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Salem, July 17, 1776.
This may serve to acquaint your Honours that in the latitude 40° 26' north, longitude 65° 50' west, I fell in with the armed schooner Despatch from Halifax, bound to New York; and after an engagement of one-and-a-half hour, she struck to the American arms. I boarded her, and found on board eight carriage guns and twelve swivel guns, twenty small arms, sixteen pistols, twenty cutlasses, some cartridge boxes, and belts for bayonets, nine half barrels powder, all the accoutrements for said cannon. The commander and one man were killed, seven others wounded. The crew consisted of thirty men and one boy. I lost one man killed and two wounded, and my vessel was much shattered, which obliged me to return with the prize, which I have at anchor in Salem Harbour, and wait your Honours' orders how to
I am your Honours' humble servant,
To the Honourable Council and House of Representatives of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, now sitting at Watertown.
Letter from Captain Fisk to the Massachusetts Assembly
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proceed with the prisoners. All the Captain' s papers and
orders were thrown overboard.
JOHN FISK.