USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 26
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said Ships, Vessels, or Boats, and giving an Account of themselves, and from whence they came.
" Given in Council under our Hands & Lesser Seal of the said Pro- vince, at Philadelphia, the 26th Day of May, in the Twenty-first Year of His Majestie's Reign, Annoqz Domini, 1748.
" ANTHONY PALMER, "THOMAS LAWRENCE, " SAMUEL HASELL,
"WILLIAM TILL, " ROBERT STRETTELL,
"By their Honour's Command.
" RICHARD PETERS, Secretary."
At a Council held at Philadelphia the 27th May, 1748. PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell,
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell,
1
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Thomas Hopkinson, Esqrs. William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
George Proctor, the Sailor who swam ashore from on board the Spanish Brigantine, Captain Don Vincent Lopez, having been despatch'd from Salem to New Castle, the Magistrates there sent him up Express with the following Letter from Mr. Macky, which was deliver'd to some Members of Council late last Night :
"NEW CASTLE, May 26th, 1748, Eleven o'Clock. "To the Honoble. the President & Council at Philadelphia. " Gentlemen :
" About nine o'clock arrived here the Bearer, who swam last Night from a Spanish Privateer Brig who was at Anchor off Elsenbourgh with fourteen Guns & 160 Men; she came up within Gun Shot of this Place about an hour ago, & came to an Anchor with a Spring on her Cable; we fired at her with our four Guns many Shot, most of which pass'd her, but none took place as the Tide was against her, & the wind became immediately calm it prevented her boarding the large Jamaica Man who lyes in our Road, which was evidently her design; if that had happen'd, ere this in all probability this Town wou'd now have been in flames; nothing but the ebb Tide and a Calm prevented it. After she, the Privateer, lay some time at Anchor the Jamaica Man fired at her as we continued to do, on which she weighed & towed away, fired a Gun, hoisted Spanish
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Colours, & gave three Huzzas, which we return'd. She is now about two Leagues from hence, as we shall have the flood in less than, & as it continues Calm, she must be under a Necessity of coming to an Anchor; if it were possible to send 60 or 80 stout Seamen on board the Jamaica Man, & that the Captain, who is at Philadelphia, would agree to let her fall down after her, I think she may be easily taken. We have sent twenty odd Men on board the Jamaica Man ; we expect the Country in to our assistance every Minute. If we can perswade the Mate of the Jamaica Man to stay, we shall throw into him 150 Men, of which number I shall be one, and the Town is willing to give him Security for the Ship & Cargo. I beg Your Honours wou'd excuse the roughness of these Lines; be assur'd that I am, with the greatest zeal for the publick safety & highest Esteem & Regard,
" Your Honours most obedient humble Servant, "JOHN MACKY.
" The People recede from giving Security for the Jamaica vessel, & it is like she will go up this Tide."
Proctor attending was examin'd, & his Examination order'd to be taken down in writing, & that he shou'd make oath thereto before some Magistrate.
The Examination of George Proctor, Mariner (being sworn & examin'd before Joseph Turner, Esqr., one of the Justices, &c.), who saith :
" That this Examinant having been taken & made a Prisoner in the Island of Cuba, he was put on board a Spanish Privateer Brig- antine belonging to the Governor of Havannah, whereof Don Vin- cent Lopez is Commander, having one hundred & sixty Men on board, & mounted with fourteen Carriage Guns & twenty swivels ; And the said Brigantine being out upon a Cruize near the Capes of Delaware, the said Captain Lopez & his Crew in the said Privateer, on or about the Twentieth Day of May, Instant, took and burnt a Sloop about seven or eight Leagues from the said Capes, which Sloop was bound from Boston to South Carolina, but the name of the said Sloop or the Captain of her this Deponent does not remem- ber; that soon after the said Captain Lopez having resolv'd to go with his said Brigantine into the Bay & River of Delaware, he ac- cordingly arrived with her in the said River on the 25th of May aforesaid, and came to an Anchor in sight of New Castle, one John Dobbins, an Englishman, who came in the said Brigantine from Havannah, being the Pilot of her; That just before they came to an Anchor they took a Pilot Boat belonging to one Jones, whom they made a Prisoner on board the said Brig; That the said Don Lopez & his Company perceiving that there was a pretty large Ship lying at New Castle, he determined & declared he wou'd go up to New Castle with the said Brigantine, & after he had taken the said Ship
