On board Ship Providence Paimbeuf June 15h. 1778
Gentlemen
Had the honour of Recieving your Letter per Capt Jones,1 beg leave to mention there are no Orders relative to my Prisoners, which should be glad to Recieve.—Am Repairing my Masts and will make the Old Ones serve, New Ones being very expensive—shall be as frugal as possible—Capt Jones acquaints me you have some Cloathing & Arms for the United States it is in my Power to Carry considerable, if I know timely the Quantity and Largeness of Bales; that I may stow the Ship Accordingly the Ship will be graved and in readiness to takein in twelve Days—My Midshipmen are Arrived having made their escape to St Maloes—2 the Prize Brigantine is safe at the Isle of Rea.3 I have Ordered her round here, and shall deliver her to Charge of Mr Schweighaser on Arrival at Nantes—Have the Honour to be [&c.]
Abraham Whipple
NB My Masts are now on shore a Repairing with all possible Expedition—
L, PPAmP, Benjamin Franklin Papers, vol. 10, fol. 37. Addressed at bottom of page: “Honble Messs Franklin, Lee & Adams—/Amer. Resid Comm Paris—.” Docketed on: “Captn. Ab. Whipples/Letter./Painbeuf 15 June 1778.”
1. American Commissioners in France to Whipple, 6 June, above. Capt. William Jones, commander of the Continental Marine detachment with Providence, carried the commissioners’ letter to Whipple.
2. On the escape of Midshipmen Robert Edmunds and Philip Brown, who had been captured while serving as part of the prize crew in brig Lord Grosvenor, see Capt. Philip Winter Jr., to Whipple, 3 June, above.
3. On the situation of Lord Grosvenor, see Second Mate Nicholas Easton Gardner to Whipple, 4 June, above.
