The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume I Part 21

Besides these we have in service, the Alfred, Columbus, and Reprisal, ships from sixteen to twentyfour guns, the brigantines Cabot, Camden, Andrew Doria, and Lexington, of twelve to sixteen guns, the sloops Providence, Hornet, Fly, Independence, Sachem, and schooners Wasp, Mosquito, and Georgia Packet, all in actual service, and they have had great success, in taking valuable prizes, as indeed have numbers of privateers from all parts of America. We have besides two very fine low galleys, built here, of ninety feet keel, but they are not yet rigged; and it has lately been determined by Congress to build some line of battle ships, and at all events to push forward, and pay the utmost attention to an American navy. The greatest encouragement is given to seamen, which ought to be made known throughout Europe. Their pay in our navy is eight dollars per month, with the best chance for prize money, that men ever had, and liberty of discharges after every cruise if they choose it. In the merchant service they now get from thirty to forty dollars per month; and this leads me to the state of our commerce.

In the Eastern States, they are so intent on privateering, that they mind little else; however, there is some exportation of produce from thence, and as to imports, they are the best supplied of any part of America, having been surprisingly successful in captures. New York being in the hands of the enemy, we have nothing to say to it, and the produce of New Jersey will be totally consumed by their army and ours.

In this State, (Pennsylvania,) we had last season the worst crop of wheat ever known, both as to quant.i.ty and quality; this being our staple commodity, and stores prohibited, our merchants have been led to purchase much tobacco in Maryland and Virginia, and their ships are employed in the export of this article, with some flour, boards, beeswax, &c. We have a good many imports, but as fast as goods arrive, they are bought up for the army, or for the use of neighboring States, and therefore continue to bear high prices.

The value of ships has risen in the same enormous proportion with every thing else, and ships, that were deemed worth 1000, twelve months ago, now sell for 3000, or upwards. Every article belonging to them is also excessively dear, and hard to be got, and the insolence and difficulty of seamen is beyond bearing. In Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia, they have plenty of valuable produce on hand, but no ships to carry it away, and constant cruisers all along the coast make it very dangerous to send ships from one port to another; so that look which way you will, you find us surrounded with difficulties, in the land service, in the sea service, and in our commerce.

Agriculture and mechanics have their impediments, by the enlisting of soldiers, and frequent calls on the militia. In short nothing but the most arduous exertions, and virtuous conduct in the leaders, seconded by a spirited behavior in the army, and a patient endurance of hardships by the people in general, can long support the contest; therefore the Court of France should strike at once, as they will reap an immediate harvest; they may sell their manufactures for any price they please to ask, they will get in payment tobacco, rice, indigo, deerskins, furs, wheat, flour, iron, beeswax, lumber, fish, oil, whalebone, pot and pearl ashes, and various other articles, and, if they please, here is an ample field to employ their shipping, and raise seamen for their navy.

I will not enter into any detail of our conduct in Congress, but you may depend on this, that so long as that respectable body persist in the attempt to execute, as well as to deliberate on their business, it never will be done as it ought, and this has been urged many and many a time, by myself and others, but some of them do not like to part with power, or to pay others for doing what they cannot do themselves.

I have Mr Deane's favor of the 30th of September,[27] to myself, now before me; the letter by the same conveyance from Martinico, under cover of Mr Bingham's, I sent down to the committee at Baltimore, and wrote them my mind on the justice of your complaints, for want of intelligence. I had often told it to them before; you know well I was not put in that committee to carry on the correspondence, but to find out the conveyances; however, I have been obliged to write all the letters, that have been written for some time past; but as Colonel Lee, Mr Hooper, and the Rev. Dr Witherspoon are now added to the committee, I shall excuse myself from that task, although I have thought it proper to give you a just state of our affairs at this time, because I do not suppose the committee will be got fairly together in Baltimore yet, and when they do, it is probable they may not be fond of laying things before you so fully as I have done. Some of us are of very sanguine complexions, and are too apt to flatter ourselves, that things are not so bad as they appear to be, or that they will soon mend, &c. Now my notion is, that you, gentlemen commissioners, should be fairly and fully informed of the true state of affairs, that you may make a proper use of that knowledge, keeping secret what ought to be so, and promulgating what should be known.

Doctor Franklin will see this letter, for whose safe arrival my best wishes have often gone forth, and I embrace this opportunity of a.s.suring him of the high respect and esteem I entertain for him. I also beg my compliments to Mr Lee, if he is with you; tell him I have the commission, in which he is nominated, ready to send, but it is gone into the country with my papers, or I would send it by this conveyance. My own affairs necessarily detained me here after the departure of Congress, and it is well I staid, as I am obliged to set many things right, that would otherwise be in the greatest confusion.

Indeed, I find my presence so very necessary, that I shall remain here until the enemy drive me away.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

FOOTNOTES:

[27] See page 41, of this volume.

THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Baltimore, 30th December, 1776.

