[Extract]
Sir

The Letter from the Honle Marine Commee of the 9th Ultimo I received last week with the order on the Committee at Providence for the Cannon . . .

Immediately on my Receiving the order for Guns I dispatched Cap. [George] Wentworth for Providence with a Letter to Messrs Clarke & Nightingale who are of the [Providence] Committee & were for my haveing the Guns to forward as Soon as possible but as I had heard they had got the Guns on board "took care to make this Proviso" if the Guns could be had without injureing the Service this gives me pleasure as I find it Coincides with the Opinion of the Honie Committee as mentioned in their Letter which I've received Since by Cap Falconer, The answer I received was, that the Ships were Compleated & delivered to the Honie Stephen Hopkins Esqre who tho't the Guns could not be delivered without Injury to the Service; am very glad they have given such dispatch for the last six weeks to those Ships as to have them ready for Sea, Tho' I humbly conceive it has been of no small Assistance to the Dispatch by haveing most part of the Continental Fleet there this Season -Cap. [Nathaniel] Falconer has examined our Ship [Raleigh] & who is a Gentleman well acquainted with Maritime Matters to whom I beg leave to refer the Honie Committee as to her forwardness I should be verry happy if the Guns could be forwarded, from Connecticut Philadelphia or out of the Alfred or Columbus if they are not to go to Sea soon as I am verry fearful we shall not have a hand left on board unless the Guns are forwarded soon & a prospect of the Ship's going to Sea, there -being the Greatest Demand for Officers & Seamen to Man the Privateers; hardly week passes but more or less leave the Ship, tho' we keep the best look out possible to prevent them & some severely punished, (who have been taken as Examples [)] at least five Hundred Men have gone from this Town since last May who would have gone in the Ship if wanted had the Guns been ready

Honle John Hancock Esqre
President of the Honle
Continental Marine Commee

1. John Langdon Letter Book, Captain J. G. M. Stone Private Collection, Annapolis.