Hand Friend

I recd yours In behalf of the Comte of Naval Affairs of the 9th Inst wch Came to hand by Capt Munrow 21st I emediately laid the same before Govr Cooke & Mr Secry [Henry] Ward, who was Zealious for getg the Men & would have got the Govrs Co[uncil] together & asked Money from the Treasry to paid the Expence & Necs[r]y Advance, Had not we tho't it best to be Advanced by Private persons whereupon Capt Nicho Power as Zeal[i]ous & suteable a person as any in The Colony readely Offerd his Servis at his Own Expence s[e Jt of[f] the next Morng for Newport where we hoped to get a Number of Seam[e]n But they being Mostly Inlisted into the Artillery & other Compys in Deffence the Colony, & the Influence of the Toreys prevented his getg Any Altho' he had taken every Proper Measure for that purpose, havg retu[r]n'd & made report Accordgly & that a Number would Inlist if permited from sd Compys wch if So Orderd would be Agreed to by the Comandg Officer We Call'd together the Co[u]nc[i]l this day (Some of wch live at a distance), who upon Consideration of the Importance of Maning the Contenental fleet wch in Turn after a Short Time hoped to receive Some emediate Benefiet by sd fleet Granted Liberty for Capt Power to return to Newport & get all the Seamen from Any the compy he Could tho' the Govermt at this Time is in the Graitest Confution, All the Minute men (in Consique[nce] of Intelligence from Genl Washington) being Ordrd on to the Island The Allarm list Includg all persons in the Collony between 16 & 60, Ordrd Call'd together & ¼ part to be hir'd Contracted with or Drafted to hold them selves in Constant readiness to March on the shortest Notice.

Genl [Charles] Lee being wrote for on the Aforesd Intellegence, has sin[ce] bin here & is gone to Newport with the Cadet Co & Minute Men & Abot 50 wch Came from the Camp As his Gard ー Tho' we had Accot since from Genl Washington the Troops & Ships saild from Boston [was] supepos'd to Contain the [18] & 59 Regemts Some Inveleeds & Recrutg officers bound home ー Yet we Apprehend grait Confution in The people of Newport I [know] Wallace shod fire on them Its Sd Genl Lee; with Coll: [Rufus] Putman as Ingeneer & Brother J[n]o. Brown Appotd by the Assemy will Exame the proper places on & about the Isd to fortifie Genl Lee ses its not Doubted but the Enemie has there eye on the Isd of Rhod[isd] & it Seems proved by the Conduct of the Toreys there Its realy to be feard without some Assistanc[e] in raisg a suff [icien]t Standg Army the Isds of this Colony (at lest) will be taken possesn of by the Enemie, & its tho't Many the people there will Joyn them But to return, its to be Hop'd Capt Power will get 30 or 40 seamen, As he sets of[f] for Newport for that purp[o]se a 2nd time Tombrow morng what ever Numr is to be got will be forwardd In [Clark's] Sloop as Soon as possoble we are much pleas'd wth the spirit of the Congress in Ordg a Number of Ships Built, its a Grat pitte they had Not bin Set About before, so as to bin ready Airly in The Spring, every Necesry Preperation I hope will timely be Made ー Capt Power tells me he will Ingage to Make 10 or 12 Tons of Good [Saltpetre?] at the Price it Can be [bot] in these New Engd Colonys, web if not Contracted for & agreable would be glad to know if he May depend on suppyg it