George Washington Papers
Documents filtered by: Period="Revolutionary War"
sorted by: date (ascending)
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0078

To George Washington from the Portsmouth Committee of Safety, 2 October 1775

From the Portsmouth Committee of Safety

Portsmo. [N.H.] 2d Octor 1775

May it please your Excellency

The Ship Prince George, Richard Emms Master, which left Bristol the 19th of July last, loaded with eighteen hundred & eighty barrells, & twenty four half Barrells of Flour, for the supply of General Gage’s Army, was taken possession of by our People this day, as She enter’d the Harbour, which the Master says was through mistake.1

We think it our duty, to acquaint your Excellency with this Matter, and that We have ordered the Ship to the Wharfe, having unbent her Sails, & appointed a sufficient guard on board, to prevent any embezzelment—The Master yesterday Morning, spoke with the Raven Sloop of War from England, bound to Boston, which had been out ten Weeks.2

This Committee have examined all the Letters, and Papers, brought by Capt. Emms, & find they contain nothing material. I am with due respect By order of the Comee of safety Sir Your Excellency’s most obedient & most humble Servant

H. Wentworth Chairman

LS, DNA:PCC, item 152; copy in George Baylor’s writing, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC item 169; copy, NjMoHP. GW enclosed the LS in his letter to Hancock of 5 October.

1. “Some Fisherman within the Shoals told the Capt. this [Portsmouth] was Boston harbour,” Thomas Thompson explained to John Langdon on 3 October. “Being all strangers he never found the mistake until he was under the musel of our Guns, You may gues His Surprize” (Clark, Naval Documents description begins William Bell Clark et al., eds. Naval Documents of the American Revolution. 12 vols. to date. Washington, D.C., 1964–. description ends , 2:277).

2. The Raven spoke with the Prince George on 1 Oct. near Cape Ann and arrived at Boston on 4 October.

Index Entries

    You Are Looking At

    Source Project
    Washington Papers
    Title
    To George Washington from the Portsmouth Committee of Safety, 2 October 1775
    Author
    Portsmouth Committee of Safety
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    2 October 1775

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To George Washington from the Portsmouth Committee of Safety, 2 October 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0078. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 2, 16 September 1775 – 31 December 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987, pp. 79–80.]

    More between these correspondents