Whenever an Express is sentt ye person must come through with a warrantt for assistance. Yo' Exp. Letter came to Major Pikes hand on Saturn [Saturday] day, at 8 in ye morning. soe 12 houres from ye date of yo" to ride 12 miles, wch in time will be inquired into. I have had noe accott from any other hand then yo' selfe, soe Judge persons wch should be immediately concerned are dead. Yo' lines are shortt. for answer would have the same way continued for intercepting ye enemy. if possible shall gett you Men hence. I am The inclosed is come to my hands, by which have accott of y enemy's attack att Strawberry Banck. Yt Goverm' has 160 men outt, judge they may be in distress; desire yo' honor's possitive & spedy order for Men to be sent to yre releife, perceiving by y enclosed they have nott had any from this province. I remain Yo' humble &c. I design, God willing, to be in your parts by Wednesday; would have you provide minnitts of mine to Councill on 2a Ap' last., my Letter in May to presidentt & Councill, their answer thereto; lastly, my speech to ye Councill in June last; all wch would have redy att my coming. Speake to the presidentt to provide a place for Assembly to meet in. (least they go to Hampton.) As to accott reed from you know nott in whatt capacity, whether Secretary or Capt. of ye forces, if either, short in your duty in giveing a particular acco; for others could have it from severall hands, to write Coll. Packer would give accott. I know noe person butt in the particular Station he is in. Waldron hath writt civilly as to ye mannadgemt of affairs; others writt & talked as if abundance of Imprudence, and come of wch shame. butt Trick for a Trangram.* I am weary to hintt att things relating to yor-selves, and weary of having things soe; am suer was many others in my place would not suffer soe much, nor soe long, if obligations be ye cause of neglects & Rights, itts time to have done. Yors JNO. USHER. [No Address. Probably to Wm. Redford, Dep. Sect. - ED.] B. II. p. 91. New Hampre. {Seal Whereas a late horrible and detestable Conspiracy t against his Majtys sacred person, has been by the providence of Allmightie God hapily discovered, and thereby his Majtys Royall person preserved; to ye intent that all his Majtys subjects may recognise their duty and Alegiance; and an Act is passed in sd Province for all maile persons from the age of sixteen years & upwards to take the oaths apointed, instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and supremacie: these are to will and require you to whom this precept is directed, in his Majtys name to issue out your warrants to the constables of Portsmouth & New Castle, to call together and assemble the inhabitants of the sd places, according to s Act, from sixteen years old & upwards, att some convenient place, and forthwith, as time shall permit; and the people soe assembled according to yo' warrants, you are to administer the soaths to everie particular male person as afores, as likewise to all Councils, Justices, Ministers, &c., and take a list of those persons soe sworne, and exhibitt the same into the Secretary's office in sd Province att or before the fifteenth of this inst. according to the forme of Law in that case made & provided. Given under my hand & seale, att New Castle this 7th [?] July, 1696. JOHN USHER, Lt. Govern'. * Trangram -An odd thing intricately contrived. Web. Dic. † See law passed July 8, 1696. - ED. Coll. Please to issue yours forthwth, because the book and Law must goe from place to place. The Goven' left but 4 warrants, so this must serve for P. & N. C. “For his Majests service. To Geo. Jaffrey & Col. Packer, Esqs. and Col. Tho. Packer & Shadrach Walton, Esqs." Yrs, WM. REdford. B. II. p. 92. [In Mr. Usher's hand.] Boston, 18th July, 1696. Sr. Reed yors wth ord for Thanksgiving, & did Expect a copy of y King's Proclamation wth itt, butt found myselfe deceived. You know the pressing there was for ye depositions as to ye French att Fourt Royall, but ye same omitted, I must say am hardly treated, considering ye care I have taken att all times for you. Am satisfyed Sir E. Andros Secretary's time was principally spent with him & nott others; if itt be a scandall, good to be plain & say soe, must say as to Packer, &c "multum familiaritas," &c. but a burntt childe will, &c. desire all ye minnitts of