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he wou'd throw one hundred & twenty Men ashore & plunder & destroy the Inhabitants of New Castle & set the Town a-fire, and then wou'd proceed to do the like by the Inhabitants on both sides the said River ; that about ten o'Clock in the Evening of the same Day the same Brigantine came to an Anchor in the sd River, this Examinant made his Escape from her by getting into a Shallop which the said Privateer had just before taken, and after this Ex- aminant had loosed the fast by which the said Shallop was tied to the said Brigantine, she drove with the tide of Ebb from the said Brigantine unseen by the People, and being got to a proper distance from the Brigantine, he put her under Sail and stood for the Jersey Shore, being then about a League off, but it soon after falling Calm he quitted the said Shallop & swam ashore about two or three o'Clock in the morning, and immediately alarmed the Inhabitants at and about Salem, acquainting them with the said Threats and In- tentions of the said Don Lopez of plundering, burning, & destroy- ing the Country ; That from Salem this Examinant went early the next morning over to New Castle, & there likewise alarmed & ac- quainted the Inhabitants with the said Don Lopez's designs against them & the said Ship then at Anchor there ; that about the same time that this Examinant arrived at New Castle the said Spanish Privateer Brigantine coming up under English Colours within Gun Shot of New Castle, this Examinant called out to & assur'd the People there that the said Brigantine was a Spanish Privateer, and after he had (with no small difficulty) prevailed on them to believe him, they, with this Examinant's Assistance, fired several Guns from the Battery or Platform at the said Brigantine, whereupon the said Ship, which lay at Anchor near the said Town, being also alarmed & acquainted from the Shore that the said Brigantine was a Spanish Privateer, and several People being sent on board her from the Shore, gave the said Brigantine two stern Guns, & this Examinant with the People at New Castle continued to fire at the said Brigantine for near half an hour, by which the said Privateer's Company then finding that they were discovered to be an Enemy, immediately slipped their Cable, as this Deponent beleives, & being towed down stern foremost, giving three Huzzas & one Gunn, hoisted Spanish Colours & went down the River again.
" GEORGE PROCTOR.
"Sworn before me the 27th May, 1748.
"JO. TURNER."
The President's Letter to the Governor of Virginia was read & order'd to be enter'd.
" PHILADELPHIA, 27th May, 1748. "Sir :
"A French Privateer Sloop, the late Clinton Privateer of New
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
York, with one or two Consorts fitted out at Cape Francois, have for some time past been Cruizing on this Coast and at the mouth of the Bay of Delaware, & has taken several Vessels inward & outward bound, and amongst the rest the Brigantine Richa, Captain Burk, with a very rich Cargo, who had just sail'd from this Place for Lon- don; And yet while all this mischief was doing, one of our Pri- vateers, as well as His Majestie's Sloop of War the Otter, Captain Ballet, sent by the Lords of the Admiralty for this Station, arrived here, the former this Day seven night & the latter on Sunday last, without seeing any Enemy on the Coast. Captain Ballet having some time ago had an Engagement with a large French Ship, re- ceived so much Damage as to think himself under a Necessity of immediately heaving down, & while in this Condition yesterday about two in the afternoon came an Express from Salem, in New Jersey, that there was a Spanish Privateer mounting eight six pounders & six four pounders lying at Anchor in the River Dela- ware off Elsenbourgh, about ten Miles from New Castle.
" On this the Council applied to Captain Ballett to get the Otter away instantly if there was any possibility of doing it, but he said she was in such a Condition that it wou'd a week to refit her. At eight a'Clock in the Evening M. Mackay's Letter was deliver'd to the Council, by which we learn'd that the Spanish Privateer at- tempted to Board a Large Jamaica Ship, Captain Randolph, of 20 Gunns, in New Castle Cove, but in this he was disappointed & had retreated to a little distance perhaps to renew the attempt when the Wind and Tide shou'd be favourable. Proctor, who swam ashore from the Spaniard, was the Carrier of Mr. Macky's Letter, & in his Examination before the Council he says the Spanish Capt" is of a savage, barbarous disposition, & declared frequently that he wou'd rob, plunder, & burn whatever he cou'd ; & as it is known that there are other Privateers on the Coast, if they meet & concert together there must be a total Stop put to Trade & infinite mischief done to the poor People who Live on the Bay side. Proctor says further, that the Spaniard was attended by fifteen small Craft which he had taken in the Bay. I have the pleasure to say that this City is in a tolerable posture of defence by the Industry & Management of the Associators, two or three good Batteries being already erected & Cannon mounted on them, but the Trade of the Place must be in- evitably ruin'd unless the Man-of-War Station'd at Virginia can be prevail'd with immediately to put to Sea & join Captain Ballet, I entreat, therefore, You will be so good as instantly to communicate the Contents hereof to the Captain of the Man-of-War, & use all Your Interest to induce him to put to Sea without the least loss of time.
