To George Washington from William Bartlett, 8 November 1775
From William Bartlett
Beverly [Mass.] 8th Novr 1775
Sir
I have the Pleasure of informing your Excellency that this Morning Sergant Doak Belonging to Capn Selmon brought in here a Sloop her Cargo Consisting off 370 Quts of Dry fish 70 BLLs of Mackrell 3 BLLs of Train Oyl 1 BLL of Sammon by the best Accts I can Collect from the People on board—I can find Nothing to Acertain the Cargo She hes by any papers Deliver’d me, the whole of which I send to your Excellencey Sergant Doak who will deliver this Can better inform your Excellency then I possably Can.1
I shall wait your Excellency’s further Orders with Regard too her And am Your Excellency’s Most Obedt Huml. Sert
William Bartlett
N.B. Sir there is a Grate Deal of Confusion with some of the People who was to the Taking of the Sloop North Britton. I Expect the matter will be Represented to your Excellency in a Wrong Light by one B. Bickford who whentt from this to Head Quarters to Day your Excellency may Rely on my Stateing the Matter to you in A True Light and Beg your Excellency will Settle Each mans Share if any there Should be.2
I shall forward the Goods as Soon as possible togeather with a List of Every man who was Concern’d in the affair. Y.H.S.
W.B.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The vessel was the sloop Phoebe captured by Nicholson Broughton and John Selman. See Broughton to GW, 2 Nov. 1775.
2. For the wreck of the North Britain, see Bartlett to GW, 4 Nov. 1775. Stephen Moylan instructed Bartlett on 10 Nov.: “to detain the goods pr the North Britton untill further orders, allso the sloop with Fish & oyle Sent by Broughton—his Excellency cannot be troubled with the disputes of people Concernd in taking the North Britton” (DLC:GW). See also Moylan to Bartlett, 11 Nov. 1775, quoted in Bartlett to GW, 9 Nov. 1775, n.2.