In Provincial Congress, at New York, June Lst, 1775
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Naval Documents of The American Revolution Volume 1 AMERICAN THEATRE: Dec. 1, 1774–Sept. 2, 1775 EUROPEAN THEATRE: Dec. 6, 1774–Aug. 9, 1775 Part 5 of 8 United States Government Printing Office Washington, 1964 Electronically published by American Naval Records Society Bolton Landing, New York 2012 AS A WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THIS PUBLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. JUNE 1775 583 Enclosed is an Account of the State & Condition of His Majestys Ships and Vessels under my Command and another shewing the Disposition of them: I am Sir [tic.] Willm Parry Chatham in St John's Road Antigua the 3 1, May 1775 [Endorsed] Rd 12 July 1775 1. PRO, Admiralty 1/309. 1 June JOURNAL OF THE NEW HAMPSHIREPROVINCIAL CONGRESS [Exeter] Thursday 1st of June, 17 75. Voted, That two companys, as soon as they can be properly mustered & Equipt be sent to guard the sea coast for the present. Whereas in the course of the present disputes, it may be necessary to Import on the Risque of the Colony a Quantity of Military Stores, Resolved, That the Commt of Supplies be and hereby are impowered & di- rected to import or cause to be Imported from any place whatever such &so many stores aforesd not exceeding the value of three Thousand Pounds L.M. & the same to risque at their discretion, or without making Insurance on the vessels or cargoes which may be so employed, sent out or imported. 1. Bouton, ed., Documents and Records of New Hampshire, VII, 495. CAPTAINANDREW BARKLEY, R.N. TO VICE ADMIRALSAMUEL GRAVES ( COPY) Scarbroh Piscataqua June 1st 1775 Sir I wrote to You Yesterday by Mr Fraser who I sent round to Boston in the Spynx Sloop, all communication between the Ship and Town is still stop't what measures they are pursuing in the Town I cannot inform You, the Guns which I spik'd up which I mentioned to You in my last, they have got up to Town before the Canceaux got off the Battery as Lt [Henry] Mowat informs me in his Letter they are preparing them for Service, there is a Hill abreast of Us in the Massachu- setts side, which commands the Ship, they are now throwing up an Intrenchment and getting Cannon ready to mount there with an intention to fire on the Ship, there are two or three hundred Men Armed have been at work on it these two or three days past, all the Country are Armed and marching in bodys into the Town, it seems their whole design is if possible to drive the Ship out of the Harbour for further particulars I refer You to Mr [Thomas] Fisher Col- lector of the Customs at Salem who has been in Town, all the time these disturb- ances happened, I have taken forty or fifty Tons of Shot from the Fort and put it onlboard a Sloop belonging to Capn [Thomas] Colsten for fear they might come in, in the night and steal them as there is no people in the fort, as I was in- formed they intended it, I hope I shall have Instructions how to act, against those people. 584 AMERICAN THEATRE The Houses on both sides the Water are entirely deserted expecting the Ship to be attack'd every hour. I am, Sir [&c.] Andw Barkley 1. PRO, Admiralty 1/485, LC Transcript. Esteem'd Friends Reynell & Coates Newbury Port June 1st 1775 My last to you, was of the 6th Ultimo, since which I remain without any of your much esteem'd, tho' in hourly Expectation of hearing from you, that Capt [William] Willcomb is arriv'd, I am now sensible that your Markett, must be extream dull for his Cargoe, therefore hope you have stored it for a Price, & sold the Brig, but if this should meet the Brig at Philadelphia, & the Cargoe not sold, J think it would be prudent, to reship her Cargoe for Newfoundland & fill her up with Bread & from thence proceed to the West Indies with a Load of Fish, or to Spain, if that sort of fish [coluld be obtain'd, there; &should she proceed thither, ord[er the] Master to value himself on Mr. Robt Jenkins at St Johns, & take his Advice in what Manner its best to proceed from thence; & should she return to you, again I must beg you will keep her employ'd & give such Directions to the Master as you may think necessary - The Times here grow worse every Day, & what will be the Event, Time only can discover, we certainly are in a most un- happy Situation, & little prospect of any Relief I have a Brig now at home, with a Cargoe of Molasses which I am now selling here at 20d your Currency, & am about Loading her again for the West Indies for another Load of Molasses, but how she will make out, cannot say when she is ready to Return, if your Port is open she may return thither, but more of [this next] Time, I