To the Honb^l. The Marine Committee
the Continental Congress
Gentlemen

your Orders of the Sixth ultimo I have rec^d and Shall do my outmost to Execute them with all possible dispatch,¹ we have Shifted our Standing rigging on the Main & Fore Masts Since our arrival and are well on with every other kind of repair of which the Ship Stood in Need, and I propose cleaning her Bottom the Next full Moon as the tides will then fully answer to Lay the Ship ashore, Our main dificualty will be to procure hands—as we are daily robb'd of our, men by both privatiers, & merchant men & the Extravigant wages given by the Latter, & the great Encouragements given by the former—toguther with Some mismagement amongst our Selves has left us a thin Ship—Nevertheless I hope to get to Sea before the cold weather Sets in

in my letter of the 25^th of August² I did inform you that Capt Palmes of our Marines was under Arrest, and that I could not See how he could be brought to a Court martial as we were only a Single Ship in this port

Soon as the Navy Board mett here I did apply to them by Letter of the 9^th of Sept^r last³ requesting that they would call a Sufficient Number of Officers from prov­idence to Sit on that court martial—also to hold a Court of Enquirey in our pro­ceedings the Last cruize, that all possible Evidence might be collected from our Ships company (before they Scattered.) concerning the Loss of The Hancock and The Fox.

I am now told that the Expedition in Contemplation Against Rhode  Island, is the Cause why those officers have not been Ordered here as I requested.

This happens a Little unluckey at present inasmuch as an Example of justice is wanting at this time on persons who Committ such crimes as Capt. Palmes Stands charged with—That other men may See and refraine in time from Such Misdeeds. his crime is—Neglect of duty,—Misapplication of the Ships Stores—disobedience of Orders, and frequent attempts to raise discontent & Mutiny Among the Ships Com­pany.—if either of these crimes be proved against him—I flatter my Self That the Honb^le Congress will never give him another Commission to Cast into the fire as he did That with which they Once honoured him.

in Consequence of Some altercation between m^r Browne the first L^t. and Some of the people on board I have been led to Examine narrowly into his Conduct­—which I find So reprehensible That I have this day Suspended him untill the plea­sure of Congress be known

I have charged him with Neglect of duty and a Designe of detaining the Ship in port all winter by persuading Some & threatning Others to quit the Ship, So that he may Goe ashore here in ease & idleness some of his predominate vices

Our 2^d L^t. M^r Simon Gross is now a prisoner at Halifax—our third L^t. M^r. Hazekiah Welch [is] here, & is determined to abide by the Ship—M^r. William Faris a young man who has Serve'd as a Mate and Midshipman on board is both a Seaman & a Gen­tleman—him I have appointed to act as a Leiutenant untill it Shall Please the Honb^l Congress to Confirm, or Disapprove, of my choice—The former I Shall look on as a favour; the Latter will not make me uneasey.

a Very Singular instance has turn'd up here which I cannot forbear takeing no­tice of—when the Agents advertized in the publick prints that the Bostons Prize Money was to be paid I published the following order on board the Ship which I cause'd to be placarded in the most publick place of the Ship—

viz

The Officers, Mates, & Midshipmen of the Ship Boston, are to produce fair Copys of their Journals Signed by their own hand, in order to entitle them to their wages and prize money for the Said Ship

Ship Boston 17^th  Sep^tr. 1777
H. M^cN

The above order gave offence to Severall of our officers, and they refuse'd to give in their Jounals—on which I Stop'd the payment of their prize Money. as for m^r Palmes 'tho I Expected no Journal of him, yet as he was under Arrest I thought proper to detain his untill his fate was decided by Court martial

In this case those Gentlemen found themselves a Little Embarras'd and tho they would not acknowledge my authority over them So much as to render Copys of their Journals, yet they found that I had Stop'd payment of their prize mony untill they Should Comply with that Order—

Mess^rs Vernon & Deshon of the Navy Board being at this time up at Providence M^r. Palmes went thither and Sollicited an order to Obtain the prize money for him­self, M^r Browne & M^r Furlong, the Master—by his false representations of Facts he amuse'd Those Gentlemen So much That they wrote to the Honb^le Gen^l. Warren re­questing that he would take Some Steps with the Agents to Oblige them to pay those men their Shares whither I would or not—This was not all but the most Extrordinary Step was that They also preposed to appoint M^r Palmes to go on board the Warren at Providence as Capt. of Marines,⁴ & to Shift the Capt. of Marines of that Ship into the Boston—and all this to be done without takeing Notice of the Arrest under which Capt. Palmes had been ever Since the 10^th of Aug^t last.

