Nantes April 2d. 1778.
Dear Sir
I have written to you twice, but have not had the pleasure of an answer, which I suppose to proceed for want of time, or want of inclination; I admit either as a sufficient excuse, therefore make no remark I do not see any prospect of a remittance from Bordeaux—Messrs. Delap1 seems to consider the prize as the property of Messrs. Willing & Morris & their late T Morris,2 and as such keep it in their hands to answer to Mr. Ross who has forbid them to part with the property of that house to any person.
I have written again to Messrs Delap & have refutted (as I think) all their objections; the return of the post will inform me how far my letter is successful.3 I am [&c.]
Jona Williams
an Illness obliges me to write by another Hand
L, DLC, Peter Force Collection, Papers of John Paul Jones, no. 6719. Addressed: “Monsieur Jones/Commandant la Nre/de Guerre americain/le Ranger/Brest.” Docketed: “from Jonathan Williams Esqr./Nantes/April 2d. 1778/ansd. Brest April 7th. 1778.”
1. Samuel and Jean-Hans Delap, merchants at Bordeaux, were handling the sale of the brigantine George, which Jones and the Ranger had captured.
2. Willing & Morris was a Philadelphia merchant firm. Thomas Morris had been the firm’s representative in France as well as the agent for the American Commissioners in France. Morris died 31 Jan. 1778.
3. Williams was not successful. Capt. John Paul Jones to the American Commissioners in France, 3 June 1778, PPAmP, Benjamin Franklin Papers, vol. 10, no. 7. Williams, Benjamin Franklin’s great-nephew and a merchant at Nantes, believed himself to be the American agent there despite the fact that William Lee, who superintended Congress’s commercial affairs in Europe, had appointed Jean-Daniel Schweighauser to the post. Williams believed that Lee had no authority to make this appointment and appealed through Franklin to the American Commissioners in France. On 13 Apr. the commissioners ordered Williams to wrap up his affairs and turn over the agency to Schweighauser. Benjamin Franklin Papers 26: lxvi-lxvii.
