In the Council of Safety [Charleston],
Thursday Dec. 7th, 1775.
Mr President laid before the Council the following copies of letters which he had dispatched this morning, by George Dittinger:
Charles-Town, Dec. 6th, 1775.
Gentlemen ー Having received information, that through sickness of some and absence of other members of your board, the intended repairs at Fort Lytleton are scarcely yet begun; and knowing the necessity for putting that place in the best state of defence without further delay, we have judged it necessary, and have accordingly resolved, that Col. Stephen Bull, Thos. Rutledge, and Nath'l Barnwell, esqs., be added to your present number, which we desire you will immediately notify to those gentlemen, and summon a board in order to expedite the work above mentioned, and to carry into execution such other matters as we shall hereafter recommend.
The Scorpion sloop of war lately arrived in Rebellion-Road, having under her command a large transport ship, has been at Bermuda, and at Cape-Fear, from each place she brought off all the cannon that could be taken, and we learn that Capt. Tollemache has orders to seize the cannon wherever he can in all the colonies; no doubt therefore, but that Beaufort will be the next visited, and we are the more apprehensive of this from a seizure of two Bermuda sloops, which was made yesterday by the commodore, one of which has hoisted a pendant, from whence we conclude she is put in commission. From these and other considerations, we recommend that without a minute's delay you cause all the cannon belonging to the fort or town, to be secured by removing them to a distance out of the reach of a man of war's guns and under the protection of a proper body of militia, or even by burying them, if the enemy suddenly approach. The King's ships which are at present among us, have no men to spare for enterprizes on land, but if they can work under the protection of their own, they will certainly carry off your cannon.
We also recommend, that you proceed with all possible dispatch to repair the fort according to the plan first adopted by the late Council of Safety, by which the platform was to have been of pine plank, which will certainly be most expeditiously performed and expedition is aboslutely necessary; you will erect platforms and mount gun after gun, as you shall be in readiness, two or three or even one of your heaviest cannon, we apprehend may be fired to such advantage as will deter a transport vessel, or even the Scorpion, whose cannon are very light, from attempting to, advance. Powder for immediate use in case of need must be had from the six hundred pounds lodged in the hands of the committee at Beaufort, and we hope that before you have mounted all of your cannon, we shall receive such supplies as will enable us to lay in a proper magazine for the fort's use. By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
John Joiner, Tunes Tebout, Andr. Aggnew,James Cuthbert, Paul DeSaussure, esqs., commissioners for repairs to Fort Lyttleton. To be added, Stephen Bull, Thomas Rutledge, and Nath'l Barnwell, esqs.
Charles-Town, Dec. 6th, 1775.
Gentlemen ー You are directed to use every means in your power effectually to prevent the loading of vessels in your port, and within your district, with rice, indigo or other produce of this colony, intended for any port or ports, out of the limits thereof, without special permission in writing from the Council of Safety, or the [Provincial] Congress, and particularly you are to see that no vessel even with a permit on any pretence whatever, clear out for any port of Great Britain, Ireland, or any of the British West-Indies, the contrary being expressly ordered by the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, who have refused to suffer even such vessels as they have permitted to load to clear out at any of the custom-houses.
Your attention to this notice will be of great moment to the common cause, therefore 'tis particularly enjoined and required.
By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
We desire you to circulate the prohibition above-written, in such manner as to prevent the loading of vessels at any of the inlets or private landings.
The Committee at Beaufort.
Charles-Town, Dec. 6th, 1775.
Sir ー The Hon. Henry Middleton and John Rutledge, esq., have intimated to us, that you applied in Philadelphia for permission to clear out vessels for Great Britain, in order the more effectually, as you said, to execute the commission of shipping off the produce of this colony for continental service, and that such permission was peremptorily refused. We have therefore reflected upon your application for the same purpose to this board, and although we did not grant your request as being out of our department, we think it necessary to add, to such observations as were then made, our desire and injunction, that you will not attempt to clear out any vessel for Great Britain, Ireland, or the British West-Indies.
By order of the Council of Safety.
Henry Laurens, President.
Capt. Alex. Gillon. Recommended to the Committee at Beaufort.
Michael Bates, overseer upon Mr. John Ash's plantation near Haddrell's Point, informed the Council, of a robbery which had last night been committed on the plantation of which he had the charge, by a man-of-war's boat, with a number of armed men, blacks as well as whites ー among the former; Robinson who has the care of the post-house on Sullivan's Island, and among the latter, one Swan, a mulatto; both whom he declared he perfectly knew.
Messrs. Samuel and Benj. Legare laid a complaint before the Council, of the seizure of a considerable sum of money, belonging to them, out of the sloop Thomas and Stafford, Solomon Gibbs, master, regularly cleared from St. Kitts for this port. And requesting, if they could not otherwise be relieved, to be permitted to make reprisals.
Capt. Jacob Milligan, master of the sloop Hetty, belonging to Messrs. James & Nielson, and Crouch & Gray, of this town, who arrived here yesterday, regularly cleared from Jamaica with rum and sugar, yet seized by Capt. Tollemache of the King's armed ship Scorpion, attended the Council, and informed, after the circumstances of the seizure of his vessel, that there were a considerable number of slaves upon Sullivan's Island, and that he learnt huts were building for them in the woods.
Ordered, That the Hon. Wm. H. Drayton and Capt. [Thomas] Savage be a committee to make immediate inquiry into the state of the naval armament of this colony, and to consider of the most effectual and speedy method of manning the same.
