Continental Marine Committee to the American Commissioners in France, June 10, 1778

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Marine Committee
York in Penn^a. Jun 10th 1778:

Honorable Gentⁿ

There is wanted for A fifty Six Gun Ship now building at Portsmouth in the State of New Hampshire, Twenty eight 24 pounders Cannon & Twenty eight 18 Pounders which we request you will order to be shipped for that Port or the Port of Boston by the first Opportunity.¹ Should the Continental Frigates Boston and Providence be in France when this gets to hand they may take in those Cannon² and in that case you will please to ship an equal number of each Size sufficient to Ballast Said Frigates, as we shall have occasion for more than will be wanted for the 56 Gun ship. We request your attention to this business and are Honorable Gentⁿ [&c.]³

Richard Henry Lee. C.M.C.⁴

L, PPAmP, Benjamin Franklin Papers, vol. 10, fol. 27½. Addressed below close: “The Honble The Commissioners/of the United States of N America/at Paris.” Addressed on a separate sheet: “The Honorable the Commissioners/ of the United States of North/America at/Paris.” Docketed: “Letter/Marine Com^tee. June 10/1778. for 28. 24 Pounders/and 28 18^s..” Notation; "Order for/Cannon"; calculations appearing on address sheet:

	3000	1680
	56	24
	18000	6720
	15000	3360
	168,000	40,320

The first calculation may be the weight of 56 24 pounders; the second calculation may be the weight of ammunition for those cannon at thirty 24-pound shot per gun.

1. Continental ship of the line America. On 19 Aug., the Commissioners ordered John Bondfield to obtain the cannon. Adams Papers, Microfilm.

2. Continental Navy frigates Boston, Capt. Samuel Tucker, commander, and Providence, Capt. Abraham Whipple, commander.

3. A copy of this letter in the Marine Committee Letterbook includes the following postscript: “P:S: we request you will order our ships of war to sail in company as it is the practice of the enemy so to do—." DNA, PCC, Marine Committee Letter Book, p. 186 (M332, roll 6).

4. That is, either Continental Marine Committee or Chairman, Marine Committee.

Document Information

Date

1778 June 10

Volume

Volume 13

Series

American Theater, June 1 to August 15, 1778

Naval Documents of the American Revolution

Continental Marine Committee to the American Commissioners in France, June 10, 1778

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