Displaying 21 - 40 of 102
I Wrot you Last post Informing you of the Sucksess of my Last Cruize & take this Opertunity To Inform you of the Safe Arrival of All my Prizes am in Great hopes youl be Able to Obtain Leav for me to heav Down and Repair my Ship at this port As that will be Absolutely Nessessary prior To my Departure from this as I Recd a Shott in Bottom when the Swallo[w] engaged me. When I Arriv~ At this...
Date: 19 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I went to Painbeuf on Sunday and returned hither last Evening. Mr Peltier and myself went on board the Count de Vergennes and gave the necessary Directions. As I consider Dispatch of the utmost Consequence, I desired that as many Workmen as could be procured should be immediately employed, these are at present Scarce but as a little more expence is no object , in comparison to expedition, to...
Date: 19 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
. . . . It is reported here that several Sail of english Men of War are cruising between Bellisle & Brest. this Information I thought proper to send to Capt Weeks that he may keep a sharp look out. It is also said that a french Ship bound from the West Indies to St Malo has been searched by an English Frigatte, and it is thought that outward bound Ships will of course meet with the same Fate...
Date: 22 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I hav this Day Rec'd very Extraordinary Orders from The Intendant of This port Dem.anding me,to ,Leav this port in 24 Hours he Says This Order is Given in Consequence of A possitiv Order Recd. this Day from the Minister at Parris I Asked Liberty To heav Down my Ship and Repair her on my Arrival but it has never Bin Granted on being,told That I mus[t] possitivly Depart in 24 Hours I Told the...
Date: 26 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
. . . the principal intention of this is to inform you that Mr [Thomas] Morris has sold four of the prizes 2 (all except the packet Boat) Vessells Cargoes &c &c for about 90,000 Livres, all risque of reclaim & every difficulty to be the purchasers. Mr M tells me he has recvd the Bills for the amount & so finished the Business.
Date: 28 February 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I received two of yours of the 25th by Mr Defrancy who I am sorry Came so late, as our Sales were compleat before his Arrival, I have strictly attended to your proposals & shall give you as full an Answer as in my power
as to Cruizing in the Sound for the Baltick Ships I am afraid that will not do, as neither me nor my officers are acquainted wth those Sea's, nor have we any proper Charts for...
Date: 5 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I Take this Opertunity to Inform you Of the proceadings of the Commissary of this port Which Seam very odd to me as I have Recd. no lnstrucktions from you he Sent for me to Day and told me I must Get my Ship Cleaned & put Every thing on bord As fast as possible & then Departe the port Immediately He further lnformd me he Should Send persons to See That We Did not Delay anytime these are...
Date: 13 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I have received the letter which you did me the honour to address to me the 14th ulto, and I have not failed to acquaint the King with the eagerness which the English Colonies of North America evince to establish free and reciprocal commerce with us.
His Majesty appeared to receive with pleasure the assurances of the favourable disposition of the Colonies in that respect and I have no doubt but...
Date: 15 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
. . . Yesterday the Ship Versailles Captain [Joseph] Chapman arrived here in 40 days from Boston 2 . . . Captain [Nicholas] Bartlett in the Brigt Penet will sail for Boston in about 10 days from this date . . .
Date: 19 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I am still without any of your Favours which I confess gives me great uneasiness as I am apprehensive that my Letters have miscarried. The last I received from Mr Deane which was 23 days in coming encreases this Suspicion: if you have not recvd one by every post this must be the Case as I have written by every one.
I have the pleasure to inform you that the anchors are arrived from Spain and...
Date: 25 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I shall observe your directions about the Cutter when she arrives2 ー I have not the honour of any thing from you by this post but Mr Peltier has recvd advice that the Destination of the Ship 3 is changed & that instead of going to Boston she is to go to St Domingo and there to be unloaded Mr Montieu likewise mentions that the 7 officers & 2 Servants are to have their...
Date: 1 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
When I wrote last the Cutter was arrived tho' I did not know it. 2 As soon as I recvd your orders I lodged the necessary ones at painbeuf for the Capt when he should arrive, he had then come up to town to find out to whom he was addressed & returning without Success he found his orders on board this little accident has been attended with no other disadvantage than the loss of two...
Date: 12 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
We Arrivd hear Late Last Wednesday Night, & the Cutter 2 Got up to pileren [Le Pellerin] thursday & Afriday We Went on bard her in order to Giv the Nessesary orders for fiting her after Doing this We Went Down to Pain Bea£ (Paimboeuf] in order to procure All the American Seamen in our power We Was tolerable Suckcesfull We have Now Nine Americans Engaged lncludeing Captn Clarke...
Date: 15 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
Since writing by this days post I have recvd the inclosed plans & Memorandum from Messrs Jean henry Wilfelsheim & Compy who wish to be employed to build in some port in the Baltic Sea ships of war on accot of the Congress if they or you for them will give orders. They say that they can do this in a very advantageous manner that being the Country for Wood Iron Hemp & naval Stores. If...
Date: 18 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I left Nantz a Wednesday Evning to Come here & by a letter from you and one from Capt Johnston [Henry Johnson] I find he Arrived at Nantz soon after my departure I Returned an Answer to Captain Johnston and desired him to Come imeadiately and Join me, but have Since received a possitive order from the Commissary of this port to depart the port in 24 hours, in Consequence of those orders Write...
Date: 25 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I arrd here Thursday Morng 4 o'Clock where I found Capt Weeks [Wickes] was gone for L'Orient. Have sent Express as I was much fatigued, Shall wait here for Capt Weeks's orders which when I receive shall instantly set off for Bourdeaux and make every possible dispatch agreeable to your Instructions.
Capt [Larkin] Hammond has not as yet gone he now lays at the mouth of the Loire. You'll. perhaps be...
Date: 25 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
I wrote you last post acknowledging the receipt of your letters by Capt Johnston & informing you of my Intentions to proceed to Nantz and there wait the Arival of Capt Johnston ー I am very Sorry to inform you of the Mutiny that has happend amongst my People since my Arrival, they have all refused to go to Sea untill they Received their prize Money; With much threats & a promise that the...
Date: 27 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
Capt Nicholson is by this time a long side of Capt Wickes under his american Colours. ー I have not yet collected all the Bills but I imagine this armament will cost you upwards of 300 Louis exclusive of what we advanced to French Sailors from Havre & the present Crews adva wages which may amount to 150 Livres more: I have shipped on board Capt [John] Adams 30 Cases qt 525 Fuzils & 450...
Date: 1 May 1777
Volume: Volume 8
This letter is intended to be delivered you by John Paul Jones Esquire, an Active and brave Commander in our Navy, who has already pertormed Signal Services in Vessels of little force, and, in reward for his Zeal, we have directed him to go on board the Amphitrite, a French Ship of Twenty Guns, that brought in a Valuable Cargo of Stores from Monsr Hortalez & Co, and with her repair to France...
Date: 9 May 1777
Volume: Volume 8
. . . The Subject which I alluded to in my last, is in regard to the Sale of our Produce, which the French Merchants at present absolutely refuse to purchase for the European Market; as many of their Vessels have been already visited, & American Produce which has been found therein, taken out & confiscated. This is a Matter of a very alarming Nature, Strikes deep at the Root of our...
Date: 19 May 1777
Volume: Volume 8