Displaying 1 - 20 of 44
I have lately been favoured with a Copy of Lord Dartmouth's circular Letter to the Governors of the respective Colonies upon this Continent, wherein he Informs them, that His Majesty has thought fit, by his order in Council of the 19th October 1774, to prohibit the exportation from Great Britain of Gunpowder or any sort of Arms or Ammunition & that it is his Majesty's Command that they take...
Date: 30 December 1774
Volume: Volume 1
From the entire Confidence we Repose in your faithfulness and Abilities, we consider it the happiness of this Colony, that the important trust of Agency for it, in this day of unequalled Distress, is devolved on your hands, and we doubt not, your Attachment to the Cause and liberties of Mankind, will make every possible Exertion in our behalf, a Pleasure to you; altho' our circumstances will...
Date: 26 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
You[r Congress dou]btless have [had intim]ations of [the Inven]tion of [a new machine] for [the Destru]ction of [Enemy Ships, but I sit] down to Give [you an Account] of that [Machine and] what Exper[iments have] been alr[eady made witlh it, what I relate y[ou] may Intire[ly rely] upon to be fact ー I will not at this time attempt to Give You a Minute Description of the Form, as the Post is now...
Date: 7 August 1775
Volume: Volume 1
On my Return [from Philadelphia] I found the People of Connecticut in Arms for Sixty Miles; a Fleet of twelve Sail of Men of war and Transports had been at the Mouth of New London Harbour; an Attack was expected from them, but they only went to Fishers Island and got about 1000 Sheep and Lambs and 30 head of indifferent horned Cattle, the only fat ones being brought off a few Days before. The...
Date: 12 August 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I think it my Duty [to] inform you that on Friday Morning last [August 11] as Benjamin Mumford who rides Post from Newport to New London was crossing the Ferry to Newport he was taken by Capt. [James] Wallace of the Ship Rose who broke open the Mails sent some of the Letters ashore and kept the Remainder in Order to send them to Boston ー He detained Mumford until Yesterday.
As the Mails will...
Date: 15 August 1775
Volume: Volume 1
We have struggled thro that Variety of Difficulties Which is ever Attendant on Want of Method & Regularity, and Altho we had not Craft to move 200 men when I arrived at Tyonderoga on the 18th July, and had then to repair Mills and send for Carpenters to this Place, It is with Pleasure I can inform you we are Now able to move about 1300 with Twenty Days Provision And that we shall very soon...
Date: 23 August 1775
Volume: Volume 1
We are indefatigable in preparing to meet the Enemy by Water ー the Superiority in a Naval force on this Lake is an object of the first moment ー it has been hitherto shamefully neglected, but now in a fair way of becoming formidable as we have at present three Schooners & one Sloop well appointed & mann'd with people drafted from the several Regiments; they carry from 8 to 16 Guns, each...
Date: 31 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
The Phenix & Rose have Just now passed our Batterys & I fear without much damage ー I was in one of the Batterys during the whole time they were within gun shot ー The visit they had two nights agoe from our fire ships made them sick of their Station & they have now Joind the fleet at the Narrows ー Every countenance here is chearfull and if our Enemies dare attack they will undoubtedly...
Date: 18 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
We have the Honour to write you by Capn Crawford of Rhode Island that Mr [Nichols] Brown of Providence consign'd to us at Nants, whoom we have dispatched with a Cargo of Powder Muskets salt peter &ca, who promis'd to deliver you this.
I had the honour to inform you in May last at my arrival in Europe of the success of my opperations, and of the advantageous dispositions I met with, now I will...
Date: 3 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
We have Nothing new here except Captures from the British Trade, which are likely to increase ー Our own Navigation is almost Wholly turn'd into Privateering, so that their Cruizers can take little or Nothing from us but empty Hulls, while their Ships come fast to us richly laden'dー
It is regretted among us that the American Fleet is not in greater For- wardness. We have two fine Frigates built at...
Date: 17 September 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The Congress having Committed to our charge and Management their Ship-of-War Called the Reprisal commanded by Lambert Wickes Esq. carrying 16 Six Pounders and about one hundred and twenty men ー we have allotted her to carry Doctor Franklin to France and directed Captain Wickes to proceed to the Port of Nantes where the Doctor will land and from thence proceed to Paris, and he will either Carry...
Date: 24 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
We are Just proceeding to sea with a fair Wind, which we hope may continue, and carry us safely out of the Bay of Biscay; — your Dispatches I received from Mr Pennet and shall not fail to take Care of them should we arrive in Philadelphia, and on the other hand should We be so unfortunate as to fall into the hands of any of the Piratical Cruisers of Britain they shall be sunk — Present my...
Date: 12 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have just learned of the arrival in the bay of the frigate Reprisal, Captain Wickes. Mr. [Robert] Harris 2 came up to see me and left with me three letters including herewith which I am taking the liberty to send to you. Mr. [Nathan] Rumsey sold at Quiberon the cargoes and the prizes. 3 The Reprisal had on board only twenty-two puncheons of eau de vie, for the rest had...
Date: 17 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
The thirty-five casks of indigo have just arrived here. I shall have them placed in storage until you have given me your orders. Next week I expect your trunks which Mr. Wilckes [Lambert Wickes] will have delivered to me by a confidential agent. I shall take excellent care of them.
Mr. Wilckes did me the honor to dine at my house yesterday. We decided together that he should not remain very long...
Date: 21 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Upon my arrival here from Auray, I had the Honor of receiving your's of the 15th Inst. the Contents of wch shall be fully and punctually observed. Mr Delamain who loaded the Prize from rochfort and was part owner, is in Nantes; has spoke to me relative to the Vessel and Cargo, which last he says was his property and says he cannot conceive that Cap. Wicks can by any means detain french property...
Date: 24 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have the pleasure of informing you of the Arrival of a Brigt Yesterday in the Loire loaded with Tobacco from George Town on Sassafras River in Maryland — in her comes passenger Mr Robert Maise of Philada who has been with me to day — She left the Capes of Virginia the 15th Novemr . . . inclosed is a Letter which Mr Maise put into my hands. — Since your Departure from hence is also arrived Cap...
Date: 31 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have the Honour to transmit You this by Capt John Adams who goes express by order of Congress with dispatches for the Honble Commissrs at the Court of France, with orders to deliver them himself. The secret Committee were desirous of making as valuable a Remittance as might be, to put the schoonr in a set of Ballast, But it happens we have no Oil, pot Ash or any Article at market, wch we...
Date: 25 February 1777
Volume: Volume 7
. . . It has been observed to mt;,that Prizes instead of being brought into french ports might be sold with secrecy & care, by landing the Goods on an Island near the mouth of the Loire, where french Vessels might come & take them; & perhaps in this way it might be contrived to dispose of the Ships without making a noise, but at least they could be there easily destroyed. ー I mention...
Date: 20 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
One of the former Prizes of Captain Wickes is now in this Port, & Captain [James] Pratchell, who is yet here, has made a reclamation, and demanded the Vessel. Upon his being refused the Vessel, he has obtained a summ.ons for Mr Penet & Self, signed by the first Judge of the Admiralty, to appear at the first Audience & give our Reasons for detaining his Property. The summons also...
Date: 22 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
Having shipped on my Account, to a destination in Dublin in Ireland, to the address of Madame Tramasse of the same place, in the Vessel the Barbara, Captain Welsh, three barrels of vinegar with my name branded on the heads of the barrels and on the bungs G.V., I have just learned that this Vessel was stopped Enroute, seized and then Carried in by another Vessel, or American privateer, to the Port...
Date: 25 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8