To George Washington from Captain Richard Dodge, 16 December 1775
From Captain Richard Dodge
Chalsea [Mass.]
Decr the 16th 1775
May it please your Excellency
I Have in Closed the Observation of the Day.1
Last Eve[n]ing Eight men Runaway in a bote from Boston to our guard at the farry—arly in the mor[n]ing finding thay had been with the guard Immedetly forwooded them to the Cammete on the Commete Reception thay Clensed them by Smooking them and Lett them pass2—one of tham was Capt. James Warden who was Taken, in major mifflim Imploy who is Vary Desierous of Seeing the major.3
Six of them are masters of Vassels and brought the in Closed Acctt4 I am yr most Humb. Servt
Richard Dodge Capt.
N.B. yeasterday one Large morter was Carred over to Bunker Hill the Troops are fillin Water Carring on board the Transports provision is Very Sca[r]ce the officers Say not more then anuf to Last them Six weeks one of the Gente man Say he Dined with a man that Dined with Lord parsey5 a feu Day ago upon horse beaff this from the men that Came out of Boston Last Night.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The return of the observations for this date, in Dodge’s writing, is in DLC:GW.
2. The committee was the one appointed by the Massachusetts General Court to care for the refugees leaving Boston. The smoking was intended as a precaution against smallpox. See GW to James Warren, 9 Nov., n.1, and William Sever to GW, 11 Dec. 1775, n.1.
3. James Warden was captured with his schooner Tryal by the British warship Nautilus in the Delaware River on 22 August.
5. Lord Hugh Percy.