Head Quarters 6th Novr 1775 ー
Sir ー
I am ordered by His Excellency to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of the 30th Ulto & 3d inst Such articles on board the Vessels taken by Major Tupper as are Subject to perish: you had better have sold off immedy, the Vessels & apurtenances to be securely Laid up, & the Cargoes Carefully Stored, until farther orders from hence, a manifest of the Cargo, you will please to Send us, as soon as made out ー The advanced Season of the Year & the difficulty in procuring Cannon, will prevent the General's ordering more Armed Vessels to be fitted out for the present ー
By your Last his Excellency observes that there are 118 pipes of Wine Saved out of a Vessel bound to Boston & Wrecked at Eastham it is his desire that you will take immediate Charge of them & forward them to Cambridge with all Speed, where they will be Sold for the publick Use, & where they fetch a good price if their Quality is tollerable ー
Capt Coit has I find been so unlucky as to get aground again. I hope his Misfortunes are now over & that Success will attend his Cruize, which it will give pleasure to hear he has Commenced ー
I hope the Lee is out again, the Chance of taking Prizes must soon be over from the Advance of the Season, therefore the Cruizers should now be in port as little as possible, which you will please to urge to the Gentlemen who Command them ー
The General is apprehensive, that Capt Martindale is going upon too large a Scale, & that he will make the out[f]it of his Vessel too expensive ー the intention of fitting out these Vessels, is not to attack the Armed, but to take the unarmed Vessels, which Capt Martindale Seems to have lost Sight of by putting Such a Number of Carriage Guns on board the Washington; but I sincerely hope his Success, will Amply repay the Expence. The Ammunition is preparing, 40 Rounds for each gun, One barrel of loose powder for priming &c & a proper quantity of Match rope, I doubt much Whether we shall be able to get the Oznabrigs which the Captain writes for, if to be had it will go the Same Conveyance with the Ammunition, there is no Swivele Shot to be had here, if we cannot procure Some time enough Shall Send four Ounce ball, which I think will answer every purpose. You will please to Communicate the part of this Letter Which regards Capt Martindale unto him, & to Capt Bowen, as I dont believe I shall have time to write them by this Conveyance, the 80 Men will be Sent & Genl [Nathanael] Green[e] has been applied to for a 2d Lieutenant, the Master will be on just the same footing with the Masters of the other armed Vessels, I dont know the Use of a Drum & fife on board, nor do I imagine that any of the other Vessels have got them, but if it will give Capt Martindale any pleasure he Shall be indulged with them ー I am with respect Sir [&c.]
P.S. please to Send every paper that may have been Saved out of the wreck If none were Saved, endeavour to find out who the Shippers of the Wine in Phila were ー
Lieut. [Moses] Turner informs me there are but 10 Carriage guns on board the Washington, tho Capt. Bowen thro mistake writes 13 which alters the case much