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Patriot will further attempt to save them. He will then seek a Place of Retreat where he may enjoy the happy Reflections of his own Mind, and count a private Station the highest Post of Honor. But the Express waits, which obliges me to break off abruptly. Heaven knows best, how to dispose of you and me. Adieu.

JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 1

1

S. A

BOSTON, June 26, 1778

MY DEAR SIR, — I have had the great pleasure of receiving your several favours, per Blaisford, Capt. Barry, and one by an Unknown hand. I am Glad to find you so well pleased with the Situation of the Army, and the doings of Congress for you know I ever Entertain an Opinion that things are right when they go according to your mind. I Expect very soon to have an Account under your hand, of the reception Congress gave to the proposals of the British Commissioners, and of their Ultimate determinations on them and their silly Errand. we expect the Dignity of Congress will Appear with great Lustre on this Occasion. we have handed about in this Town a List of their proposals, but I cant suppose they are Genuine. they are Indeed too Contemptible even for the British Administration to be the Authors of. My Letter per Mr. Collins which I presume has reached you before now will Inform you that I did not leave my station in the Political Ship before the Gale was over, or fly from those Colours I helped and some few other Good Patriots to Hoist. You know I have been on Deck for twelve Years, and I believe you will not be able with all your discernment and Watchfulness to recollect an Instance of my flinching. I was left out by my Town, without an Ostensible reason to give. I was not Noticed by the two Houses for reasons best known to themselves. the Mutability of Mankind, the Enmity of the Tories united with the Intrigues of a party you are acquainted with must Account for it. I will only Inform you that the Bar Seat had a large Share in this matter, and some of them that you would hardly suspect. this may be adding In

you

I From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library.

gratitude to Witchcraft, as my whole Conduct has been Uniformly favourable to your Town, and if you will not Construe it into vanity I will tell you I have sometimes thought I did them as much service as any Representative they have had since you left the House. You and I have been Companions the whole Vo[yage]. I have now the Honour to be the Object of the same rancour, and the victim of the same Intrigue and policy as against you. however I am Content with regard to myself if your Interest is Secured. with regard to your Friend Dr. Lee I took Care early in the Session to Apply to some Members to have the Business done. the Court is now Adjourned to September. I question whether it is done, tho' I am not certain. I was promised but as they set out of Town, I had not the Advantage of pursueing the matter. I will not forget or Neglect it. but you are to Consider that I and my Applications may for a while be treated with Neglect, and if you will permit me to use Metaphors suggested by the Nature of my Business, A New Crew is Ship'd and the principle direction fallen into hands whose Seamanship we did not use to Esteem, and who for want of Fortitude never dared to go aloft to view the fair and open Coast before them, or to Examine and Ascertain the strength of the Ship and how well she was Constructed and fitted for the Voyage. Millions of such Seamen never would have Conducted her to the Lattitude and Longitude she is now in. but enough of this your own reflections I dare say Exhibit pictures much more to the Life.

I am Extremely Glad to find you on the Marine Committee, for Notwithstanding you have not been used to Naval Matters, I conceive you will do great Service there. I shall write to you often the little time I shall be connected with you in that Station, and very freely, for the Subject must be better Understood, and more Attended to, or the Navy given up, though I conceive it will soon be more Important and more necessary than an Army. did your Committee attend to this matter would they write us that they hoped 50,000 dollars would supply all our demands for some time. we received that Money. we have recv'd the greatest part of 80,000. dollars we drew for in favour of Mr. Shaw,1 and this Morn

I Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Continental Agent at New London, Connecticut.

