page 423-424

Lord Admiral St. John to Sir Captain Devlin O'Neill
Waverly Hall
Greenwich
November 20, 1812
Sir Captain O'Neill,
Please be advised of the following. Your orders are to proceed by December the 14 to the coast of Maryland and Virginia, where you shall commence the blockade of the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays in conjunction with the HMS Southampton, the HMS Java and the HMS Peacock. All American vessels are subject to search and seizure. A determination is to be made thereof, and any American vessels, including non-naval ships, deemed to be engaged in military action, are to be seized or destroyed. All efforts are to be made to avoid harmful intercourse with American noncombatants; any suspicion of military involvement on the part of each American civilians is to be investigated and treated accordingly with His Majesty's rules of engagement.
The Right Honorable Lord Admiral St. John
The Admiralty
13 Brook Street
West Square

page 443-444

December 5, 1812
Dear Captain O'Neill,
I cannot marry you. By the time you receive this letter, I shall be gone. It has occurred to me, with no small amount of reflection, my behavior has been foolish in the extreme. It is definitely time for me to go home.
    I have may regrets. Our failure to forge a genuine friendship is foremost among them. I also regret the harsh words spoken yesterday. Please know that I hold no grudge, and that in spite of all circumstance, I bear you no ill will. Indeed, the opposite is the case. I do consider you a friend, even if the feeling is not a mutual one. I wish you all the best, always.
    Please give my regards to your family, as they have been nothing but kind.
    Sincerely,
    Virginia Hughes

page 502-503

January 1, 1813
Dear Virginia,
The New York has come and I hope this missive finds you in good health and good spirits. How do you fare at Waverly Hall? I assume by now that you have become fast friends with my mother, and I hope you will not hesitate to ask her for anything you may be lacking. I also hope you will not hesitate to ask her for anything you may be lacking. I also hope that my brothers have not overwhelmed you with their various characters. How has the winter been? It has been freezing cold as we sail the the Atlantic, but that is to be expected. We now approach the coast of New Jersey, having seen little action thus far. We turned back a single American merchantman, the Southern Belle, although we seized a French privateer, which I have sent to Newfoundland to be outfitted there. The men are in good spirits, although growing bored, as they are not used to such inactivity, and they remain eager to engage the enemy. I have a new ship's surgeon, Paul White, a gentleman I think you would find erudite and amusing should you ever meet. He plays the violin and brought his instrument with him, providing the men with many hours of entertainment.
    Please give my regards to my family. I wish you happy New Year.
Your's truly,
Devlin O'Neill