December 15th, 1675
Team Members:
Cameron Close and Peyton Coel
Description: After the recent attacks at Swansea, William Coddington writes to fellow governor Josiah Winslow to prepare to fight the Native Americans, not before sending in men to destroy the latter’s canoes. Arms, ammunition, and other supplies from Holland and New York have just arrived as well, much to their benefit.
- Coddington to Gov (Josiah) Winslow, 1675 December 15th
Honored Sir,
My last to you was in answer to your desire of our assistance to you by our sloops to assist you against Phillip your army going upon their march to Swansey (wee having rejoined your Counsells better before to the same effort). I rejoined yours in the night and in the night *illegible* dispatching your post which was the saving of their lives of such as took his warning, and as then wee were not backward according to our small abilities, so now upon they Commissions of the United Collonies neighboring to us we write to them we would have in readiness our sloops to forum ourselves and give assistance as formerly for transportation and other assistance as we may require, and now upon the _ of theirs of the third of ye present upon with they intreat our Particular _ _ of for two or three of our sloops to be ready at Swansey, by Thursday night next to Improve as _ may be upon with we dispatch three sloops, (_) and _ two open sloops having performed the service *illegible* for the service required of them In transportation of your men and provisions er, have now returned to us to give us account of their particular service the _ sloop in with John Almoy is Commander in Chief is now ready to sail unto you having attended particular *illegible* to take in ammunition that General Cudworth left on this Island with Robert Hudson at Portsmouth and your order by your Commissary General Rick Smith to take about thirty Barrells of beefe and porke at Newport with some other things, and because they saw Commissions desire that all our motions and theirs may be managed _ such privacy that if possibly ye enemy be not allarmed and they Common Interest thereby prejudiced, therefore I gave them _ from a particular Charg in their Commissions and they returned without cutting of all the Indian connoes from Providence on the coast as they confined to Paucatuck River by Stoneingtonne. they waiting the time when the blow shall be stricken and they Indians so allarmed that, that service of destroying all their Connoes may be performed without prejudice to your designs against them
I likewise had notice from they Commission of the United Collonies of a ship from Holland riding in our harbour wherein is armes and ammunition Intended as is fair for some traders in New Yorke of with the armes Especially we find we have want & if such at this time to goe to traders at yorke or Albany may soone be found In the enemy’s hand therefore they propound whither it might not be well to press such armes and ammunition for the service of his majesty and Country, I therefore finding a ship called ye Unity of Boston thereof John Clarke is master I thought therefore meet to give thy selfe and my friend Rich Smith an another account of what I have done in it I found such a ship in our harbor but the master departed for New Yorke I laid an imbargoe that ye should not depart upon loss of ship an goods he being now returned hath _ _ me severall times and now this day again and showed me an entry that he made of his goods in ye Customs house belonging to ye _ of Plimoth in England and of his clearing as he saith with discharge _ date August 26th, 1675 and find in ye said ship 30 ½ Barrells of Powder of with he saith _ of them and his one and hath preferred them to sail in New England money at so a halfe Barrell I inquired of them this day if he had sold his one Powder he answers he Cannot get to them _ he onlaid halfe of his Cargoe the other _ he *illegible* to Phrederick Phillips of New Yorke *illegible* 13 hundred weight of load most of it belonging to ye said Phillips and a hostof muskett barrels belonging to him allso but neither locks or screw pins to them for 4 he said _ may be _ in another ship that was Consigned to ye said Phillips for he knows of none in his ship and is now at my house while I am writing to you desiring my permit to New York and that I may have anything _ I desire upon my letter from ye _ of New Yorke but I refused to give him any permit til I hearde from you now if they said armes or what we Can find in the said ship or ammunition be prest for ye service of the army. Ye must be paid for with if you will have need of it you must take order so to doo and to send some from yourselves speedily to affort it.
Of ye first breaking forth of this warr, we sent Providence Williams’ sloop for supply of ammunition from the Massachusetts and had a supply what we did desire after without our desire of order. We had six barrels of powder sent and sent us by the _ of New York and finding arms sent by William Dyre. We have taken them for our Colony’s service. I now sent again to the Massachusetts for powder and load by Peter (truly the load is not much dearer than it was before, but _ powder much dearer this sloop being lately returned is almost unladen of what she hath for this island and _ be as the seamen saith in two hours time onlaid what _ have for New York. She is a good sloop belonging to my friends Richard Smith and my Bro___ and hath masters seamen sufficient if you have *torn* Massachusetts, so in heast I w*torn*
Your assured *torn* to serve you in *torn*, W. Coddington
Dated Newlodge on Road
*Illegible* December 15th, 1675
*illegible* R.S. thy *illegible* is *illegible* should *illegible* thy *illegible*, shall his *illegible* was *illegible* for the *illegible* we *illegible* not *illegible* General *illegible* both *illegible* of the *illegible*. Pardon my *illegible*
Thy *illegible* W.C.
To Josiah Winslow, Generall of the forces of the United Collonies in Kingston, in the Narragansett Present.
To be communicated to Richard Smith er
By Capt John Almoy