ing we had not a 100 dollars in the office, and if Capt. Bradford 1 had not been good enough to Supply us with £1000. we could not have paid the Bounty to Seamen this day Entered. we must stop payment of all Bills, however reasonable or Justly due, or however hard we are duned. where to look next, or what is to be done next week I know not. this is Indeed Embarrassing. why Sir we want 500,000 dollars if it be meant we should do any thing to purpose. is it feared we shall Squander profusely, or apply fraudulently. our Accounts will be at any time ready in three days for the strictest Scrutiny. I am, my Friend, also Mortified, and it is hard to be both perplexed and Mortified, while we work for Nothing, and spend necessarily more than our pay. Many things. take place to make me feel very small in this office, to say nothing of our Inability to Answer the Expectations of the public and of their never knowing the reason. why when you have Appointed Captains in the Navy cant it be left to us to say which shall go in any Ship here on a vacancy and while we and every Body else sees the service suffering, must we wait for an Appointment from the Marine Committee. they Expect the Raleigh is prepared for the Sea. but two days ago a Captain for her Arrived here, and every Body acquainted with Seamen must know they will not Engage in a Ship till they know the Captain. the public have Clamoured. to save our Reputation we have been obliged to take pains to let it be known, that you dare not trust us so far. the Brigantine Resistance has lai[n] some time, to get her to sea we appointed or rather ordere[d] Capt. Olney to take Command of her. he is a deserving Officer, and I think would make a figure in a better Vessel. he readily obeyed and things were going on finely. An Appointment arrives for Burke. he may be a good officer but besides the Mortification to us, the Brigantine will be delayed. My favourite plan was to get a Number of these Vessels to Sea in Company. Your Committee have Approved, and desired it, but how is it possible. the Raleigh would have been ready for the Sea, if she had a Captain. she has now no Men. you have Appointed a Good one. I believe we shall Man her soon, but the Warren is almost Manned. Must she wait for her. I wish you would make I John Bradford, Continental Agent at Boston.

that a Question and give me an Answer. Why when you have packets of Importance to be sent to your Commissioners must they go through the hands of the Council of this State in Vessels provided by us. are your own Immediate Officers, Insufficient for such a purpose? if not it seemed a more regular Channel of Conveyance. if they are you may form a Board here of persons as Competent to that or any other purpose as the Council, and I will be ready to resign and make way for such an Appointment. I wont mention some other Instances because I wont be tedious. I own I am a proud fellow, but after all it is a subordinate passion to my Wishes for the Good of the Voyage. I am well pleased that you have given a Name to the New frigate at Salisbury, and that it is a New One.

I hope our Friend Adams is safe arrived we hear so, and believe it. twenty-two days after they were out, they took perhaps the richest prize that has been made this War. she was retaken on this Coast and Carried to Hallifax, within fourteen hours sail of this Port. she made some resistance. Our Friend would keep the Deck, and shew great Marks of Courage, tho the first Shot cut away the Mizen Topsail or Cross Jack Yard over his head. I suppose my Good Friend, Mr. Gerry, is now on the road, as General Hancock must have been with you some time ago. my Expectations of it for some time past have prevented my writeing to him. if he should be still detained with you, please to Assure him of my Invariable Friendship, and tell him the reasons I have not wrote him lately. I have only to Add, Compliments to all Friends, and am Assuredly Yours

Did Coll Lee Receive the Jesuits Bark in safety.

[No signature.]

JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 1
1

MY DEAR SIR,

BOSTON, June 28, 1778

The Navy was the principal Subject of a long and perhaps tedious Letter two days ago which I suppose will go

I From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library.

with this. if it requires an Apology I will tell you it was wrote in perfect Composure, and good Humour and in Justification of the familiarity I used that it was wrote to you as a friend not as one of my Masters. I intend the Cheif Subject of this shall be the Army. the takeing of Burgoyne and his Army was certainly a glorious Event for America, but I cant help considering it as a Misfortune to us that this State was pitched upon as the place of their Captivity, especially as they are detained here so much longer than was at first expected. under every restriction that Whig Principles and true policy would dictate they would have many Oppertunities by their Arts and Intrigues to Encourage and Confirm the Ungodly, and to Shake the Confidence of the faithful. what then is to be Expected from an Excess of Complaisance productive of Unbounded Indulgence but a perfect Knowledge of our Country, a Conciliation of the Affections of our simple Countrymen to their Murtherers discord, and an Estrangement from their true Friends, the prevalence of Toryism and every evil work. One Regiment more only is yet removed to Rutland since you left us. was it ever Expected that there should be a free open Communication between Cambridge and Rutland and their Officers suffered to pass and repass at pleasure and to come into this Town. did you ever suppose that our General would dine with theirs on the Tyrants Birth day, and I presume of course drink his Health. did you Imagine that Politeness had risen to such a pitch that Gen'l Phillips and some of his officers were in return Invited on a party of pleasure down this Harbour, and that when he Excused himself because the officers of a Regiment to March to Rutland the day after that Appointed for the frolick were to dine with him on that day, the March was offered to be postponed to another, etc., etc. I do assure you my Friend an old Roman Republican would make an Awkward figure here in these days of refinement, and might Exclaim O Tempora, O Mores, till his Heart acked without any Effect. I wish for my part these Troops were properly treated and restrained or dismiss'd on their own Terms. We have no News but from the Southward. as all the Armies are said to be in motion we Expect great Events. have you a single Member that deserves the Character of Insolent, Overbearing, and dogmatical.

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