The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume I Part 7

"6. Any British vessel found or met with on the coast of North or South America, or the Islands adjacent or belonging thereto, _within a certain degree or distance to be agreed on_, shall be forever hereafter considered as lawful prize to any of the subjects of France, Spain, or the United States, and treated as such as well in peace as in war,--nor shall France, Spain, or the United States ever hereafter admit British ships into any of their ports in America, North or South, or the Islands adjacent, nor shall this article ever be altered or dispensed with, but only by and with the consent of each of the three contracting States.

"7. During the present war, France and Spain to send fleets into the seas of the United States to defend them from the British, and should the possessions o France or Spain in America be attacked, the United States to lend such aids as they can for their defence.

"8. No peace to be made with Great Britain, by either of the contracting parties, to the infringement or violation of any one of these articles."

TO THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.

Paris, 6th December, 1776.

Gentlemen,

You have enclosed the duplicate of an agreement with Mons. du Coudray, of my orders for clothing, stores, &c., of my agreement with Baron de Kalb and others of his train, also with the Comte de Monau and his, which I hope will be agreeable, also the agreement for freight of the ships, which I was a.s.sured by letters from Bordeaux and elsewhere was as low as could be procured. At the same time, if it is above the stated price, in such cases I am promised an abatement. I hope the peculiarity of my situation, and the anxious desire I have of forwarding aid to my country, will be considered if any of the articles are thought high. Men cannot be engaged to quit their native country and friends, to hazard life and all in a cause, which is not their own immediately, at the same easy rate as men will do who are fighting literally _pro aris et focis_, and it is a universal custom in Europe to allow something extra to foreigners, but my allowances are very much below the rates here for officers in the same station.

I have the honor to be, with the most profound respect for the Congress, &c.

SILAS DEANE.

_List of Officers of Infantry and Light Troops destined to serve the United States of North America._

NAMES OF OFFICERS. RANK. COMMENCEMENT OF THEIR PAY.

Baron de Kalb, Major General, 7th November, 1776.

Vicount de Mauroy, Major General, 20th do. do.

de Senneville, Major, 7th do. do.

The Chevalier du Buyssons, Major, 7th do. do.

The Chevalier de Fayoles, Lieut. Colonel, 20th do. do.

Dubois Martin, Major, 20th do. do.

de Holtzendorff, Lieut. Colonel, 26th do. do.

The Chevalier de Failly, Lieut. Colonel, 1st December, 1776.

Amariton, Major, do. do.

de Roth, Captain, do. do.

de Gerard, Captain, do. do.

Philis de Roseval, Lieutenant, do. do.

de Montis, Lieutenant, do. do.

Loquet de Granges, Lieutenant, do. do.

de Vrigny, Capt. Company franche, do. do.

Candon, Lieutenant, do. do.

The said ranks and pay at the dates marked in the present list have been settled mutually between us, the undersigned, me, Silas Deane, in my quality of deputy of the most honorable Congress of the United States of North America, and me, John Baron de Kalb, Major General in the service of the States General. Done double at Paris this 1st of December, 1776.

DE KALB, SILAS DEANE.

_List of Officers of Infantry and Light Troops destined to serve in the armies of the United States of North America._

NAMES OF OFFICERS RANK COMMENCEMENT OF THEIR PAY

M. de la Fayette, Major General, from the 7th December, 1776.

Baron de Kalb, Major General, 7th November, Delesser, Colonel, 1st December, De Valfort, Colonel, 1st December, De Fayoles, Lieutenant Colonel, 20th November, De Franval, Lieutenant Colonel, 1st December, Dubois Martin, Major, 7th November, De Gimat, Major, 1st December, De Vrigny, Captain, 1st December, De Bedaulx, Capitaine, Captain, 1st December, de la Colombe, Lieutenant, 1st December, Candon, Lieutenant, 7th November.

The ranks and the pay, which the most honorable Congress shall affix to them to commence at the periods marked in the present list, have been agreed to by us the undersigned, Silas Deane in quality of deputy of the American States General on the one part, the Marquis de la Fayette and the Baron de Kalb on the other part. Signed double at Paris this 7th of December, 1776.

SILAS DEANE, The MARQUIS de la FAYETTE, DE KALB.

The desire which the Marquis de la Fayette shows of serving among the troops of the United States of North America, and the interest which he takes in the justice of their cause make him wish to distinguish himself in this war, and to render himself as useful as he possibly can; but not thinking that he can obtain leave of his family to pa.s.s the seas, and serve in a foreign country, till he can go as a general officer; I have thought I could not better serve my country, and those who have intrusted me, than by granting to him in the name of the very honorable Congress the rank of Major General, which I beg the States to confirm to him, to ratify and deliver to him the commission to hold and take rank, to count from this day, with the general officers of the same degree. His high birth, his alliances, the great dignities which his family holds at this Court, his considerable estates in this realm, his personal merit, his reputation, his disinterestedness, and above all his zeal for the liberty of our provinces, are such as to induce me alone to promise him the rank of major general in the name of the United States. In witness of which I have signed the present, this 7th of December, 1776.

SILAS DEANE.

On the conditions here explained I offer myself, and promise to depart when and how Mr Deane shall judge proper, to serve the United States with all possible zeal, without any pension or particular allowance, reserving to myself the liberty of returning to Europe when my family or my king shall recall me.

Done at Paris this 7th of December, 1776.

The MARQUIS de la FAYETTE.

TO COUNT VERGENNES.

Paris, December 8th, 1776.

Sir,

I received last evening a letter from my friend, Dr Franklin, at Nantes, which place he was to leave last Sunday morning, so that I expect him in Paris this day, or early tomorrow. Meantime I have and shall carefully attend to the hint given me, and am confident he will do the same. His arrival is the common topic of conversation, and has given birth to a thousand conjectures and reports, not one of which I have given ground for, having constantly declared that I am ignorant of the motives of his voyage, or his business.

I have the honor to be, &c.

SILAS DEANE.

TO THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.

Paris, 12th December, 1776.

Gentlemen,

Just as I had closed my despatches by the Generals de Coudray and Baron de Kalb, I was most agreeably surprised with a letter from Dr Franklin, at Nantes, where he arrived, after thirty days pa.s.sage, with two prizes. I hourly expect him here, but knowing of his arrival, I despatch this with a duplicate to Havre de Grace, to go by the ships sailing thence, and have only time to inform you, that I sent an express instantly to Mr Lee to join us here without delay, for the news of Dr Franklin's arrival may occasion his friends being forbid coming from London to France. Nothing has, for a long time, occasioned greater speculation than this event, and our friends here are elated beyond measure, as this confirms them you will not negotiate with England; and for me, I will not attempt to express the pleasure I feel on this occasion, as it removes at once difficulties under which I have been constantly in danger of sinking. I may not add, as I shall miss the post, but am, with the most grateful and respectful compliments to the Congress, &c.

SILAS DEANE.

_P. S._ The King of Portugal is dead. The Comte Grimaldi, Prime Minister of Spain, has resigned, which will tend to accelerate a rupture in Europe, which I think unavoidable.

TO THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.