By Captain Andrew Snape Hamond &c.
Whereas the Lord Viscount Howe Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels in North America, has appointed the Pearl to be one of the Ships intended to remain in this River for the Protection of the Town of Philadelphia, and to keep an open Communication therewith. You are therefore hereby required and directed as soon as the Transports intended for Philadelphia shall have left Billingsport to take the first opportunity of passing the upper Chevaux de frize to the Anchorage off Mud Island, where you are to give all possible assistance to Lieutenant Barker employed in raising the Ship Juliana, a Navy Victualer; and if it should appear that there is but little prospect of succeeding, so as to bring the Ship to Town, immediate attention is to be given to get as much of the Cargoe out as possible, before the Ice forms in the River; and for this purpose the Ship may be destroyed if the Cargoe cannot otherways be taken out.
Given onboard the Roebuck at Philadelphia1 the 7th. Decmr. 1777—
A. S. Hamond
LB, ViU, Hamond Papers, Orders Issued, 1776–1777. Addressed flush left below signature line: “Capt: Linzee/—Pearl.—”
1. The Roebuck was lying off Gloucester Point, Pa., on this date. She did not anchor off Philadelphia until noon of the following day.
