COL. JOSEPH REED TO THE COMMITTEE OF PORTSMOUTH.

Camp at Cambridge, October 7, 1775.

SIR: The General, fearing he shall give you and the other gentlemen of the Committee too much trouble, has directed me to inform you that he has despatched Mr. Moylan, Muster-Master General of the Army, to negotiate the transportation of the flour; he will give a receipt for it, so that any directions of the Congress, with regard to any compensation for capture, may be fully complied with, should any such claim be made. The vessel, &c., his Excellency thinks, should remain under your care, till the determination of Congress is had.

You will, therefore, Sir, oblige the General, and promote the service, by giving Mr. Moylan all the assistance you can. He has directed me to make his respectful compliments to yourself and the other gentlemen of the Committee.

We have yet no further intelligence of the sailing of the fleet mentioned in the General’s letter of the 5th. If there had been an account at Boston of the capture of this vessel, we should have supposed an attack upon you was meditated; but by a deserter, who came out yesterday, we learn that this event had not then reached Boston.

I am, Sir, by order of his Excellency, your most obedient and very humble servant,

JOSEPH REED.

To H. Wentworth, Esq., Chairman, &c.

COLONEL JOSEPH REED TO STEPHEN MOYLAN.

Camp at Cambridge, October 7, 1775.

DEAR SIR: AS the management of the flour at Portsmouth may be attended with some difficulty, unless some person goes there by appointment of the General, I have wrote to the Chairman of the Committee of Portsmouth, which is left open for your perusal. If you think that, without any inconvenience to the other matter, you can go to Portsmouth, it is thought best you should, and settle the matter on the best terms consistent with the letter, and direct the transportation in the manner most proper and safe. If you meet with any difficulty, you will inform us as soon as possible.

I am, in haste, yours, &c.,

JOSEPH REED.

To Stephen Moylan, Esq., Salem or Marblehead.

PORTSMOUTH (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) COMMITTEE TO COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Committee-Hall, October 9, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: In addition to what we wrote you the 7th instant, we beg leave to mention the expediency of having a number of men at the batteries, in case the fleet mentioned in General Washington’s letter should be destined for this port, and have therefore given it in charge to the Committee appointed to wait on you, to request that a number of men, properly officered and equipped, (we think two hundred may be sufficient,) may forthwith be forwarded from the Towns not far distant from this, in order to attend at the said batteries, till the destination of the said fleet is known.

I am, by order of the Committee of Safety, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

H. WENTWORTH, Chairman.

NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

SIR: The Committee of Safety for the Town of Portsmouth have represented to us that the Ship Prince George, Captain Richard Emmes master, from Bristol, bound to Boston, with provisions for the Army there, is now in their port, and in custody; and that they had represented the matter to your Excellency, and that you had desired the whole cargo might be forwarded to the Army under your command.

This Colony have upwards of one hundred soldiers stationed at the batteries erecting in our port, and often two hundred men in a day, from the country, working on the batteries, and there is not, nor has there been for some weeks past, one single barrel of flour to be purchased within this Colony. We therefore, thinking it necessary for the promotion of the common cause, have ordered one hundred barrels of the flour to be taken for the use of the said soldiers, and doubt not it will meet with your Excellency’s approbation; and, as the Town of Portsmouth is in great want of bread, if the circumstances of the Army will admit of it, we should be exceeding glad that about five hundred barrels of the flour might be sold to the inhabitants of said Portsmouth, and the money deposited in the hands of some faithful person, until the determination of the Continental Congress, relative to the said cargo, may be known.

We should also propose to your Excellency’s consideration, whether the transporting the flour round Cape Ann will not be dangerous. We conceive it more prudent to convey it in small vessels to Ipswich, (though the land carriage from there is farther than from Marblehead,) than to risk it round the cape.

Your Excellency’s sentiments on this matter will greatly oblige your most obedient servants.

P. S. The sailors appear to be pleased with the capture, but are uneasy about their wages; and we would request your opinion whether or not they should be paid by the sale of some part of the cargo.

PORTSMOUTH (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) COMMITTEE OK SAFETY.

Committee-Hall, October 11, 1775.

Whereas a Letter has been received this day, from Joseph Reed, Esquire, Secretary to his Excellency General Washington, setting forth, that he has given directions to Mr. Moylan, Muster-Master General, to receive the cargo of Flour on board the Ship Prince George, Richard Emmes master, and transport the same to Head-Quarters, for the use of the Army; and whereas this Committee have applied to the Provincial Committee of Safety, who have represented to his Excellency the necessity of preserving a part of the said cargo for the use of the inhabitants of this Colony, in their present necessitous state, an answer to which is not yet received:

Therefore, Voted, That there be forthwith delivered to the said Mr. Moylan, twelve hundred and ninety-two barrels of Flour, part of the aforesaid cargo; and that Messrs. George King, Joshua Wentworth, Samuel Sherburne, Pearse Long, and George Wentworth, be a Committee to assist the said Moylan in shipping the same.

By order of the Committee of Safety:

H. WENTWORTH, Chairman.

Extract from the Minutes:

SUPPLY CLAP, Secretary.

NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO GEORGE KING.

In Committee of Safety, October 11, 1775.

SIR: You are desired to take charge of the cargo of the Ship Prince, George, Richard Emmes, late master, now lying in Piscataqua harbour, and deliver to Samuel Cutts, Esq., one hundred barrels of flour, at such times and quantities as he may need it, to supply the soldiers at the batteries in said harbour.

To George King, Esquire.

STEPHEN MOYLAN TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Portsmouth, October 13, 1775.

SIR: I arrived here the 11th instant, and delivered Colonel Reed’s letter to the Chairman of the Committee; in consequence of which, he called a meeting of the members. The result was, that they would deliver to my care twelve hundred barrels of the flour, and let me know what would be done with the rest of the cargo, when they received an answer to a letter they had wrote to your Excellency, in which (they inform me) they express the great want of that article in this Province. As even half a loaf would be better than no bread, I told them I would take immediate charge thereof, and yesterday I engaged two sloops, to begin the transportation; one of them will take in this day.

I have engaged, in behalf of the Continent, to ensure (against the enemy only) the vessels—the Committee will appraise them—they are to receive one shilling, lawful