April 29th 1777
Sir
In consequence of Letters just now received from the executive Powers of the State of Maryland we have it in charge from Congress to direct that you do not leave the Port of Baltimore with the frigate Virginia under your command until you receive further orders from Congress or from this Committee.1
We are sir, your very hble servants
Letter book, Marine Committee Letter Book, Marine Committee Miscellaneous Papers, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
1 Captain Nicholson was locked in a bitter struggle with Maryland state authorities over the issue of impressment. After the Marine Committee had ordered him on 8 April to proceed to Martinique, Nicholson began to impress men in Baltimore to make up a full crew for the Virginia. The Maryland Council of Safety wrote to Nicholson on 24 April, protesting that he had no authority to impress Marylanders and ordering him to release all who had been impressed. Nicholson saucily replied on the following day that he was confident Congress would approve of his actions and alleged that impressment was an acceptable practice in other American cities. The Maryland authorities thereupon sent their correspondence with Nicholson to Congress, which, sensitive to the rights of the states, declared on 1 May that it would never countenance violations of state law by Continental officers, temporarily suspended Nicholson from his command, and threatened to dismiss him from Continental service altogether unless he made "satisfaction" for his disrespectful reply to Maryland officials. On the same day, moreover, Congress instructed the Marine Committee to "give the necessary orders for immediately dismissing the men impressed by Captain Nicholson." Nicholson apologized to the Maryland authorities and thereby retained command of the Virginia, but the Marine Committee created fresh difficulties by ordering the release only of those impressed men "who have not Signed the Marine Articles and received the Continental bounty." Maryland officials demanded the release of all the men Nicholson had impressed, and Congress rebuked the Marine Committee for so construing Congress’ orders, but in the end the captain was able to retain the services of a number of them who finally agreed voluntarily to sail with him. See JCC, 7:312, 318 - 19, PCC, item 70, fols. 195 - 201, 209 - 10, 213; Md. Archives, 16:226 - 27, 229 - 30, 244, 255, 263 - 64, 266 - 69; Marine Committee to James Nicholson, 8 April, and to Thomas Johnson, 1 May, and William Paca to the Maryland Governor and Council, 24 May 1777.