The King has been apprised of how much information Your Excellency has provided in documents for Dispatches numbers 181 and 184 of the 7th and 30th of September, concerning the American Englishmen's intentions — supported by General Charles Lee, a major general and second in command of their military, and commander-in-chief of the Southern District, and by his agent Mr. Gibson — which, in general terms, are to establish regular trade with us, and to learn whether, in the event that they should capture Pensacola, as they intend to do, His Majesty would deign to recognize the seizure; the reply which Your Lordship gave to General Lee concerning these matters has won Royal approval, and His Majesty commands me to advise your Lordship in strictest confidence that should the Americans persist in their proposed plan to seize Pensacola and the other English installations on the right bank of the river, Your Lordship should make known to them with utmost discretion and secrecy that the King will rejoice if they succeed; and that once their independence is assured, the relinquishment of Pensacola, which they have promised Spain, can be taken up.
In order to help accomplish both ends, Your Lordship will continue to receive by way of Havana or by any other possible means, assistance in the form of arms, munitions, clothes and chinchona bark which the English colonists need, and Your Lordship will have available the most effective and secret means to have these supplies delivered secretly making it appear that they are being sold by private merchants; to which end the appropriate confidential instructions will be sent to you, as well as a merchant who will serve as a decoy.
By this same post similar confidential instructions are being sent to the Governor of Havana, advising him that in the monthly mail and by means of merchantmen he will receive various supplies, arms and other items which he must send on to Your Lordship without delay; and that he must also immediately send you whatever surplus powder he has in the magazine of the factory in Mexico, and whatever surplus muskets he has in his own magazine, with the assurance that they will be promptly replaced.
I am informing Your Lordship of all this by order of His Majesty for your knowledge and guidance, charging you especially to take advantage of as many opportunities as may present themselves to continue to send news concerning this important affair so that I may transmit it to His Majesty.
Madrid 24 December 1776
