My Lord, I have the honor of informing your Lordship That yesterday Morning Sir Jno Blagmire received a Letter dated at Cork the 29th past, from Robert Gordon Esqr Surveyor General of His Majesty's Customs & Excise at that Port, containing some Particulars of News from America; the following Extract of which Letter, from the Recency of the Accounts, may perhaps be agreeable to your Lordship.... Continue Reading
I have received & communicated to my Lords Commrs of the Admty your Letter of yesterday, acquainting with your having hoisted your Flag on board the Chatham, & with your intention of proceeding to Sea by the first opportunity of Wind & Weather. I am &c
We Christian VII. by the Grace of God, King of Denmark, & Norway, &ca &ca &ca ー
Whereas His Majesty the King of Great Britain has desired Us to forbid Our Subjects giving any manner of assistance to the Inhabitants of North America, who are engaged in open War against England; and We are disposed to comply with this friendly requisition; Therefore We will and enjoin by these... Continue Reading
Having Ordered Capt Furneaux, Commander of His Majts Ship the Syren (by whom you will receive this) to put himself under your Command & follow your Orders for his farther proceedings; You are hereby required & directed to take him & the said Ship under your Command, and employ them as you shall find best for His Majts Service entrusted to your Care. Given &c. 6th of Octr 1775.
By &ca
Guns
Men
50
350
32
200.
28
180.
You are hereby required and directed to Order the Captains Guns Men of the several Ships under your Command of 50, 32, & 28 Guns, to increase their respective Complements to the numbers against each expressed in the Margin;* and to continue to bear such increased Complements until they receive further Order. Given &ca the 6th of... Continue Reading
Having received Information that a Vessel supposed to be an Advice Boat from North America, with private Intelligence from thence, passed by Cowes last Friday [September 29] and after landing a person who immediately set off for London went and lay off the back of the Isle of Wight where she continued to cruize off and on the Coast; ー I am directed to acquaint you therewith for the Information of... Continue Reading
The Chatham was unmoor'd yesterday with a Moderate Wind at WNWt and I expected you would have been informed of her being at Sea, but about three OClock it came round to the SWt in which Quarter it continues now blowing fresh and Captain Raynor was under a necessity of giving Orders to moor again. This detention gives me an Opportunity of representing to you the Careless and unfinished manner in... Continue Reading
1775
7th Octr
Commanders of Several of the Cruizers on home Stations order'd to look out for and intercept a Vessel supposed to be an Advice Boat from North America with Private Intelligence which landed a Person at the Isle of Wight a few days ago, who immediately set off for London.
As I am still detain'd by a contrary Westerly Wind, I profit of the Opportunity of Writing to you again on the subject of the Service on which I am going, and as it is probable I may be under a necessity of sending many of the Vessels under my Command to the Leward Islands to Clean and refitt, I shall be glad you will signifye my request to their Lordships, that the Commander in Chief on that... Continue Reading
I am to Acknowledge the Receipt of Their Lordships Order to me of the 29th past for proceeding to Boston, together with the other Orders and instructions for my Government, accompanying it, which should have been acknowledg'd sooner but thro' mistake and the hurry I was in at leaving Town. I am Sir [&c.]
As Their Lordships have been pleased to appoint me to the important Command at North America, I must take the liberty of representing to you, that the Chatham is the worst and Oldest of any of the Fifty Gunships upon that Service, as well as extremely unfit and inconvenient for a Flag-Officer Commanding in Chief on a Service where his Ship is to be his constant residence, without the probability... Continue Reading
I found there was no powder to be had here [Lorient], and therefore set off in a small French coaster for Nantes. The morning we went from L'Orient the skipper fell into the hold, and was so much hurt he thought it necessary to bear away and go into the river Vilaine, where his family lived. The crew all went from the vessel, and there was no one left on board but an old French seaman I brought... Continue Reading
Having received three Letters from Philadelphia dated the 10th 19th & 29th of July last, giving an Account of the Rebellious proceedings of His Majesty's Subjects there, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admty to send you herewith Copies thereof for your Information. I am &c.
Sir This week went by again and we have had no meeting with the Ministry. I have attempted, however, to enlighten myself positively on what had happened in America, since the papers have been filled for the past week with such circumstantial details concerning an action in Boston that it was difficult finally to think that they were unfounded as they appeared to be. It is however the exact truth... Continue Reading
Advices having been received at Lord Dartmouth's Office that the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania in open Rebellion against The King, have been for some time past preparing a number of Armed Craft in the form of floating Batteries for the purpose of annoying and attacking the Kings Ships that maybe sent into that River, and that they have also prepared and sunk in the Channel of the River Machines for... Continue Reading
My Lord, It is with some satisfaction, I have, at last, the honor of sending Your Lordship, the Edict by which the King of Denmark has prohibited the Exportation of Warlike Stores, and other Articles of Commerce, serving for Military Armaments, to the Danish Colonies.2 It was sent me on Tuesday Night, after the departure of the Post, which sets out at Eight o'Clock. I have translated... Continue Reading
*See it
on the other
side.
The Earl of Suffolk, one of His Majts Principal Secretaries of State, having transmitted to Us, with his Letter of Yesterday's date a List* of Ordnance & Stores belonging to His Majesty in the Bermuda Islands & at the Island of Providence in the Government of the Bahama's, the first of which Places being entirely without Troops for it's defence, and the... Continue Reading
Intelligence having been received that the Inhabitants of Pensylvania in open Rebellion against the King have been, for some time past, preparing a number of arm'd Craft in the form of floating batteries for the purpose of annoying and attacking His Majts Ships that may be sent into that River, and, that they have also prepared & Sunk in the Channel of the River Machines for obstructing the,... Continue Reading
1775
15th Octr
Vice Admiral Graves or Commander in Chief for the time being in North America was directed in pursuance of the Kings pleasure signified yesterday by Lord Suffolk, in Lord Dartmouth's absence, to station one of the Ships of his Squadron at the Bermuda Islands and another at the Island of [New] Providence in order to defeat any attempts which may be made by His Majesty's... Continue Reading
Sir, Mr Burrow arrived at Lord Dartmouths Office on the 13th Inst and your dispatches were immediately laid before The King. ー
As soon as it was seen that the New England provinces meditated open Rebellion and Revolt, the Security of Nova Scotia became an Object of The King's care and solicitude; directions have been repeatedly given to the Commander in Chief to attend to it, and the... Continue Reading