American Theatre from February 19, 1776, to April 17, 1776
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives.
The Secretary will, herewith, lay before you, two letters from the Committee of Newbury port, one dated 24th Feby last, & the other the 18th Instant, wherein you will observe, that the Order of Court of the 8th of February last, relative to the fixing for the Sea, and maning with fifty men each, the Sloop Machias Liberty, & the Schooner Diligent... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Sir The 17th Inst the Pirates all abandoned their Works in Boston & Charlestown & went on board their Ships, & on the 20th they burnt & destroyed the Works on Castle Island. They now lye in Nantasket Road waiting for a fair wind; we keep a vigilant eye over them lest they should make an attack on some unexpected quarter. The particulars with regard to the Seige, the Stores taken... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
The whole Army which lately occupied Boston is now embarked, & lying at the Mouth of the Harbour, it is said we go to Halifax to wait for the Reinforcement from Home, what then will be done, God knows. On the 2d of this Month the Rebels began to bombard & cannonade us in the Town of Boston, they threw Shells & Shot for three succeeding Nights into the Town, without doing much... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
I acquainted you in my last of the 17th instant of His Majesty's Troops being safely Embarked, and the Transports Anchored in King Road, from whence, as fast as they were Watered and ready for Sea they proceeded to this place; where they are all collected and will proceed by the first opportunity of Wind and Weather under Convoy of the Ships in the Margin,2 to Halifax; I have Qrdered Captain [... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
We passed the winter very quietly since our arrival at Boston till the beginning of this month, when the rebels made some movements. They ordered into their camp before the town about 20 000 of the militia from the internal parts of the country, and took the advantage of a few days of hazy weather to erect one strong battery on Dorchester-point, and another at Phipp's-farm, so near the town, that... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
. . . . We were greatly surprised Wednesday evening [March 20] by the appearance of a great light in the north, which many people thought could be occasioned by nothing less than the burning of the town of Boston ... Could not think it possible it could be the Castle, but we since hear it is. Thursday evening we had a new alarm, that the lighthouse and dwellings upon the Gurnet were in flames,... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Providence, March 23. Thursday Afternoon the ministerial Fleet put to Sea from Newport, and steered South-Eastward. A large Ship from Jamaica, bound to London, with a valuable Cargo of Sugar, had put into South-Carolina to refit, but was stopped by Order of the Provincial Congress, and it was thought would be condemned.
1 ー Several Vessels laden with Rice, bound for... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
As soon as I arrived Home from Lebanon this Day I Recd a Letter from Mr James Tilly in which he lnformes that we have Waited so long that all the Hemp in the Jerseys is now bought up neither is there any Hemp Yarns, nor Cordage to be had in N York and that there is no other way left now to Procure it but to Buy Mr Melbone's Yarns and that what they and Mr Tilly's fall short might be made up in... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Voted, That Capt. Theophilus Stanton of Stonington be and he is appointed Captain of the row-galley building at Norwich. Voted, That Elij. Backus, Esqr, be employed and desired as soon as may [be] to work and manufacture two ship anchors of twelve hundred weight each, for the use of the Colony. Voted, That the row-galley building at N. Haven be called the Whiting.
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
A letter from Major [William] Douglas, as to service at the lakes, and which was received yesterday, was read and filed. He says he will proceed to the lakes when [he] receives the command of
Continental Congress, or the General, if his health will permit, and in the mean [time] will serve his country, and desires the Committee would assist and forward Mr. [Jacobus] Wynkoop. A draft of a letter... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
A new Alarm upon which the Inhabitants flew out of Town with the utmost Precipitation ー General Washington by a Letter of the 19th advises General Lee of Mr. Howe's abandoning Boston on Sunday 17th Inst. & then laying in King Road & Nantusket ー The conjecture that they were destined to N Y was countenanced by Intelligence the next Day from the East End of Long Island & Montauk Point... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
The Congress resumed the consideration of the declaration, which was agreed to as follows: Whereas the petitions of the United Colonies to the King, for the redress of great and manifest grievances, have not only been rejected, but treated with scorn and contempt, and the opposition to designs evidently formed to reduce them to state of servile subjection, and their necessary de-. fence against... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Sir:
Philadelphia, March 23, 1776
I had the pleasure, few days ago, of your favour of the 8th instant, for which I esteem myself under great obligations to you. We rejoice here at the prospect there is of your driving the enemy from Boston. If you should succeed in this, I hope effectual measures will be taken to fortify the harbour, that the Navy may never enter it again. I think the Narrows... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
We have no News from Virginia since I wrote you last-No Account yet of our Fleet & as no Member of Congress expresses any Concern on the Subject, we begin to suspect they are gone upon some distant enterprize. Some conjecture to lay in the Way of the last India Ships a few of whom would soon reimburse us the Expence of the War ー however it is all Supposition It has happened as I expected... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Resolved, That James Maul leave his station at the mouth of the River, to attend this Board as speedily as possible, and that Captains [William] Richards, [Nathaniel] Falconer, and [Leesom] Simmons, be desired to have his place supplied immediately, by another pilot of sufficient ability and Industry. Resolved, That James Morrison be appointed Lieutenant ofMarines in the service of this Province.
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Whereas complaint having been made to this board, that some of the Crews of our armed Boats have so far disregarded the 11th Article of our General instructions for the Commanders of the same, as to put the Masters or Skippers of the Vessels on the River Trade to unnecessary delay & trouble, by demanding such compliments from them as the officers of the British fleet unwarrantably have... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Sir We received a Letter of the 15th Inst from Mr. Mackall advising us that you thought a Virginia Pilot-Boat which the Calvert-County Cuards had stopped some Days past, would be very useful, as well for conveying the Troops from one County to the other, as for taking any small Tenders, which might come into your River, and that the Owner would sell her on reasonable Terms, and requesting our... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Gentn Two Ton of Powder, or near that Quantity, we beleive, have been lately received at Baltimore Town from Philadelphia, one Ton of which Mr [Robert] Alexander wrote us, was intended for Virginia, but given up by their Deputies on Occasion of the late Alarm ー we wish to be informed whether we are indebted to Virginia or to Congress for that last Ton, if to Virginia, we can easily settle the... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Honble Gentn We Imbrace this opportunity by Captn [Thomas] Kell, who has been some weeks blocked up in this harbour by Tenders, on monday evening last a Tender came into Cherriton Creek and carried out a sloop belonging to Isaac Vaughn and got Captn Kells schooner under way but luckily run aground. our Companies who are stationed at the Courthouse got down a little after dark; and as there was a... Continue Reading
Date: 23 March 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Pages
