To Capt. Dudley Saltonstall
You are hereby order’d forthwith to lay before the Committee appointed by the General Court to investigate the causes of the miscarriage of the late expedition to Penobscot & cc a copy of the results of all the Councils of War held on board your Ship with the Yea’s and Nay’s upon every question___ Witness my hand the 24 day of Sept. A.D. 1779
O Peabody Clerk of Said Committee
In the Councils of War, the central question argued over and again was whether the Navy should attack and disable the British shipping first before the Militia attacked Fort George or vice versa. The Transport Ship Captains, who coincidentally would not be part of the attack, urged Saltonstall to attack the British Fleet. The Assault Ship Captains agreed with Saltonstall that Fort George’s cannon fire would destroy the fleet with no means of protection until the wind pushed them out of range.