Boston 4th June 1778
Gentlemen,
This serves to advise you that some Time since I receiv'd Orders from the honble Commercial Committee to send the Ship Mellish to your Address,1 I accordingly sent Mr Jarvis2 ye necessary Orders to expedite her Dispatch. We are greatly perplexd for Want of Men, but had she been mann'd the Harbour of Bedford being block'd up by the Enemies Cruisers would have prevented her sailing, hope by the Time that Impediment's is remov'd to have her ready for ye Sea, wish her safe to Port: heartily congratulate you on our new Alliance,3 hope it will be productive of happy Consequences. We have had rich Supplies of Goods of all Sorts lately arriv'd here, yours with Respect,
J B
LB, DLC, John Bradford Letter Books, vol. 2, p. 137. Addressed at top: "Mess Clarkson & Livingston, Carolina." Levinus Clarkson and Abraham Livingston were joint Continental Agents for South Carolina at Charleston.
1. See Bradford to Continental Commerce Committee, 6 May, and Bradford to Leonard Jarvis, 7 May, in NDAR 12: 273 and 281. Mellish was a Continental trading ship.
2. Leonard Jarvis, Deputy Continental Agent for Massachusetts at New Bedford.
3. That is, the alliance with France.
