William Watson to General Washington

v4:863

WILLIAM WATSON TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Plymouth, January 26, 1776.

SIR: This, per express, comes to inform your Excellency that Commodore Manly took, yesterday, off Cohasset Rocks, after an hour' s engagement, (having one man wounded in the breast, not dangerous,) two ships from White Haven, bound for Boston,* laden with sea-coal, potatoes, &c˙, enclosed are bills of lading.

Your Excellency will please to direct in what manner I shall conduct with these vessels. The prisoners will be treated with kindness, and will be sent forward to-morrow. I am getting the ships to the wharf, and shall secure the small articles from pilferers, who frequently infest vessels in these circumstances, I congratulate your Excellency on this reiterated instance of Commodore Manly' s success, and wish sincerely that all the servants of the American Republick were equally industrious with Manly.

I am, most respectfully, your Excellency' s most obedient, much obliged, very humble servant,

WILLIAM WATSON.

To His Excellency General Washington.

N˙ B˙ The express brings all the papers taken in the ships.

P˙ S˙ I would acquaint your Excellency that the engagement referred to in my letter, was with a tender of eight guns, and full of men, which had these ships under convoy, which circumstance I forgot to mention through hurry. Yours as before, WILLIAM WATSON.

To His Excellency General Washington.