Displaying 1 - 20 of 28
This moment I am informed that the Assembly is prorogued till May2 ー Confusion worse Confounded; I wish for the encouragement of the Soldiers, that you would meet in Provincial Congress, and order an emission of Bills of Credit for their payment. I am sorry that, Lord Dunmore may depend on it, the Militia will never obey his orders again.
If the country has a mind to secure useful men...
Date: 1 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
My Dear Brother The temper of the times is painted in such legible colours in the King's Speech, that no one can remain in doubt that arms are to be used to divest us of our Liberties. You will see by the Paper our Brother incloses that the Lords have promisd their support. Yesterday the Commom did the same on a division of 254 to 60. The new Parlaiment is therefore engaged to maintain this...
Date: 6 December 1774
Volume: Volume 1
Inclosed you have Accts Sales for yr 6 hhds Tobo recd P the Friendship Roman nt procds £47.1.2 to yr credt, also Sales for 8 hhds of Colo Geo. Lees Estate nt prods £56.4.4 to credt of sd: Este & sales for 4 hhds of our late Brs nt procds £32.17. to his credt These Sales are good ー indeed few of the Shippers in Roman can complain, as his Cargoe averages £7 P hhd, which I fancy hardly any will...
Date: 20 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
. . .Our lines on Winter and Prospect Hills, and those of the enemy on Bunker's Hill, are in full view of each other, a mile distant, our advance guards much nearer, and the sentries almost near enough to converse; at Roxbury and Boston Neck it is the same. Between these, we are obliged to guard several of the places at which the enemy may land. They have strongly fortified, or will fortify in a...
Date: 10 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Capn [Nathaniel] Falconer delivered me safely your favour of May the 10 from Phila ー The insurances you ordered are made. The uncertainty of this reaching you at Philadelphia, or indeed at all, will prevent me from being so full as I shd otherwise be. Our Br A[rthur] has wrote I believe pretty largely. Notwithstanding the base & wicked attempts of our Ministry & Genl. [Thomas] Gage to...
Date: 13 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Pray confer with some of Your ablest Friends at Congress upon the Subject of forreign Alliances. what Terms it will be expedient to offer. Nations, like Individuals, are govern'd by their Interest ー Great Britain will bid against Us ー whatever European Power takes us [b]y the Hand must risque a War with her. ー We want but two things ー a regular Supply of Military Stores, and a naval protection of...
Date: 18 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
The Sloop American Congress, & her tender, has been down the River more than fourteen days ー the Sloop Liberty falls down today, I am afraid we shall not be able to get Cannon from below for the Gallies, we were in hopes of being Supplyed from some of those at Hampton. ー but as the Roebuck & Fleet are now Stationed at Gwins Island we must Apply to Mr Hughes whose guns are now said to turn...
Date: 6 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Give me Leave to trouble you with some of the Particulars relative to our Engagement with the Fleet, the Troops, and Banditti on the Island ー On the eighteth of this Instant in the Evening I got to the Camp before Gwins Island and found that by Employing a Number of Men to work in the Night, our Battery might be opened in the Morning ー On the Nineth at eight OClock, the Fleet lay in a Range that...
Date: 15 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
We have had the pleasure to receive your acceptable favours of 22d Ultimo and am much obligd by your attention to the Marine department here as well as for your attention of giving us intelligence from time to time of any material occurrences that may happen & shall always be ready to give you or the Marine Committee of Congress any information respecting the business of our Board that you...
Date: 8 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have communicated to Capt [James] Nicholson what you mention in your Letter of the 24th, expressing the desire of Congress to have his Frigate
fitted for Sea as soon as possible; and have asked his own opinion how soon (from her present Circumstances) She can be ready. He says that if he is supplyd with One large Anchor & shoud not be disapointed in his expectations of getting part of the...
Date: 29 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I must own to you that I cannot avoid some uneasiness at the late manoeuvers & successes of Howe. He avails himself greatly of those advantages which the water gives him to puzzle, distract, & divide our forces. I dont like the small force of 6000 with Washington, whilst no more than 10000 remain on the other side. Does the number of 16000 make up the whole force of our grand army? As...
Date: 6 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have learnt from many people, and among others, from two New England officers, that the four eastern states will find great difficulty in raising their quota of men, owing to that excessive rage for privateering, which now prevails among them. Many of the continental troops now in our service, pant for the expiration of their enlistments, in order that they may partake of the spoils of the West...
Date: 21 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
You cannot conceive how I am vexed & mortifyed to find after the deal of pains & trouble I have taken that the Randolph Frigate is still at the Pier & Ice making in the River but the Officers of that Ship show great reluctance to go away without being compleatly manned & that is not possible, She might have been at Sea before now had they exerted themselves for that purpose but...
Date: 29 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
. . . It seems we have 7 men of War in Our bay, who have been hitherto tolerably civil; a Vessell loaded with Blankets luckily escaped them and it got up York River. We have an Account that one of our Vessels sent out on a trading Voiage on Public Account, is taken off St. Kitts, by whom or whither carried, I have not heard. . . .
Date: 8 February 1777
Volume: Volume 7
I am told here, from authority on which I can rely, that if you send to New Orleans & the Havannah you will find persons directed to lend you Arms & Ammunition, & it is conceivd here that taking possession of Pensacola woud facilitate that communication much. As South Carolina is certain of not being invaded this Summer, that might be her work. I shall endeavor to get a supply of...
Date: 6 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I have by express, your obliging favour of the 5th; we were in some sort, prepared for the disagreeable intelligence of the small hopes of an accomodation, by reports and papers here intimating the same thing. Colonel [Richard] Corbin has a letter from a hand connected in some manner with Admon, that the plan was to withdraw all troops, and send men of war and cutters, to put a stop to all...
Date: 15 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2
I am afraid the most wicked machinations of Governor Dunmore have by this time involved you in the horrors of war. What the Ministry intend against you and the rest of America, cannot be exactly ascertained before the meeting of the Parliament. Probably they have not yet determined upon the exact mode of executing their vengeance. You will do wisely, however, in preparing for the utmost extremity...
Date: 22 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
I should be very glad if the Congress would, without delay, appoint some mode by which an examination into the captures made by our armed vessels may be had, as we are rather groping in the dark till this happens.2
Date: 8 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2
In answer to your inquiries2 respecting armed vessels, there are none of any tolerable force belonging to this government. I know of but two of any kind; those very small. At the Continental expense, I have fitted out six, as by the enclosed list, two of which are upon the cruise directed by Congress; the rest ply about Cape Cod and Cape Ann, as yet to very little purpose. These...
Date: 27 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2
Young Goodrich, who brought in the Powder is sent to Boston ー They have also Taken the Old man near the Capes, in his Passage to the West Indies, & 'tis said Used him very Ill, but I had not particulars.
Date: 27 November 1775
Volume: Volume 2