Paris, 2 January 1776
Knowing the feelings of this Court and its desire to prevent that the American Rebels obtain war ammunition from France, I consistently follow my adopted principle which is to inform Your Excellency of any intelligence I receive with regard to this matter. I have just learned that there is presently in Dunkerque a vessel of 120 tons called the Charming Peggy, whose Master, going by the name of Conyngham, is from New England; 2 to all appearances, this vessel purporting to be Irish is destined to carry gun powder to the Americans. She is moored near the Merchants' powder magazine. Barrels have already been loaded during the night in great secret and we have every reason to believe that they are filled with powder. With this infom1ation, it should be easy to get to the core of this matter and to prevent this vessel to receive her cargo, if my information proves to be correct. I have the honor to be with perfect attachment, Sir [&c.]
Stormont.
1. AMAE, Correspondance Politique, Angleterre, vol. 514, 1300, LC Photocopy.
2. Gustavus Conyngham, an Irishman by birth (1747-1819), had married in Philadelphia in 1773, and sailed from there in the Charming Peggy. His attestation as to this voyage reads: "NB, in the yr. 1775 I went on a voyage from philad. to Europe to procure powder, salt-peter, arms, medecins & every thing Necessary for War well known the Great need & scarcity the little Supply we had at that day. Arrived at dunkirk ー here the suplys could not be procured, some part could, but we could not take any thing in hear ー a agent went to amsterdam ー" Robert Wilden Neeser, ed., Letters and Papers Relating to the Cruises of Gustavus Conyngham... (New York, 1915), 159.