This I must Complain of as a most unprecidented Step—never was a man taken from under Arrest & proffer'd to any other Employment without first undergoing a Court Martial. Nor is it possible that ever good order Should Exist in armies, or fleets, without takeing care to punish, cashier, or repremand; Such as Shall on due trial be found guilty of Such offences—if precedents of this kind be permitted once to [take] place—farewell Discipline & good Order, farewell Honour & honesty, The Service will then become a recepticall for unclean kinds who will hereby be Encouraged to take Shelter there—and all men of good principals will totally forsake—

Who the man is whom these Gentlemen propose to put on board the Boston in Palmes his room, comeing from the Warren—I cannot tell, but I hear he cannot Live on board the Warren—tis an Old Proverb, that two cheats make the bargin even­—but my determination is, never to receive a turn'd over Officer from another Ship without he having an ample certificate in his hand from his former Commander­—This I know to be consistant with good dicipline & common honesty & nothing but a resolve of Congress to the contrary will prevail with me to alter my opinion,

God, & nature has Said—That one head is indispesibley Necessary on board of a Ship—on that head or principal person, every other, must have Such a Measure of dependance as will urge them to Obey his commands with chearfullness—his Au­thourity over his officers & men Should be Such as to render all his Lawfull com­mands not only their duty but their Entrest to Obey them without hesitation,—in this channell a Ship full of men may be Governed by a prudent man with ease & cer­tainty—but if ever his authourity be disputed by a Second person—a third and a fourth will arise—Consequently the whole will run into Anarchy & Confusion

to return to the duty of officers with respect to producing Journals—I must Say that I know of no Sea Service in the world where officers are Exempted from this so interesting a piece of duty

Copys of their Journals must be produced at the pay office, with their Captains certificates of their Services Otherwise they can Expect neither pay nor prize money­—but as we in our Service are frequently in advance for our officers over and above their wages—their prize money is the only cheque we have upon them—This I think will Justify my proceedings in Stoping their Shares, untill the for the reasons already given—not only this but I will aver that there Never was a Ship on the Continent Either publick or private, whose prize money was paid so soon, & so faithfully as ours has been

I must now beg leave to give my Opinion respecting marine officers for Such Ships as ours So much hamperd for want of room—I think in concience a Subeltern' is Enough, three Marine officers, takes up so much room to accomodate them that we are pinch'd beyound [Reason] to afford it—then they have Little or no duty to do—are always in the way & apt to disagree with the Sea officers So that it takes much trouble to mannage them—then they run away with So much of the prize money from Officers who are realy usefull—That 'tis painfull to hear the murmerings it Oc­casions might it not be proper to Lessen their number down to one on board the frigates and give what the other two did Enjoy between the Chaplin & Surg^n.

Sure I am that you must alter the System for the Surgeons in  the fleet—other­ wise you will not have one man of abillity, in the Service.

I have a young man with me whose Name is William Lamb—in case you think proper to appoint only one Marine officer for our Ship he well deserves the pref­ference and I should take it as a favour—

A young French Gentleman (his Name is Peter Cavey) who was with us as a Vol­untier last cruize Appears fond of a Brevet for a Leiutenancy of Marines—if it be Consistant to let him to let him have what he desires, 'twill make him Very happy—I mention this at his request & partly as a recompence for his warm wishes for the wellfare of this country—

This will be handed you by Doctor Linn the Surgeon of our Ship whom I must beg leave to recommend to your particular Notice I am Gentlemen &^c

I cannot Close this Letter without acquainting you That I am Now upwards of three thousand dollars in advance for the Ship, not haveing rec^d one farthing Since my arival either to pay off the Old hands or Engage new ones—this has everlastingly been my case Since I have been with the Ship—the Service I have Ever been Obliged to cary on unsuported—so that I am weary of Such work; as both the publick credit, and mine owne have Suffered for want of due Supplys—