Gentlemen,

You will be pleased to receive herewith copies of our letter of the 21st inst., and of its enclosures, which we recommend to your attention. Since that letter was written, General Washington having been reinforced by the troops lately commanded by General Lee, and by some corps of militia, crossed the Delaware with 2500 men, and attacked a body of the enemy posted at Trenton, with the success that you will see related in the enclosed handbill. We hope this blow will be followed by others, that may leave the enemy not so much to boast of, as they some days ago expected, and we had reason to apprehend.

Upon mature deliberation of all circ.u.mstances, Congress deem the speedy declaration of France and European a.s.sistance so indispensably necessary to secure the independence of these States, that they have authorised you to make such tenders to France and Spain, as, they hope, will prevent any longer delay of an event, that is judged so essential to the well being of North America. Your wisdom, we know, will direct you to make such tenders to France and Spain, as they hope will procure the thing desired, on terms as much short of the concessions now offered as possible; but no advantages of this kind are proposed at the risk of a delay, that may prove dangerous to the end in view. It must be very obvious to the Court of France, that if Great Britain should succeed in her design of subjugating these States, their inhabitants, now well trained to arms, might be compelled to become instruments for making conquest of the French possessions in the West Indies, which would be a sad contrast to that security and commercial benefit, that would result to France from the independence of North America.

By some accident in removing the papers from Philadelphia to this place, the Secretary of Congress has mislaid the additional instructions formerly given you, by which you were empowered to negotiate with other Courts besides France. We think it necessary to mention this to you, lest the paper should have got into wrong hands, and because we wish to have a copy sent us by the first good opportunity.

We observe, that Mr Deane sent his despatches for this committee open to Mr Bingham. Though we have a good opinion of that gentleman, yet we think him rather too young to be made acquainted with the business pa.s.sing between you and us, and therefore wish this may not be done in cases of much importance.

The next opportunity will bring you the determination of Congress concerning the persons, that are to be sent to the Courts of Vienna, Russia, Spain, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In the mean time, it is hoped, that, through the medium of the amba.s.sadors from those Courts to that of France, you may be so fortunate as to procure their friendly mediation for the purposes proposed by Congress.

Our Andrew Doria, of 14 guns, has taken a king's sloop of war, of 12 guns, after a smart engagement.

In our last we say, the enemy made near 3000 prisoners at Fort Washington, but the number is fixed at 2634. The _West Indiamen_ taken by our cruisers amount to 250 sail.

The scarcity of ships here is so great, that we shall find much difficulty in making the extensive remittances to France, that we ought, in due season; therefore, it will in our opinion be an object of great importance, to obtain the consent of the Farmers-General to send to Virginia and Maryland for any quant.i.ty of tobacco they may choose, or to the State of North Carolina for any quant.i.ty of naval stores, which may be wanted for public use, or to supply the demands of private merchants.

The terms, both as to quant.i.ty and price, you will endeavor to learn, and let it be made known to us with all possible expedition, that you may receive an answer thereon.

The Captain of the armed vessel, that carries these despatches, has orders to deliver them himself to you in Paris, and his vessel will expect his return in a different port from the one he arrives at; he will take your directions about his return, and receive your letters, but the anxiety prevailing here to know your success, renders it proper, that he should return with all possible despatch.

Wishing you health, success, and many happy years, we remain, gentlemen, yours, &c.

B. HARRISON, R. H. LEE, J. WITHERSPOON, W. HOOPER.

COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE TO CAPTAIN LARKIN HAMMOND.

Baltimore, 2d January, 1777.

Sir,

You are to proceed with all the despatch in your power, with the schooner Jenifer, under your command, to Nantes, in France; on your arrival there, you are to apply to Mr Thomas Morris, if he should be at that port, if he should not, your application must be to Messrs Pliarne, Penet & Co., who will furnish you with necessary cash for your journey to Paris, for which place you must set out immediately, and deliver your despatches to Messrs Franklin, Deane, and Lee, and wait their orders; when they discharge you, you are to return with the utmost diligence to America, and put into the most convenient port to the southward of the Delaware; we think Chincoteague or some other on the back of the Eastern sh.o.r.e the most likely for avoiding men of war, and would therefore have you attempt getting into one of those ports; when arrived, you must leave the schooner under the command of your mate, and bring the despatches yourself to Congress, wherever it may be sitting.

You are, before you set out for Paris, to consult with Mr Morris or the above gentlemen, whether your vessel will not be most likely to escape the enemy by sending her to some other port to meet you on your return; if this should be their opinion, you are to give orders to your mate accordingly; you are also to deliver your pig iron to the orders of those gentlemen, and take from them such a quant.i.ty of military stores, as will ballast your vessel. The safe delivery of the despatches, with which you are intrusted, and the obtaining answers to them, are matters of such immense consequence to the Continent, that we cannot too strongly recommend to you the avoiding all vessels that you may see, either outward bound, or on your return. You are also to avoid as much as possible, falling in with headlands and islands, as it is most usual for men of war to cruise off such places.

