Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 3

Resolution approving an order that bills of credit be delivered to the committee appointed to sign them and that it in turn deliver them to the treasurer

III. Report of a Committee on a Letter From George Washington
II. Report of a Committee on Fitting Out Armed Vessels, 11 January 1776 JA Massachusetts Provincial Congress Palmer, Joseph Orne, Azor Brown, John Otis, Joseph Morton, Perez Warren, James

1776-01-11

 II. Report of a Committee on Fitting Out Armed Vessels, 11 January 1776 Adams, John Massachusetts Provincial Congress Palmer, Joseph Orne, Azor Brown, John Otis, Joseph Morton, Perez Warren, James
II. Report of a Committee on Fitting Out Armed Vessels
11 January 1776

The Committee of both Houses appointed to consider a Plan for fiting out one or more Armed Vessels for the defence of American Liberty,1 have attended that service, and Report in the following Resolves, vizt.

John Adams Per order In Council, January 10th. 1776

Resolved that two Ships be built, as soon as may be, at the expence of this Colony; One Suitable to carry Thirty-Six Guns, vizt., Twenty Four Guns carrying twelve Pound Shot, and Sixteen Guns for Six 381Pound Shot; and the other Ship suitable to carry Thirty-two Guns, vizt., Twenty Guns for nine Pound Shott, and Twelve for Six Pound shot; and that these Ships be built in a manner best calculated for swift sailing, and of Timber and other Materials suitable for Ships of War of such a number of Guns and weight of Metal, and furnished with a Suitable number of Officers, Seamen and Mariners and that all kinds of necessary Arms, Ammunition and Provisions be furnished for such Ships.

Resolved, That with such as the Honble. House shall join, be a Committee to carry the foregoing Resolution into execution as soon as possible; and that a Sum of Money, for that purpose, not exceeding be put into their Hands, they to be accountable to this Court for the expenditure of the Same.

In Council Jany. 11th. 1776 Read and sent down,

Perez Morton Dpy Secry

In the House of Representatives Jan. 12th. 1776

Read and ordered to be recommitted, and the Committee are directed to report an Estimate of the Expence of building and Furnishing the Vessels above proposed to be provided.

Sent up for Concurrence,

J Warren Spkr

In Council Jany. 12th 1776 Read and concurred,

Perez Morton Depy Secry In Council Jany 23d 1776

Resolved that Thos. Cushing Esqr. be of the aforesaid Committee on the part of the Board in the room of Jno. Adams Esqr. who is absent. Sent down for Concurrence,

Perez Morton Dpy Secry In the House of Representatives Jan. 24 1776

Read and concurred. Sent up.

J Warren Spkr

FC (M–Ar: 137, p. 58); docketed, probably by Perez Morton, on a separate slip of paper bound in the volume: “Report to fix out 2 armed Vessels in Defence of American Liberty Jany 11th: Recd. Page 487”; also on the same slip but partially lost: “in Jany. 24 1776 .”

1.

Formed on 29 Dec. 1775, this committee included JA and Joseph Palmer from the Council and Col. Azor Orne, John Brown of Boston, and Col. Joseph Otis from the House (Mass., House Jour. , 1775–1776, 3d sess., p. 94; Records of the States, Microfilm, Mass. A. 1a, Reel No. 12, Unit 1, p. 405). JA's membership on the committee and his apparent authorship of the report probably arose from his involvement in naval affairs at the congress, his correspondence with people in Massachusetts on naval matters, and his request to the General Court that he be supplied with information on the naval resources of the province (JA to Elbridge Gerry, 5 Nov. 1775, above). The report was the first formal step in the creation of the Massachusetts Navy as distinct from the force of privateers authorized on 1 Nov. It was not, however, the instrument by which the ships for the navy were actually built. That 382resolve, probably drawn up by the committee of 29 Dec., to which Thomas Cushing had been added in the place of JA, was passed on 6, 7 Feb. 1776 with an appropriation of £10,000 to build ten sloops of war. By the following July the first ships, led by the Tyrannicide, the Rising Empire, and the Independence, were ready for sea (Mass., House Jour. , p. 192, 253–254, 256–257; Records of the States, Microfilm, Mass. A. 1a, Reel No. 12, Unit 1, p. 539; Paullin, Navy of Amer. Rev. , p. 324–325).