd them useless for the present.
I send these two Vessels round under the protection of the Canceaux, for if I had sent them singly by themselves, there were Arm'd Boats all ready to pursue them and likewise expresses have been sent to Newbury and Cape Ann to fit out Vessels to intercept them, as therefore it is morally impossible for me to send any Vessels that may be stop't with Provisions round to Boston without having an Armed Vessel to accompany them there otherwise they will be seized and the people in them very ill treated, if not put to death. I don't know any other Scheme, that will have a great effect in bringing the People of this Province to a due sense of the Duty that they owe to the Mother Country than that of stopping their Provisions, I therefore think it an Object worthy of Attention.
I am very much obliged to You for your polite Approbation of my Conduct since I have been in this Port, You may be assured that nothing shall be wanting on my part in doing every thing in my power for the good of His Majesty's Service and the protection of his Servants. I am [&c.]