The despatches will be delivered to you in a box, which you must put into a bag with two shots, that, in case of falling in with an enemy, from which you cannot escape, you may be prepared to sink them, which, on such an event happening, we earnestly insist on your doing.

We wish you a good voyage, and safe return, and are your most humble servants,

B. HARRISON, R. H. LEE.

_P. S._ When you arrive at Nantes, inquire and get directions from the gentlemen there, to whom you are recommended for cash to carry you to Paris, where Dr Franklin, Mr Deane, or Mr Arthur Lee lodge in Paris; and above all things take care not to let it be known at Nantes, from whence you come, your business, or where you are going, except to the above gentlemen.

TO THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.

Paris, 17th January, 1777.

Gentlemen,

We joined each other at this place on the 22d of December, and, on the 28th, _had an audience of his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, one of His Most Christian Majesty's princ.i.p.al Secretaries of State, and Minister for Foreign Affairs. We laid before him our commission, with the articles of the proposed treaty of commerce.[28] He a.s.sured us of the protection of his Court, and that due consideration should be given to what we offered_. Soon after we presented a memoir of the present situation of our States, drawn up at the minister's request, together with the articles of general confederation, and the demands for ships of war, agreeable to our instructions. Copies of all these papers were given by us to the Count d'Aranda, His Catholic Majesty's Amba.s.sador here, to be communicated to his Court. We are promised an answer from this Court, as soon as they can know the determination of Spain, with which they mean to act in perfect unanimity.

In the mean time, we are endeavoring to expedite several vessels laden with artillery, arms, ammunition, and clothing, which we hope will reach you in time for the campaign, though unfortunately one vessel, which Mr Deane had sent so laden, has just put back, after having been three weeks at sea. She is, however, now sailed again. The ports of France, Spain, and Florence, (that is Leghorn, in the Mediterranean,) are open to the American cruisers, upon the usual terms of neutrality.

We find it essential to the establishment and maintenance of your commercial credit in Europe, that your concerns of that kind should be in the hands of the most respectable men, in the different countries.

From the observations we have made, Mr Myrtle is not of that description, and we are sorry to say, that the irregularities of Mr Thomas Morris render it absolutely necessary, that some other person should be immediately appointed in his place. We also think it advisable, that you should be so far on your guard, with respect to Mons. Penet, as not to deviate from the original contract made with him, as we cannot learn that he is known to be a person of substance, at the same time it is but justice to say, that he appears to be active, industrious, and attentive to your interests. He is indeed connected with a very good house in Nantes, M. Gruel, but we know not the terms of that connexion, or how far M. Gruel is answerable. It seems to us, that those houses, which are connected in Great Britain, are to be avoided.

It would be useful if we had some blank commissions for privateers, and we therefore wish some may be sent us, by the first opportunity.

As vessels are almost daily arriving from America, at the ports here, we conceive advices of the proceedings in the campaign might be frequently sent to us, so as to enable us to contradict the exaggerated representations made by the English of their successes; which, standing uncontroverted, have a considerable influence upon our credit and upon our cause.

Great efforts are now making by the British government, to procure more troops from Germany. The Princes in alliance with France have refused to lend any, or to enter into any guarantee of Hanover, which England has been mean enough to ask, being apprehensive for that Electorate, if she should draw from it more of its troops. Four more regiments, two of them to be light horse, are raising in Hesse, where there has been an insurrection, on account of drafting the people; and now great sums of money are distributed for procuring men. They talk of ten thousand men in all to be sent over this spring. These things do not look as if England was very confident of success in the next campaign, without more aid.

The hearts of the French are universally for us, and the cry is strong for immediate war with Britain. Indeed every thing tends that way, but the Court has its reasons for postponing it a little longer. In the mean time preparations are making for it. They have already a fleet of twentysix sail of the line, manned and fit for sea. Spain has seventeen sail in the same state, and more are fitting with such diligence, that they reckon to have thirty sail in each kingdom, by the month of April. This must have an immediate good effect in our favor, as it keeps the English fleet at bay, coops up their seamen, of whom they will scarce find enough to man their next set of transports, and probably keep Lord Howe's fleet more together, for fear of a visit, and leave us more sea room to prey upon their commerce, and a freer coast to bring in our prizes; and also the supplies we shall be able to send you, in consequence of our agreement with the Farmers-General, which is, that the Congress shall provide, purchasing bona fide at the lowest price possible, twenty thousand hogsheads of tobacco, in Virginia and Maryland, at the public warehouses in those States, for the ships which they, the Farmers-General, shall send; and that those tobaccos shall be brought to France, at their risk and in their ships. They understand the price is not likely to exceed three or four French sous in America, but we do not warrant that it shall cost no more, though we hope it will not. Upon these conditions we are to have half the supposed price advanced, immediately, and the opportunity of shipping warlike stores on board their ships, at your risk, and paying reasonable freights; the rest to be paid as soon as advice is received that the tobacco is shipped.