My Dear Sir

Contrary to my intention when I left Passy I visited L’Orient on my way in Order to see the Epervier¹ and the rest of the young Squadron lately destined &c.—the Epervier’s Bottom has been newly cleaned—It is a Small Brigg of about an hundred Tons— will perhaps sail as well as almost any other Vessells of its dimentions; and is pierced for fourteen Guns two of which I was told are larger than the rest—these two I take to be Nine pounders—the rest may perhaps be Six pounders—I could not see the Guns nor the Shott—but if the Vessell carries that Metal it is as much as ever any thing of the same dementions did.— the others (a Jersey prize Sloop and a Schooner) are very insignificant things indeed—and I found no favorable Account of their Sailing tho’ I was particular in my inquiries of Moylan² and others—The Epervier is not Rigged and is in no other forwardness than what I have already mentioned—I was told besides that there were Commanders and Officers on the Spot who were appointed for all the three—

I arrived here on Monday the 10^th.—The Lively is given away in Consequence of an Order from Monseig^r. De Sartine to Mons^r. De la Prévaláye³–I am not sorry for this as the Lively is Old with a double bottom and Sails so heavy that the Captain⁴ of the I has Assured me that he, with only two Topsails set, had the advantage while the other spread all Sail.—

The Command of the Alert is also bestowed in Consequence of the aforesaid Order, which is General,⁵ and altho’ Monseig^r. De Sartine appeared of Opinion that this Vessell could not be got ready in time to Join the Young Armament at L’orient—Yet its Sails are now bent—No mention is made to this Hour of my name to any or either of the three cheif persons here all of whom I have reason to think very much my Friends—These Gentl^n. tell me that if any mention of me is made in any Letter or Order from Monsieg^r. De Sartine the Alert shall notwithstanding the present appointment be Immediately put under my Command and direction.— I do not wish to be thought a Knight of the Windmill⁶ but I wish to be active and am ready to proceed even in that little Boat to Join the Ships at _______ and afterwards as directed—I need not observe that it will now be impossible to reach the place at first thought of before the 20^th.— but the Bird may not perhaps fly away on that very day—or if it should have flown it is not unlikely that others as good may be Caught at places not far distant from that Spot.— If that project is or should be laid aside—I am willing to use my best endeavours with the Epervier and Alert—and in that Case I could wish it might be agreeable for Captain Hinman⁷ to Join me and to Command one of them—this you may first hint to him as from yourself.— If he does not eagerly embrace the proposition you may tell him from me that the Command of the Ranger is at his Service— and having my free Consent he may claim that of the Commissioners as a matter of Right—Simpson is ungrateful as well as disobedient—he reports that I am turned out of the Service—and that the Commissioners have in reward of his merit given him my place and made him a Captain—that M^r Williams’s letter to him is a falsehood—and that mine in his favor to the Commissioners was involuntary—and by their Orders to avert worse Consequences to myself⁸—Now seated upon his high horse he has not even deigned to see me nor to send me a message—and since he has thus broken and is thus breaking his Parole am I not reduced to the necessity of bringing him to a Court Martial—This he has no apprehension of else would he be in a different tone. However there are now in France exclusive of myself a Sufficient number of American Officers to form a Court and I am determined to demand it⁹—His Parole is in my possession and it would now be unpardonable in me to give it up.— It has been represented to the Commissioners as unreasonable—Let it speak for itself in the within Copy to which is added my letter of the 16^th July in his favor to the Commissioners— much has been said about my having confined M^r: Simpson a few days on shore.—¹⁰ I will answer every objection to that measure by asking One Question—Where a Ship of War is in the port of a Foreign power in Alliance—If a General revolt and neglect of Duty should take place among the Officers & Men should other methods of restoring Order & Subordination prove ineffectual-would it not be the indispensible tho’ painful Duty of the Captain to ask Assistance from that power in Alliance?— This Case was Literally mine.— And M^r Simpson being a Prisoner of State charged with the disobedience of positive Written Orders-did not Surely lessen his Crime by Associating with a Crew under such Circumstances instead of Confining himself in his Stateroom unconnected he had General intercourse with the Crew throughout the Ship upon Deck as well as in Cabin &^c. Below—They were taught to regard him as the defender of their Rights—the most essential of which was that as they were “Americans Fighting for Liberty”—“the Voice of the People” ought to over-Rule every measure of an Arbitrary Foreign Captain which was not Sanctified with their general Approbation.—¹¹

The People at this time had no Money—and as my Signature had been dishonored by the Commissioners I had none to give or lend them¹²—I expected every moment that an Order from the Minister would wrest every Prisoner of War out of my hands and set them at Liberty unless I could get the Drake ready to send them away— yet “the Voice of the People” being against working they all hands left off and went below repeatedly before my face, which no Officer endeavoured to prevent.—¹³ The Prisoners of War were immediately to be put on board the Drake of course it was necessary to remove M^r Simpson.— To have sent him on board the Ranger would have been a dangerous expedient which would not have lessened the Contagion—And as I had been obliged to apply for a French Guard to Secure my Prisoners of War to whom could I with Confidence commit the Care of a Prisoner of State—I had little time for reflection and in Compliance with the Advice of General D’Orvilliers¹⁴ I removed M^r Simpson onboard a Guard Ship in the Port Called the Admiral where they Confine even the first Officers in the French Navy-here he had to himself a good State Room with Liberty to walk where he pleased in the Ship, so that his exchange was for the better not for the Worse—Yet so perverse was his disposition that he sent word to the Officers and Men that “he was put into a Prison”—This together with a representation which was made to me by Genl. D’Orvilliers of the insecurity of the State Room Window induced me to Comply with his further Advice by realizing Mr Simpson’s message—during his residence in this Ship & on Shore he wanted for nothing and I defrayed his expenses out of my private purse—

Before I was sent for or expected to be sent for the last time to Paris I communicated something of this matter, in Confidence to Doctor Franklin—Yet I wish you if you think fit to Communicate to him the whole of this letter—together with the two inclosed, which I hope he will not disapprove.—¹⁵ I beg you to present my grateful respects and tell him that I would have Addressed something to the same effect particularly to himself but am afraid of giving him too much trouble as it will answer the same purpose this way—but I will write to him perhaps frequently in Consequence of his Permission—

I presume that our Friend Williams is not now with you otherwise I would write to him—The Drake is Advertized for Sale on Wednesday next—but I don’t think the Sale will then be Concluded—The Revenue Gentry will not permit the porter to be landed nor to be Sold except for Exportation—If I can get over this difficulty I will procure some for the Commissioners and for you.—

Present my best respects to Mons^r. De Chaumont to Madame and the good Family¹⁶—I shall allways entertain a grateful Sense of their Polite Hospitallity—He is one of the few Men in the World to whom I am willing to be under Obligation—and I make no Scruple to inform him that I hope to have his attention in my Absence—I believe I will write to the P__ de N__¹⁷ soon.— It will be necessary for M^r Edward Mayrs¹⁸ to be present here at the Court Martial as an Evidence—and as I doubt not but that Monsieg^r: de Sartine would choose to send him out again with me—it may suit his purpose to come directly down here where he will receive his Prize money—He can come down either with Captain Hinman or by the Stage—Doctor Franklin knows him— If I had funds in Europe I would have no objection to Risque something in the Drake and in the Porter both of which would Answer I believe in Virginia.— This letter is of an immoderate length but Apology would make it still longer, therefore I am without a Compliment very Sincerely.— My dear Sir yours &^c—