Gentlemen of the Counsel of Safety:

I now beg leaf to inform you of my transactions while I was imployed in fetching in gunpowder for the use of the Collony of Virginia, and detained a prissinner under Lord Dunmore on that Account, Which is as follows, Viz:

Sometime in July, in the year of 1775, I was imployed by Mr. Thomas Newton, of Norfolk, to fetch in a quantity of gunpowder for the use of the collony of Virginia, and was intrusted with Bills of exchange on London to the amount of five thousand pounds Sterling, to purchase the same with. I proceeded to the West indies with all possable disspatch and disposed of the said bills of exchange, agreeable to my directions from Mr. Newton. Then I went to St. Eustatia, Martinico and Sundry other french Islands, and purchased all the gunpowder I could find in those Islands, which did not exceed five thousand weight. And knowing at that time that the Collony of Virginia was laying in a defenceless State, I took the above quantity of gunpowder into a small sloop of mine, with a quantity of Oznabriges on my own Acc't, and proceeded with same to the head of paspotank river, in North Carolina, where I landed the powder and oznabriges all safe. From thence I was preceding to Norfolk, in Virginia, over land, there to see Mr. Thomas Newton, the gentleman who imployed me to go on the powder expedition. On my way to Norfolk I was informed that the said Newton had moved from that and it would be onsafe for me to go there; as Lord Dunmore was a keeping a lookout and wanted to take me, owing to an information lodged against me to Lord Dunmore of my being gone out after gunpowder.

When I left the west indies I left the remainder part of the Cuntrie's money in the hands of Isaac Vandam, Merchant at St. Eustatia, with orders to lay the same out in gunpowder, and have the same ready at St. Eustatia on my return, a coppy of which I took with me. My receiving information that Dunmore Wanted to take me, maid me alter my corse and go to Portsmouth, Where I expected to have seen my family; but on my arrival There, I saw no one but Mr. Robert Shedden, who informed me that my Father's and my family was moved up to a Plantation of my Father's that was about twenty-five miles back in the Cuntry, and that I must leave the town emediately as Lord Dunmore was keeping the strictest lookout for you, which I did. I proceeded to my family. Mr. Shedden sent word to my Father & Brother to inform them of my safe arrival, Who were then down at the Capes, the one at the North cape and the other at the south Cape, keeping a lookout for me, and a small Schooner which they expected in, loaded with corse Linens. After staying one or two days with my family, I proceeded to Williamsburg, and on my way I met with Mr. Newton, who I inform'd of my proceedings, which gave him satisfaction, & he desired that I would proceed to Williamsburg and there give an account of my proceedings to Mr. R. C. Nicholus, who it allso gave Satisfaction to.

From Williamsburg I returned to my Father's plantation, where my Family was, and muved my Wife, who was then big with Child, and looking to layin in the corse of a month or so, to Mrs. Brown's, an old Midwifes, where I thought She might remain in Safety while I was gone for the remainder part of This gunpowder. As soon as I got her well settled there and provided her with necessaries of Life, I proceeded to my Father's plantation, on my way to St. Eustatia, but on my arrival there my Father wan't returned from the cape, who I wanted to see before I went to 'Statia, which induced me to stay there that night, and, unluckey for me, there came Eight men and an officer that night and took me a prissenner, about two o'clock in the morning, and Carryed me on board of the Otter Sloop-of-War.

On my Father's hearing of this misfortune of mine, he returned from the Cape, and took the directions I left with Mr. Vandam and went to the head of paspotank, where the small Vessel was laying that I brought in the powder and Oznabriges with, and was proceeding to St. Eustatia in order to take in hand the powder expidition, but onluckily got taiken at Ocrocock Bar, by two of the king's Croosers that was there, and brought a prissonner on board of the Otter, with all his papers, among which was a Cappy of Vandam's orders, which I left with him. Upon Lord Dunmore Examineing of this Coppy of Direction that I left with Mr. Vandam, he found that I had left a considerable sum of money belonging to the Colony of Virginia in the hands of Vandam, at St. Eustatia, to be laid out in gunpowder; upon which, his Lordship obliged me to go on board of an armed tender, and sent me to St. Eustatia, giveing of me possative orders to take that gunpowder, and what money that should not be laid out, and fetch the same to him.

