Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to Vice Admiral Viscount Howe, March 22, 1778

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By &c^a.

Whereas since the signing of our secret Instructions to your Lordship of Yesterday's date,¹ We have received by Captain Cornwallis, your several Dispatches from the 5^th: of January to the 4^th. of February inclusive,² giving an account of your proceedings and of the State and condition of the Fleet under your Command; We judge it necessary by this seperate Instruction to acquaint your Lordship that the object of the War being now changed, and the Contest in America being a secondary consideration, the principal object must be the distressing France and defending and securing His Majesty's own Possessions against any Hostile Attempts; and that in order to carry such measures into execution it is hoped your Lordship will have a sufficient number of Ships to enable you to send the Force mentioned in our said Instructions for reducing and taking possession of the Island of S^t. Lucia and securing the West India Islands; But if all the Ships pointed out in the said Instructions cannot be assembled in time, or shall not be in proper condition for executing this important Service, Your Lordship is in either of those cases hereby required & directed to detach from the Fleet under your Command such a number of Ships as you shall judge to be adequate to the intended purpose.³

As the Nonsuch will probably be one of the Ships sent on the Service abovementioned and as from the diminution that will now be made in the American Squadron it is no longer necessary that Cap^t. Griffith should be allowed to have a Captain under him; and as from the circumstance of his being likely to meet several Capt^s. Senior in Rank to himself, it will be improper for him to wear a distinguishing Pendant; Your Lordship will therefore direct him to resume the Command of the said Ship as Captain of her and also to strike the distinguishing Pendant he now wears when he departs from under Your Lordship's Command.

Your Lordship will send back to England with as little delay as possible His Majesty's Ship the Porcupine (by whose Commander you will receive this Instruction) giving us an account by that Conveyance of your intended operations and of the state of things in America.

Given &^c. 22^d. March 1778.

Sandwich
H. Palliser
Mulgrave

By & P.S.

LB, UkLPR, Adm. 2/1334 (Secret), fols. 62-63. Addressed below close: "To/Lord Viscount Howemce Adm^l. of the White, &/Comm^r in Chief of His Maj^s./Ships &Vessels in/N^o. America." Notation: "By the Porcupine/Duplicate sent 12. April 1778/by the Trident." Docketed: "ORD. 22 March 1778/R^t Hble V. A. Lord Howe.

1. Above.

2. See 5 Jan., 20 Jan., and 4 Feb., above.

3. For a draft of this much of the instrnction, see Sandwich Papers 1: 365.

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1778 March 22

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