Displaying 1 - 20 of 55
The powder you sent us arrived yesterday, and was viewed as it passed with a kind of pleasure I suppose you felt in sending it. The want of that article is the only obstacle I have in getting through a project of mine for a fleet. I made the motion early in the Sessions, and though opposed by [John] Pickering, &c., this is the one reason that prevailed.
Date: 7 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I always forgot to tell you I have seen your letter to [Elbridge] Gerry, expressing Mr. [Chistopher] Gadsden's opinion about fixing out armed vessels and setting up for a naval power.2 I thought it very happy to have so great an authority confirming my own sentiments, and having proposed in [Provincial] Congress just such a project the beginning of the session, borrowed the letter to...
Date: 11 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The attempt on long Island, the taking off all the stock & afterwards returning to Burn the Buildings (which you will have in the Papers) was certainly a Bold, Intrepid Maneuvre & as such astonished our Enemies. the Barges full of Armed Men were afraid to Attack our Whaleboats. at a proper distance & the Armed Vessels, either agitated with Fear or destitute of Judgment did it without...
Date: 20 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The hint you give of inviting all nations to trade with us is indeed a grand idea, and I can easily conceive how bitterly you regret the loss of it. Such a step would have been worthy of such a body. It would have been in the true stile of a Sully, and have produced mightly consequences. I can easily conceive also the narrow principles that operated against and finally destroyed them. The two...
Date: 31 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
. . . The People at Machias, an obscure small Town in the Eastermost parts of this Colony, you may remember some time ago took two Sloops from one [Ichabod] Jones (a dog) and a Tender. they have now taken another Tender without the loss of a man, and among other things with ten bbls. powder and £50 sterling in Cash.2 in this way they will be a Maritime Power. they Bid as fair for it as...
Date: 4 August 1775
Volume: Volume 1
last Evening arrived here a Gentn from Machias with an Acct of their haveing taken two other Tenders. so that they now have five prizes; three Tenders. & two Sloops taken from Jones. 28 Prisoners are on the road. & will be hear this day. among whom is old Ichabod Jones. the rest are Leuts. of Men of War. Midshipmen. & Seamen. five Sloops after wood. & fresh Provisions are taken by...
Date: 9 August 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I have Agreable to the order of Court purchased A Sloop to observe the Motions of the Enemy & give Intelligence you may if you please call her the Swift Capt [John] Wigglesworth the Bearer of this I have Appointed to the Command of her he now waits on you for your Orders & to get some powder & other Ammunition & perhaps A few Articles which cant be Obtained here. you will please...
Date: 22 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I can't account for the difficulties we have in raising men. Great numbers are indeed gone from us, and the southern governments have agents here inlisting seamen for their particular services, with full wages and large bounties. I fear therefore you will find it difficult to man your ships. You should attend to it without delay.
Date: 2 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
A large Sugar Ship from Jamaica with 300 hhds. sugar, 80 puncheons rum, some Madeira wine, etc., etc., is taken and got into the vineyard in her way to Bedford. It is said that four or five others are taken by two Privateers who took this. What Privateers they are I cant learn.2
Must not something be done to prevent British Property being covered by the West Indians? We shall loose our...
Date: 5 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
The prize you mention is indeed a great affair;2 the several prizes since are very important, but the loss of the Yankee Hero is a damper. What must be done with the West-India prizes?3 They must be made legal; British property must not escape under the cover of West-India property, which if real will be converted into British as soon as it arrives. I fear the manning of...
Date: 12 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...I Congratulate you on the discovery of the Plot at New York. hope it will do great service. I Expect soon to hear of Some great Events from that quarter if they should be favourable to us what will they do next We have but little News here. now & then A prize from the West Indies is sent in. last Saturday got into Cape Ann two prizes taken by A small Sloop belonging to four or five persons...
Date: 10 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I can give you little or no news. Two of our vessels have been brought too by a Man of War at sea, and the masters taken as they were told before Lord Howe, who told them he was bound directly to Philadelphia to settle with the Congress the unhappy dispute. He dismissed both the vessels and gave them paper to protect them against any or all cruizers, haveing first reprimanded one of them for the...
Date: 17 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...I wish I could entertain you with any important intelligence. We have nothing going forward here but fixing out privateers, and condemnation and sale of prizes sent in by them, so many that I am quite lost in my estimate of them, and West India Goods are falling at a great rate. Yesterday arrived a prize taken by a [New] York Privateer with several hundred bags of cotton (a capital article),...
Date: 11 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The Spirit of Privateering prevails here greatly. the Success of those that have before Engaged in that Business has been sufficient to make a whole Country privateering mad. many kinds of West india Goods that we used to be told we should suffer for want of, are now plentier and cheaper than I have known them for many Years.
Date: 15 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
In Pursuance of Orders Receivd from the Major part of the Honble Council, You are hereby Requird In Conjunction with Brigadier [Joseph] Cushing2 to Cause the Men drafted from your Several Brigades In Consequence of the Resolves of the General Assembly of this State of the 12th And 13 Instant, Or As Many of them As Are Necessary to take Charge of 60 Whale Boats to be Provided By a...
Date: 23 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
...a few prizes are daily dropping in. it is reported that a ship with forty light Horse on Board has been taken in the Channel of England by a Salem Privateer after an Obstinate Engagement, in which the privateer lost seventeen men. we are about moveing to Boston haveing taken the Room belonging to the County....
Our Naval Operations are Counteracted and discouraged by many sagacious devises of...
Date: 24 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
... I wish I .could Entertain you with any News of Importance but I can only tell you of prizes taken. but this is .become so common that we hardly hear of them ourselves, unless they are from Europe with such Articles as we want much, and very rich besides. we have had divers such lately. A report prevails this day that Howe is Embarking his Troops, which occasions.many Conjectures about the...
Date: 18 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
State of Massachusetts-Bay N England,
War Office Boston 3d Decr 1776
Messrs Poncet & Son,
Gentn
We have lately been constituted by this Government a board of War, as for other purposes so to get from your part of the World those Supplies of warlike Stores we yet stand in need of; having an oppertunity from Newbury-Port to ship a small interest by a chance Vessel, we consign it to your House...
Date: 3 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
This will be handed you by Capt [Ichabod] Morton of the Schooner Elen. which I have Chartered for Maryland. or Pensilvania as you shall Choose for either one or two Trips.2 I could have wished this Vessels & one Other I have since Charterd had been A size larger, but I was too late to pick & choose. & I beleive they will do very well upon the Terms agreed on she now goes to...
Date: 16 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
This goes by Capt Bartlett of the Schooner Elizabeth Chartered on Acct of the Board for South Carolina. Maryland or Pensilvania. She is a fine Schooner of 46 Tons & I am told he is very Capable of selling or purchaseing a Cargo in either of those places. if you think proper to Consign to him. Months wages are already paid. you will therefore furnish him with such Stores & Cargo as you...
Date: 17 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7