Displaying 1 - 20 of 127
My lord, I had the honor to inform you in my letter No. 236 at the beginning of last Nov. that the plan agreed upon by the Ministry with reference to the province of Massachusett was to forbid all trade with this province and abandon it to its own anarchy, if the governor was unable to form a Civil Chamber in order to enforce the law by civil means. I could not doubt the reality of this...
Date: 19 January 1775
Volume: Volume 1
My lord, The dice are cast: the Government seems to be determined to break down the Americans. In addition to the marines which it has been decided to send, as I had the honor to inform you, the order was sent last wednesday to the Vice-Roy of Ireland to prepare everything for the transport of three infantry regiments and one light cavalry regiment. Each infantry regiment consists of one...
Date: 27 January 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I have, My lord, fully carried out your orders by observing to Myd Rochford that, as the British Government had deemed necessary to restrict the trade of New England, we do not doubt that His British Majesty gave His sea officers the strictest and most precise orders not to interfere with the trade of our Colonies and not to come near our possessions under any circumstances to visit those of our...
Date: 14 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I have learned, My lord, that during the session of the House of Lords where Myd Rochford mentioned the letter from Myd Stormont, the Duke of Richmond said that this letter meant very little, and that one could rely upon Gallican faith only in as much as it would be to our advantage to keep our word. In addition, I have learned that Myd Rochford was so good as to agree with this, but went on to...
Date: 20 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I offer you all my thanks, Sir, for forwarding to me the dispatch from M. Garnier concerning the secret branch he had the initiative to put back into operation. The additions that he has suggested seem to deserve all our attention. I know how important it is for us to be exactly informed of all English maritime movements; I also think that we could take great advantage of the connections which M...
Date: 20 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I have the honor to inform you at the request of Mylord Rochford that, as a result of the protests I made in your name to this Minister, the Court of London deeming this matter important enough to take new precautions, has sent with dispatch to its sea officers on duty in America the most positive orders to use the greatest care in avoiding to give us the smallest ground for complaint.
I believe...
Date: 3 March 1775
Volume: Volume 1
After the recent increase of the troops and of the ships, I thought, My lord, that in the present circumstances, you would like to receive a record of the armed forces and everything in active status in the Navy. In writing both reports, I took care to show clearly and precisely the disposition of the British forces as of next May. I thought I should anticipate and include the troops on their way...
Date: 6 March 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The Bill intended to restrict the trade of New England and prevent the latter from fishing on the Banks of Newfoundland or along the coast of Northern America was passed the day before yesterday with a majority of 188 voices against 58 at the House of Commons. This Bill sets 1 July of this year as the date when the interdiction will go into effect for the New Englanders to export any kind of...
Date: 10 March 1775
Volume: Volume 1
No ships are being readied for the Mediterranean at this moment in any English port. The merchants would be the first to know if there were any hostile preparations against the Dey of Algiers, and the Government gives no indications to that effect. When this African Prince refused to receive the British Consul last year, the British Ministers confessed to me that, in spite of the importance of...
Date: 20 March 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I have the honor to forward to you the request which the merchants of London interested in the trade with Northern America have presented to the King of England in order to beg His Majesty to refuse His consent with regard to the Bill passed by both Houses. I join to this document the protest made by 16 Lords on the same subject. . . .
We have not heard anything yet about the memorandum, petition...
Date: 28 March 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The frigate Coventry has sailed from Portsmouth on the 28th of this month in destination of the East Indies from where the corvette Hawke just arrived. The frigate Levant arrived in this port on the 29th. She comes from Gibraltar. The letters of the same date from Portsmouth mention a transport ship that had just arrived there in order to embark the horses belonging to the general officers who...
Date: 31 March 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I shall continue to direct the strictest attention to the various matters interesting the Service of the King and especially these matters that you particularly recommended to me, My lord. Myd Rochford spoke to me yesterday about the ships now being commissioned in Spain advancing only that the Opposition observes that large vessels could not be intended for the coast of Africa since the waters...
Date: 7 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
As the legal Assembly of New York discussed whether it would conform itself to the resolution of non-importation as recommended by the Congress, this question has been determined in the negative by a majority of 4 voices. Next it entertained the motion that a ship recently arrived from London should be allowed to unload her goods and the motion was passed with a majority of 5 voices. But the...
Date: 11 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The Generals [Howe, Clinton, Burgoyne] left for Portsmouth the day before yesterday. They were to embark immediately in order to reach their destination.
Date: 17 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Three corvettes are being commissioned for a foreign destination. I suppose that two of them will be used along the coast of Africa according to what Myd. Rochford told me. Order has just been given recently at Portsmouth to place the crew of a frigate being laid up on board a guard ship in order to help fit out the ship Romney destined for Newfoundland and according to the rumor there, the crews...
Date: 28 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The British Ministry is completely at rest as far as we are concerned; because they are sure of our peaceful intentions, they do not worry about the movements of the Spanish Navy and troops; I attempted to find out what their opinion on this matter really is. They are convinced that the planned expedition does not have any other purpose, for the moment, than an attack against Africa. But they...
Date: 30 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Our correspondent in Portsmouth informed us on the 28th that five dispatches had arrived the day before, carrying various orders. He did not know their contents except for one which brought the order for the ship Meredith to sail immediately for Gibraltar and the frigate Levant for Jamaica; the workmen labored on their sails until eleven o'clock in the evening that same day. On Sunday, the 28th,...
Date: 31 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The dispatches which we expect directly from General Gage have not arrived yet. A few ships which came from Virginia and New York have confirmed the first news. We learned also that, prior to the engagement that took place on the 19th, they had received at Boston the formal addresses which both Houses of Parliament presented to the King of England early last February as well as the answer of His...
Date: 8 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Mild. Rochford spoke to me only of the descendants of Cromwell now established in America and who became, according to him, the leaders of the rebellion; well, he dreams only of Cromwell and everything related to this subject. He told me that the landing troops had been sent in spite of his advice; that he would have used only a few squadrons to blockade the ports and prevent any trade in the...
Date: 13 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1
The supplies for the army of General Gage, which were seized by the rebels in New York, were considerable. They were worth 80,000 pound sterling. It is now necessary to send even the flour from England in order to support this army, and make use of the same means which would have been required for the conquest of America.
The supply ships for the Newfoundland fishermen which ordinarily...
Date: 23 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1