Boston 1st: April 1778
Dear Sir
Yours of the 24th March I received,—1 your draught on me for £2,000 payable to Capt John Lamb meets with due honour. I am glad to hear the Ship Putnam2 is provided with her Stores. Capt: Breeden is out of Town. dont know when he will return. I fear shall be disappointed of geting the chain and cross barr Shott, I should be glad to know if the Ship is like to get man’d and by what time she will Sail. I think the first of May soon enough, and cou’d wish she might accompany our Ship Mars3 and Brigt: Gener’l Arnold4 at that Time—You ask my Opinion of Mr: David Dickson which is something delicate. he has been here near twelve Months. The latter part of which he has done little but adventuring to Sea which at present is very precarious—I suppose he has made a Fortune but it is astonishing to me that he shou’d have contracted so large a debt as he has with you and made so small a payment in so long a Time—5he must have made a large sum on The Sugar as I believe none of it sold under £16 to £18 Mr: Dickson is a young Gentleman for whom I have a particular regard; Mr: Saml: Breck of this Town I believe principally does his Business, I shall have about four Thousand Pounds to pay him in a short time. if you think proper you may draw in my favour on him for that Sum, payable in one Month the money shall be applied to your Order I am Sir [&c.]
Isaac Sears
P.S. I have not been able to procure the Doctor’s Instruments, the person who made them being out of Town– I believe little dependence may be put on my getting them here—I have not yet recd: the Suit of Colours from Capt: Lamb for particculars on that Subject I refer you to the Letter which he says he will write you—
L, CtY, Nathaniel and Thomas Shaw Papers, packet 27, no. 1645. Addressed on cover: “To/Nathaniel Shaw Esqr:/Merchant/at/Newlondon.” Addressed below close: “Nathaniel Shaw Esqr:.” Docketed: “Isaac Sears/Letter/April 1st 1778.”
1. In the letter Shaw informed Sears that the building and fitting out of the privateer General Putnam cost him £45,000, and that it had all her stores and provisions on board ready for a cruise. Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., to Isaac Sears, 24 Mar. 1778. CtY, Nathaniel and Thomas Shaw Papers, Letter Book (Jan. 1775– July 1782).
Connecticut privateer ship General Putnam, Thomas Allon, commander, of New London, mounting twenty 9-pounders, a crew of 150 seamen, owned by Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., and Co., of New London, was commissioned on 23 Apr. 1778. DNA, PCC, item 196, vol. 6, p. 34.
3. Massachusetts privateer ship Mars, Gilbert Ash, commander, of Boston, mounting 22 carriage guns, a crew of 130 seamen, owned by Isaac Sears, of Boston, and John and Samuel Broome, of Hartford, Conn., was commissioned on 23 May 1778. M-Ar, vol. 139, pp. 184, 233. The copy of her letter of marque and reprisal in the Papers of the Continental Congress refers to her as a Connecticut privateer that was commissioned on 11 May 1778. DNA, PCC, item 196, vol. 10, p. 20.
4. Massachusetts privateer brigantine General Arnold, James Magee, commander, mounting 20 carriage guns, a crew of 120 seamen, owned by Isaac Sears and Paschal N. Smith, of Boston, was commissioned on 11 May 1778. DNA, PCC, item 196, vol. 6, p. 8.
5. In Aug. 1777 merchant David Dickson purchased 200 hogsheads of sugar from Shaw, worth £20,000, and had only paid Shaw £7,000 by Mar. 1778. Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., to Isaac Sears, 24 Mar. 1778. CtY, Nathaniel and Thomas Shaw Papers, Letter Book (Jan. 1775–July 1782).
