The Committee of Safety Correspondence & Inspection of Newburyport beg Leave to acknowledge the Receipt last Evening, of a Resolve of the honble Genl Court passed the 8th of this present month, appointing them "with Capt Jeremiah Obrien, a Committee to prepare & in all Respects equip & man with fifty Men each including Officers, the Sloop Machias Liberty, & Schooner Diligent now lying at Newburyport &c"

The Committee with pleasure will undertake & perform all in their Power ー & can engage to purchase the necessary Articles wanted, except Gunpowder ー Of that essential Article, they with reluctance say, not a Cask can be procured here at any rate ー The pressing demands of this Town have called for every Exertion in their power to raise Monies, notwithstanding the Town is greatly in debt, not being able to furnish enough to pay the necessary current Services ー therefore to make it possible to comply wth the aforesd Resolve, the Committee humbly hope the honble Council will furnish them by the Bearer Capt Michael Hodge one of their Members, with as much Money as the present Occasion calls for ー Which by a moderate Calculation for two Months Cruize only, with the fixing the Vessels will amount to five hundred pounds lawfull money ー exclusive of the cost of Gunpowder (which is not to be had here) & of which Capt Obrien thinks there ought to be five hundred pounds weight beside one hundred & twenty pounds now on board -The Committee apprehend that the fifty Men for each Vessell or any considerable number of them cannot be found in this Town-owing to a large number being in the Continental Army, & to several Privateers out on Cruises ー Capt Obrien says he can make up the Deficiency in the Eastward Harbour, if your Honours think it proper to let him depart hence without his full Complement ー As Capt Obrien must probably collect his Men from thence, & his present Officers, whoin he approves of may be most agreeable to such Men, the Committee hopes the honble Council will excuse them from recommending said Officers for this Reason only, that they are entire Strangers to them ー

P Order of the Committee Tristram Dalton Chairman PT

Newburyport Feby 24th 1776.