Naval Documents of The American Revolution, Volume 1 ... - Ibiblio

1180 AMERICAN THEATRE
Province of
Massachusetts Bay
1
Thomas Gage Esq. Governour of said Province and Lieutenant
General & Commander in Chief of all His Majesty's
land Forces in North America. - To Geo Erving, Dan1 ,
Hubbard, Wm Taylor, Geo Brinley Merchts, Greeting
Whereas an open and unnatural Rebellion is now existing in & throughout
the province aforesaid, as well as in many other parts of the British Colonies, in
consequence whereof great multitudes of Armed Rebels & Traitors have in an
open hostile manner surrounded the Town of Boston, where many of His majesty's
forces under my Command are posted, & for many weeks past cut off all
Communication between the Town of Boston & the adjacent Country & by
force have prevented all supplies of provisions for said Town - In Consideration
whereof I do adjudge it to be necessary for promoting His Majesty's Service to
purchase at an equitable price, whenever it may be in my power, such a quantity
of Corn, Flour and other provisions as may be sufficient to guard against the
Hostile attempts of such Rebels and Traitors. - And whereas there is now laden
on board the Ship Charming Peggy, lying in Boston Harbour owned by Keppell
& Steinmetz of Philadelphia Merchants, Two Thousand one hundred & seventy
three Barrels of Flour and forty four half barrels of Flour, which said Flour for
the Reason before mentioned, I find it necessary to take for his Majesty's service,
and being willing and desirous to indemnify the owners, by allowing them such
a price for the same as in the Judgment of indifferent and discreet men shall be
thought reasonable; Trusting therefore in your faithfulness and discretion, I
do hereby appoint and authorize you the before named appraizers, to appraize
the true value of the said flour, you being first duly sworn before a Magistrate
to act herein without favour or partiality, according to your best skill and judgment
And you are to make return of your doings herein with myself as soon
as may be
Given under my Hand and Seal at
Boston this 19th Day of August
Anno Dom: 1775
1. Rev. War Prize Cases, Court of Appeals, 1776-87, NA.
2. The four merchants made oath they would act without favoritism or partiality, upon
Aug. 2 1, 1775, and a day later reported to Gage: "We the Subscribers have examined
divers samples of the Flour belonging to the Cargo of the Ship Charming Peggy and
are of opinion that the whole is worth eighteen shillings Law[ful] Mo[ne]y per hund[re]d
w[eigh]t, provided the quality of the other part of the Cargo is equal to the Samples
produced - rating Exchange at 15 PrCt below parr." Zbid. The Charming Peggy,
Thomas Dowman, master, had sailed from Philadelphia for Lisbon about July 15,
1775, and had been taken off Cape Ann on July 25, by H.M.S. Glasgow, and sent into
Boston.
Sir, Boston 19. August 1775.
The letters which I wrote to Admiral [Samuel] Graves between the 3d &
20th July, respecting my grass on Gallop's island and the conversation had on
that subject prior to the 1 lth instant, I have already taken leave to lay before