Caleb Davis to George Washington, 5 June 1781
From Caleb Davis
Boston June 5th 1781
Sir,
By order of the Genl Assembly of this State I send your Excelly a Cask Porter & a Leaded Cheese, which came in a prize captured by a Ship belonging to this Commonwealth Simeon Sampson Esqr. Commander. Also at the request of Capt. Sampson I send one other Cheese in Lead which is all there were of the kind on board the prize.1 I hope they will come safe to hand & be acceptable,2 I have the Honour to be, with the greatest respect, Your Excellenceys Most Obedt Humble Servant
Caleb Davis
LS, DLC:GW.
1. Davis, then the speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, enclosed a copy of a resolution adopted by the state assembly on 15 May: “Resolved That the Agent for the Commonwealth present his Excellency General Washington with a Cheese covered with Lead, and one Cask of Porter taken in the Prize little Porga lately captured by the Ship Mars” (DLC:GW; see also , p. 458, where the prize is rendered as “Little Porgey”).
The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser (Boston) for 15 March reported that Capt. Simeon Sampson in “the armed ship Mars” had captured “the brig Little Porgy” (see also Benjamin Lincoln to GW, 1 March, and n.5). The 10 May issue of the same newspaper announced the imminent sale of the “Prize Brigantine Little-Porgey, captured by the Mars, burthen about 120 Tons, Burmuda built, a prime Sailer.” The Continental Journal, and Weekly Advertiser (Boston) for 10 May advertised an auction of cargo from Little Porgey. The goods included “Cheshire and Gloucester CHEESE.”
Simeon Sampson (c.1736–1789) of Plymouth County, Mass., commanded armed ships as an officer in the Massachusetts state navy. A death notice in The Massachusetts Centinel (Boston) for 8 July 1789 described Sampson as “the oldest marine officer in this State’s service. He commanded the ship Mars, and performed many important voyages during the late war. … By his valour and fidelity he acquired honour to himself and rendered essential service to his country.”
2. GW replied to Davis from headquarters at Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., on 1 Aug.: “With pleasure I do myself the Honor to acknowlege the Receipt of your Favor of 5th June last—with the two Cheeses & Cask of Porter, which accompanied it.
“Will you be pleased Sir! to do me the Favor to convey to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bay, and to Capt. Sampson, my sincere & respectfull Thanks for this generous & very acceptable Present” (LS, in Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.’s writing, MHi: Caleb Davis Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; GW signed the cover of the LS, which is addressed to Davis as “Speaker of the House of Representatives State of Massachusetts Boston”).