Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 3, January 1 1776-May 15 1776
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Naval Committee to To: Samuel Purviance, Jr.


Sir,
(1)
%
%%%%Philadelphia 6th January 1776

    By Coll Harrison, Coll Lee & many other Gentlemen we are abundantly informed how much the American Cause owes to your Zeal & Activity in General, & particularly to your Assistance in fitting out the two armed Vessels at Baltimore, for this we cannot but beg you will accept the Thanks of this Committee.

   Coll Lee acquaints us that a second Leiutt. was necessary for the Hornet, a Commission for one we now inclose you & shall be oblig'd to you to fill up the Blank with the name of a Person as well qualifyd for that Station as you can get & present it to him. We likewise inclose you blank Warrants for the Master, Boatswain, Gunner & Carpenter of the Hornet & also one for the Master of the Wasp wch. we desire may be filled up with the names of those persons that were appointed by Coll. Harrison or in Case of Accidents, with such persons as you think proper to supply their places.

   We approve of your Appointment of a Carpenter, Cooper & Armourer, for the former we send you the Warrant already mentioned, to the other two or to a Capts. Clerk, tis not usual to give warrants, it will be sufficient for them & all of their rank wch. are called petty Officers to have their names enter'd in the Sloops books with the Title Capts. Clerk, Cooper, Armourer &c. annexed thereto. This will be sufficient to entitle them to their pay & prize Money, as such the Comee. have thought proper to allow a Capts. Clerk & two Midshipman to the Sloop fitted out here & desire you will order the like for the Hornet.

   The Comee. were induced on this first Cruize (by no means to be made use of as a precedent hereafter) to allow the Capts. of the Ships at the Continental Expence a Qr. Cask of better rum than that laid in for the Ships Company & another of Wine with a proportionable quantity of Sugar & a little Coffee. This we desire may be allowed to Capt. Stone as near as you can adjust or guess the matter, a little more or less, as this Practice is by no means to be continued, will be of no great Consequence.

   As for Cabbin Stores we have consented to pay for such as are usually provided here by owners of Ships for Masters of Vessels sailing out of this Port all in the most frugal manner & have left the Matter under such [. . .] to two Sea Capts. of Repute that have long saild out of this Port, & whatever you may do in this respect you may depend on our


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being perfectly satisfy'd with. We are apprehensive that a Letter we sent to Capt. Stone the middle of last Month has Miscarried or been intercepted. We now inclose you a Copy thereof, together with Copy of the Rations allowed for the Sea Service by the Congress, also our Letter to Capt. Stone wch. we have left open for your perusal. This done, we shall be obliged to you to seal & forward it to him. We shall be farther obliged to you to tell Capt. Stone & the Commandg. Officer of the Wasp that they are to look upon themselves as under the Command of Esek Hopkins Esqr. appointed by Congress as Commandr. in Chief of the Fleet of the united Colonies, & that it is expected that they obey with all possible punctuality & Expedition all such Orders as they may from time to time receive from him.

   Such Orders I make no doubt they will receive soon, perhaps by this Conveyance, as Mr. Hopkins expects to leave town to Morrow Morning & we have not above an hours business more to transact with him. The Ships & Briggs fell down the day before Yesterday, the Sloop yesterday. We are Sir, yr. most hble servts., Step Hopkins

   %%%%% Chris Gadsden

   %%%%% Silas Deane

   %%%%% Joseph Hewes


Note: RC (MeHi). In an unidentified hand and signed by Hopkins, Gadsden, Deane, and Hewes.

l Probably Samuel Purviance, Jr. A letter from Purviance to the Naval Committee dated January 13, 1776, which is apparently his response to this letter from the committee, is in Clark, Naval Documents, 3:773-74.