To George Washington from Jabez Bowen, 20 March 1780
From Jabez Bowen
Providence March 20 1780
Sir
The Attorney General has represented to me that their is the greatest necessity for Lieut. Chapin of Colo. Shurburns Redgment to tarry in this State for a few Days.1 as he is a principle Evidence against one of the most bitter Tories that we have taken hold off. under that Idea I doubt not but Your Exellency will excuse my detaning Lieut. Chapin.2
We just hear by a Vessell from Bilbo in a short Passage, of the Defeat of the Spanish Squadron of seven Saile of the line, off Gibralter, They weir attacked by Twelve British. their was 4 Spanish Sunk Two taken and one made her escape on the other side 2 British sunk. this must put an end to the Sige for the present.3 You[r] Exellency will remember that the Park of Artillery is yet in this Town, if it is to be sent to Springfield your Orders will be necessary to be communicated to the Commanding Officer; as the Roades will be soon passable.4
the Flagg with the Cloathing for the Prisoners at Rutland is just arived.5 I am Your Exellencys Most Obedient and most Humb. Servant
Jabez Bowen De. Govr
ALS, DLC:GW. The cover of Bowen’s letter reads: “⅌ Capt. [James] Webb.”
GW replied to Bowen from Morristown on 4 April: “I have been honored with yours of the 20th ulto informing me of the necessity of detaining Lieut. Chapin of Colo. Sherburnes Regt a few days beyond the limitation of his furlough.
“The intelligence from Bilboa which you were pleased to communicate is of a very disagreeable nature, and if true in its extent, may be followed by serious consequences—It however appears that the spanish ships made a most gallant resistance.
“I shall give directions to Major perkins respecting the removal of the Continental Artillery and Stores to Springfeild” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; see also GW to Samuel Huntington, 28 March, and GW to William Perkins, 10 April).
1. The Rhode Island attorney general was William Channing (1751–1793), a Newport native who graduated from Princeton in 1769, married into a prominent family after beginning his legal career, and remained active in state and national politics until his death from smallpox (see Channing to GW, 8 June 1790, in 5:491).
Lt. Seth Chapin resigned from the army soon after Bowen’s appeal upon a recommendation from Capt. Abijah Savage, commandant of Col. Henry Sherburne’s Additional Continental Regiment. Savage wrote GW from Morristown on 19 April 1780: “Lieut. Seth Chapin of Colo. Henry Sherburnes Regt one of the Sixteen haveing Setled his accounts in the Regit is Desireous of obtaing a Dischar[g]e from the Service—this may Certify that thire is one officer Still Remaining in the Company to which he belongs—he haveing Served as worthy & faithfull officer & Supported the Charecter of an officer & gentleman I Do hereby Recommend him for a Discharge” (ALS, DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 18058).
2. This case has not been identified.
3. A newspaper item from Boston, dated 23 March, clarified the initial report from the vessel recently arrived from Bilbao, Spain: “Admirals Rodney and Ross sailed from England on the 7th of January last, with a fleet of 21 sail of the line, and transports, with recruits and stores for the garrison of Gibraltar … That off Cape St. Vincent they met with the Spanish Admiral Langro, who had with him 8 ships of the line; the weather being hazy, the Spanish Admiral mistook the British squadron for a fleet of transports, and bore down upon them, till being in the midst of them, and finding too late his mistake, he immediately made a signal to his ships to take care of themselves, and make off in the best manner they could.” At least three Spanish ships were sunk or surrendered, and the British “fleet, with their stores, got into Gibraltar, and relieved that garrison, that had been not a little distressed for supplies, from the close blockade by sea and land that they had so long endured” (Providence Gazette; and Country Journal, 25 March 1780).
4. See GW to Bowen, 15 Dec. 1779, and n.3 to that document.
5. A newspaper item headed Providence, 11 March, indicated that this “Flag of Truce arrived at Newport from New-York” on 8 March and brought clothing for the British prisoners at Rutland, Mass. (Providence Gazette; and Country Journal, 11 March).