Honored Sir, 

I Rec^d. yours of y^e 1^st Ins.¹ wherein you are pleased to say that you hourly expected a number of Cap^t Hardings² prisoners into Lebanon on there way to N Haven & would have me provide a Vessell there for the purpose of carring them to N York, & that the prisoners at N London might be sent in the Same Vessell to N Haven & so on to N York, after hearing from your Excellency, which you thought would be by the time Col Ely³ would have marching Orders; And as it is now five Days Since Col Ely has marched⁴ & have not the pleasure of hearing from your Excellency, conclude there must be some difficulty in the way that those prisoners have not arrived, or that the great attention you give to the affairs of Government has occasioned the delay. There­fore have taken the liberty, as I had taken up the Sloop Delight, to send her on to New Haven with those prisoners that was here; perswading myself that you would be there to day, and that if it was not likely that all Cap^t Hardings prisoners would be there soon, that Cap^t Stillman⁵ might wait at N Haven for them, or go on to New York with these he has already, as you'l please to order. And happy should I be, should it meet your approbation, which I am in hopes of, considering that the Sloop is under pay & the prisoners maintained as cheap on board as on Shore. Have ordered Cap^t Stillman to shew you his orders from me and the Letter to Joshua Loring Com^s at NY &c. And if agreeable may go on I suppose, notwithstanding Cap^t Stillman may take in these other prisoners, (which your Excellency will give directions for their Exchange) or take up those directions of mine to Loring & put these prisoners into the List of Cap^t Hardings Prisoners. Should have gone myself to N Haven but M^r Shaw⁶ being Sick with the Longfeaver at Bedford. I ask pardon, but would only beg leave to hint, per­haps you may not think of it, as there may possible arise some doubt in N York about y^e Cap^t of y^e 50 Gun Ship⁷ (being only a Gentleman passenger) in exchange for Manly a Commodore, would it not do to take his parol to go down to N York in this Flag for the purpose of being exchanged for Cap^t Manly & that in case such an exchange can­ not be effected that he pledge his Faith & word of honor to your Excellency that he will emmediately return into this State & Submit himself prisoner of warr

Below is a List of Cap^t Palmers men taken in a private Sloop of Warr⁸ & carried into Newport, which I wish might be exchanged for some of Hardings Prisoners who are prisoners taken in Arms, & will not be admitted to an exchange by any other & have been there a long time, it is by the Solicitation of there friends that I take the liberty to trouble you with their names. I am [&c.]

Rob^t Palmer Cap^t.
Jon^a Salsbury Master
John Palmer Boatswain
Elisha Swan Carpenter
Nathan Robinson Mate
Josiah Hewet 2^d Mate