(1508) [FISHER to GOVERNMENT]
Matagorda, December 17, 1835
To the Honorable the Provisional Government of Texas. Gentlemen,-
! had this honor, under date of 2d instant, and shall give you below, an extract, and then proceed with the leading facts relative lo the schooner WiUiam Robbins. Sometime early in November last, we understood that our coast was blockaded by one or two Mexican armed vessels, and the Committee of Safety of this jurisdiction considered it important that a vessel should immediately be armed and equipped, to attack and drive them off. The schooner William Robbins was al that time in this bay, and by a resolution of this committee, Ira R. Lewis, Esq., and myself were appointed to negotiate the hire or purchase with her captain and owner, WiUiam Watlington, who however, positively declined making any other disposition of her than that of a sale. This, then, we were compelled to do, and the price was thirty-five hundred dollars. She was then placed under the command of captain Hurd, and considered a government vessel. From a former conversation with T. F. M'Kinney, Esq., I was induced to believe that a draft on his house would be accepted, on behalf of the public; and in accordance with that belief, I gave my exchange as chairman of the committee, in virtue of a resolution of the body, to captain Watlington for the amount, taking a biU of sale, and holding the register; and in order further to satisfy captain Watlington that he would be paid, the following named gentlemen entered into a written obligation to hold themselves individually responsible to captain Watlington or his assigns, to the amount respectively affixed to their names, to wit: Howard and Fleury $800 Robert H. Boyce 300 S. Rhoads Fisher 500 Ira R. Lewis 500 J. E. Robertson 200 S. B. Brigham & Co. 500 Horton & Clements, pr. agent 500 George Wheelright 200 $3500 Making the amount of money specified above.
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