Dear Sir, Newbury Port July 30, 1776

You are in debt to me three or four long letters at least. It is a long time since I have received any of your Favors. How will you account for this Conduct.

I wrote you some time Ago to send me the dimensions of the Cannon you were preparing for the Ships, but have never had a line from you upon that subject; pray send me a draft of the Cannon designed for each ship, that I may have the Carriages Compleated forthwith. Let me have their dimensions very particularly & minutely—& let me know what weight of Metal you allow for the 24 Gun Frigate & what weight of Metal for the 32 Gun Ship.1 Pray when will the Cannon be here? The ships are waiting entirely for them & the Orders for Enlisting the men. Do you design the ships shall be of any servic this Summer or in the Fall. If you do, you must be more Expeditious about the Cannon. Pray let me entreat you to hurry this matter. You wrote me long ago they would be ready as soon as the Ships, but the 24 Gun frigate has been ready for them this six weeks. The ships are universally admired, & I hope they will meet your Approbation. I have just met with Capt. Dowse at this place. He is just arrived from Hallifax to which place he came from England. He left England the beginning of April. He tells me Burgoine carried out with him but 4000 men. But Genll. How went from Hallifax to New York with about 6500 or 7000 men & that the Day before Lord How Sailed from England a fleet left England with 9000 Troops & these are all they could get this Campeingn.2 That the Men of War & Transports met with the Utmost Difficulty to procure sailors & that they Came out not above half260 manned. Give my respectfull Complements to Mrs. Yard3 Miss Lucy & Mrs. Chally and all enquiring freinds. I conclude with respect Your most humble servant,

Thomas Cushing

RC ; internal address: “Robert Treat Paine Esqr.”

1.

See Cushing to RTP, Aug. 19, 1776.

2.

Gen. John Burgoyne (1722–1792) was sent to America in September 1774 to reinforce Gen. Thomas Gage, arriving in Boston in May 1775. He returned to England in November 1775 but was again was sent to America arriving in June 1776, this time attached to Sir Guy Carleton, the commander-in-chief in Canada. In the summer of 1777 Burgoyne reoccupied Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga, but by September suffered a number of defeats that culminated in his surrender at Saratoga on Oct. 17 ( DNB ).

Gen. Sir William Howe (1729–1814) first served in America as a lieutenant colonel in the British Army in the French and Indian War, both at Louisburg and Quebec. In May 1775 he arrived in Boston with reinforcements for Gage and commanded the troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill. On Oct. 10, 1775, he succeeded Gage in command of the army in America (excluding Canada), but within six months he had to evacuate Boston and relocate to Halifax. There he gathered forces and in August 1776 landed on Long Island heading a combined force of some 30,000 troops. On Sept. 15, they captured New York City ( DNB ).

Richard, Lord Howe (1726–1799) had succeeded to the title Viscount Howe when his elder brother was killed at Ticonderoga in 1758; their younger brother was Gen. Sir William Howe (above). Lord Howe was promoted to vice admiral in December 1775 and in February 1776 was appointed naval commander in chief in North America ( DNB ).

3.

From the time of its arrival in Philadelphia, the Massachusetts delegation regularly—but not exclusively—boarded at “the Stone House opposite the City Tavern then held by Mrs. Sarah Yard, which was by some Complimented with the Title of Head Quarters, but by Mr. Richard Henry Lee, more decently called Liberty Hall” (Diary & Autobiography of John Adams, 3:310).

Dear Sir, New York Augt. 2, 1776

I take the liberty to recommend to your particular attention John Jacob Faish Esqr. a Gentleman percularly Ingenius in Iron Castings. He will communicate to you a scheme for enlarging the buissness of casting Cannon and whatever he promises he will perform.

He has supplied us with large quantities of Dbleheaded shot. In every part of his Contract we have found him punctual. The importance of having great numbers of Ordnance of all sorts and sizes will justify any expence in procuring them from among ourselves. In addition to large261 prices it would ever be oeconomy to add Bounties if not to be gotten expeditiously by any other means. I am Dear Sir with Respect Your Most Obedient Humble Servant,

Henry Knox

RC ; addressed: “Honorable Robert Treat Paine Esqr. Philadelphia favord. by Mr. Faish”; endorsed.