Displaying 1 - 20 of 34
I sent a Letter to the post Office for you last Saturday, but a Circumstance that happen'd last Evening, relative to our privateers, obliges me to write you again. ー As Capt Muckford, (the same that took the Prize Ship on Fast Day)2 was going out on another Cruize yesterday afternoon being accompined down the Harbour by the [Lady] Washington Privateer, Muckford got aground by Point...
Date: 20 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Your favor of the 9th Inst I received the 17th and in complyance with your request I transmit you an abstract of my proceedings relative to the Cannon & shot &c. I had contracted for to supply the Ships of War building in this Colony.2
I have been lately informed that Mr S. Patrick (a partner in the Orange Iron Works) has been at Phila, where he learn't that the Committee of...
Date: 20 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Dear Sir I have received your Favor of the 7th May and am Sincerely Glad to hear that as the plot thickens you ripen more & more to Unanimity in the most decisive Measures, more especialy as this is the crisis, the very Crisis, when we ought to exert every Nerve and spare no expence or Trouble in the defence of our Country and its precious rights. If we behave well this year and Heaven...
Date: 10 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
My dear Sir The succession of Occurrences are so rapid in our Hemisphere; that it is difficult to relate what happen'd but six days since: I shall, however endeavour to give you what I can at present recollect, and for the future you may expect a weekly Journal, provided the aendemical desease of my habit don't prevent it ー This day week was bro't into Dartmo a Jamaica Sugar Ship containing 303...
Date: 10 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I receiv'd yours of the 8th in Reply have to acquaint you that the Casting the Cannon & Shott is begun on, & will be ready to be delivered the Ships the 1st of Septr or sooner if needed.2 In the mean time request an Order to the Commandant of Fort Montgomery being within five Miles of the Furnace that when called on he may attend & bring Powder to prove the Gunns, &...
Date: 10 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Agreeable to promise in my last I now send you a Journal of the last week & hope to continue it in future.
Monday 10th In the course of the Afternoon sundry Transports arriv'd to the Ships below with the Highland Troops on board under the convoy of 2 Men of War; Likewise receiv'd Intelligence that two Sugar Ships were bro't into Providence & New London, & a Barbadoes Rum Vessel...
Date: 17 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
On receiving yours of the 13th went immediately for Mr [Samuel] Patricks Furnace in Orange County, found by the Trial he made that the Mettle tho exceeding Grey was no ways suited for casting Gunns, as what he tried burst in the proving tho more than commonly fortified. am just this Minute returned & enclose his Letter
the Price of Pig Iron for some time past in New York is as follows
...
Date: 22 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I receiv'd yours of the 20th instant last Saturday After the post was gone or I should have answer'd it immediately. ー You desire me to send you the weight and bore of the Iron Ho[w]itzers we have here ー we have none. Colo [Richard] Gridley had two cast but they were never us'd ー Iron Ho[w]itzers are so unweildy from their weight that they are entirely exploded in the British Army ー a ten Inch...
Date: 24 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...There is now in this Harbour two fine prize Ships, sent in by Capt [Henry] Johnson of this port, one from Jamaica for London, the other from Antigua for Halifax, the last of which, besides 400 & odd hhds of Rum, has on board 17 hhds that were not mentioned in her papers, & which were mark'd on the outside Jams, but contain English Goods, such as pins &c. ー we are fearfull Capt...
Date: 15 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
In the course of the week past we have had a number of our Eastern Wood Vessells taken by a Frigate & some Arm'd Vessells that are Cru[is]ing on the Eastern Shore & in this Bay; the Frigate that took three of 'em, put all the Crews aboard one of the Vessells & sent 'em off, after saying that they must not blame them for taking their Vessells as they were absolutely oblig'd to do it by...
Date: 29 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I wrote you some time Ago to send me the dimensions of the Cannon you were preparing for the Ships, but have never had a line from you upon that subject; pray send me a draft of the Cannon designed for each Ship, that I may have the Carriages Compleated forthwith, let me have their dimensions very particularly & minutely ー & let me know what weight of Metal you allow for the 24 Gun...
Date: 30 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
My Dear Sir I[t] wou'd give me great pleasure & satisfaction to have a line now & then from Philadelphia so that I might peep into the Secrets & Mysteries of the Grand Book of Temporal Fate; but if I do not, my Weekly Journal will go on, such as it is, 'till eternal fate, prevents it.
Monday 29th Benja. Davis & others that were taken yesterday, landed at the Long Wharf from...
Date: 5 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
My necessary absence, last Monday, at my Island Hospital, prevented your having the weekly Journal as usual. ー I shall now send you the whole.
Monday 5th
Tuesday. 6th
No public occurrance of any kind in these day's.
Wednesday 7th
Thursday 8. Receiv'd your letter of the 30th ulto
Fryday. 9th This afternoon arriv'd here a large prize Ship from Granada, laiden with Rum Sugar & a...
Date: 19 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
We shod be dad you wod furnish us (by the bearer) with an exact list of the different sized Guns & the number of each, we are to Cast, in order that we may make the earliest preparations ー the length of each size will be sufficient as to the dimensions, as we have got an approved list of the other proportions ー the length of our 18 Pounders is 8½ feet, and the[y] are much esteem'd for land...
Date: 19 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
... A Number of prizes have been sent into the different ports of New England since my last, 4 in at Bedford, one at Cape Ann, some at the Eastward & a number at Providence, chiefly West India men. ー The Spirit for Privateering is got to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, almost every Vessell from 20 Tons to 400 is fitting out here; they are in great want of Guns, but with what they dig up on...
Date: 9 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
I have received your kind favor of the 24 Ultimo ー The 24 Gun Frigate might have been out to Sea a month Ago and have cleared her Cost as well as the Cost of the other Frigate, by what prizes she might have taken before this, had she have been furnished with her Guns, the want of these retards every Attempt to fix her off, besides it will be impossible to procure Men till they see she is...
Date: 9 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The purport of this is to acquaint you that I have been at Col: Grubb's Furnace where I proved Two of their 12 lbrs with 8 lb of powder & two Shot, boath Stood, Mr Bustead had proved one of them with 12 lb of Powder & one Shot before my arivel. last Saturday I left their when they had 27 twelve pounders cast, the Majore part of which looks Extreemly well & cast very Smooth aqualety...
Date: 10 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Mr Austin is kind eno' to let me know that he is just going to set out for Philadelphia I thought I would imbrace the opportunity to let you know That we & our Ta[u]nton friends are all well ー Capt Manley's appeal from a Judgment of a maritime court to The Congress is The occasion of Mr Austin's Journey ー Altho' The capture of the Vessell2 with Stolen good[s] belonging to several...
Date: 15 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Since my arrive1 here I have been at Mr Birds Furnace to know how they were like to Succeed in casting their contract of cannon, and find Mr Bird hath Sold one of his Teams of horses & Ordered the Manneger to cast the few Moulds they had made & no more, and put the furnace out of Blast, and then bore the remainder of the guns. They have cast in all 60 ー 12 pounders 19 ー 9 pounders &...
Date: 24 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
in Answer to yours of the 21st Ultmo with Respect to the Cannon Foundery att Salisbury in this state; ー have to Inform you that this furnace has been in Use for the Casting of pig Iron &c for many Years past, when first set up it was surrounded with large quantitys of wood, Yet by the Land round about being of good soil and much Cleard up for Use and the great Consumption by the furnace it is...
Date: 15 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6