When arrived at St. Eustatia, I informed Mr. Vandam of My misfortune, and told him that I was sent there by Lord Dunmore with such instructions, which I shewed to him, telling of him, at the same time, that we must fall upon some plan to keep Lord Dunmore from Geting of this money, as I did not think it was Just that he should have it, which Vandam readyly agred to, and the money is now laying in the hands of Mr. Vandam's Executors, as he has since departed this Life. Mr. Vandam had the powder ready, agreeable to my directions, which he sold afterwards to a New York Sloop that was laying in the rhoad.

On my return from St. Eustatia to Virginia, I waited on Lord Dunmore and Shode him a note from Mr. Vandam Promissing to pay the sum of money I left in his hands, On his receiveing advice that the bills of exchange was duly Honoured, and not before, as he was an indorser on the bills which he had the money for, and did not think himself safe in delivering the money before then, which note Lord Dunmore took and was satisfyed with; and in about one week his Lordship granted me my perole to go and see my family where I staid three days and returned on board remaining a prissinnor, in which time Lord Dunmore sent for me several times desireing that Iwould Join government, which I refused to do, telling of his Lordship that I could not think of taking up arm against a cuntry that was Acting in devence of there Liberties.

Now the people of the cuntry began to susspect that I had fotch in the cuntries' money to Lord Dunmore, which Occaisoned the Convention to stop the payment of a considerable sum of money due my brother & self for a quantity of corse linen sold them in October last. The people of the Cuntry grew so inragedd, they went to the house where my wife was, and when she had been but three Days delivered of a child, with a fixed reasulution to bum the house over her head, which it was as much as some of my friends could do to keep them from. My Friends was obliged to send my wife of[f] in a fortnight after she was delivered as she run a risque of her life while on shore.

After this I staid on board of a Vessel of my own for three months on my perole not to go on shore; after which Time Lord Dunmore sent for me and desireing that I would Take charge of one of the Tenders, which I still refused to do. This Occasion'd his Lordship to grow a little mad. "What," says he, "don't the ill treatment of those fellows on shore to Mrs. Goodrich lead you to resent it?" I replyed that I did not think it was right to resent the ill treatment of a few Invious men on the whole Cuntry, and that I could not take up armes agains them with a clair Contience as long as they ware acting in defence of there Liberties. "But," says he, "you may depend upon it that they mean to Shake of[f] their dependence on grate brittain?" Then I told his Lordship that if he would alow me to remain nuteral untill they did declare themselves free and independnt of grate brittain, that I should then look upon myself to be in duty bound to take a part in favour of grate brittain, and would do avery thing in My power to appress the Americans in such a declaration. Upon which we parted, and I do declair upon my honour, Gentlemen, that I did not do nothing in favour of government but what I was obleged to do before they Declared for Independence. Upon the declaration of Independence in Virginia, I told Lord Dunmore that I was then ready and willing to take a part in favor of grate brittain Agreeable to my promiss, provided that his Lordship would furnish me with a propper Vessel well man'd and arm'd, Which his Lordship agreed to do, and sent me to Bermudas in the armed sloop, the Lady susan, to purchase a Brigg that Would carry Eighteen guns. When at Bermudas, there was no such Vessel to be had, and on my return from Bermudas, I met with the misfortune of falling in with the brig Lexington, Capt. Berry [John Barry] , who took me and sent me here.² This, gentlemen, I hope you will take to your Consedrations, and have me treated genteally, as a prissonner of war ought to be, and not like a thief or a Robber, as you have done by putting of me in Close confinement, and not alowing of me to speak to any person. I am, gentlemen, a constant and sinseer well-wisher to the piece and well fair of America, while under the power & authority of Grate Brittain.

N.B. I would be glad to obtain Liberty of riting to my pore Distressed family who are now in Bermudas, as I understand there is an opportunity.

W. Goodrich