Sir

I have the pleasure to acquaint you that I have at last got once more without the Barr of Charles Town Since I wrote my last letter to you I had another Main Mast Split with Lightning We had been ready for Sea for some time and only waited for Men. A Bounty of Thirty Dollars I offerred had little effect and some of the State Armed Vessells being in Port nothing could be done by the State untill they were manned Since I have had my New Main mast (the third I have had in this Port) the President has given an additional Bounty of Twenty Dollars by the help of which I have got many Men I have Officers & Boys included about Two Hundred & Ten People

Several Capts of Privateers have been detected in carrying off my People but I can get no redress of them From one I had taken four Men in lieu of as many he had enticed & taken from me but the Civil Power obliged me to give them up I applied to the President and he ordered the Capt to replace my Men or he would not let him pass the Forts The Capt Sailed without giving me a Man A few Days since a Privateer Brig Charles Morgan Commander was comming in I had certain intelligence of his having four of my Men on Board I sent my Barge to Board him but he would not bring to I was Determined to Sink him if he did not and fired at him He brought too and I got two Men from him Two others he had put in a Prize I sent five Men to the President who swore he had Ship'd them knowing them to belong to me But as I could not Stay for a tedious Law Suit no Satisfaction is to be had. It tis easy for those Fellows to act so as to make it difficult to prove they knew of their being on Board untill they Sailed but this was not the case in this instance I wish to have instructions how to conduct myself in such circumstances Also with respect to State armed Vessells. If none of my People had been taken away I could have been at Sea Three months ago and long before my last Main Mast was Struck. Indeed I had despaired of getting Men and was the Day the Lightning Struck us Bending Sails Thinking it better Risk to getting Men at Sea than Lie here on an uncertainty at this Season so bad for the Worms

Lieutt Falconier [Falconniere] of Marines is so exceeding Troublesom and has behaved in so many instances unworthy the Charracter of an Officer that I can not hesitate a moment to comply with the Request of the Officers which I enclose under cover to you and which contains the principle Charges against him I have ordered him to proceed to Congress I am with the Greatest Respect [&c.]

P.S. The Ship does not Sail well owing to Her being foul