Displaying 1 - 20 of 36
I received your orders and Instructions by Mr. [William] Bingham the 13th Inst but the Shallop with the Provisions did not Arrive till this day, We have now got all the Provision on board both from the Wasp & Shallop ー
You may depend on my best endeavours in your Service to prosecute this Voyage with the Most expedition and Advantage in my power my People, all to two are in good health,...
Date: 16 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
This will inform you of my proceedings since I left Cape May the 3d Instant. we left that place in Company with 13 Merchant Men, who I think all got Safe off, as we did not lose Sight of them till they got a good distance from the Land. We Saw no Ships of War at all on the Coast.
We this Day fell in with Captain [Charles] Mackay, in the ship Friendship, Coffee from Granada bound to London, loaded...
Date: 11 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
This will inform of a Small Addition to our good fortune in the Prize Way. We this day took Capt [John] Muckelno in the Schooner Peter of Liverpool from St Vincent bound to Liverpool in Brittain, Loaded with: Rum ー Sugar Coffee Cocoa & Cotton, We also took Capt [Charles] Mackey in the Ship Friendship from Granada, bound to London, wch I have wrote you of before, and, Now; Send a Coppy of that...
Date: 13 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
I wrote you every material occurrence to the time of my leaving Bordeaux, and sent duplicates by Captains Palmer, Bunker, and Seaver, one of which you will undoubtedly have received before this comes to hand. I left that city on the last of June and arrived here the Saturday following, having carefully attended to everything in the manufacturing or commercial towns in my way; which, indeed, are...
Date: 20 July 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Mons. ー Chauont, a very wealthy person, and intendant for providing clothes, etc. for the French army, has offered me a credit on account of the Colonies to the amount of one million of livres, which, I have accepted. I have in treaty another credit, which joined to this, will purchase the articles directed in my instructons; the credit will be until May next, before which I hope remittances will...
Date: 27 July 1776
Volume: Volume 6
I should have sent this off earlier, but delayed on account of hearing something more directly, if I might depend on certain articles for which I was in treaty; I am now assured I may, and the whole will be ready to ship in all the month of October. My next labor will be to obtain a convoy, which I do not despair of, though it is a delicate question, and I have only sounded at a distance, yet I...
Date: 2 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The respectful esteem that I bear towards that brave people who so well defend their liberty under your conduct has induced me to form a plan concurring in this great work, by establishing an extensive commercial house, solely for the purpose of serving you in Europe, there to supply you with necessaries of every sort, to furnish you expeditiously and certainly with all articles ー clothes, linens...
Date: 18 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
...If a few of our cruisers should venture on this coast they might do very well, as they would find protection in the harbors of this kingdom. Coming ostensibly for the purpose only of commerce or otherwise no questions would be asked, and they might wait until an opportunity offered (of which they might be minutely informed), and then strike something to the purpose. I give this hint to...
Date: 18 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
... For Heaven's sake, if you mean to have any connection with this kingdom [France], be more assiduous in getting yqur letters here. I know not where the blame lies, but it must be heavy somewhere, when vessels are suffered to sail from Philadelphia and other ports quite down to the middle of August without a single line. This circumstance was urged against my assertions, and was near proving a...
Date: 1 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Since I wrote the President this Morning, a Young Gentl came up from Chincoteague where he had landed out of the Sloop Independence (Capt Young) belonging to the Continent, this sloop was from Martinico bound hither but was chased into that place by a large Frigate. The Sloop has on board a quantity of Blankets, Coarse Cloths & near 1000 Muskets, which I will take care of. Capt Young staid...
Date: 16 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Your Declaration of the 4th of July last has given this Court, as well as several others in Europe reason to expect you would in form announce your Independency to them, and ask their friendship, but a three months silence on that subject appears to them mysterious, and the more so as you declared for foreign alliances. This silence has given me the most inexpressible anxiety, has more than once...
Date: 8 October 1776
Volume: Volume 7
. . . a Vessel with a Commission from the Honble Congress detained in Bilboa as a Pirate, and complaint carried to the Court of Madrid, I have been applied to for assistance, and though I am in hopes, nothing will be determined against us, yet I confess I tremble to think how important a Question is by this step agitated, without any one empowered to appear in a proper Character and def end,...
Date: 17 October 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Gentlemen The only letters I have received from you were 4th and 5th of June last five months since, during which time Vessels have arrived from almost every part of america to every part of France and Spain, and I am informed Letters from Mr Morris to his Correspondents dated late in July. If the Congress do not mean to apply for foreign alliances let me intreat you to say so, and rescind your...
Date: 6 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have wrote you often and particularly of affairs here, the want of intelligence retards every thing, as I have not a Word from you, since the 6 June last, I am well nigh distracted, that I may not omit any chance of sending to you I write this tho I have long & minute Letters by me waiting the departure of Monsr Genl Du Coudry 2 & his train who had I been properly and in...
Date: 9 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
This serves only to inclose and explain the within State of the Commerce of Leghorn, which was given me by the Envoy of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, a Gentleman of universal Knowledge and a warm friend to America, and indeed fo all mankind; I have the honor of his acquaintance in an intimate degree, and having communicated to him a memoire setting forth the particular state of the Commerce of...
Date: 26 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
In a former Letter I mentioned a Naval Enterprize which might at first appear Romantic, but the more it is considered the less danger I shall be in of being taxed on that score. Admiral Montague lately returned from the Banks where the Fishermen have had a wretched season of it, in consequence of the american privateers. He left two small Sloops of War there of 14 and 16 guns. In common years...
Date: 27 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Your favor of the 7th August last covering Copy of yours of the 8th July I received tho' the original never came to hand. — this Letter also inclosed the declaration of Independency with instructions to make it known to this and the other Powers of Europe, and I received it the 7th Instant, though the Vessel which brought it had but 38 days passage from Salem — this Letter was very far from...
Date: 28 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
. . . I should never have completed what I have but for the generous, and indefatigueable and spirited exertions of Monsr Beaumarchais to whom the United States are on every account greatly indebted, more so than to any other Person on this side the Water, he is greatly in advance for Stores, Cloathing, and the like, and therefore am confident you will make him the earliest and most ample...
Date: 29 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
After a short but rough Passage of 30 Days we anchor'd in Quiberon Bay, the Wind not suiting to enter the Loire. Capt Wicks did every thing in his Power to make the Voyage comfortable to me; and I was much pleas'd with what I saw of his Conduct as an Officer, when on suppos'd Occasions we made Preparation for Engagement, the good Order & Readiness with which it was done, being far beyond my...
Date: 8 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I take this opportunity to Inform you of my Safe Arrival in 29 Days, as from Cape Henlopen at Quiberoon Bay, where I landed Doctor Franklin & his Suit in good health he has been very kindly received in France, as I am informed, but had no letter from him as yet, but expect one every Hour —
We have taken two Prizes on ourpassage both small Brigs, one from Bordoux loaded wth 15000 pipe and Bb...
Date: 13 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7