Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
I have recd. yrs. of 15th Currt. & with great pleasure hear of the Success of the Cannon foundry at Salisbury. I have been informed that not one has burst in proving. If the proof be sufficient this is remarkable Success & will pay for transporting Coal a great distance. You will give me leave to be perticular on the Subject of proving the Cannon as it has fallen under my inspection here. When we first Contracted for Cannon in this State we did not determine the proof but only that they should be sufficient, for at that time there were so many Opinions what was the Woolwich proof that we left it unsettled, but we Since find that for 18 pounders & downwards they are the weight of the Ball in Powder two Balls & three hard Wadds & then a 2d. Charge of 2/3 wt. of Ball 2 Balls & 3 Wadds because the first Charge may crack the Gun tho’ not burst it & accordingly Messrs. Hughes & Co. of Maryland have proved all the Cannon they have made in that manner being 20 long 18 pdrs. for that State & the 12 pdrs. for the Frigate building there, & they are said to be exceeding good Guns & they have Contracted for that proof for all the 312Guns they are to make for Congress; the Cannon that have been made here have been proved with 3/4 wt. of the Ball in Powder 3 Balls & 3 hard Wadds & then a 2d. Charge of 2/3 & 2 Shott & 3 Wadds which I take to be as good a proof as the other because the severity of the proof consists in the resistance the powder meets in passing thrô the muzzle; but many of the Cannon made here have burst under this Operation; you say the Guns made at yr. Furnace were proved with a double quantity of powder & shott. I do not surmise that this is not a Sufficient proof, but as it is indeterminate I wish you to be ascertained precisely wt. it is. Some reckon 1/3 the wt. of the ball a proper charge for Action wch. I believe to be the practice & that with make the proof 2/3 & 2 balls wch. I do not think sufficient besides 3 hard Wadds is considerable addition. Another thing that requires attention is the quality of the Powder. A great deal made in this State & also some imported is exceeding poor. It has been Said that Some made with you has been bad, but if the Resolves of Congress respecting the Inspectors of Gunpowder be attended to, I hope that difficulty will be Soon cured; you will excuse my freedom on this Subject when you Consider of what importance it is that the Gun Should be Sound for Should Any burst on board a Ship it might destroy many lives occaison the loss of the Ship & discourage the Service: We hope Soon to hear that a convenient place is found for erecting a Stack sufficient for heavy Cannon. Perhaps they will never be more wanted than Next summer, & there are few matters that require more immediate attention.
This acknowledges the honor of yours 15th Instant,1 and am sensible of the necessity of Spirited exertions, in order to furnish our army with Cloathing & under this impression I2 have & shall continue my exertions; accordingly I have considerable quantities on hand, packed & ready to deliver to the order of the General as the first resolve of Congress directed, But a subsequent resolve directing they should be sent forward, shall apply to our Assembly upon the Subject.
As you were pleased to recommend, I have applied to the owners of the goods in the Elizabeth,3 but am without an answer.
Haveing favored me with the begining a Correspondence I feel myself strongly impelled to cultivate it, promiseing myself entertainment & improvement therefrom.
Nothing is more worthy observation than the success of our privateers. The measures takeing to raise the Battallions of Continental troops, Committees of Court being sent to both Armies, & a 3d Committee, Commissioning officers to recruit from Colony Battallions, and people at large; The necssity of a Strict discipline in the new army, and also of repressing the Extortion of Suttlers, are too obvious to pass unnoticed.
I cant help reminding you of a hurtful & discourageing delay in the naval department, and hope e’er long so useful a wheel in the Machine will be sett going; I presume a principle reason of delay is, the want of guns, but the incouragement to privateersmen has been such, together with the inadequate establishment of officers &c., on board the frigates, have conspired to render them useless.
I suspect General How will keep the field all winter, and as our Army will suffer prodigiously for want of tents, It is in agitation to take all the prize Sails, & it will be a very considerable Supply. Its also proposed to take without Ceremony all woolen goods that can be found, for the use of the army, allowing a proper & adequate price.
The attention of your honble. Board is I find to a Currency. I should be glad to hear a solid objection to an american bank, similar to the bank of England. If there is not hard money sufficient, Its my opinion we had better begin even with our Shoe buckles.
Your Loan officers will not answer at so low a premium. We give 6 per Ct., and possibly in the present posture of affairs, our securities are not much inferior to Continental, at Least not in the Estimation of a Massachusetts Man.
I have only to ask pardon for obtrudeing my sentiments and assure you I am Sir your humble Servt.,
Not located.
Samuel Allyne Otis (1740–1814), the younger brother of James Otis (1724/5–1783) and Mercy Otis Warren (1728–1814), graduated from Harvard in 1759. A Boston merchant before the Revolution, Otis was appointed official agent of the United States Clothier-General James Mease in September 1777. By 1779 he was Deputy Quarter Master General of the United States. He served in Congress (1787–1789) and in April 1789 was elected secretary of the U.S. Senate (
Sibley’s Harvard Graduates
, 14:471–480).
Probably the case of the brigantine Elizabeth, which had been captured along with the goods belonging to several owners. See Naval Documents of the American Revolution, 6:1263–1265.