I have arranged my affairs in such manner as to have immediate Remittances to this place as soon as the first Payments are made, therefore must beg your indulgence for a short time longer, expecting to make such reasonable Compensation for the time that has elapsed as in your good judgment shall require, being sensible you will take into Consideration the present Circumstances of our Officers who are sufferers for the want of their Pay being made to them in Season; if our State notes for the first year which are calculated at 32 for one should be agreable will endeavour to pay you in them. I am, Sir, etc.

Hon'd Sir,

THOMAS SMART

JOSEPH LOPEZ TO AARON LOPEZ

Leicester, June 27: 1780.

I HAVE the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your two very acceptable letters per last Post, and am truly happy to hear you and Mama had returned safe and well from Newburry after an agreable excursion. In compliance to your desire have now transmitted per the Post Rider all the Money we can at present command in a Bundle seal'd containing Thirty five Thousand Dollars, and all the first Bills of each Sett I received from Mr. Vanderwoort.

I beg leave to congratulate you on the safe arrival of Capt. Earl at Newport from a Voyage to the West Indies in seven weeks only. In this Vessell your good self Mama and self are interested 4th. it is said Capt. Earl has made a fine voyage.

I being now in so much haste have not time to add much more. to-day being Training, they find it extreemly difficult to raise our Quoto of Men, and a continual throng of people around me, obliges me to close in haste, tho' not without presenting my Duty to Mama, and to believe that I am Your Dutiful Son,

JOSEPH LOPEZ

P. S. I had forgot to send the last Post the Bottle Mustard you desired, but have now deld it to the Rider. I have paid the Rider 85 dollars for postage of the Money.

Sir,

RICHARD WOODMAN TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN

Wethersfield, July 18, 1780.

I HAVE this oportunity riting you a few Lines to let you no that Salt and Rum is very dull I have this moment offered it for the Salt for 6 Dollars per bushel and the Rum at 6 Shillings and take Bills at 95 and 60 Days after Site and thay will not give it and if I cant git that I shall store the same and com home for hard money I cant git at any rate and I cant by any Cind of goods on acount of debeting Commesereys ingaging too Mr. Wordworth will do me all the good he can. I am yours,

RICHARD WOODMAN

I am in hast you may [know] by the riting.

Dear Sir,

SAMSON MEARS TO AARON LOPEZ

St. Georges, Granada, July 19th, 1780.

I HAVE the Pleasure to advise you of my safe arrival here yesterday, after a Passage of 36 Days, and as these Vessels are bound to Salem where you are well acquainted, and anxious to get the agreeable Tidings as soon as possible to my anxious Family, induces me to put the Letters under cover to you, not doubting but you will forward them on with the greatest expedition. I shall improve an opportunity of a Danish Bottom that goes this Morning for Statia under the Sanction of an Act of the Br. Parliament pass'd last May in favor of the Inhabitants of this Island, who are indulged to ship the Produce of this Island on Board any Nieutral Bottom to pass unmolested by any of their Cruisers; which circumstance affords a very advantageous Trade between this and Statia. You'll please to understand this Indulgence only extends to this Island and the Granadines as it surrendered at discretion, the other Islands capitulated under some advantages this did not.

There is nothing new to communicate and hurry compels me to conclude, which is with the sincerest regard to you and your extensive Family from Dear Sir your esteem'd Friend and Humble Servant,

SAMSON MEARS

Sir,

DE VALNAIS 1 TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN

Boston, the 20th July, 1780.

THE hurry I was in to set out for Boston, has hindered me to wait upon [you] before my Departure. I expected you would call upon me when I was at New Port. Mr. Bell the Bearer of this will pay you what you have been so kind as to advance for Messieurs de Villemarais and Chadirac. M. Bell as Correspondent and agent of M. Holker will supply the wants of the french Fleet; so it is not in my power to do anything on that Head; but I have strongly recommended M. Bell to give you the preference when opportunity will present for articles of Goods you may have to dispose of. I expect to go to New Port some time in the next week. I have, etc.

DE VALNAIS

JOSEPH AND JOHN ROGERS TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN

Sir,

Providence, 28th July, 1780.

We received yours of yesterday's date about 8 o'clock this Morning and in consequence of your requisitions our Jno. Rogers made immediate Application at Mr. Bacon's house who we find went to Boston the day before yesterday. he is expected by the Family to return tomorrow or the day after. perhaps it may not be too late to have the Rum lodg'd in Attleborough about 9 or 10 Miles from hence which will be attended with the additional Expence of a Man's going out there to procure a safe place to lodge it at as we

1 Consul of France at Boston.

presume the Teamsters will not make any Allowance from their Contract to deliver it in this Town. As West India Goods are in little demand and Continental Money very scarce in this Town at present we shall be oblig'd perhaps to sell the Rum under its real worth for the purpose of raising the Cash and wish for your more particular directions in this

matter.

At present we are in a Scene of Confusion, the Militia are all order'd to be in readiness and expect momently orders to repair to the Island in consequence of the intelligence rec'd of a British Army marching Eastward on Long Island.1 their Embarkation and appearance of Newport will at once. prevent the removal of a single article of private property be it where it will, in or near this State. give me your further directions respecting the Rum and the Tenor of them shall be comply'd with, with as much punctuality as is possible.

the Salt have stor'd agreeable to your directions on a Wharf Store which saves Trunkage Expence and the Freight being £90 Currency paid the Skipper and his rec't del'd up.

We enclose you a price current in Boston by a Gentleman's Letter of the 22d inst. date, who informs us the Gen'l Starks out of Cape Ann a 20-Gun Ship has captur'd 3 valuable Ships bound to Quebec with 350 Hhds. of Rum a large Quantity of Dry Goods among which it is said there is 12000 ps. of Irish Linnen.

the Air Furnace for casting Iron Cannon in this Town was last night entirely consum'd by Fire.

Nothing further material occuring at present We beg to subscribe ourselves with Sincere Esteem, Sir, Your very humble Servants

Jos. AND JNO. ROGERS

P. S. We shall write you again at Mr. Bacon's return immediately.

1 The French fleet with an army had reached Newport a few days before this letter was written.

We just now received yours of yesterday's date previous to which we convers'd with Mr. Bacon concerning the Rum, who return'd from Boston Yesterday and informs us it is not to be mov'd untill his further directions, in consequence of which we have order'd that it shall not be sent on untill he receives yours or our Orders for that purpose which he engages to comply with.

The Salt shall be delivered your Order, the person whose Favour it is in paying Freight, Storage, Wharfage, and Rolling to the Store, agreeable to the Tenor of your Letter. The Freight £90, Rolling £6, and Wharfage and Storage not yet ascertain❜d but at the Customary Rate.

We are greatly at a Loss in our Opinion respecting the Movements of the Enemy but believe their immediate Object is a general Stroke at the Fleet and Army in your Town, or to frustrate the Attempts of our Allies against Jamaica — the former appears by far the most feasable tho the Dismission of all the Militia this Morning is a favourable Omen. That you will still be in a more happy Situation, than the confus'd Noise of War, Thunder of Cannon and Death at your very Doors, that you may be deliver'd from those horrid Scenes is the ardent Wish of Sir Your very humble Servants

Jos. AND JNO. ROGERS