[Extract]
Dear Sir I have received your Favor of the 7th May and am Sincerely Glad to hear that as the plot thickens you ripen more & more to Unanimity in the most decisive Measures, more especialy as this is the crisis, the very Crisis, when we ought to exert every Nerve and spare no expence or Trouble in the defence of our Country and its precious rights. If we behave well this year and Heaven succeeds us I beleive Great Britain will not Continue the Controversy any longer...Large Quantities of Salt Petre are dayly coming in, we have two powder Mills at Work & good Powder Makers ー I hope the Cannon for the ships will soon be finished & sent along, The 24 Gun Frigate was Launched a week ago, she is universally allowed to be as fine a ship as ever was built in America ー I perceive Capt [John] Bradford is appointed Agent to take Care of any prizes that may be taken by the Continental Ships of War, but I am informed that the Congress or the Marine Committee design to appoint an Agent for the Continental Navy, whose special Bussiness it will be to Supply the Ships with provisions, stores of all kinds, Masts, yards, Riggen Cables &c &c as they may stand in need of it, this is quite a different department from the other & the Accounts ought to be kept distinct. One of these Bussinesses is quite enough for one Man, if there Should be such an Appointment should be glad of your Interest & Influence amoung the Members of Congress or of the Committe that I might be appointed; My son in Law Mr Avery & my own son are out of Employ & could assist me in this Bussiness, It is what I am Acquainted with & should like
I have lately seen Mr Langdon & he is desirous of being Appointed for their Colony, he thinks that after we have had the Trouble & fatigue of Building & fixing out these Ships it will be very hard & unkind to give the Agency to other Persons I must beg your Interest in his favor, he says he does not design to Continue a Member of Congress and therefore there will be no [im]propriety in his holding this office ー
Two Philadelphia Privateers have taken Two Ships from Jamaica to London, one is arrived at the Vineyard with 300 hhds of sugar & the other in to Capan with 300 hhds suger 60 Puncheons of Rum & Twenty Thousand Dollars & other Articles Two of the Continental Privateers have also Carried into Marblehead a store Ship from Glascow with 95 highlanders on board and 34 seamen with their baggage ー they came out with 31 sail more with 3500 Troops on board bound for Boston ー The Captain of these Highlanders is Brother to the Dutches of Gordon ー pray write me frequently I am your sincere friend [&c.]