Portsmouth [2]1 Jany. 1778
Honble: Sir
Last Saturday Evening after a very fatiguing passage of 42 Days, I arriv'd at Old York2 in the State Sloop Republic,3 meeting with very bad weather, has disabled her from proceeding any farther unless intirely refitted. her Sails are shatter'd to Rags; the Anchors, & Cables are lost; my Mate dy'd with a Fever on his Passage; One Man was lost Over board. eight Men who went ashore with Capt. Palmer on an Island, was oblig'd to leave them, the weather coming up so boisterous was forc'd to cut our Cables. The Cargo is very valuable, consisting agreable to the Packet, which is now forwarded. You'll Please immediately to forward with respect to my further proceedings, & shall wait at Portsmouth your Orders. by an unfortunate Accident in cleaning a gun, I am bady wounded in the hand. I am Sir [&c.]
John Cary
NB—Should have forwarded the Accot. of my Arrival, but Colo. Langdon4 thought it most convenient to wait for the Post.
L, M-Ar, Mas Archives Collection, vol. 153 (Board of War Letters, 1777-1780), p. 32. See Captain John Carey to Captain John Lamb, 16 Jan., and Massachusetts Board of War to Captain John Carey, 19 Jan., below.
1. The date is supplied by the placement of the letter in the index to vol. 153.
2. York, Me.
3. Massachusetts Navy sloop Republic had been sent to Martinique in August 1777 with a cargo of fish, boards and staves. She was to return to Massachusetts or New Hampshire with a cargo of molasses, rum and cotton. See NDAR 9: 691; 10: 230-31.
4. John Langdon, Continental Agent for New Hampshire.
