Camp at Camridge Septemr 18. 1775
[Extract]
Sir. Your Favours of the 9, 15, & 15. Inst. have been duly received: The Readiness of the Committee to cooperate with me in procuring the most authentick Intelligence & dispatching Captn [Abraham] Whipple for this Purpose, is peculiarly satisfactory, & I flatter myself will be attended not only with Success, but with the happiest Consequence to the publick Cause ー I should immediately have sent you Notice of the Paragraph in the Philada Paper (which is all the Account I have of the taking the Powder at Bermudas) but I supposed it had come to your Hands, before it reached ours: I am inclined to think it sufficient to suspend Captn Whipples Voyage at least till further Intelligence is procured from Philada as it is scarecely supposable the Vessels would have left any Quantity behind worth the Risque & Expence of such a Voyage. ー As this Enterprize will therefore most probably be laid aside for the present it may be proper for Capt. Whipple to keep his Station a few days longer for the Packet. It must be remembered they generally have long Passages, & we are very sure she has not yet arrived at Boston, nor do I find she is expected there. ー
The Voyage to Bayonne is what I should much approve & recommend, The Person sent to Govr Trumbull has not yet called upon me; but the Scheme appears so feasible, that I should be glad to see it executed, at the same time I must add that I am in some doubt as to the Extent of my Powers to appropriate the publick Money here to this Purpose. I could wish you would communicate it to the Congress, for which you will have Time sufficient, & I make no doubt of their Concurrence. In fact the State of our Treasury here at present is so low that it would be impracticable to be of any Service to the Expedition if all other Objections were obviated . . .
Sir [&c.]