"Captain Ballet is by his Instructions order'd to consult with Captain Masterson, Commander of the Hector Man-of-War ap- pointed for the Virginia Station, with whom he sail'd from Spithead
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having 26 Merchant men under their Convoy, but he lost him and the Fleet in continuance of foggy Weather ; he has wrote to Cap- tain Masterson by this Express, & told him he wou'd be ready to Sail by the latter end of next week, & I hoped to meet the Hector at the Capes or on the Coast between here & Virginia.
" I am, Sir, Your most obedt humb. Servt., "ANTHONY PALMER. " His Excelley. Sr. WILLM. GOOCH."
One of the like Tenor to Governor Clinton was read, & another to Governor Shirley, & Copies of the Affidavits already taken, to- gether with a Copy of Mr. Mack'y Letter, was sent with the Letters.
Captain Ballett was pleas'd to read his Letter to Captain Master- son, Commander of the Hector, purporting that he parted with him & the Fleet in thick, Hazy weather ; that having receiv'd a good deal of hurt in an Engagement with a large Ship, he was oblig'd to refit but wou'd be ready to Sail in ten Days; that there were several French & Spanish Privateers at the Capes & in the Bay & River of Delaware, and he hoped to meet him there as soon as possible.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 28th May, 1748.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell,
William Till, Robert Strettell,
Abraham Taylor,
William Logan,
Thomas Hopkinson, Esqrs.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
It being represented to the Board that Captain Ballet, Com- mander of the Otter Sloop, has just reason to apprehend that some of his Seamen intended to desert from His Majestie's Service on board the said Sloop, It is the opinion of the Board that Orders shou'd immediately issue to the Keepers of the several Ferries that they do not suffer any Sailor to pass those Ferries without a License from some Magistrate of this City; and it is further ordered that an Express be immediately dispatch'd to Governor Belcher, requesting him to issue the like Order to be observ'd within his Government, and that no Sailor may be permitted to travel without a pass.
Order'd, That Coll" Jones give Notice to the Company he lately Commanded as Captain that it is necessary they shou'd chuse a Captain in his stead, he being chosen Coll" of the Philadelphia County Regiment, and that the like Notice be given to the Com-
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
pany whereof Lieutenant Collo. York was lately Captain, & to the Company whereof Major Shaw was lately Captain.
-
P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable the President & the same Members as in the forenoon.
It was moved by one of the Members that an Express be sent to New Castle to know whether the People at Lewes have had In- formation of the Spanish Privateer now in the River, and that if they had not that an Express be forthwith sent to them from New Castle for that purpose; and Mr. Logan now informing the Board that the Speaker was desirous such an Express shou'd be sent, it was order'd to be done immediately.
A Letter from Governor Gooch was read in these words: " Sir-
"Immediately upon the Receipt of yours, dated April 12th, the Council being then in Town, I call'd them together in order to have their final advice upon what at our first Meeting I told them I thought deserved their Consideration & my speedy answer. The Gentlemen, as they were very sensible of the Importance of keeping the Ohio Indians steady & firm in their present good disposition, and of the general Benefit which all the Neighbouring Provinces will receive from their friendship, readily & with one accord agreed it was incumbent upon us to act in Concert & Conjunction with the other Governments, and that we ought to contribute a reason- able proportion towards making those Indians an handsome Present at this Juncture.
" In consequence whereof, the Council came to a Resolution of sending two hundred Pounds our Currency, which we hope Your Honour & Council will think & accept as a proper Sum for us to advance on such an occasion; and as I could not have a more secure & quick Conveyance of the Money, I have commited it to the Care of Capt". Robinson, who is appointed our Commissioner for that pur- pose, & who has directions to consult your Honour in the purchase of such Goods as will best Suit with those your Province intend for them; which Goods when bought, with the assistance of Mr. Weiser, he has order'd to deliver himself to Mr. Weiser, who will have Instructions from us to place either the Money or Goods, as Your Honour & he shall think most expedient, in the hands of those Indians as a free Gift from the Government of Virginia, that the Ohio Indians may know to whom they are oblig'd, and not only remember their Engagements to the Crown of Great Britain, but they & all the Indians living near that River may by Gratitude be VOL. V .- 1.7.
