On Monday the 15th April I was on the Field exercising the three Companies Stationd in Baltimore, when Mr Samuel Purviance (Chairman of the Committee) came out to me, & begd I woud immediately attend the Committee: That an Affair of the greatest Consequence demanded my Attendance; That there woud be Occasion for Eight or Ten of my Men under my own Commd to go in Captn [James] Nicholson's Tender. ー He ,then found it necessary to inform me of the Bussiness, & enjoined the strictest Secresy ー I kept the Troops about a Quarter of an hour longer on duty; and discharged them all except my own Company, out of which I chose Ten good Men & a Sargeant; and orderd them to be in readiness at half past One ー I waited at Mr Purviances (on the Committee as I thought) but found only the Chairman there. He shewed me the different Letters respecting the Bussiness I was to go on, and I agreed with him that too much dispatch coud not be made. ー I then Went in Quest of Major [Mordecai] Gist, but coud not find him ー About One OClock Mr S Purviance passd by the Barracks. I spoke to, & told him that I was ready & waited but for Orders. He said I shoud have them immediately. ー I again went in search of the Major & found him at Dinner ー I told him my Men were ready. ー As soon as he had finished dining he went to Mr Purviance's, where I followed him in about ten Minutes, & found him reading my Instructions. ー (t Mr Purviance mentiond that if the Governor was still at Annapolis I should have nothing to do, as he supposd the Council of Safety woud put him under Guard before I shoud get down t) I received my Instructions from the Major & with my Men went immediately to the Point, where I went on board the Defence's Tender commanded by Lieutt [John] Nicholson. After taking proper Stores from the Defence we proceeded down, arrived & came to Anchor off the Harbour of Annapolis at abt 3 OClock on Tuesday Morning-At Day break I went ashore & deliverd a Letter to Messrs John Smith, Benjamin Nicholson & John Sterrit. ー They told me what had passed between them & the Honble Council ー I asked them whither I might not inform the Co[unci]le of my Bussiness. ー They said the Council had enjoind

the strictest Secresy, and advisd me not to mention it till I had their (the Council's Leave. ー (t I shewed them my Orders, they advised me not to shew them to any other Person, as it was their Opinion they were in some Degree improper. ー They said they were to wait on Major Jeniffer after Breakfast & woud let me know when they returned how I was to act. ー On their Return to the Coffee House they told Me he highly approved of the Tenders being sent down; and that they were to meet the Council at 10

OClock who woud give me Orders. t) About 11 OClock I observed the Governors Boat hove out & cleaning. I thought it my Duty to make it immediately known to the Honble Council, & accordingly waited on them & was refusd Admittance ー I with Difficulty perswaded the Doorkeeper to ask Mr B Nicholson (who was with them) to come .out. ー After an half hours Attendance he came ー I told him what I had seen, & beggd he woud tell the Council that I waited their Orders whither to remain with the Tender or return home. ー They answerd by Mr Nicholson, That they desired Me to remain with the Boat & act according to the Orders I had received (or Words to that Arnot). ー A Short time after Sunset I went on board. ー The Midshipman who came on Shore for me, pointed at a Schooner lying off the Governors Wharf, wh he said had come out, and on seeing The Tenders Boat rowing towds her, put back immediately, and came to, where She then lay ー On my Return to Annapolis next Morning, (Wednesday) We knew her to be Mr Sprigg's. ー About Eleven She hove up, and attempted going out, but was brought to by the Tender. ー About Twelve the Governors Boat also got under Way, and the Tender brought her to. ー I saw what was done, I thought it my Duty to go on board. ー I searchd the last mentioned Boat narrowly, & found Porter & Claret, which made Me suspect his Excellency intended making his Escape ー I put a Guard on board with some of the Defence's People, and am sorry to say that 2 Bottles Portar & One of Claret were drank by them. ー Mr Sprigg came off to us, & seemd much surprisd that we shoud dare to stop his Boat. ー & asked what Orders we had. ー I thought this Question impertinent, and answerd it as it deserved with Silence. ー I went ashore with him, he grumbling all the time. ー Secretary Smith was on the Wharf. he asked Mr Sprigg what was the Matter; who answerd that by Order from the Council of Safety his Schooner was stoppd. Mr Smith immediately replyed, that he coud assure him the Council of Safety had given no such Orders. ー I said it was sufficient I had my Orders for what was done. I then went to Dinner, and there understood by Verbal Orders from Mr [Gabriel] Duvall, that the Affair was settled & I might return home. Mr Sprigg came in & I promisd to send his Boat up to Annapolis according to his Desire. ー I went down to the Wharf with Intention to go on board, where I met Lieutt Nicholson with a Pass from the Governor for his Mullatoe, to pass unmollested in Chesapeak Bay. ー We thought proper to deliver it to some Member of the Hon Council; and seeing Mr [Charles] Carroll talking with Mr Sprigg, We went up to him, and Lieutt Nicholson deliverd it. ー Mr Sprigg complained of ill Treatment. Lieutt Nicholson told him, he only did what he had a

Right to do. ー He replied, he supposd that he (Lieutt N) might think he was right. I answerd that he not only thought so, but was so. Mr Carroll said that the Council had given no such Orders. Both Lieutt Nicholson & myself assured him that We had Orders, And on being asked to shew them, We did so & promisd to leave Copies of them. ー About Two oClock we went on board & returnd to Baltimore Town 2

Sam Smith N B. The Paragraphs markd (t) 1recollected since I wrote the Narrative deliverd to the Honl Council. ー I wrote it in a great hurry or I might then have remembered many other Circumstances relative to this Affair.