Captain Samuel Tucker to the American Commissioners in France, July 14, 1778

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On Board the Boston at Port Lewis
July 14^th 1778-

Hon^d. Gentlemen

I received a Letter from M^r- Livingston on the 8^th. Ins^t. wherein he informs me that their is a possibility of an Exchange of Prisoners,¹ a list of what I have on board I send your Honours inclosed with a List of the Men, I suppose must have been Recaptured in one of my Prizes,² the other two arrived Eight or ten days past. I am only waiting on your Honours how to proceed, in hopes to joyn Cap^t. Whipple.

I received a Line from Cap^t. Whipple wherein he tells me he shall be ready by the 20^th. to sail, expecting me to wait at the Rivers Mouth for him.3 As I wrote your Honours in my last of the 12^th. Ins^t.4 concerning my treatment from the Frenchmen, your Honours may be pleased to Judge from the Inclosed Instruement wrote by one of the Marines and five of the same seigned, the Treatment they received from me and Officers;⁵ this I mention Gentlemen to your Honours, because General Latuch,⁶ intends waiting on your Honours with a tail for Serjent Cauzneau, beleave Gent^n- the Acc^t. he has in French I have a Coppy of in English as the General told me, and it is so far false that he is indebted to the Ship, & every person beging me to take the same Merines on board, as they were distitute of every thing,⁷ but I utterly denyed them all, except those mentioned in the inclosed Instrument, whom I received to Convince the Publick that their Reports was not true. Gentlemen be pleased to Exchange Cap^t. John Lee if possible, takein in the Brig Fanney & a Brother of mine his Master by the Name of Andrew Slyfield, who are in Mill Prison, & a Nephew of mine by the Name of John Diamond,⁸ and should be glad to have an equal Number exchanged from said Prison for mine.— O that I was but Maned with Americans, or other Men I could depend upon, I should think my self a happy man, but Gent^n. as I am not I must do the Best I can, allways feeling for my Country, could whish to be at Sea. I am with Respect [&c.]

Sam^l Tucker

PS. I’ve opened this to acquaint your Honours that the Britania is this minute arrived, & that I am happy that none of my People are Prizoners⁹

L, PPAmP, Benjamin Franklin Papers, vol. 10, fol. 122. Addressed below signature: “To the Hon^ble- American/Commissioners/Parris-.” Addressed on separate sheet: “To/The Hon^ble: American Commissioners/ att/Parris.—.” Docketed: “Capt. Tucker July 14./1778.”

1. See Lieutenant Musco Livingston to Tucker, 8 July, above.

2. The list has not been found. As seen in a postscript to this letter, the brig Britannia, which Tucker feared had been recaptured, arrived safely at Port Louis.

3. See Capt. Abraham Whipple to Tucker, 7 July, above. The mouth of the Loire River was to be the rendezvous point.

4. Tucker to American Commissioners, 12 July, above.

5. See Declaration by French Marines Serving on Board the Continental Navy Frigate Boston, this date, below.

6. Chef d’escadre La Touche de Tréville.

7. See Statement of Marine Sergeant Jerome Cazeneuve, at 14 July, below.

8. Lee and Slyfield were taken in the Massachusetts privateer brigantine Fancy by H.M.S. Foudroyant on 6 Aug. 1777. See Journal of H.M.S. Foudroyant, 7 Aug. 1777, NDAR 9: 554–56, Capt. John Jervis to Philip Stephens, 10 Aug. 1777, NDAR 9: 560; and Philip Stephens to Vice Adm. Molyneux Shuldham, 13 Aug. 1777, NDAR 9: 568–69. Lee escaped on 14 October and Slyfield on an unknown date. Diamond was pardoned for exchange on 20 Dec. 1778. Mariners of the American Revolution pp. 55, 114, and 174. Slyfield was Tucker’s brother-in-law, having married Samuel’s sister Elizabeth on 15 Dec. 1767. The exact relationship between John Diamond and Tucker is not known, but the two established Marblehead families had relations dating from the 17th century, an Andrew Tucker and a Mary Diamond, both of Marblehead, having wed in 1690. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com.

9. On the arrival of prize brig Britannia, see Journal of Boston, 15 July, below.

Document Information

Date

1778 July 14

Volume

Volume 13

Series

European Theater, June 1 to August 15, 1778

Naval Documents of the American Revolution

Captain Samuel Tucker to the American Commissioners in France, July 14, 1778

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