Displaying 1 - 20 of 25
Sir Yours of the 16th Instant inclosing a Resolution of Congress to withdraw all allegiance from the British King, I have received; and thank you for them.
You request that I would strain every nerve to fortify the Harbour ー I have done it to the utmost of my power, ー but you know my power is small. ー
You ask, Sir, if fire Ships and fire Rafts cannot be employed to drive the Ships to Sea? ー and...
Date: 29 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Sir. I Take this oppo Just to advise You that if your Congress will Appoint Capt. Job Prince (the Father) to the Command of one of the Continental frigates, he will Accept his Great Abilities as A Seaman & Long Experience both in Mercantile & War Vessels Make no sort of Recomendation Necessary to you Who have Long known him as a foremost Man in the Character of an Able Seaman & his...
Date: 13 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I have the pleasure to inform you that we have driven the Pirates out of the Harbour. The thirteenth instant at evening a detachment of five hundred men with several pieces of battering Cannon and a thirteen inch Mortar, under the command of Col [Asa] Whetcomb was ordered to take post on Long Island and throw up works, the next morning they began a fire upon the Enemy's Ships from the Cannon and...
Date: 16 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...I am now to congratulate you on the Accomplishment of your Wishes. Every inimical Flag is remov'd from us, and we have at last the compleat Possession of our Harbor.
I had urg'd, ever since the British Troops were driven away, an Attempt of this Sort. It was delay'ed, from an Apprehension that it would be most prudent first to have our defensive Works near the Town compleated, till last...
Date: 17 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Sir The Small pox having of late spread much in the Town, it was judged impracticable to prevent its going through the Town, and on Friday last the General was inoculated, and gave permission to the Regiments in Town to inoculate. We have taken every precaution to prevent the Troops at the Posts out of Town from taking the distemper, and disposed matters in the best manner we can for defence in...
Date: 8 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I have to inform you that Yesterday was sent into C[ape] Ann by Capt. [Henry] Johnson of this port Two ships One Large One from Jamaica with 500 hhd. Sugar and rum and 39 bags Cotton &c. ー A General and Lady, passengers. The Other from Antigua on the Kings Account for Genl. How with 430 hhd. Rum all broad Air. They both made resistance both Vessells had more hands than the privatear...2
Date: 8 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I suppose you have heard of a fleet which came up pretty near the Light and kept us all with our mouths open ready to catch them, but after stayingnear a week and makeing what observations they could set sail and went of to our great mortification who were [prepared?] for them, in every respect.2
If our Ship of 32 Guns which [was] Built at Portsmouth and waiting only for Guns 3...
Date: 14 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
The Declaration of Independency which took place here last Thursday, was an Event most ardently wish'd for by every consistant Lover of American Liberty, and was received accordingly by the loudest Acclamations of the People, who Shouted ー God Save the united States of America! ー We have various Stories current here of Vessels having spoken with Lord Howe, and that he inform'd them he had Powers...
Date: 22 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...We last evening receiv'd a confirmation of the engagement at Sullivan's Island, Carolina. The Yankees fought well. I cant but observe that every days experience proves Govr [George] Johnstone's assertion respecting the certain effect of Batteries judiciously situated, against Ships ー I cou'd wish all our Forts in our Harbours and Rivers were plentifully supplied with chain shott ー I presume,...
Date: 28 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
...A Committee was chosen to devise during the Recess of the [General] Court, some successful Method of making Cannon, & I hope this Matter will be p[u]t forward to Advantage; I have no Doubt that the Manufacture of Small Arms, will at the first Meeting of the Assembly receive every possible Encouragement; We have happily succeeded in the Manufacture of Salt petre, & we have 3 Powder...
Date: 14 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
As to news we go on Briskly taking prizes. We have a plenty of Sugars. Within these ten days Sugars have fallen from 4 pounds to 3 and 2.5 by the hundred. A Brigg was carried into Newburry this Week, from Antigue laiden with Indigo and hides, and a Jamaca Man carried into Marble Head.2...
Date: 17 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The privateer Independance which saild from Plymouth about 3 weeks ago has taken a jamaca man laiden with Sugars and sent her into Marblehead last Saturday. I hear the Defence has taken another.
I think we make a fine hand at prizes.
Date: 25 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
You being Appointed master of the Lynch pacquet, to transmit dispatches from the Honble Congress to the american plenepotentearies at the court of France it is my orders that you imbrace the first fair wind and make the best of your way to the port of Nants in £ranee, carefully avoiding coming nere any vessell at Sea, You are to keep your dispaches from Congress with all your private Letters,...
Date: 26 February 1777
Volume: Volume 7
I dont know of any more Methods to be taken but what you have done to keep up the Credit of the Currency. ー I have heard you are About building some ships of 60. or 70. Guns, which will come to a very large some of money and when built must lay by the Walls. Whether such a sum that must be made for that purpose wont be a further means of lessening the Value of the money. Such a ship can never be...
Date: 22 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
. . . no one thing gives me more uneasiness than the conduct of your Fleet. The Hancock, Boston, Alfred and Cabot are all yet in port. It is said the Hancock is ready to sail and was to have gone yesterday, but remains here yet. I fear the consequences of their going out single. But McNeil and Manly it is said like the Jews and Samaritans will have no connections or intercourse; they will not...
Date: 23 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I wish we were better Able to coape with the enemy att sea, for they have the Advantage of us greatly for they seem to take almost every thing. They have got Bermudas as a place of rendezvous, by which they have all the Advantage possible. I had a Master come by the way of N. York last week, haveing been taken in a brig of mine with 300 hhd. Molasses, [powder?], small Arms and sundry Other...
Date: 10 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
We had last Sunday a prize brought into Plymouth. She was bound to Antigua with a load of beef and. butter, and last evening I heard of the arrival of another at Cape Ann, with 2000 bbs. beef and pork.2 I suppose she was bound to York. The amazing damage we should have done them, as well as the advantages derived to ourselves, make me execrate the policy of stopping our privateers. I...
Date: 23 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
We hear that a Number of capital Ships are to be built by order of Congress. With respect to the Expediency of it, May not the following Queries have some Weight. ー Suppose a Vessell of 60 Guns to be built in so short a Time as the present Exigencies of our affairs require to render it of Use in the present Contest, what Number of Men are to be employd in building and what will be the expence of...
Date: 24 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8