The Virginia Gazette

To Mess. Dixon and HUNTER.

GENTLEMEN,

July 19, 1775.

In vindication of my own character, and in justice to Mr. Norton and Captain Robertson, I must beg you will publish the enclosed in your paper, that the public may be convinced how little regard ought to be paid to the reports of John Parsons and his apprentices.

I am your very humble servant,

GEORGE LORIMER.

WHILE John Parsons was delivering me a vessel at Urbanna (my own property, and not James Mills and company's, as he sets forth in his advertisement) Captain Robertson arrived from London. By invitation, I dined on board his ship, with some Ladies and Gentlemen, when he obligingly spared me a pair of pistols and a cutteau de chasse, which he had brought for his own use, and not for sale. I bought no other goods of him; indeed, I verily believe he had not a shilling's worth aboard, for I never saw such a clear ship. I never corresponded with Mr. Norton, or received goods from that house; nor did ever James Mills and company correspond with, or receive goods from those Gentlemen; nor had they any goods by that ship, or by any other from Britain since last November. While Capt. Robertson lay at Urbanna, Capt. Masenbourg, a trader from Norfolk to this river, came up late one evening, with passengers, whose trunks were landed here, as well as some Muscovado sugar for James Mills and company, and two casks of wine and sugar for Mr. Bennet Brown; which last goods were landed late in the night (as Capt. Masenbourg would not wait till the morning, the wind being fair) and deposited in one of the warehouses of James Mills and company, by Capt. William Boyce, who had the keys thereof. This was what gave occasion to the report which Parsons and his apprentices have so industriously propagated. The above I am ready to swear to whenever called upon.

GEORGE LORIMER.

It may be necessary to observe, that it must have been the apparition of one of the company which Parsons saw on the bank: I was seven miles from Urbanna, Mr. Mills spent the evening at Mr. Gregory's, with company, and Mr. Cosby was in Gloucester.

MIDDLESEX, July 19, 1775.

HAVING received a letter from a member of the committee of this county, dated, I believe, the 29th of May last, informing me that one Parsons, a ship-builder, then at Urbanna, had reported, that goods to a considerable amount had been landed at Urbanna, on Thursday the 29th of the aforesaid month, and put into the store of Mess. James Mills and company; and being desired to call a committee to inquire into the truth of the report, I immediately repaired to Urbanna, and summoned the above-said Parsons to appear before the committee, to make good the report he had propagated; but he absolutely refused to attend the meeting of the committee, yet, nevertheless, was willing and very much insisted on making oath before a magistrate, that he was not the author of such report; and, moreover, that he had never seen any goods landed and put into Mr. Mills's store, or any other person's whatever, contrary to the association of the Continental Congress. Upon which I told him, that in all probability his deposition would not satisfy the committee; that his personal appearance was necessary, and if he failed to appear, the committee would be obliged to hold him forth to the public as a propagator of falsehoods. On the 6th of June the committee met, and the said Parsons not appearing before them, they, after the strictest inquiry, and by the testimony of Capt. Boyce (being first sworn) who had the keys of the warehouse belonging to the company that very night on which the said Parsons had said the goods were landed; I say, it appearing fully, to the satisfaction of the committee, that no goods for, or belonging to the company, had been landed and put into their warehouse or store, from Capt. Robertson's ship, the committee thought it their duty to advertise the public, that the report, so maliciously propagated, was FALSE and GROUNDLESS. .... To what I have above asserted I am ready to make oath, whenever called upon for that purpose.

SAMUEL KLUG.

I HAVE REPEATEDLY heard John Parsons, ship-builder in Gloucester, say, that he saw upwards of one thousand pounds worth of goods landed and put into one of Mess. James Mills and company's warehouses; likewise, that said goods came from on board the ship London, Capt. Moses Robertson. A few days afterwards, the Rev. Samuel Klug summoned the said John Parsons to appear before the committee of this county; but he absolutely refused to attend, swearing he never saw one farthing's worth of goods landed; he also said, if it would be satisfactory to the committee, he would willingly go before any magistrate, and make oath that he was not the propagator of such a report. .... To the above I am ready to make oath whenever required.

ROBERT BROWN.

THE above-named John Parsons told me he was determined not to appear before the committee, but if he thought it would be satisfactory to go before a magistrate in his own county (meaning Gloucester) and take his oath, that he never saw any goods landed, he would do it willingly, and send it up.----This I am ready to swear to.

JAMES ROSS.

I HEARD that John Parsons, ship-builder in Gloucester, should say, there was a large quantity of goods landed at Urbanna, for Mess. Mills and company: I taxed him about it the night before he left Urbanna; he denied to me he ever had said such a thing, and said he had, or would, go before Dr. Spratt to make oath of the same, as he was summoned by the Rev. Samuel Klug to appear before the committee, and asked me if that would not be sufficient to the said committee. I told him he ought to appear in person. I was on board Capt. Robertson's ship, who told me he was afraid of bringing even common necessaries for himself, for fear he should give offence.....I am at any time ready to make oath to this.

HUGH WALKER.

This is to certify, all whom it may concern, that Captain Moses Robertson, of the ship London, from London, entered at port Rappahannock, the 24th of May last, with ballast only. Given under my hand, the 19th day of July, 1775.

ZACH: SHACKELFORD, D. Naval Officer.