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restrain'd from doing any manner of Injury or Wrong to our ID- habitants. These are the Instructions we have thought fit to give Captain Robinson and your honest & worthy Interpreter, which we trust will be satisfactory to Your Honour & the Council of Pennsylvania.
"I am, with much Esteem,
" Your Honour's most obedient humble Servant, " WILL. GOOCH. " May 9th, 1748."
Mr. Robinson waiting on the Board & acquainting them that he was going to New York where he might be supply'd with such In- dians' Goods as could not be purchased here, the Board appointed Mr. Lawrence & Mr. Logan to furnish Mr. Robinson with a List of Goods proper for the Virginia Present, to assist him in the pur- chasing such of the Goods as might be got here, & to recommend him to a proper Person in New York for the purchasing of the rest.
The Board being sensible of the critical & dangerous Situation of the Publick Affairs at this Juncture agreed to meet to-morrow at nine o'Clock, to which time the Council adjourn'd.
It being alledg'd by Mr. Chubb that there were numbers willing to subscribe a Sum of Money for the immediate fitting out a Vessel of force to go against the Privateers, it was agreed that some Mem- bers shou'd meet at the Coffee House to Night in order to promote this Subscription ; &, accordingly, some Members did meet there, & having seen the Subscription Paper, they desir'd Mr. Willing, Captain Lloyd, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. John Mifflin, & Mr. Stamper, to calculate the Expence that wou'd attend the fitting out a Vessel, & ' to make their Report to them in the morning at Council.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Sunday, the 29th May, 1748
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Thomas Lawrence,
Samuel Hasell,
William Till, Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Thomas Hopkinson, . Esqrs. William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
Mr. Chubb reported to the Council that he had done his utmost Endeavours to procure such a Subscription as wou'd enable the Council to fit out a Vessel of force to accompany the Man of War, but met with great discouragement & despair'd of effecting it ; tho'
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
it was his opinion that if some Persons of more note than himself were to try they might do it.
Mr. Willing, Mr. Stamper, Capt" Lloyd, Mr. John Wilcox, & Mr. John Mifflin, the Persons who last Night undertook to consider what Vessel or Vessels of force cou'd be immediately got ready to Sail with the Man of War, & to calculate the Expence that would attend it, reported that the People of the City were exceedingly backward to advance Money; that People generally believing the Assembly would not reimburse them, &, therefore, insisted upon some certain Security ; & Mr. Chubb being ask'd if the want of Security was the reason why he had no better Success, he said it was. Mr. Willing further declared that to fit out a Vessel or Ves- sels only to repel or take the present Nest of Privateers wou'd be of little or no Service, since there were by all Accounts numbers of Spanish & french Privateers all along the Coast of North America who wou'd successively take their Stations at our Capes as they were the least defended ; & that he & the other Gentlemen were clearly of opinion nothing less wou'd do than to fit out a Vessel of force at the Expence of the Government for a Cruize of three or four Months at least, to Cruize without interuption off our Capes. And that as the Council had not the Command of the Publick Money, they humbly offer'd it to their Consideration whether the Assembly shou'd not be forthwith call'd.
They then withdrew, & the Council debated for some time whether, considering the absolute negative put upon their Message by the Assembly, it wou'd answer any purpose to call them ; & after they had spent abundance of time in this Consultation, it was agreed to call the Assembly to sit next Monday seven-night; and the Secretary was accordingly order'd to prepare the Writs to be sign'd in the morning, and to have Expresses ready to set off with them as soon as they shou'd be Sign'd.
At a Council held at Philada., Monday, the 30th May, 1748.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Thomas Lawrence,
Samuel Hasell,
William. Till,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker, Bags Thomas Hopkinson, William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
The Secretary offer'd the Writs to the Board for calling the As- sembly on Monday next; & while they were Signing Mr. Chubb desir'd admittance, having something of consequence to propose to the Council, & being admitted, he said he was desired by a number of substantial Freeholders to wait on the Council, & to assure them
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that on the Credit of their Minute of Council, wherein the Senti- ments of the Speaker are mention'd, any reasonable Sum of Money might be rais'd ; being ask'd what Sum might be thought reasonable, he said three, four, Six, or Ten thousand Pounds, & that the Money wou'd be laid down on the Table for them to dispose of as they shou'd think proper. Mr. Chubb was told that all applications to the Board ought to be in writing, & when the Council shou'd see his in writing they would give an answer.
