European Theatre from February 1, 1776, to May 25, 1776
For the better maintaining a proper Government and strict discipline in the Squadron under your Lordships command We do hereby authorize and empower you to call and assemble Courts Martial in foreign Parts as often as you shall see occasion; And whereas Commanders in Chief of Squadrons of His Majesty's Ships employed in foreign parts have sometimes neglected to hold Courts Martial for enquiring... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
By Virtue of the Power and authority to us given, by an Act of Parliament made in the first Year of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary intitled "An Act for abrogating the oaths of supremacy and allegiance and appointing other oaths," We do hereby empower, direct and depute your Lordship to administer the Oaths and Tests, appointed by acts of Parliament, to such Officers as you may appoint... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
In case of the Death of any Officer of the Ships or Vessels under your command, or their dismission by a Court Martial, Your Lordship is hereby empowered to appoint such other Persons, as, by the Quality of their employments ought to succeed to the Vacancy occasion'd thereby; particularly observing to appoint Commanders to be Captains of Post Ships in preference to Lieuts; And you are to take... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Lord Weymouth one of His Majesty's Principal Secretary's of State having transmitted to my Lords Commissioners of the Admty, a Letter which he had received from Sir John Dick His Majesty's Consul at Leghorne giving an account that an American Brig called the Betsey John Eastman Master had saild from that Port and was freighted there by Tuscan Vessels to carry Dollars to Alexandria as appears by... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
40. Press Warrants for Captains & Commanders of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels in No America
20. Do for Lieutenants of Schooners, arm'd Vessels &c. in Do Given &c. the 4th May 1776. Sandwich Palmerston H.Penton By &c. P.S.
Sent to Vice Admiral Lord Howe to fill up {the directions being left Blank for that purpose) to such of the above Officers as he should see fit Vide Letter to... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Honble Sirs This Afternoon Mr. Wright Assistant to the Surveyor at Pill, has brought Us the 54 inclosed Packets and Letters which he Seized on board the Christian ー Alexander Master from Georgia mentioned in the Postscript of our Letter of this days date. 2 The Captain has brought his Vessel up to the Quay by this Evenings Tide, and has this Instant been with Us. He says that he left Georgia the... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
The silence maintained towards you by the English Ministry with respect to the American vessel Dickenson confirms the feeling I already had that M. de Paul had mentioned it to me of his own accord and without instructions from his Court. I hope that this Minister will have transmitted to Ld. Weymouth the answer which I gave him on this subject; it conforms with the King's inclinations... Continue Reading
Date: 4 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Sir,
I had the pleasure to write to you a few days back regarding Capt [John] Forrest who sailed from hence for America &c I have this day, to
beg you forward that matter here carried on in . a very clandestine manner. The Irish Merchts of Nantz send to Ireland for Ships to come out here, under pretence, with Provisions, & then they load them with Ammunitions &c for the French... Continue Reading
Date: 5 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
My lord, It is not a small task to transport to America in a short time 34 thousand troops, cavalry, ammunition, victuals, artillery, wagons, packhorses and all the paraphernalia required for the operations of such a large army which will land far away on an enemy shore, among fanatic people determined to destroy everything they will not be able to defend. The surplus of ships used in the... Continue Reading
Date: 6 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Capt. Norman, of the Dutton Transport, who is arrived at Boston from London, writes, that some Days before he reached Boston, he was attacked by two American Privateers, but the Dutton, being a large Ship, and mounting 26 Guns, he beat them off after firing one Round at them. The Pacifick, Dunn, an old East-Indiaman, from London, arrived at Boston, on her Passage met with an American Vessel laden... Continue Reading
Date: 6 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
We arrived here yesterday in ballast from Savannah, in Goergia. 2 The day before we sailed, some of his Majesty's ships, and transports with troops on board, entered the harbour, when the rebels, guessing we were about to depart, demanded our sails and running rigging, with orders to send them immediately on shore. Fortunately for us, some of the King's troops came to our assistance privately in... Continue Reading
Date: 6 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Having received their Lordships orders of the 4t Inst: with several paper refered to therein, on the morning of the 5th, I set out immediately for this Port, and embarked on board the Eagle yesterday. Commodore Hotham being then on the point of sailing from St Helens with the Transports &c under his conduct, I did not interrupt the execution of the orders he was under, to inform myself... Continue Reading
Date: 6 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
The Enterprise, a Frigate of 28 Guns, has brought in here an American Ship of 300 Tons, bound for some of the Spanish Ports. She is loaded with Wheat and Flour, and valued at 8000 l. 2 Several other American Ships are got into Lisbon and Cadiz, which the Enterprize is going to look after.
Date: 6 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Tuesday 7 at 5 am made the signal & weighed in Company with his Majestys Ships Rainbow, Emerald, Brune Jersey, Carcass and Strombolo Fireships and a large Fleet of Transports ... at 6 a m fired a Gun and made the Signal for the Transports to make more Sail at Noon 88 sail in Company the Bill of Portland bearing NW½ W 8 Leagues. Moderate and hazey weather with rain at 6 p m made the signal and... Continue Reading
Date: 7 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
I wrote you from America the misfortune which befell me in the loss of my ship, but as you probably never received it, I will inform you of the misfortunes that have befallen me from my leaving the Downs till my arrival in Ireland. I left the Downs towards the end of October last, when that dreadful gale of wind drove so many ships ashore on the coasts of England and Ireland. But I escaped from... Continue Reading
Date: 7 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
I have it in command to send your Lordship, at the same time for your information, Copies of the Instructions to the Captains and Commanders of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels named in the Inclosed Lists for proceeding to the River St Lawrence, the two first of which have winter'd at Quebec, and the remainder, (Except the Tartar now at Plymouth and under Orders to sail immediately) sailed from... Continue Reading
Date: 7 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Monday 6th At 5 A M hoisted the Rt Hqnble Lord Viscount Howes Flag
as Vice Adml of the White & Saluted Sir James Douglas with
13 Guns, returned equal Number, Sailed hence His Majesty's
Ship Brune for St Hellens, loosed Sails to dry and furled
them at Noon Tuesday 7th Variable Winds and Weather
AM reced 30 Butts of Beer and returned Empty Cask At 6
Sailed from St Hellen's His Majesty's Ships... Continue Reading
Date: 7 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Yesterday Afternoon, about Five o'Clock, sailed his Majesty's Ship Preston, Commodore Hotham; Rainbow, Sir George Collier; Emerald, Captain [Benjamin] Caldwell; Brune, Captain [James] Ferguson; Jersey, Captain Halstead; Strombolo, Captain [Charles] Phipps, and Carcass Bomb, Captain Read, with the Transports with the Hessian Troops, Foot Guards, Artillery, and many Victuallers, under their Convoy... Continue Reading
Date: 7 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
Monseigneur My house has received the letter with which you have honoured it. I make it my duty to communicate to you its very humble thanks for all the marks of kindness which it contains, and for your kindness in sending us the letter from London, and also for your offers and your wise observation concerning the reply. The letter, Monseigneur, is anonymous, and from a friend of the Anglo-... Continue Reading
Date: 7 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
On the 17th of March, the English fleet, composed of 140 sails, that is to say many transport ships and very few Ships, Royal, sailed [from Boston] for Halifax. The provincial fleet chased the rear and captured 10 or 12 of the worst-sailing ships. 2 Only God or the winds know where the others are now ... Five days ago 4 packet-boats left England: one for the fleet on its way to Halifax, the... Continue Reading
Date: 8 May 1776
Volume: Volume 4
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