At a Council holden at Halifax on the 16th of August 1775
Present
His Excellency The Governor The Honorable Jonathan Belcher
Charles Morris, Richard Bulkeley, Henry Newton, Arthur Goold, John Butler, James Burrows, Counsellors
Captain [Edward] Meadows Commandr of His Majestys Ship the Tartar, Captain [William] Duddingston Master & Commander of His Majestys ship Senegal.
Captain Duddingston informed the Governor & Council that being at Penobscot lately with some Transports he saw four Sloops returning from a design against Fort Penobscot, that he was informed they were full of Men & he supposed them to be pirates and that from several informations there was near seven hundred Men on that part of the Coast & above nine hundred Men further on towards Cascoe Bay ー And then Captain Duddingston part of His Instructions whereby he was directed to proceed to Machias Harbour there to destroy any vessells he may find, provided the Transports coud proceed on their business with safety.
Captain Medows in answer to the requisition made to him of yesterday Represented that the Senegal might be very unequal to the Force of which might be opposed to him by Pirates in the Bay of Fundy & that the most effectual Measure to prevent any attempts by Pirates wou'd be to proceed directly to Machias with the Tartar Man of War, the Senegal & an Armed Schooner which wou'd probably be sufficient to destroy any preparations making at this time at Machias, & then produced a part of the Admiral's Instructions requiring him to do his Utmost for the Safety & security of this Province & to destroy any Pirates which might be found on this Coast, And then proposed the consideration of the Security of the Dockyards during his absence.
On which it was the Opinion of the Council that the most effectual Measure to be taken at this time for the security & defence of the Province is that His Majesty's ships in this Harbour do proceed immediately to the Bay of Fundy & there to Act in such manner as should appear most conducive to the good of his Majesty's Serviceー
And it was Resolved, that for the Security of the Dockyard in the Absence of the Tartar, One Subaltern Officer & Twenty Men of the 65th Regiment do mount Guard there this Evening & continue so to do untill further Orders.
Also that One Subaltern Officer & twenty four Men of the Militia do Mount the Town Guard this night & Continue so to do until further Orders.
At a Council holden at Halifax on the Evening of the 16th of August 1775
Present [as previously listed]
Mrs. Susannah Sheppard who had lately arrived in this Province from Machias in the Bay of Fundy & Province of the Massachusetts Bay being examined declar'd That she had come a Passenger from Philadelphia to Machias on board a Schooner which had been Charter'd by William Shey & others; & was laden with Corn, Flour & Pork, that the said Vessell was permitted to sail from Philadelphia only on the condition of coming to Machias, or some port to the Westward; to which William Shey & the Master & others were Sworn, that the Schooner got on a Rock going into Machias, on which a Person named Stephens who call'd himself a Lieutenant to one [Jeremiah] O'Brien, came on Board a Vessell well Mann'd & help'd the Schooner off & then forced her to proceed to Machia. where they unloaded the Cargoeー
That she the said Susannah Sheppard was there eleven days & heard the People say that they wou'd come with two thousand men into Nova Scotia & go thro' it to discover the Whigs from the Tories & that they woud take the latter with the Governor, prisoners.
Mr William Shey being call'd in & examined corroborated the foregoing declaration, And further added That the people at Machias declar'd that they only waited until the Hay & Corn in Nova Scotia were cut down & collected, & then they would come & carry it off, that O Brian was gone to Congress; from whom on the return of O'Brien, they expected orders for that purpose, And that they proposed to Collect a force from all the Coast as far as Casco Bay.
