Papers of John Adams, volume 4
1776-04-16
Yours of the 4t. Instant, I have received1 which I received by Via Watertown but As the post is most certain would not have you be affraid of writing that way On Account of the postage. I Observe what you say about liberty of going to foreign ports which, there has been no Obstruction As to going in ballast. You say trade, you expect, will be Open very soon. We have little or nothing in this province to send. There is a Cargo or two of fish sutable for the Spanish Market which iff not sent will perish On the proprieters hands,2 which iff taken can be no publick benifit to Britan, and a little Lumber besides. But iff a general liberty that Minute itt is Open more, than between the Colony's you had as goods send your Compliments to Lord North and let him know you have Undertaken to supply the fleets &c. in these parts, and the West India Islands and that he need not trouble himself to make but very little provision for them as am almost certain there wont be much need as to flour and bread. I am informd by Vessells lately from Martinico and that way that they had taken such quantity's of flour att Antigua, as they were sending itt to the french Islands. By the prisoners that run away from the N W both here and to the southward, all say they are all half allowance and was itt not for the Captures of flour and grain Vessells even acoming
Not found.
See Smith to JA, 22 March and 6 April,
Adams Family Correspondence
, 1:364, 372.
News of the capture of a snow bound for Boston from the West Indian island of Grenada appeared in the Boston Gazette of 15 April, which reported that the vessel contained, among other things, 354 puncheons of rum, 49 barrels of sugar, and 10 barrels of coffee.
Thomas Irving (“Alexander” Irving in Sabine, Loyalists
, 1:566) was a councilor and receiver general of quitrents for South Carolina. He was captured, together with Montford Browne, Governor of New Providence, and James Bavage, the Governor's secretary, in Hopkins' raid on Nassau (Boston Gazette, 15 April;
Naval Docs. Amer. Rev.
, 4:710–711). In Jan. 1777 Irving was paroled to South Carolina (
JCC
, 7:9).
William Jackson, loyalist merchant, was tried in Boston for taking the property of patriots (see Smith to JA
,
Adams Family Correspondence
, 1:373–374, and note 2).