WILLIAMSBURG, September 15.
The following is the copy of a letter written by capt. Montague, a little before his departure for Boston, to his friend capt. Squire, of his majesty’s ship Otter, recommending Joe Harris, a runaway mulatto slave belonging to mr. Henry King of Hampton, as a proper person to be employed in the king’s service.
FOWEY, Hampton road, July 20, 1775.
SIR,
JOSEPH HARRIS, the bearer of this letter, has applied to me for protection as the people of Hampton, and some other places, have threatened his destruction, as they have found him to have given intelli-
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gence concerning a smuggling schooner which was seized in Cherrystone creek.——As the Fowey will soon leave the province, I think him to useful to his majesty’s service to take away, he being well acquainted with many creeks on the Eastern Shore, at York, James river, and Nansemond, and many others, and of course a very useful person, especially in tenders, as he is not acquainted with the duties of a seaman, but accustomed to pilot, as he had a boat for that use, which is now detained by violence in Hampton harbour. He has always appeared very sober and prudent, is a freeman, and I could wish strongly to recommend him to such indulgence as his endeavors may merit. Agreeable to my lord Dunmore’s application, I have sent up the Arundel, and mr. Atkinson her officer, and will send mr. Ruth in the Liberty. I have taken such stores, and hawser, out of the Arundel, as belonged to the crown, when with me employed on his majesty service, and have fitted her with her real private property.
I am, dear sir, your very humble servant,
GEORGE MONTAGUE.
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Last week capt. Squires sent the following impertinent letter, by a servant of lord Dunmore’s, to the printer of the Norfolk gazette.
Otter sloop, Norfolk river, Sept. 9, 1775.
SIR
YOU have, in many papers, lately taken the freedom to mention MY NAME, and thereto added many falsities. I now declare, if I am ever again mentioned therein with any reflections, I will most assuredly seize your person, and take you on board the Otter.
I am, &c.
MATTHEW SQUIRE
And on the day after the disaster which happened to his tender, which was chiefly manned with runaway negroes, he despatched the following letter to the committee of the town of Hampton, dated
Otter sloop, Norfolk river, Sept. 10, 1775.
GENTLEMEN,
WHEREAS a sloop tender, manned and armed in his majesty’s service, was, on Saturday the 2d instant, in a violent gale of wind, cast on shore in Back river, Elizabeth county, having on board the under-mentioned king’s stores, which the inhabitants of Hampton thought proper to seize, I am therefore to desire that the king’s sloop, with all the stores belonging to her, be immediately returned; or the people of Hampton, who committed the outrage, must be answerable for the consequences.
I am, gentlemen, your humble servant,
MATTHEW SQUIRE.
6 swivels, 5 muskets, 5 cutlasses, 2 powder horns, 2 cartouch boxes, 36 swivel shot, 1 seine and rope, an anchor and grapnel, with two cables and hawser, 1 boat’s [illegible], 1 iron stove, with some lead.
The Hampton committee having thought proper, on monday last, to lay the above letter before the committee of this city, they represented to the commanding officer of the volunteers here the necessity of sending down a sufficient force to protect the inhabitants of Hampton from any insult that might be offered to them by capt. Squire, who immediately communicated the same to the volunteers, when 100 men offered themselves, and next morning set out on their march to Hampton; where it is to be hoped, should the said Squire attempt anything hostile against the people there, that they will be able to give a good account of him. And as to his requisition of the king’s store, &c. that were on board the tender, being delivered up to him, it will be time enough to settle accounts with him after he has made satisfaction to the owners of the several slaves he has harboured (some of whom he now employs in the king’s service) as well as for the number of robberies he has suffered to be committed, in hogs and poultry, from sundry plantations.
