A Revolutionary War Privateer Journal - The Story of Jacob Nutter

March 22. 1777
Our sentries tell us some of the new recruits recently pressed into service on this ship have come down with the small pox. We are all quite afraid that it will spread into our company but there is little we can do to avoid it. Some of our people particularly those from larger towns such as Boston have already survived this scurge but many of us from smaller towns have not faced it yet.

To add to our troubles there is a thief in our midst but we have not caught him. Several men have found small things missing and are growing angry over it. We are all now keeping a sharp lookout for this thief and when we catch him he shall be properly punished.