New London March 13th. 1778—
Sir
I Received a letter from Capt Jno Lamb and he writes that you Could not let him have the Cannon I wrote you for Untill The HonbIe. Council mett1—my Bro. now waits on you for that Purpose, and Brings my Accotts. by which you'l see that I am a Considerable sum in Advance for the Publick—Monsieur Michel Commandr. of the French Ship2 from France, comes with him, he would have waited on you before but the wether has been so bad, that their is Scarsly any travelling—I have Mentioned to him, the Great Advantages of sending his Ship out on a Cruce after Landing his Goods, and I believe if'your Excellency should advise him he would Send her out—She is Really a fine Ship mountg. 40 Guns and has 220 Men and a Good Sailing Ship—if the State Should want any of Monsieurs Goods, I should think it would be best to git them as Soon as they come on Shore3—I am Sir [&c.]
Nathl. Shaw Junr.
L, Ct, Connecticut Archives, 1st Series, vol. 9, p. 336. Addressed: "To/His Excellency Governour Trumbull/att/Lebanon—." Docketed: "13th. March 1778/Nathl Shaw Jnr/Esqr./de Capt Michel/French Ship/recd. 14th Pr Ths Shaw."
1. Possibly the cannon sent to Boston for the Connecticut Navy ship Defence.
2. Ship Lyon, J. Michel, master.
3. On 19 Mar. Trumbull wrote Shaw that Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, president of the Continental Board of War, requested that the clothing which came in the French ship Lyon be forwarded immediately to the army. DLC, Peter Force Transcripts, Nathaniel Shaw Papers, 224: 203.