The Board postpon'd signing the Writs for calling the Assembly, in order to see the issue of this Application.
The Secretary is order'd to sign the following Notice, & to take care that it be inserted in the next Gazette :
" May 30th, 1748.
" Notice is hereby given, that it has been thought necessary for His Majestie's Service & the safety of this City, that no Ship, Ves- sel, or Boat be permitted to pass the Lower Battery, from the Hours of Eight in the Evening to four in the Morning, until the Master of such Vessel have sent his Boat on Shore, or have other- wise made himself known to the Garrison, for which purpose Orders have been issued to the Commanding Officer of the Batteries.
" By Order of the President & Council. " RICHARD PETERS, Secry."
Captain Ballet came into Council, & inform'd the Board that if the Privateers shou'd take Captain Randolph's Ship, which lay at New Castle, & carried fourteen Carriage Guns, it wou'd be such an addition to their Strength that they might attempt the City & come & burn His Majestie's Ship, whereupon, as the President was going down to New Castle to see what cou'd be done for the Security of the Counties, it was recommended to him to remove the Ship into a place of more safety.
At a Council held at Philada., Tuesday, 31st May, 1748.
PRESENT :
Thomas Lawrence,
Samuel Hasell,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Esqrs. Thomas Hopkinson, William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
The Depositions made by the several Persons who were lately taken by the Enemie's Privateers, were read & order'd to be enter'd. Captain Nathaniel Ambler, late Commander of the Sloop Joseph & Mary, of Philadelphia, being sworn & examined the 30th May,
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
1748, Saith : That on the 25th of this Instant this Deponent's said Sloop being at Anchor at Reedy Island in the River Delaware, in Company with three other Sloops belonging to Boston (which had been chased into the Bay on the 23d Instant by a Privateer, as the Captains of them told this Deponent), a large Brigantine came up the River, pass'd by them, & came to Anchor at Reedy Point, & in the Evening three Boats, mann'd out by the said Brigantine, came and boarded this Deponent's said Sloop and took her, and stripp'd this Deponent & his Crew naked, taking from them all their Cloaths, save that they left this Deponent his Breeches only, & soon after took the said three other Sloops, & serv'd their several Crews in the same manner ; That the said Brigantine proved to be a Spanish Privateer called the St. Michael, Vincent De Lopes Com- mander, having about 170 Men, consisting of some Spanish, some English & Irish, many Mulattoes, & some Negroes on board, & mounted 14 Carriage Guns, 6 Pounders, doubled fortifyed, besides Swivels; That about two Hours after the said Privateer's Men had got all the Crews belonging to the said four Sloops on board the said Privateer, they weighed Anchor and stood up the River for New Castle, where a Ship outward bound for Jamaica was lying at Anchor, and the said Privateer hoisting English Colours went up along side of the said Ship, and haling her told the Men on board her that She was an English Man-of-War from Jamaica, and that therefore they expected the sd Ship (which had then Jack, Ensign, & Pendant flying) wou'd strike their Colours to the said Brigantine, which if they refus'd to do they wou'd take the Ship from them and burn the Town; and soon after a shot being fired from the Bat- tery at New Castle at the Brigantine, She hoisted Spanish Colours, and giving three Huzzas, return'd the Shot from the Town with one Gun, but immediately after (although they had their Graplings out along side ready to Board the Ship) they tack'd about & stood down the River again, came to an Anchor a little above Morris Liston's high Land, and put this Deponent and about 45 more English Prisoners ashore there ; That besides the said four Sloops the said Privateers had taken two Shallops laden with Wheat.
"NATHANIEL AMBLER.
" Taken & Sworn before me.
"JO. TURNER."
Captain James White, late .Commander of the Schooner called the Mary of Philadelphia, being sworn & examined before Joseph Turner, Esqr., one of the Justices, this Thirtieth Day of May, 1748, Saith-
" That this Deponent on the 27th Instant, being arrived with the said Vessel in the River Delaware from the Island of New Provi- dence, and standing up with the Tide of Flood, a Pilot Boat with about Thirty Hands, mann'd out by a Spanish Privateer Brigan-
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