Papers of John Adams, volume 4
The Committee1 to whom was referred the Letter from Eseck Hopkins Commodore of the Continental Fleet dated Providence May 22 1776,2 have taken the same into Consideration and come to the following Resolutions.
Resolved that Mr. Charles Walker of N. Providence ought to be paid the Value of the Sloop Endeavour, together with four Tons of Lignum Vita and one hundred Cedar Posts taken by the said Commodore for the Use of the Colonies,3 and the Damages the said Walker has Sustained by the taking and Detention of Said Vessell, Lignum Vita and Posts the Said Walker giving a full Acquittance for the Said Vessell Goods, and Damages.
Resolved that Commodore Hopkins be directed, the Gov. and Council4 of the Colony of Connect. be
Resolved that the Said Walker have his Election to receive his Vessell again and the Hire of her, and his Damages, or the Value of her to be ascertained as aforesaid.
On 8 May the congress named a committee to review the instructions prepared by the Naval Committee for Commodore Hopkins. On 22 May this review committee, composed of Benjamin Harrison, JA, Thomas McKean, James Duane, Thomas Lynch, Roger Sherman, and William Livingston, was given the additional duty of determining how far Hopkins had followed his instructions and on 31 May the responsibility for considering a letter from Hopkins dated 22 May (
JCC
, 4:335–337, 375, 407). This committee was discharged on 12 July and superseded by the Marine Committee, of which JA was not a member (same, 5:545).
Hopkins said in part, “Should also be glad you would direct what is to be done with the Sloop which I took at New Providence to bring the Guns and Stores, as no other Person in that Island suffered one Shilling it would be hard the Owner should not have his Vessel or be paid for her” (
Naval Docs. Amer. Rev.
, 5:200).
On 18 June, Walker petitioned the congress concerning his losses and attached an account of the costs in building his sloop Endeavour, but no account of the cost of lignum vitae or cedar posts is included (PCC, No. 42, VIII, f. 125–132;
Naval Docs. Amer. Rev.
, 5:603–604).
When it adopted the committee's report, the congress deleted the phrase “and Council.” On 12 July the congress voted to return the sloop to Walker and to pay him $2,000 (
JCC
, 5:424–425, 545–546).
The Committee to whom were referred, the Letter from William Palfrey Esqr. Paymaster General,1 dated New York 19 May, in closing his Weekly Account ending 18 May 1776, and another Letter from the said Paymaster General dated at N. York 3 June 1776 inclosing his Weekly interest Return to May 31,2 have considered the same and come to the following Resolutions, vizt.
Resolved, as the opinion of this Committee that
4
Resolved, as the opinion of this Committee that the Letters and Accounts aforesaid be referred to the Committee on the Treasury, to be filed in the Auditors office.
JCC
, 4:315; John Gorham Palfrey, “Life of William Palfrey,” in Jared Sparks, ed., The Library of American Biography, 15 vols., 2d ser., Boston, 1844–1848, 7:337–448).
PCC, No. 165, f. 428, 449. Palfrey sent along with his own letter of 19 May an unsigned letter from Bristol, England, dated 16 Feb., reporting on 15troop movements and the attitudes of Englishmen toward the ministry and Americans. Although Palfrey thought its intelligence was of some importance, docketing on it does not indicate whether the committee or anyone else made use of it (same, f. 432–435). The Journal does not mention it.
Left blank in MS.
In his letter of 3 June, Palfrey had asked about his responsibility for paying the troops in Boston, saying that he had only the statement of James Duane that Boston was within his district and that he was to appoint a deputy to serve there (same, f. 449).