Displaying 1 - 20 of 37
The Captain of the Vessel Louis-Auguste from le Havre, which arrived in this Colony on the 21st instant, relates that, by 20 degrees of latitude North, he encountered a Squadron of 15 Spanish warships making for St. Domingue. He adds that he passed them close enough to determine thatthey were all warships with three flagships, the first one flying the square ensign from the main mast, the second...
Date: 25 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
On the 27th Instant, during the afternoon, the frigate Shark of the King of England commanded by Captain [John] Chapman, dropped anchor in the Road of St. Pierre. This Captain said he had been sent by Admiral [James] Young in order to find out if I was satisfied by his letter relative to what had happened off the Dominique between our frigate Serin and the English frigate Argo; I had the honor to...
Date: 31 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I have the honor to send you, Sir, the summary of the letters which were sent to me by the governors of our colonies concerning the conduct the captains of English warships in those seas. I also enclose extracts of declarations made upon their return by the captains of merchant ships that were visited by English officers and of which several & were fired upon with shot. Since England wages an...
Date: 26 May 1776
Volume: Volume 6
I had the honor, Sir, to receive the letter which you wrote me on the 26th of this month, as well as all the enclosed documents.
I agree with you, Sir, that our merchant ships should not excuse themselves from answering the call of English warships, and it appears to me that if these have had to use force so as to oblige the former to comply with this rule, it was only after encountering...
Date: 29 May 1776
Volume: Volume 6
My lord, In conformity with the instructions you sent to M. de la Porte in your dispatch of 31 May last, I fruitlessly made the most rigorous investigation in order to discover the Dutch ships which sailed recently from Amsterdam with a cargo of 40 thousand pounds of gunpowder destined for New England according to the English Minister Plenipotentiary.
Since the instructions which you had sent...
Date: 11 June 1776
Volume: Volume 6
P. S. I must add that besides the English frigate cruising near the end of the mole to intercept Insurgent Vessels, there is another cruising off Cap [Haitien] and Fort Dauphin for the same purpose; M. de Monteil is watching the mole; surely he will not tolerate any insults and at the very least he will comply with Instructions. Since Cap remains unguarded, I will send M. de Beaussier there as...
Date: 9 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Mylord, I have the honor to send you a few items concerning the present situation in New England; the defeat on lake Champlain was somewhat softened by the fact that, as various letters from this country indicate, the Americans had gained a few advantages on land, recapturing a few posts and ground which they had previously lost to the Royalists. I also enclose the extracts from three letters...
Date: 22 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
My Lord, I have often received requests in wr1tmg from New England Privateers who wished to know if they could bring here prizes captured on the high seas; I have always refused to answer such queries .and I only informed them orally that they had better take them to New England. I am with respect [&c.]
Date: 1 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Mylord, English frigates cruising in these seas have been so bold as to act in a manner which is as injurious to our trade as it is contrary to our treaties and which constitutes an insult to our flag. They have searched and examined the cargoes in order to see if they included any powder; they have acted this way almost within the reach of our batteries. Having been informed of these...
Date: 20 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Mylord, Since it is undoubtedly important for the interest of France to know exactly the real state of affairs in New England, I have deemed necessary to send you, Mylord, M. de Ksain, commanding the King's frigate Favorite. I do not doubt for a single moment that you are informed of these events by way of England, but the intelligence which I have the honor to forward to you has been sent to me...
Date: 23 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
My Lord: We believe it our duty to inform your Excellency of an incident which seems to us to compromise the honor and safety of the French flag as well as the interest of national navigation. It is the seizure by an American privateer of the vessel Le Dillon, Captn Lefevre, from the port of St Vallery. This ship had loaded in London last month en route to Genoa and Leghorn. The privateer seized...
Date: 26 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
. . . The Privateer Reprisal 2 having Saluted our pennant with three cheers of Long Live the King, I had one salute returned as a matter of politeness. However, not knowing the King's intentions on the manner in which the Warships of the English American Colonies must be treated, I have the Honor of advising you of my Conduct, which I Know to be inconsequential, but it Would displease...
Date: 28 April 1777
Volume: Volume 8
An English Captain whose ship is presently calling at this port [Naples] read in the public papers that the New Englanders had been declared rebels and traitors to the mother country by act of Parliament. He decided to arm his ship for war here, then sail for the straits of Gibraltar in order to meet the ships from Boston which will bring in the Fall the salted produce of their fishing in America.
Date: 21 August 1775
Volume: Volume 2
I have the honor to inform you that a ship of 200 tons from Philadelphia called Concorde, under the command of Mr. Joseph Smith and loaded with caskwood and iron, arrived in this port day before yesterday. Because of the British who are here in large numbers we spread the news that this ship came from Glasgow and carried tobacco. We have heard that as of the 10th of this month all the ships...
Date: 11 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
Undoubtedly you think as I do that we cannot prevent the Court in London from stopping trade with the English colonies, and that we can raise no objection on this subject. As for the American vessels which will be able to reach Dunkerque or another one of our ports, nothing should hinder their entry;but in my opinion it will be advisable to prevent them from taking on any sort of war material.
Date: 30 September 1775
Volume: Volume 2
Following your request which Thad the honor to receive with your dispatch dated on the sixth of this month, and following the remarks addressed to you by the Count of Vergennes, with which you were so kind to acquaint me, I gathered the most exact information with regard to the unlading of foreign ships presently in this port. I found that the schooner Charming Polly of 70 freight tons, from...
Date: 27 October 1775
Volume: Volume 2
During my first 48 hour call at St. Pierre an English frigate of 16 nine pounders, called Pomona, arrived there. 2 She was commanded by Mr. [William] Young, a very young captain, son of Admiral Young in command of the squadron stationed in these Isles who resides at Antigua. 3 This Captain told me that this squadron was composed of 5 warships; they have been there for six...
Date: 19 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3
I had the honor to receive, Sir, your letter dated the 6th of this month and a copy of the one which Mr. Prévost de la Croix, General Commissioner at Lorient, sent you. I think that we must show the consideration which we hold for the Court of London by preventing the Americans from trading arms and war ammunition in our ports, but, at the same. time, I am of the opinion that this courtesy must...
Date: 10 November 1775
Volume: Volume 3
You were present, Sir, when I gave my report to the King yesterday at the council on the letter in which the English Ambassador requests that the orders forbidding the exportation of arms and ammunition from out ports to the English colonies be renewed and you will remember that His Majesty is determined to assent to this request. I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy of the letter from the...
Date: 8 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3
The English Ambassador told me yesterday, Sir, that he had intelligence that three ships from Northern America had arrived in Marseille with cargoes of cereals and that it was their intention to exchange them for war ammunition. I believe, Sir, that I should acquaint you with this fact in order that you may take the steps which you will deem appropriate following the orders requested by the Court...
Date: 28 December 1775
Volume: Volume 3