Norwich bulletin., 1919-05-12
CARRIED TREATY 10 FRANCE IN 1778

k 2 200 at the lowest. and that her sails and rigging were not it for the ser ! vice.
 The council decided that as the gen. eraI assembly had ordered vessels fit- i ted out, they must obey the order, and therefore Are of opinion that said vessel or schooner, called the Britania, 1 be purchased for the Colony; and Ben ia. Huntington, Esq,., Captain Jno. Deshon and Captain Robert Niles, are apointed a committee to make such 1 purchase at not exceeding Z 200, etc, i and also to take care of and cause her to be. rigged ana fitted out with every necessary for said purpose, as soon as may be- The council ap- pointed Robert Niles of Norwich to be l captain and commander of her"
 By. September 4. the vessel had been taken to Norwich and was there being fitted out; on the 9th is the first men--t toned of her new name, when it was voted that an order oe drawn on he pay table for the sum of z G100, in fa- vor of Captain Robert Niles of the armed vessel or schooner Spy, fixing out at Norwich.
 She was in service sefore November 23, when Captain Niles reported and asked for instructions concerning a i suspicious vessel at Sag Harbor.
 The Spy is said 70 have been of about fifty tons burden, carried six four pounders, and had a crew of fron1l twenty to thirty men. 150 pounds of powder was part of her. equipment in September.
 On January $ 177s, the council of safety con letter and request from MT Dean in behalf of the naval committee at congress requesting that Captain Niles of the spy be sent to carry recruits from New London to Philadelphia, for the navy. it was con- sidered, concluded and voted, that wei cannot properly and safely permit him | to be absent so long, and do not agreel to the proposal" At the same meeting, 1t was voted and ordered, that Captain Niles be di- rected to raise and enlist 20 men such as he can confide in, to serve on board Fthe schooner Spy for the term of one year, unless sooner discharged, on the t following wages, viz.:, For able seamen hforty- eight shillings, and for seamen ! forty sl1illings per Halendar month. April 15, '76. on request of Admiral Hopkins, Captain Niles was ordered to join the American fleet under his
 command and proceed with him on a ] short cruise against Vne enemy.
 i July 1. Captain Niles with the Spy, ] was in New London narbor, where he I received instructions 10 seize and de- 1 tain any suspicious vessel in or about ] that harbor, offering or sound, bound i to sea; he was then acting in conjunc- i tion with Captain Seth Harding, (al- I so of Norwich) in Long Island sound. i Captain Niles and the Spy took many
 rich prizes: in August he captured the Hope. and soon after "The Hannah
 and Elizabeth" Zebaduah Smith was put ill command of the Hannah and :! Elizabeth. and took ner into Newport larbor; on September 9, he was in- i structed ito embrace the first fair wind ! and weather when the coast was clear ! of the enemy, and proceed with the l prize to New London and up to Nor ] wich, and take the. necessary steps to l procure a legal condemnation to be i passed thereon as soon as nal be- The Courant of September 16. 1776 ! Norwich, Conn.). had the following: New London, September 13; Yester- ] day returned here from a cruize the
 armed schooner Spy. Captain Robert i Niles, belonging to the State of Con-
 necticut, and brought in with him the I schooner Mary and Elizabeth, com manded by Captain Bruce, bound from ! Barbadoes to Halifax her cargo con- ! sists of 5 hogsheads of rum, and 8
 do. of sugar. About 18 days ago Cap , tain Niles took the ship Hope, Cap