[York, Pa.] April 28th 1778
Sir
We are now to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 8th Current, inclosing an Inventory of the Continental part of the goods Captured by Captain Hopkins,1 we wish to hear of the arrival of his Prizes, but are afraid they are retaken. you will deliver to the order of the Board of war the 26 Pieces of coarse sheeting
Such of the other articles as the Navy Board may want for the use of the Navy, you will deliver to them and sell what remains to the best advantage. We are sorry to hear of the death of Captain Chew, but are glad at the same time to find that he died bravely fighting a Ship of Superior force.2 The loss of the Alfred gives us much concern and we are not a little surprized to hear that the Raleigh should be in sight at the time of the Capture and not give her assistance especially when it is said that the force of the enemy was inferior to that of our Ships, however we shall suspend our judgment until the matter shall be fully inquired into.3 By advice from our Continental Agent in Charles Town we have the melancholy intelligence that the Randolph which sailed from Charles Town in february last in company with four Armed Vessels fitted out by that state during the Cruize in Longitude 53, latitude 13.30 the fleet fell in with a british man of war of 50 Guns a severe engagement between her and the Randolph ensued and after it had continued 12 minutes the latter unfortunately blew up and in all probability every Soul perished.4 The British ship immediately on the explosion gave chace to the other Vessels, who were enabled to make their escape by Captain Biddles having shot away the ships bowsprit and Mizen topMast. If this most unfortunate accident had not taken place in all probability the Randolph and the armed Vessels had given a good Account of the 50 Gun ship. Our little fleet is much diminished hopeing that we may be more fortunate in future We are Sir [&c.]
P:S: Inclosed is a Resolve of Congress of this date appointing William Burke a Captain in the Navy, and directing that he should receive from the time he was appointed to the Command of the schooner Warren to this day according to the Rate of Pay settled when he was so appointed.5 We now desire that you will settle his account and pay him agreeable to the said Resolve. You will please to inform us who was the Captain next in Commission to Captain Manly of the five Vessels fitted out by order of General Washington.6
LB, DNA, PCC, Marine Committee Letter Book, fols. 143–44 (M332, roll 6). Addressed before opening: “John Bradford Esqr."
1. Capt. John Burroughs Hopkins, commanding Continental Navy frigate Warren.
2. Capt. Samuel Chew was killed on 4 Mar. during an engagement between his ship, Continental Navy brigantine Resistance, and H.M. Post Office packet boat Grenville, Capt. William Kempthorne, commander, See NDAR 11: 624.
3. On the capture of Continental Navy ship Alfred, Capt. Elisha Hinman, commander, by two British warships while in company with Continental Navy frigate Raleigh, Capt. Thomas Thompson, commander, see James Warren to John Gill, 20 Apr., above.
4. On the destruction of the Randolph and the death of Capt. Nicholas Biddle and all but 4 of its crew of 315 seamen during an engagement with the 64-gun ship H.M.S. Yarmouth, Capt. Nicholas Vincent, commander, off Barbados, see NDAR 11: 683–84, 1175–77.
5. The resolution, dated 1 May, is below.
6. In his memorial to Congress of 30 Apr., below, Burke asserted that he was "next in commission” to John Manley among the five captains commissioned by George Washington in early 1776. In his letter to the committee of 17 June (DLC, John Bradford Letter Books, vol. 2, p. 140), Bradford did not rank the captains by seniority or even mention them, but merely informed the committee that Burke was commissioned on 8 Jan. 1776. Such a commissioning date would make Burke "next in commission" to Manley. For a list of the captains and their commissioning dates, see Officers of the Armed Vessels Fitted Out by Order of General Washington, 1 Feb. 1776. NDAR 3: 1077.
