Letter from Captain Edward Thornborough, of His Majesty' s Ship Tamar. to Henry Laurens

v4:30

Read the Letter from Capt˙ Thornbrough, dated "from on board His Majesty' s Sloop Tamer, 1st November, 1775."

"From on board His Majesty' s Sloop Tamer,

November 1, 1775.

"SIR: The many unprovoked insults the King' s servants in this Province have received, from those Assemblies who have had the hardiness to assume the reins of Government, are too numerous and too well known to make it necessary for me to mention them. I will confine myself entirely to what relates to my own department and the trust reposed in me.

"I therefore address you, sir, as a principal actor in the measures now adopted, and desire you will acquaint your associates, and all others whom it may concern, that if His Majesty' s agents in Charlestown are not permitted, regularly and without molestation, to supply the King' s ships Tamer and Cherokee, under my command, with such provisions as I think necessary to demand, I am determined, from this day, not to suffer any vessel to enter into, or depart from Charlestown, that it is in my power to prevent. The bearer of this, is owner of a vessel, who has unloaded materials at the King' s fort, which is now held in contempt and defiance of His Majesty' s authority; and whatever pretexts this man may use to colour his disloyalty, I never will suffer his vessel to depart, till Walker, the gunner of the King' s fort, now a prisoner at the barracks, and who I look upon as under my protection, is sent on board the Tamer. Savages ought to blush at the return the King' s servants have received for their humanity to one of the most infamous and most ungrateful of villains, in whose service this poor man has served.

"I am, Sir, your obedient and most humble servant,
"EDWARD THORNBROUGH.

"To Henry Laurens, Esquire.

"N˙ B˙ I desire an immediate and explicit answer."