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 2 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. APRIL 1775 165 caulk as much of her bottom as possible which is at present in a very leaky Condi- tion. I shall be greatly obliged to your Excellency for one or Two Transports a few days to take in her Stores while this work is in hand. I have the Honor to be with great regard. Sir [&c.] Sam' Graves. 1. Gage Papers, CL. Sir, Boston 31st March 1775. I have had the pleasure to receive your Letter of this Day, respecting your hav- ing Occasion for Two Transports to take in the Somersets Guns and Stores, which I shall order immediately to Attend and to give you every Assistance possible. I have the honor Sir, &ca 1. Gage Papers, CL. Sir, Boston 31st March 1775. Having received Information of some Disturbance about Freetown Swansey and Dighton, I am to beg the Favor of you to write a Line to Captain [James] Wallace to give them such Assistance as he is able; If the Captain can send up any vessel to make Enquiry into Matters, and inform the People he has sent it by my Application, and to acGaint me of the best Places to procure Quarters for Troops, I apprehend it would be Sufficient. I am with great Regard, Sir, &ca. 1. Gage Papers, CL. 2. Commander of His Majesty's Ship Rose, at Newport. Sir Boston 31 March 1775 I have sent Captain [James] Wallace A Copy of your Excellency's letter to me, of this Morning, with Orders to comply with your requests therein mentioned. I have the Honor to be with great regard Sir [&c.] Sam' Graves. 1. Gage Papers, CL. 1 Apr. Providence Gazette, SATURDAY,APRIL 1, 1775 Providence, April 1. We hear a Number of Fire Arms, with a Quantity of Ammunition, have been sent from on board a Man of War at Newport, to Col. Thomas Gilbert, and his Tory-Adherents, at Freetown. 166 AMERICAN THEATRE 2 Apr. (Sunday) [Extract] Hayes [Edenton] 2d April 1775 Dear Sir I hope this will meet you safely arrived at the Grand Scene of Action, where you will have a most important part to act.' The conduct of the Yorkers seems to have given the Ministry hopes of effecting a Division in the Councils of America, imagining that a Majority of the Assembly speak the sense of the people, from some late proceedings in the House of Commons it would appear that Ad- ministration would gladly make a drawn Battle of it could they get an opening at which they might with decency creep out, without incurring the imputation of acting inconsistently but this I am afraid will be impossible while the people of America are so much and so justly irritated, unless the Congress, without giving up essentials, could by appearing to concede bring about a Negotiation, it is to be hoped the present Wound might be closed at least for some time, and it is obvious of how great importance it is to gain time, as the rapid increase of inhabitants in America will for some years exceed all Calculation and will enable us in the Course of a few years to ask with a better Grace than at present greater immunities than are at this time thought of by the most sanguine of our friends. We have been alarmed with an Account of an Engagement between a De- tachment of 1200 of G. [Thomas] Gage's Troops and a body of the N. England Militia, but I suspend my belief till further accounts to confirm it.3 Old Barter is just arrived from Pool and has ikported some merchandize I have not heard what, the Committee were sitting this afternoon deliberating what steps were to be taken with him; I have not heard their determination, I suppose Bob Smith will inform you he is among them. I would wish to know by the earliest oppertunity whether any probable plan is thought of among the Merchants for procuring an importation of Goods this Fall or whether any possibility of giving such conditional orders as can with safety be executed, you know my reason for desiring this information and hope you will not refuse giving me your sentiments on the subject. pray let me hear from you what is doing and what is expected to be done, and believe me always Dear Sr [&c.] Sam Johnston 1. Johnston Collection, HL. 2. Hewes and William Hooper were enroute to Philadelphia to attend the Second Continental Congress, scheduled to open May 5, 1775. 