In Council of Safety,

[Philadelphia] October 14th, 1776.

Mr. Nesbitt was directed to pay Doct'r Dunlap £ 15 9 3, for medicines Purchased for the Use of the Fleet.

An order was drawn on Mr. Nesbitt in fav'r of Capt. Wm Brown for £ 100, on acco't of Inlisting men for the floating Battery, to be charged to his acco't.

Mr. Nesbitt was directed to pay Edmund Beach £ 11 0 6½, for Pine Boards for the use [of the] Convention Armed Boat.

2 o'clock afternoon

The Council having received from Congress a Copy of Letter from General [Charles] Lee, informing that the Hessians had embarked from Staten Island, & did not doubt but that they intended a visit to this State, whereupon a Letter was wrote to the Commodore, directing him to get the Fleet in a proper state of defence; likewise a letter to Sam'l Morris, jun'r, Esq'r, requesting him to send up the Amunition Sloop, & supply himself with a shallop in her stead, to assist in sinking the Chevaux de Frize at Billingsport; also an Express was dispatched with the Intelligence to Mr. Henry Fisher at Lewis Town, directing him to dispatch two fast sailing Boats to go as far as Egg harbor, & in order to give Intelligence of the movements of the enemy, & if any discoveries were made, to forward the same to this Council, & to direct the signals be attended to.²

The Council adjourned to 7 o'clock;

Resolved. That a Bounty of Ten Dollars be given to every able Bodied Man who shall enter to serve during the War, on board the Fleet belonging to this State; And that Commodore Seymour be directed to take the most effectual measures for manning the Fleet to its full Compliment.