Council may be entered fairely; would have a copy of my speech to last Assembly; ye minnitts of Councill as to my proceeding in Apr. last, ytt I may nott be in a hurry when come to yo' parts, wish you well, remain Superscribed-" For his Majty service In Portsmouth." S', yor, JNo. USHER. By the Honble John Usher, Esq. Lt. Goven' & Comander-in Chiefe, &c. You are required in his Majestys name to receive the Jurors whose names are under written and with them to goe straight way up to Dover, and deliver them unto Capt. Tuttle, & the sd Tuttle is required in his Majtys name to Poste them where he thinks most convenient, in the respective garrisons, there to doe duty in watching & warding, and to be kept and not released from their Poste without special order from myselfe or the Comander-in-cheefe for the time being; for wch this shall be his & your Warrant; and hereof faile not, as he and you will answer the contrary at your perrill. Given under my hand & seale att Arms att New Castle, July 23d, 1696. Sir, Herewith comes three souldiers, viz. Mr. Penhallow, Mr. Will. Cotton, Mr. Sam. Keise, wch souldiers you are ordered & required in his Majts name to command to their duty as souldiers in your garrison, to watch & ward, &c. and not to let them depart their post without special order; and for your so doing this shall be your warrant. Given under my hand this 24th of July, 1696. JNO. TUTTLE, Capt. B. II. p. 94. Whereas Mr. Sam' Keais, William Cotton and Sam' Penhallow were on ye 24th of this instant sent me by Capt. John Tuttle of Dover, and in his Majst name ordered and required to do their duty as souldiers in my garrison for watching and warding, &c. and not suffered to depart their respective post without special order: These are to certify, whom it may concern, That I, the subscriber, having observed the above order to ye utmost of my power; but being destitute of all manner of provision for the subsistence of said souldiers as the law directs in that kind, Do hereby release and acquitt them. Given under my hand at Welsh Cove, July 27th 1696. WILLIAM FURBUR, Lft. B. II. p. 98. Whereas Mr. Thomas Wacomb, John Knight and Obadiah Mors, were on the 24th of this Instant sent me by Capt. John Tuttle, of Dover, and in his Majtys name ordered and required to do their duty for watching, warding, &c. and not suffer them to depart their respective post without special order: Bee it hereby known to all men, by these presents, that I, the subscriber, having observed the above order to ye utmost of my power, but being destitute of all manner of provisions for the subsistince of said soulders, as the Law directs in that kind, do hereby release and acquitt them. Given under my hand, at Welch Cove, July 27th, 1696. Acknowledged B. II. p. 83. JOHN DAM, Sergt. Letter from his Majesty's Council, 7th of August, 1696. AFTER OUR HEARTY COMMENDATIONS: Whereas their Excellencies the Lords Justices of England have received Information from the Governor and Company of Merchants of London, trading to the East Indies, That Henry Every als. Bridgman, with diverse other persons, English and Forriegners, having run away with the ship Charles the Second, als. the Phancy, from ye Port of Corunna in Spain, had committed several Acts of Pyracy in the Seas of India & Persia, and have afterwards left the ship at the Island of Provence, having [the] plunder so by them gotten and dispersed themselves: Their Excellencies thereupon thought fit by Proclamation in his Majties name, to require all his Majties Admiralls, commanders and other officers att sea, and all governors, commanders and other officers whatsoever in his Majties plantations, to secure and apprehend the said Henry Every, als. Bridgman and other persons named in the said Proclamation and such as were with them in the said ship, a copy of which Proclamation you will receive. And whereas information has been likewise given, that divers Pyrates and Sea Robbers have of late years gone from severall parts of his Majtys Plantations in America to the Seas of India and Persia and other remote parts, upon the like pyraticall designes, and that some of them have returned home againe, and dispersed themselves in his Majtys Plantations with great quantities of gold and other plunder: Wee do hereby in his Majtys name strictly require and command you,'forthwith upon |