In the Council of Safety,
[Charleston] Wednesday, Jan. 31st, 1776.
The President laid before the board the following letters which he had written by their order.
Charles-Town, Jan. 30th, 1776.
Gentlemen ー Your favour of the 13th instant was delivered to us two days ago, by Mr. Pooler, who has also produced several certificates and resolutions relative to the Brigantine William and her cargo from the Council of Safety and general committee at Savannah, which have induced usto
Resolve, That the vessel and so much of the cargo as is, in very fact, the property of himself and other gentlemen resident in Georgia, should be immediately restored to them, but the several parcels under mentioned, to be detained until full proof is made to your satisfaction of the proprietary.
Mr. LeVein has indeed been before this board, and declared, that the indico which is shipped in his name, and that of his partners is actually his and their property, and that Mr Groves is not interested, but we have received such assurances to the contrary, as renders it necessary for the justification of his character and to remove all suspicions which might otherwise remain, that proof should be given of the property of the 122 casks of indico, and 100 barrels of rice consigned to Mr. John Clemson. These proofs we apprehend may be immediately brought up by appealing to the letters, which will show on whose account and risk the shipment was made, and to whose account the net produce of sale is ordered to be placed. No gentleman who has signed the general association in this colony nor any one who means to pay proper obedience to the continental resolves, and ordinances, will have any objection to this mode of test, and although we do not mean, nor did we ever intend to interpose our authority over the property of our friends and neighbours in Georgia, yet we must insist upon our right of restraining the inhabitants of the colony, from committing such acts as we judge will be a breach of common faith and hurt the cause of America; the letters therefore which relate to the goods under mentioned, must be opened in your presence in order to ascertain the property as above mentioned, or the goods and letters remain in your custody until we shall have further discussed the subject with the Congress or Council of Safety in Savannah. Such goods as appear to have been shipped on account of any inhabitant of this colony must be put into store and detained by you until further orders.
The parcels of goods particularly suspected are:
15 casks of indico, shipt by J. Graham and Co. for Kinsly and Lushington.
122 casks of indico, by Peter La Vien & Co., and 100 barrels of rice, consigned to John Clempson.
10 casks by James Lucina, consigned to John Nutt.
5 casks by the same, consigned to Bourdieu and Chollette. We say these are the articles which have been represented to us as being in the whole or in part suspected to be the property of inhabitants of this colony, but if you shall have good grounds for suspecting any other parcels to be the property of inhabitants of Carolinian subjects, letters which relate to such goods must undergo inspection in like manner as above directed, and let this business be finished with all possible dispatch, and a report made to the Provincial Congress or Council of Safety as the time shall require. We desire you will make further inquiry, and inform this board more particularly of any illicit loading of vessels with rice, indico or other articles by the persons you have mentioned, Mr. P. and Mr. S. or any other of this colony ー also that you will continue your watchfulness, and extend your advice, influence and authority both north and south effectually to prevent loading without due licence any vessels in the bays, rivers and creeks on this coast. We have reason to believe that attempts have lately been made to carry on a clandestine trade in certain small vessels which we have ordered to be conducted through Wappoo to Charles-Town, that some have actually been loaded and have sailed, and that others are now endeavouring to elude all applications.
By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
Committee for St. Helena, at Beaufort.
In the Council of Safety,
Jan. 30th, 1776.
Sir ー Capt. Pindar has complained to us, that the people who went on board his sloop in Stano, and brought her round to Charles-Town, plundered all his liquors and other stock on board the vessel, the damage amounting to upwards of £35. We are persuaded you would give no countenance to such acts of violence and oppression, we have therefore referred Capt. Pindar to you, for a proper inquiry into the matter.
While we indeavour to enforce due subordination to the laws of Congress, it is also our duty to prevent every act of tyranny upon our fellow subjects ー even offenders are not to be punished without proper authority.
By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
Capt. Brigantine [Benjamin] Stone
Charles-Town, South-Carolina,
30th January 1776.
Gentlemen ー We are favored with your letter of the 24th ult., by the hands of Waightstill Avery, esquire, to which we have paid all possible attention and regard, by consenting, out of our very small fund of gunpowder, to supply your Colony with one thousand pounds weight; which, according to Mr. Avery's arrangement, we have ordered to be delivered from George-Town and Camden stores,...
We are extremely sorry that we cannot send you the full quantity which you require. Two days before Mr. Avery's arrival we received a most pressing demand from Savannah, in Georgia, for 5000 lb., claimed in return for a loan. We had it not in our power to repay (if it was due) more than 2000 lb. This unexpected demand was made in consequence of menaces from the Commodore of the ships-of-war at Cockspur to burn Savannah, and has proved a bar to further supplies to you....
We wrote you the 2d inst. by a Capt. Wylley, who was going to your Colony in order to claim a scooner with Capt. Tollemache had seized from him; but having heard on his journey that the scooner had foundered in the intended voyage to Cape Fear, he turned back, but assured us he had forwarded our letter by a safe hand.
By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
Provincial Council, North Carolina.
The Council took into consideration Capt. Edward Blake's letter of yesterday.
Resolved, That this Council will insure Capt. Edward Blake's scooner called the Little Thomas, which sailed last Friday, on the public [account], to and from Bermuda, at the value of two thousand pounds currency; and that he be allowed two hundred and eighty pounds monthly hire for the said scooner, while she continues in the public service.
Ordered, That Capt. Blake's account for the cargo imported by him on the public account in the sloop Polly, John Conyers master, be discharged, after deducting the cost of the rice exported; and that a licence be given to Capt. Blake to load the sloop again, upon the public account, on the same terms as are stipulated with Capt. Joseph Darrell ー the article of rum to be added among those to be imported.
Capt. [William] Pindar acquainted the Board that their letter to Capt. Benj. Stone, sent by him, had been delivered, but that he had sent no answer; and requested to be permitted to take in sufficient stores for his vessel for the voyage to [New] Providence.
Whereupon the following permit was granted:
In the Council of Safety,
31st January, 1776.
The Sloop Three Brothers, William Pindar, master, is permitted to pass Fort Johnson and the battery at Sullivan's Island, to sea, for Providence, having no other goods or merchandize on board than such as shall be indorsed hereon, and signed by the Chairman of the Committee of Observation.
By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
To the Commanding Officers for the time being, respectively of Fort Johnson, and of the troops at Sullivan's Island.