Displaying 1 - 20 of 43
Every Step is taking here for the procuring of Gunpowder from abroad and setting up the Manufacture of it in America and I believe they will be successful.
Mr. [Thomas] Mifflin assures me that large Quantities are expected in a few Weeks in this place and 200 Barrels every hour.
Date: 10 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1
We have passed a Resolution that each Colony make such Provision as it think proper and can afford, for defending their Trade in Harbours, Rivers, and on the Sea Coast, against Cutters and Tenders. We have had in Contemplation a Resolution to invite all Nations to bring their Commodities to market here and like Fools have lost it for the present. This is a great Idea. What shall we do? Shall we...
Date: 23 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
We ought to have had in our Hands a month ago the whole Legislative, executive and judicial of the whole Continent, and have completely modeled a Constitution; to have raised a naval Power, and opened all our Ports wide; to have arrested every Friend to Government on the Continent and held them as Hostages for the poor victims in Boston, and then opened the Door as wide as possible for Peace and...
Date: 24 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
There is another Quantity of Powder arrived in New Jersey, about 5000 Weight from So. Carolina. and it is said that another Boat has arrived in this River with about Six or Seven Tons. It wil be ordered to the Generals Washington and Schuyler.
We have voted fifty Thousand Dollars for Powder to be got immediately ー if possible.
Date: 27 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I write this in Haste, only to inclose to you, a little Treatise upon Fire Ships ー it may be Sending Coals to New Castle ー But it appears to me of such Importance that I thought my self bound to presume and send it, least this Art should not be understood among you. ー This Art carries Terror and Dismay, along with it, and the very Rumour of Preparations in this Kind, may do you more Service than...
Date: 9 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
You have been since called upon for Six Thousand Militia for Canada and New York. How you will get the Men I know not. The Small Pox, I suppose will be a great Discouragement. But We must maintain our Ground in Canada. The Regulars, if they get full Possession of that Province and the Navigation of St. Lawrence River above Dechambeault at least above Mouth of the Sorrell, will have nothing to...
Date: 16 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Another Subject of great Importance, We ought to have been informed of, I mean your Navy. or We ought to have known the Number of your armed Vessells, their Tonnage, their Number of Guns, Weight of Metal, Number of Men, Officers Names Ranks and Characters. in short, you should have given Us your compleat Army and Navy Lists ー besides this one would have thought We should have been informed, by...
Date: 17 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The success of your Privateers is incouraging. I lament with you the Languor and Inattention to the Fleet. I wish I could explain to you my Sentiments upon this Subject, but I will not. I am determined you shall come here, and see, and hear, and feel for yourself, and that Major [Joseph] Hawley and Some others shall do the same. I must not write Strictures upon Characters. I set all Mankind a...
Date: 21 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
By the last Accounts from the Northward we are informd that the Ice begins to make on the Lakes. A few choice Friends have conceivd it very practicable when the Enemies Vessels are closd in the Ice to destroy them by burning. Could this be done it would exceedingly distress the Enemy and confound them. I .confess I am enthusiastical in this Matter. I wish you would consult a few concerning it. If...
Date: 6 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Give me leave to hint to you my Opinion that it would be a Saving to our State in the Way of Supplys, if the Board of War would consign the Cargoes which they order here to a Merchant of good Character rather than to the Master of the Vessel. Possibly there may be some Exceptions; But I have Reason to think that a Cargo which arrivd about a Fortnight ago, consisting as I am told, chiefly of Rum...
Date: 1 February 1777
Volume: Volume 7
The two Schooners soonest ready please to dispatch to Baltimore, in Ballast to the address of Messrs Purviance, with the Letters inclos'd with orders to Dunnage 2 foot, or 2½ feet, & bring back a Load of Pigg Iron, to Plymouth, Boston or any other safe Port in this State. —
. . . we have engag'd Pay to no Masters or Seamen in Case of Capture, the difference of Wages between War &...
Date: 17 February 1777
Volume: Volume 7
This Morning a Vessell has arrived in this City with 6800 stand of excellent Arms and 1500 Gun Locks, belonging to Congress, and 1500 more private Property.2 These last We have ordered to be bought.
This News you may depend on. The Letters were brought into Congress, in the Midst of a Debate concerning a Resolution to impower the General to procure Arms wherever he could find them.
Thus it is. On...
Date: 24 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
We have this day received Letters from Europe, of an interesting Nature. We are under Injunctions of Silence concerning one very important Point: and indeed I don't know how far I am at Liberty concerning some others; but thus much I may venture to communicate: That We have an offer of three Millions of Livres in Specie, without Interest, and to be paid when We shall be settled in Peace and...
Date: 31 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
Yours of 23d March was handed to me this Evening by Major [Joseph] Ward. Your Letter from Plymouth by the Post I duly recd, and immediately wrote an Answer to it; but upon reviewing it afterwards I found so many bold Truths in it that I concluded not to send it, less Peradventure it should get into Hugh Gairie's Gazette; and I thought it a Pitty that so many Sacred Truths should appear in Company...
Date: 6 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
The Business of the naval and marine Department will I hope be soon put in a better Train than it has been. A Board of Assistants has been appointed here consisting of three Gentlemen, not Members of Congress, whose whole Time is devoted to the Service, Mr. [Francis] Hopkinson, Coll. [John] Nixon and Mr. John Wharton are the Men.2 The first is a Gentleman of Letters, the second an able...
Date: 6 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
Your of April 3d I recd. I must confess, that I am at a Loss to determine whether it is good Policy in Us to wish for a War between France and Britain, unless We could be sure that no other Powers would engage in it: But if France engages Spain will, and then all Europe will arrange themselves on one side and the other and what Consequences to Us might be involved in it I don't know. If We could...
Date: 3 May 1777
Volume: Volume 8
About Ten Days ago I had the Boldness to make a Motion that a Navy Board should be established at Boston. Certain Gentlemen looked struck and surprised; however, it passed. I have moved I believe fifteen Times, that a Nomination should take Place; certain Gentlemen looked cold.
Two or three Days ago, the Nomination came on. Langdon, Vernon, Deshon, Dalton, Orne, Henley, Smith, Cushing and Warren...
Date: 6 May 1777
Volume: Volume 8
Sir Pursuant to the Declaration I had the Honour of Communicating to you and the other Gentlemen last Saturday [September 30] from his Excellency, he has directed 3 Vessels to be immediately equipped: ー But as he gave the Several Captures to the Disposal of the General Court it may be necessary for them to Signify in some proper way that these Vessels are to be at the Direction of the General or...
Date: 2 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2
If We must have Trade how shall We obtain it?
Our Country furnishes a vast abundance of materials for Commerce. Foreign Nations have great Deamnds for them. If We should publish an Invitation to any one Nation or more, or to all Nations, to send their ships here and let our Merchants inform theirs that We have Harbours where the Vessells can lie in Safety, I conjecture that many private foreign...
Date: 7 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2
Can no Use be made of Rowe Gallies, with you? Eight or Ten are compleated here. Can they be used in the Vineyard Sound? Would not their heavy Metal demolish a Cruizer now and then? There is a Shipwright escaped from Boston, who [has] been several Years a Prisoner in a Turkish galley and has a Model of one. Coll. [Josiah] Quincy knows him ー or I could procure you Directions from this Place to...
Date: 8 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2