Watertown Jany. 24. 1776 Dear Sir,

I have received your Favor of the ninth Instant, am oblidged to you for the letter return’d, & also for the Information you have given relative to the arrival of Powder & salt petre. I give you joy upon this occasion & hope the Saltpetre will be immediately converted into Powder & forwarded with all possible dispatch to our Camp at Cambridge, where it is wanted; our Vessells have taken two prizes lately & carried them into Newbury port. One is a large Ship from London with Coal Beer and Cheese; the other Brigt. from Ireland with Provisions for the ministerial Army1; I have this moment been Informed that a Salem privateer has taken another Vessell from England loadened with 130 Chaldron of Coals 1400 Blanketts, Ten Tons of oatmeal & 100 pieces Ticklingburg.2 I am very glad I am releived from my attendance at Philadelphia, as I find it is most for my Interest to be here & People would not be easy without I returned & attended the office or another Judge was appointed in my room. In great haste I remain with respect, yr. most humble servant,

T. Cushing

Pray write me particularly how you go on at Congress. I shall write you again & more particularly.

RC ; addressed: “To The Honble. Robert Treat Pain Esq. at Philadelphia. Forwar’d by Mr. Gerry”; endorsed.

1.

The ship Friends and brig Sukey were carried into Newburyport on Jan. 15, 1776. Their manifests appeared in the Essex Journal, Jan. 19, 1776.

142 2.

The schooner Boston Revenge (the first Massachusetts privateer, bonded on Dec. 7, 1775), commanded by Capt. Stephen Mascoll, captured the ship Jenny and carried her into Cape Ann on January 18 (Naval Documents of the American Revolution, 3:966). Ticklingburg (or ticklenburgs) is a kind of coarse linen cloth ( OED ).