Passi June 6 1778—
Sir,
We had yesterday the Favour of your Letter of 31 may from the harbour of Paimbeuf and we congratulate you on your safe Arrival in france as well as your fortunate passage through the Dangers of Rho Isld, but more especially on the honour which you your Officers & men have acquired in your gallant Rencounter with the Enemys Ships on that Station—
You will address yourself as well as your Prize1 on her Arrival to Mr Schweighauser of Nantes2 who will assist you in the necessary Repairs of your Ship of which we must leave you to judge—furnish you with necessary Victuals & Slops for your men, not more than one suit of Cloaths for each man of the Ships Complimt and such munitions of War as you may want in all which we recommend to you the strictest possible frugality which the distrest Circumstances of our Country demands of all her Officers we leave it to you & Mr Schweighauser to Repair the Ship either at Nantes or at Brest as you shall judge best for the public service3 we have the honour to be [&c.]
Benjamin Franklin Arthur Lee John Adams
LB, MiU-C, Abraham Whipple Papers. Addressed below close: “To Abraham Whipple Esqr.” Notations: “Recd June 13 1778/Pr Capt. Jones”; in margin: “Commrs./to/A W/June 6.”
1. Brig Lord Grosvenor; on its whereabouts, see Second Mate Nicholas Easton Gardner to Whipple, 4 June, above.
2. For the American Commissioners’ instructions to Jean-Daniel Schweighauser, Continental agent, see American Commissioners to Schweighauser, 10 June, below.
3. There is a draft of a letter to Whipple written by Arthur Lee on 5 June and not sent that is similar to this letter except that it orders Whipple to bring the Continental Navy frigate Providence to Brest where “you will get repaird much better & sooner.” DNA, PCC, item 102, vol. 4, p. 10 (M247, roll 128). On the same day, the commissioners wrote Schweighauser repeating the instructions concerning Providence found in this letter to Whipple and adding: “You request Directions relative to the part you are to act, on such Occasions towards the Custom House. All that We can say at present is, that the American Men of War must comply with the Laws: but We will endeavor to obtain explicit Directions from his Majesty, concerning this Subject.” DNA, PCC, item 84, vol. 1, p. 143 (M247, roll 111).
