Boston 15th April 1778
Honbl Gentlemen,
I have the honour to transmit by this opportunity to the honbl Committee my Acct. Currt. with ye particular Accts. of each Vessell as by the Schedule inclos'd, when the Goods belonging to the Dispatch1 are dispos'd of I will forward that Acct. together with her Outfit for Carolina,2 as likewise the Acct. of Sales of a parcell of Blanketts recei'd from Bedford3 which arriv'd at Nantuckett to the Address of Mess John & Nico. Brown of Providence with the Acct. of the half of Brig Friendship & half her Cargo of Salt when sold. Mr Grant4 the Owner of the Brig left orders to sue Me for half what she sold for, which was accordingly done,5 tho Ive charg'd in my Acct. the Ballance paid Capt. Cleveland6 I've not paid him but £400 chusing to keep the Remainder in my hands 'till he produces his Vouchers & till I know if his Accounts receive the Approbation of the honble Committee, every Account has been carefully check'd & I believe them free from Errors. I shall be very glad if they are acceptable to those to whom I'm under the highest Obligations yours &c
J B—
PS. The Number of Accts. sent forward as follows
viz No 1. Supplies to Major Chace7
2 Cost of [blank]
3 Brig Robert's Cost8
4 Brig Fanny9
5 Brig Tryton10
6 Brig Elizabeth11
7 Schooner Lynch Voyage12
8 Sales Salmon13
9 Brig Trytons Invoice
LB, DLC, John Bradford Letter Books, vol. 2, p. 124. Addressed before opening: “The Honble Commercial Committee."
1. Continental packet brigantine Dispatch, Lt. John Brown, Continental Navy, commander.
2. That is, South Carolina.
3. Bedford in Dartmouth (now New Bedford).
4. Thomas Grant.
5. For more on the sale of brig Friendship, see NDAR 11: 653, 654n.
6. Capt. Stephen Cleveland, formerly commander of Continental packet Dispatch.
7. Maj. Thomas Chase, Deputy Quartermaster General at Boston.
8. Brig Lively, Nicholas Martindale, master, was captured by Washington's Fleet schooners Franklin, Capt. John Skimmer, commander, and Hancock, Capt. Samuel Tucker, commander, on 29 Oct. 1776. Bradford purchased it on 13 Mar. 1777 for the Continental Secret Committee and renamed it Robert. See NDAR 7:137, 139, 232–33.
9. Brig Fanny, William Tokely, master, owned by the Continental Secret Committee, was taken illegally by Massachusetts privateer schooner Eagle, Capt. Elijah Freeman Payne, commander, and sent into Boston. See NDAR 7: 470–71, 809, 906, 1216.
10. Brig Triton, Thomas Brinton, master, was captured on 7 Nov. 1776 by Washington's Fleet schooners Hancock, Capt. Samuel Tucker, commander, and Franklin, Capt. John Skimmer, commander. See NDAR 7: 104, 105, 137, 139, 1014.
11. Probably brig Elizabeth, Thomas Edwards, master, taken on 7 Nov. 1776 by Washington's Fleet schooner Lee, Capt. Daniel Waters, commander. See NDAR 7: 104, 105n, 139.
12. Schooner Lynch's accounts for voyage to France as a packet under the command of Capt. John Adams.
13. This refers to 426 tierces of salmon, part of the cargo of the brig Triton.
