Displaying 1 - 11 of 11
I lost no Time in executing the important Orders transmitted to me in Your Lordship's Letter No 38, which I received yesterday Morning. I executed them in the following Manner. By way of Introduction, I mentioned to M. de Vergennes, the Information Mr [Andrew] Frazer had at my Desire given the Commander at Dunkirk with regard to the Cutter arming there, and added, that I knew the Commandant by...
Date: 11 June 1777
Volume: Volume 9
Tho Your Lordship can want no further Proofs of the Constant Duplicity and insidious Policy of this Court, Yet I think it my Duty to give You in this secret Manner some very strong ones
I have very good Reason to believe that not long ago M. de Vergennes sent a Message to Deane and Franklin to tell them that they were certainly betrayed, and to beg them to be more upon their Guard for the future...
Date: 19 June 1777
Volume: Volume 9
I am sorry to inform Your Lordship, that the Mercury a French Ship just arrived from Boston has brought certain Advice of the safe Arrival of the Amphitrite: She reached Portsmouth in New England the 30th of April. It is said that these two Ships the Amphitrite and Mercury, had on hoard no less than thirty thousand Stand of Arms four hundred Tun of Gun Powder, five thousand Tents, and sixty four...
Date: 2 July 1777
Volume: Volume 9
I sit down to give Your Lordship an account of the Mannerin which I have endeavoured to execute, the very important orders transmitted to me in Your Letter No 43., which I received on Monday Night. The next Morning after having carefully perused Your Lordships Dispatches, and their several Inclosures, I went as usual to Versailles. I determined to avail myself of the Hint you were so good as to...
Date: 9 July 1777
Volume: Volume 9
. . . [I then spoke] of what has passed at Dunkirk. Notwithstanding my repeated Representations on the Subject, notwithstanding all Your Excellency [de Vergennes] Said to me when You mentioned the Expedient You had proposed to M de Sartines, which would Have effectually ended the Business, nay more, Notwithstanding the most positive Assurances given to me by M de Maurepas that the Greyhound...
Date: 30 July 1777
Volume: Volume 9
When I went to M de Vergennes I told Him, that I must beg his particular Attention, as what I had to say was by Express order from My Court.
The King my Master, who received with real Satisfaction the Solemn Assurances conveyed, first thro' me, and repeated by the french Ambassador, sees with Concern and Surprize; that Notwithstanding those Assurances, Your Orders were Scarce arrived, when they...
Date: 6 August 1777
Volume: Volume 9
That I might be sure of executing punctually the important Orders transmitted to me in Your Lordships Letter No 49, I took Notes of all the Particulars mentioned in that Letter, carried them with me to Versailles, and turned to them occasionally in the Course of my Yesterdays Conversation with M de Vergennes.
I began with an Apology for the long Trouble, which I foresaw that I Should be obliged...
Date: 20 August 1777
Volume: Volume 9
I did not lose a Moment in Communicating to Your Excellency some important Information which I have just received from an English Gentleman who is arrived from Nantes. Two Ships of the Jamaica fleet, which have been taken by American Privateers, have been carried into the said Port; But in order to elude the Orders given by this Court on the last such occasion they were allowed to come in...
Date: 27 August 1777
Volume: Volume 9
. . . When I spoke of the Mischiefs that had arisen from the clandestine Sale of the Prizes and dwelt upon the Necessity of a Sequestration, and Restitution to the Owners, he [Vergennes] stopped me a Moment, and very politely desired Leave to interrupt me, to mention the Precautions they had already taken. These Precautions, My Lord, which M. de Maurepas alluded to, are 1st a Circular Order to...
Date: 3 September 1777
Volume: Volume 9
. . . He [de Maurepas] repeatedly said that we should have no farther reason to complain of the American Privateers — that Monsr de Chaffault had orders to keep them off the Coast and not let any of them into the Ports of France except in cases of real Distress — That henceforward neither they, nor their Prizes should be admitted into any of the French Ports, that they did Harm to both Nations,...
Date: 4 September 1777
Volume: Volume 9
. . . The Rebel Agents Have not relinquished the project of sending Arms & naval stores from Nantz, & whatever professions may be made us, they will always be secretly favored by France in every project of that kind — Our only security against the success of such undertakings is in the vigilance of our Cruizers, who cannot pay too much attention to the Coast of Brittany — The Rebels...
Date: 17 September 1777
Volume: Volume 9