3. A rumor several weeks in advance of the fact. 4. For violating the Continental Association. 5. Johnston (1735-1816) was president of the North Carolina Provincial Congress. 3 Apr. Court of Vice-Admiralty at Boston April 3, 1775 ALL Persons claiming Property in Thirty-six Casks of Wine, and nine Boxes of Lemmons, seized at Lynn, for Breach of the Acts of Trade, are hereby Notified APRIL 1775 167 to appear at a Court of Vice-Admiralty, to be held at ~osto;, on Friday the 14th Instant, at 10 o'clock, Before noon, and shew Cause (if any they have) why the said Wine and Lemmons should not be decreed Forfeit, pursuant to an Informa- tion filed in said Court for that Purpose. 1. Massachusetts Gazette and Boston Weekly News-Letter, April 6, 1775. Newport Mercury, MONDAY,APRIL 3, 1775 Newport, April 3. Yesterday morning as the ship Rose was moving further into this harbour (for what reason is not certainly known) she ran upon the north-end of Goat Island, where she lay till night. We hear one of Col. [Thomas] Gilbert's sons, and one or two others, came down from Freetown on Saturday night [April 11, in a small rowing boat, and went on board the above ship; perhaps those persons are Jonases. It seems that the Freetown gang of traitors is almost broke up, many of the poor, deluded creatures not being able to procure victuals for themselves or families, their noble Colonel's magazine being nearly exhausted. [Extract] [Baltimore] 3d April 1775 we have already wrote you that we sent 3660 bushells of yr Salt to Hallifax the Remndr we put on Board a Sloop for Georgia & when on board we sold it for 10d pence this Money p bushell say for 2500 bushells (this we though[t] would be more to yr advantage in the End tho we are obliged to give Six Months Credit) than to have shipped on your own Acct & we are sure that your salt will turn out more to your Advantage in the End than a Cargo of the Same article that came here the same time from Bristol did for the owner upon the whole we hope you will be satisfyed that we have done for you as if the Interest had been our own. 1. Woolsey and Salmon Letter Book, LC. 2. Probably the Ship Sally, William Moat, master, from Bristol, which entered on March 7, 1775, with 4,000 bushels of salt and 24 servants. 4 Apr. GEORGEWOOLSEY TO BENJAMIN TITCOMB,FALMOUTH [Extract] [Baltimore] 4 [April, 17751 You will find long ere this as your son Jos did not receive a letter from you as soon as he Expected that he was dispatched without loss of time & we hope to your Satisfaction & we think that he was only two weeks here . We wish Sincerely that matters were settled between England & this Continent & from the last accts we have Reason to hope a turn to our advantage however a11 well wishers to this Continent here are preparing for the worst. Yet I am sorry to say we have A Number of Professed Tories & Still a Greater Number that will not say which Side the[y] are off. Yet I think more than the half are in favour of the Measures we are Entered Into (that is them that avows them Publickly) & we suppose on the whole we have three Fourths on our Side. boath Putlick &private 168 AMERICAN THEATRE & we have Reason to think the Province in General are friends, save the Scotch & a few that the[y] can Influence 1. Woolsey and Salmon Letter Book, LC. 2. Joseph Titcomb, master of the sloop Cumberland, sailed for Falmouth, in the Province of Maine, on February 14, 1775, with a cargo of 450 bushels of corn, 230 barrels of flour, fiftybarrels of bread, and two tons of bar iron. , [Extract] [Baltimore] 4 [April, 17751 We wrote you the 1lth last Month Informing you of the Arrival of the Brig Henry €5' Joseph with Salt for Jas Forde Esqr in Dro[g]heda, & of our Intentions of sending the Salt to Hallifax & Loading the Vessel acct of Mr Forde. we Shipped 3660 bushells of the Salt for Hallifax on board the Schooner Betsy Isaac Snow Mastr the Remndr we Shipped for Georgia & Sold after it was Shipped. we have now almost 5000 bushells of Wheat on Board the Brig also 125 balls flour we hope She will take 7000 bushells if so we do suppose it will Cost 1400 £ Sterling of which plase take notice on acct of Insurance Indeed if the Wheat will not Cost so much there will be other articles that will make that Same 1.