January [1777]
Saturday 4
Cape Henlopen S85W diste 7 Leagues
AM at 3 Wore Ship. ½ past 6 saw a Sail to the SE. and gave chace. at 8 boarded the Sloop [she] proved to be the Betsey from Hispaniola, bound to Philadelphia.
[Vari]able Wear PM close reefd topsails. Saw a Sail in the SE Quarter. Out all reefs and gave chace. at 6 split the Foretopsail, at 8 In 1st reef Maintops! bent Fore Do and... Continue Reading
Resolved, That two months' pay be advanced to the seamen who will engage to serve on board the continental frigate Virgina, the same to be deducted out of their share of the prizes taken by the said frigate.
We John Smith, Jonathan Hudson and Daniel Bowley of Baltimore Town — Merchants being called upon by Archibald Buchanan and John Cornthwaite Copartner of John Brown in behalf of Willing Morris & Company to adjudge and value a Certain ship lying at Fells Point the Property of the said Archibald Buchanan and by him Chartered as P the Annexed Instrument of Writing the said ship called the Farmer... Continue Reading
No. 18
Agreed to draw on the Treasury for the Following Sums in faviour of Hannah Ferguson for Board Lodging & Attendance on Jno Knowles Masters Mate of the Rattle Snake 18 days a 30/. P day
£27
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No 19
For 40 days of the said Knowles a/. P day
30
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No 20
Agreed to pay Danl Connel foremast man on board the Commet 3 Months wages while in the Hospital
63
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No 21
In faviour of Jas... Continue Reading
Voted That Mr [John] Brown write Capt [Tristram] Coffin to ship his lighter & most valuable Effects in small fishing Schooners charter'd by the Board, or in arm'd Vessells belonging to this State wch may be in the West Indies — see Letter Book —
Mr Caleb Loring waited on the Board & inform'd them he had a Schooner at the Whfe burthen about Sixty Tons with Four good Sails & Master... Continue Reading
1776
The Sloop Revenge
Jos Conkling Comdr
Dr
Octo 18
To 20 bar flour 36. .2. .0 @
20/
£36
10
—
To 3 bolts Oznabrigs 300 Yds
3/
45
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—
Decr 19
To 4½ Gal Rum
6/
1
7
—
To 2 bar Jamica Rum
53
To 1 Qr Cask ditto
42½
To 3 Gall ditto
3
———
98½
@ 10/
49
5
—
To 2 barls 9/, 1 Iron bound Cask
15/
1
4
—
To 2 bar Melasses 64
3/6
11... Continue Reading
I was this day honoured with your favour of the 5th instant which arrived in time to forward the enclosures by Post. We waited with impatience to learn the consequence of your late movements and have been highly gratified at the Same time we See plainly Some important event is Still to happen, the Enemy must mean to evacuate the Jerseys or to give you Battle the latter may be ruinous in its... Continue Reading
. . . The Continental Schooner Georgia Packet arrived last Night from Georgia & the Captain says he did not see any Men of War in our Bay, We hope they may be gone for N York again but must send down to See before any Movements can be made with our Shipping and We fear being interrupted by Ice. . . .
Many are the regulations that are wanting in the Fleet that must come from your Board, if you Expect they will be attended to.
In the Painting the Vessels there is great waste for want of a Painter which should be a man on Pay that must follow your Directions in a general manner, I think Every Vessels Bottom ought to be pay'd up to the Bend with Turpentine, Brimstone & oyl, which is a fine... Continue Reading
. . . the Gondolas returned to this City and brought Some Tory prisoners with them taken in the Jerseys it was the Severe freezing upwards that brought the Gondolas down:
January 1777.
Tuesday 7th
Cape Henlopen Lighthouse NNW 4 Leags
At 8 (A M) Chaced p Signl from the Roebuck, Cape May NWbN 2 or 3 Leags at Noon in Chace.
Do [Fresh gales and squally] Wear (P M) Split the Jibb, unbent do and bent another At 4 came up with the Chace which proved the Speedwell Sloop from Georgia for Philadelphia.2
Resolved, That two months' pay be advanced to the men on board the Lexington, as a gratuity for their services, in rescuing from the enemy, and bringing in, the Lexington.
I wrote you from Philadelphia wherein I inform you of the People's deserting and entring in the Land service there is upwards of Forty that did not return and those who did say their time of Entry is Expir'd which I cannot Contradict not being able to get the time of their entry from Mr [William] Turnbull, 'tho repeatedly, have asked for it, this uncertain Condition Causes a great Perplexity,... Continue Reading
On the recommendation of the Navy Board It is Ordered that a Commission issue to William Ivey Gentleman appointing him Captain of the Sloop Liberty in the room of Captain Walter Brooke
Mr James Maxwells Proposals of the twenty third of November last for superintending the different Shipyards, also the Building Rigging and equiping for Sea the Vessels belonging to the Navy of this Commonwealth and for inspecting into such Vessels as are at present under repair and those that may be hereafter Repaired to inform the Board the state & situation of the Vessels and other matters... Continue Reading
Sometime in the beginning of the last Month the Owner of an Armed Sloop laid a State of a Case before me for my opinion, and as the duty of my profession, and the Solemn Oaths I have taken in Conformity to the Acts of this Island, oblige me to give my Clients my Opinion according to the best of my knowledge and learning in the Laws of Great Britain, and the Laws of this Island, I therefore... Continue Reading
I think it a Duty incumbent on me to represent to their Lordships that an empty Transport called the Tartar, whereof one Bussel is Master, was brought into this Port about five Weeks ago, by a part of the Crew, after She had been taken by a Rebel Privateer, in her way to Cork, from New York.
The Cowardice, & other very bad Behavior of the Master, appeard to every body in such a Light, as to... Continue Reading
That they were taken by Men of War belonging to Britain vizt the said Eaton the 5th of November 1775 and the said Berry in August 1775 & brought into the Port of Boston, afterwards they were put on board the Boyne Man of War to help Work her home to England & they arrived safe in Plymouth, & from thence your petitioners ran away and got to France, where they Entered on board a... Continue Reading
In Council. Whereas by a Resolve of this Court passed Decr 10th 1776, all Persons are prohibited from exporting from this State any Sugars more than are sufficient for the use of the Men on board the Vessels by which the same may be exported.
And Whereas, there are considerable Quantities of Sugars in this State, and our Brethren in the other United States stand in need of a supply of said... Continue Reading
The Deposition of James Semple of Irvine in Great Britain, of lawful age is as follows —
That on the 25th Day of November 1776 being a Cabin Passenger on board the Brigt Countess of Eglinton Bound from Glasgow to Antigua. About ten in the Morning I saw two Sail off our Lee Quarter at such a Distance we could not see their Hulls after a while I discovered they stood after us & that they were... Continue Reading