Newport October 18th 1776ー
Sir
The Owners of Captn [Joseph] Dennis's Sloop have deliver'd two of the Men which Sign'd their Articles, and have given sufficient Security that they will not carry away any of the Men belonging to the Fleet ー If you find any Men onboard that do belong to the Fleet take them out and then discharge the Sloop, as there are some of the Owners2 that are Men of honour & will not do any such thing it will be hard that they should Suffer for one Man who has behaved out of Character ー So that upon the whole think it best to let the Sloop and her people go ー I am Your Friend &c.
E H —
To John P. Jones Esqr Commr of the Providence or Hoysteed Hacker Esqr Commr of the Hamdenー
1. Hopkins Letter Book, RIHS.
2. The owners of Captain Dennis's Massachusetts privateer sloop Fair Lady were listed in the bond as Nathaniel Farley, Jacob Treadwell and others, all of Ipswich. Mass. Arch., vol. 5, 286.
