At a Council held in the Council Chamber at Pensacola the 5th day of November 1776 —
His Excellency the Governor then acquainted the board that He had received also a Message from Lt Coll [William] Stiell by Captn Johnstone of the Royal Artillery i111porting that He thought it would be Expedient to have the Several Guns & timber which Still remain at Rose Island -Tartar Point, and the Red Clifts brought up to Pensacola for the Use of the fort, Upon which He had made application by Letter to Captain Thomas Davey of the Diligence sloop of War for his Boats & Men to assist in this Service and had recd the following Letter in answer thereto —
Diligence Pensacola Harbour
1st November 1776 —
Sir
Agreeable to your Excellency's request I will Order Lieutenant Cobb with His Majesty's Sloop under His Command to proceed to Rose Island to give Every assistance in his power to bring up here Such Cannon and other Stores as may be wanted for His Majesty's Service — I will also Send an Officer and a Party of Men from the Diligence that the Service may be Carried on with the Greatest Dispatch
I must beg leave to Observe to Your Excellency that it is the Custom in the Naval Service to pay Such Men as are Employed on extra Duty a Shilling a Day and the Officers a Crown I have the honor to be &c
(Signed) Thomas Davey
His Excellency Peter Chester Esquire &c —
Whereupon His Excellency desired the advice of the Board upon the propriety of paying the Officers and Men from the Navy to be Employed on this duty the Sums mentioned in Captn Davey's Letter which he Supposed might be the Custom in time of Peace but did not appear So proper at this Critical Juncture. The Board gave it as their Opinion that it was very necessary that the Guns and Timber should be brought up to Pensacola with all the dispatch possible And that Captain Davey's assisting Hands Should be paid the Rates mentioned in his Said Letter as it appeared to be the Customary Wages allowed on Such Extra Duty — And recommended that the Same Should be paid by His Excellency —
