I have received by Express both your Letters of yesterdays date, with the Four In closures to which they refer, One of those Letters signifying to me their Lordships Directions, to Station One of the small Ships under my Command, or some Arm'd Vessel at the Bermuda Islands, and a like vessel at [New] Providence, for the safety and preservation of the Ordnance and Stores belonging to His Majesty... Continue Reading
I had the honor, Sir, to receive your letter in which you conveyed your feelings concerning the opinions of our Navy Commissioner in Dunkirk with regard to the trade of the English Colonies. In pursuance of your letter, I will send orders to the main ports where American ships might call so that care will be quietly exercised to prevent them from taking on war ammunition. I will write only to the... Continue Reading
I feel I must send to you, Sir, in secret, the observations which Count de Vergennes has just addressed to me by letter, a copy of which is attached in consequence of a note which reached me from Dunkerque regarding trade in the English colonies.2 I leave up to you the methods which you will use to best insure that American ships bound for the colonies do not transport war supplies. I... Continue Reading
I have communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your Letter of the 15h Instant, inclosing a Copy of one you received from Captain [Skeffington] Lutwidge of the Triton, setting forth the great utility he experienced in Ice Saws on a late Northern Voyage, and desiring that he may be supplied with two of them for the use of the said Ship Which request you hope their Lordships will... Continue Reading
My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having directed Vice Admiral Graves to cause the Complements of His Majesty's Ships of 50 Guns under his Command to be increased to 350 Men each; I am commanded by their Lordships to signify their direction to you to order the Captain of the Chatham to encrease her Complement to the same number of Men, and to apply to Vice Admiral Sir James Douglas for such... Continue Reading
[Admiralty Office] Minute 18 Oct [1775] Let him [Rear Admiral Molyneux Shuldham] know that their Lordships cannot consent to. the emplying the Vigilant in the manner he proposes as 50 G Ships are judged to be of a sufft size for the Service on which he is going to be employed, & that as the Chatham has lately had a V Adml on bd of her their Ldps cannot conceive but that she is very fit for... Continue Reading
Having communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your Letter of the 10h Instant representing that the Chatham is the worst and oldest of any of the 50 Gun Ships upon the North American Service, as well as extremly unfit and inconvenient for a Flag Officer commanding in Chief on a Service where his Ship is to be his constant residence, and therefore desiring that the Vigilant may be... Continue Reading
Few things have given me greater Concern than my long Detention at this place, which I have been Oblig'd to submit to on account of the Westerly Winds, which have blown, & still continue without any intermission; I am now getting under sail with a fresh Wind at WSWt to try, tho' without much Expectation of Success, to make some progress to the Westward. I am,. Sir [&c.]
1775
19th Octr
The Kings pleasure was signified by [William Henry Zuylestein] Lord Rochford that Transport Vessels should be forthwith taken up to carry the 15th 37th 53d & 57th Regiments of Foot from Ireland to North America, & Orders were next day given to the Navy Board for that purpose.
Herein you will receive Directions for proper Signals to enable you to know any of his Majesty's Vessels belonging to the Squadron in America which you may happen to fall in with on the Coast of America. You are to take care to keep such Signals as private as possible and when you quit his Majesty's Service as a Storeship or Transport; You are to deliver up the Paper directing the Signals to the... Continue Reading
Having ordered Captain [Christopher] Atkins Commr of His Majestys Ship the Actaeon (by whom you will receive this) to put himself under your command and follow your Orders for his further proceedings; You are hereby required & directed to take him and the said Ship under your command & employ them as you shall find best for His Majestys Service entrusted to your care. Given &c 20th... Continue Reading
Capt Atkins of His Majestys Ship Actaeon being ordered to take the Charming Sally Willm Robinson Master laden with Ordnance Stores & bound to Halifax under his Convoy and see her in safety to Boston; I am commanded by my Lords Commrs of the Admty to signify their direction to you & upon the said Storeships arrival at Boston to send her from thence under proper Convoy to Halifax &c
1775
20th Octr
The Commanders of several of the Cruizers on the home Stations were order'd in pursuance of the Kings pleasure signified by Lord Rochford yesterday to look out for and endeavour to seize the Industry Brig which is shortly expected to arrive in Great Britain from New England, securing all Letters or Packets which may be found on board and bringing her into the first convenient... Continue Reading
Sir, I brought up again the Newfoundland affair yesterday. All the Ministers are here and there is no reason to postpone it anymore. I intend to speak of this matter every day to Mylord Rochford, and you will assist me most effectually if you will do the same with Mylord Stormont; the great policy of the British Ministers is to gain time.
The affair seems clear to me, and Mylord Rochford himself... Continue Reading
We have not any news worth mentioning: I am very sorry to say, however, that I find the Idea entertain'd of Shuldham by some who know Him well, is by no Means better than that of the wretched Commander whom He supersedes. ー
Advices having been received from different parts of America, that the Inhabitants of the Colonies in general which are associated in Arms against The King are collecting and fitting out Armed Vessels, for effecting in various ways their Rebellious purposes; I am commanded ー to signify to your Lordships His Majesty's Pleasure that the Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships in No America be... Continue Reading
Mr Martin Govr of North Carolina, in his Dispatches to the Earl of Dartmouth dated in July 1775, & which were received on the 10th of Septr makes a full representation of the State of that Province, and it appearing that notwithstanding he had been reduced to the humiHating necessity of taking refuge on board His Majesty's Sloop Cruizer in Cape Fear River, & of submitting to the disgrace... Continue Reading
This morning sailed again his Majesty's ship Chatham, Admiral Shuldham, for Boston.
Advices having been received from different parts of America that the Inhabitants of the Colonies in general which are associated in Arms against the King, are collecting and fitting out arm'd Vessels for effecting, in various ways, their rebellious purposes; You are hereby required & directed, in pursuance of the King's pleasure signified to Us by the Earl of Dartmouth one of His Majesty's... Continue Reading
Herewith you will receive two Packets from the Earl of Dartmouth addressed to the Honble Major General Howe, Commander in Chief of His Majestys Forces at [blank] in North America which being of great consequence to His Majestys Service, I am commanded by their Lordships to signify their direction to you to cause the said Packets to be forwarded, agreeable to their address immediately after your... Continue Reading