Displaying 1 - 12 of 12
The inclosed extract of a Letter, from a Friend of mine, of undoubted Credit, at Bilboa, occasions my Troubling your excelleny, at this Time. As the congress have no Agent at present, at the Court of Madrid, I am apprehensive that the British Ambassador will endeavor to take advantage of this Circumstance, to obtain some resolution respecting this Vessel, not so much, to operate as by way of...
Date: 13 October 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I have the honour to recommend to you the contents of the enclosed letter. We are not aware for what reason the Customs officers in charge at Bilbao have detained the American vessel in question. It would be very serious if it were to be known in America that the Court of Madrid had ill-treated one of their privateers. Then they would think it very certain that they had nothing to hope for from...
Date: 14 October 1776
Volume: Volume 7
The English islands are suffering more and more from scarcity and the cost of victuals, as from the multiple takings of the American corsairs. The news of three new ships taken on their return from the West Indies was received this week, and the most moderate calculations place the value of losses during this year by English commerce at 600 thousand pounds Sterling.
People are even more alarmed...
Date: 18 October 1776
Volume: Volume 7
We now know, My Lord Count, the reasons for the impressment. It is a question of manning an observation force of 27 ships of the line whose rendez-vous point is off Spithead. It is reported that the force will be under the command of Admiral Keppel; however, he has not yet been appointed. The Admiralty's order, sent out the evening before the opening of Parliament, states that full complements...
Date: 1 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
Monsieur le Comte de Vergennes:
Friday at 8 o'clock I shall be at Your Excellency's.
If I were not certain that I agree with your views in desiring that you lift as many as you are able of the obstacles which are holding up my business, I would not have the indiscretion to point [it] out, since it seems that I need only submit myself. But I know that you are as vexed as I am about what is being...
Date: 12 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
The ship Romney, commanded by Admiral Montagu, arrived from Newfoundland to Portsmouth on the 12th of this month. The Admiral left two small schooners on that island in order to prate.ct it from incursions by American privateers. Impressment continues in the interior with the greatest animation, but all of the seamen are hiding, and they are abandoning the ships to the point where they are...
Date: 15 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
I am not fortunate in anything coming from your Department. Since the reply from M. de St. Germain which you showed me, I have obtained the most exact information as to the quantity of powder lying in the King's magazines, and I have found that there are nineteen millions two hundred and odd thousand pounds weight. You will confess that a very malevolent demon must meddle with my affairs, to...
Date: 21 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
You recall, Your Excellency, all that occurred at the time of the naming of Lord Howe to command the fleet in America. That of Admiral Keppel brought down a new affront on the part of this officer who was summoned to the King last Monday. His Britannic Majesty told him that he would be given command of the fleet which was being formed, that he was asked not to stand aside and to keep himself...
Date: 22 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
. . . Lord Suffolk stated to the Prince of Masseran [Masserano] that our intentions may not be turned toward 'war, but that England could not look upon a departure of our [Brest] Fleet for America without being perturbed; that they are persuaded that France will not at all support the insurgent Americans, but that the confidence these same Rebels will gain at the sight of foreign forces in their...
Date: 6 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
. . . Lord North. flattered himself that the most recent instructions sent to Gen. Howe would prevent any sort of involvement by America with other powers. Many persons assert that there is a willingness to permit the Americans to trade with other nations. But nobody yet dares to say that they are thinking of recognizing their independence. Nevertheless nothing would be more to the point, and be...
Date: 17 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
We beg Leave to acquaint your Excellency, that we are appointed and fully impowered by the Congress of the United States of America, to propose and negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the said States.—The just and generous Treatment their Trading Ships have received, by a free Admission into the Ports of this Kingdom, with other Considerations of Respect, has induced the...
Date: 23 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7
. . . I had an opportunity to see Mylord Sandwich Sunday past. He did me the honor of coming to dinner, and I found the proper time to ask him if it were true that when Parliament reconvenes there would be a Bill to give commissions to privateers operating against Americans. Mylord Sandwich confirmed that there is such a Bill, and this is how he explained it.
The future enactment to grant private...
Date: 27 December 1776
Volume: Volume 7