have only now to say that I am Your Friend Stephen Hooper 1. Feinstone Collection, DLAR. 2. Hooper's instructions were too late, as Captain Willcomb, in the brig Industry, cleared the port of Philadelphia for Falmouth, England, about June 10, 1775. See Pennsylvania Packet, June 12, 1775. When our people were engaged in taking the stock, &c. from Noddle's and Hog-Islands, the king's troops made an attack upon them. On Hog Island, the combat began about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and continued almost incessantly till midnight. The attack was made with cannon, swivels, and small arms, from an armed schooner, sloop, and eight or ten barges, upon our people, who had small arms only, but were very advantageously posted by Colonel [Israel] Putnam who got to them just in season to station and command them properly. He placed them in a ditch, up to their waists in water, and covered by the bank, to their necks: The Schooner, sloop and boats full of men, came within 12 or 15 rods of them, and gave our people a fine opportunity to place their shot well. About JUNE 1775 585 midnight the fire ceased a little, and our people retreated to the mainland, where they were soon after joined by Capt. [Thomas Waite] Foster with two field pieces, which were planted on the way of Winnesimit ferry. At day light the combat was renewed, - as the schooner passed the feny way, she was (briskly attacked by our people, with the field pieces and small arms, which soon clearing her deck, she drifted on shore, where our people set fire to her, and she blew up, notwith- standing the utmost endeavours of the people in the boats, &c. to tow her off, and save her from destruction - In this they exposed themselves much to our fire, and suffered greatly. When they found the schooner was lost, they with difficulty towed off the sloop, much disabled, and retired to their den; and thus ended the combat, at about 7 o'clock in the morning. In the afternoon, (Sunday) our people got out of the wreck, 12 four pounders, 6 swivels, and every thing else that was valuable, without molestation; they afterwards removed or destroyed from both the Islands, all the stock, &c. viz. about 5 or 600 sheep, 30 horses, about as many cattle, a large quantity of hay, and burned all the barns and houses. All this was done in sight, and as we may say, under the noses of the whole fleet and army at Boston, without molestation. - The killed of the enemy (viz. Gen. [Thomas] Gage's crew of enemies to the English constitution) they them- selves allow to be more than 100, besides wounded ; others, who have good oppor- tunity to know, say, their killed and wounded, exceed 300, and I believe they have suffered as much as in their precipitate flight from Lexington, on the memo- rable 19th of April. Our killed none! wounded, three! Heaven apparently, and most evidently fights for us; covers our heads in the day of battle, and shields our people from the assaults of our common enemies. - What thanks can speak our gratitude. 1. New York Journal, June 15, 1775: "The following Extract of a letter, dated the first of June instant, in the Provincial Camp, at Cambridge, from a gentleman of undoubted veracity and intelligence, gives a more authentic, and in many respects a more particular account of the late action . than any that has appeared in the public papers." New England Chronicle, THURSDAY,MAY 25, TO THURSDAY,JUNE 1, 1775 Camlbridge, June 1. We are informed, that in the [36-gun] Cerberus Frigate, Capt. Chads, who arrived at Boston last Thursday from England, came Passengers, Major-Generals [William] Howe, [Henry] Clinton, and [John] Burgoyne. The Town of Salem, and other Parts of the County of Essex, were alarmed last Tuesday Morning [May 301 by the Appearance, off Salem Harbour, of 2 or 3 armed Vessels, supposed to be on some hostile Design. A large Body of Men immediately assembled : But nothing extraordinary being attempted by the Enemy, the People dispersed, after taking some necessary Measures for their future Safety. [Watertown] Thursday, June 1, 1775. Afternoon The Committee appointed to consider the Papers relating to Ticonderoga, &c., reported a Letter to Colonel Arnold; another to the Hon. William Williams, Esquire, Speaker of the Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut; and another to 586 AMERICAN THEATRE the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire; which were read and accepted, and are as follows, viz: Letter to Colonel Benedict Arnold Sir: The Congress have received yours of the 19th and 23d of May, ult., per Captain [Jonathan] Brown and Captain [Elisha] Phelps, a copy of which has been sent to New Hampshire.