Sir

The Board received your Excellencys letter a few days ago requesting the Galleys might be dismantled & sunk—at the time we received the letter many of the galleys were fitted & ready to fall down to prevent any thing from coming up the River—Immediately on receiving your Excellencys we sent off an express to the President of our State¹ for orders sending a copy of your letter an answer to which we have not yet got—There is now Six Galleys well manned & this morning went from Borden town to carry Gen^l Waynes Brigade to Bristol where the galleys will remain til further orders—There now lays at or near Borden Town a number of Vessels to great amount of privat property & should the Galleys be destroyed they will fall to a very few small armed Boats. The inhabitants along the Shore are distressed at the thought of losing the Galleys on whom they think lays their safety—We laid Your Excellencys Letter before Gov. Livingston whose advice was not to destroy them yet. Many of the heavy cannon we should have sent off before this, but cannot get a carraige that is able to carry them; & should a superior force come up orders are given to sink the galleys which may soon be done. They have called on us for the Troops belonging to the N. Carolina Regiment, but as they were all gone down the River on duty we hope your Excellency will excuse his not bringing them & pray you will give them a little while longer—

By Order of the Board