Boston 14th. May 1778
Honble. Gentlemen
I have the honour to acknowledge your favour under the 28th. Ultimo. the Goods Receiv'd from the Warren's Prize1 were chiefly distributed, am happy to find agreeable to ye Orders receiv'd from ye honble Board, the time is arriv'd that gives every Department ample Supplies of Articles that have been much wanted, May the happy Period be very near, when the Implements of War will not be needed among us in America, I sincerely sympathize with my Country in the Loss of Capt. Biddle & the brave Men with him,2 it grieves Me to find our Navy dwindling, but I hope we were shall ere long be thoroughly purged of all Dastards—The late brave Capt. Chew's Brig3 brought home about fifty of the Alfred's4 Men since which the Clamour runs very high.5 Your Orders respecting Capt. Burke6 shall be directly observ'd & by next Frost7 the Order of ye Capt of ye Schooners Commissions shall be forwarded in the mean Time yours &c
J B
LB, DLC, John Bradford Letter Books, vol. 2, p. 133. Addressed at top: “Honbl: Marine Board."
1. This probably refers to the duck and osnaburgs taken out of ship Neptune, Joseph Smallwood, master, by Continental Navy frigate Warren, John Burroughs Hopkins, commander.
2. On the death of Capt. Nicholas Biddle and the destruction of the Continental Navy frigate Randolph, see NDAR 11: 683, 1175–77.
3. Continental Navy brigantine Resistance, formerly commanded by Capt. Samuel Chew.
4. Continental Navy ship Alfred, Capt. Elisha Hinman, commander.
5. This alludes to public opinion in Boston turning against Capt. Thomas Thompson, commanding Continental Navy frigate Raleigh, for not coming to the aid of his consort, Continental Navy ship Alfred, in their engagement with H.M. frigate Ariadne and H.M, ship-rigged sloop-of-war Ceres on 9 Mar. off Barbados.
6. For Continental Marine Committee's orders concerning Capt. William Burke, see the Committee's letter to Bradford of 28 Apr., above.
7. Presumably a slip of the pen for “post.”