1. Romainmôtier (now Romainmôtier-Envy) is a village in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, which was in 1796 part of the Canton of Berne.

2. François Marie-des-Neiges Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc (1725–1797) served as grand master of Malta from 1775 until 1797.

Maisonneuve enclosed a letter from Rohan-Polduc to GW dated 25 Feb. 1796. As translated by George Taylor, Jr., of the State Department, that letter reads: “I have observed by the dispatches written to me by the Commander of Maisonneuve, that your Excellency appeared impressed with the assurances which I charged him to give you of my dispositions and wishes to establish between the government of the United States and my Order, when circumstances should permit, relations of reciprocal friendship and utility, founded on a treaty of alliance in which the political and commercial Interests of the two Powers should be respectively fixed and guaranteed.

“I had also already occupied myself on this subject by the ministry of my charge d’affaires in france, who on my part, made overtures to Mr Monroe Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States at Paris. I had on the other hand engaged M. le chevr de Tousard who has the honor of being personally known to your Excellency, to open this matter to you; but important considerations Sir which will not have escaped your sagacity, have intervened to the suspension of all negotiation in this respect, until a general peace, shall have succeeded to the war now afflicting and desolating Europe. It will therefore be at that epoch, and after the signature of the Treaty of alliance to be made between the United States and my order, that I shall with pleasure see your Excellency name for your minister or Consul near me, the Commander of Maisonneuve who earnestly desires that place and who appears to me in every respect worthy of the Confidence with which you may be pleased to honor him. I shall at the same time fix my choice upon the member of my order who will be charged to go and reside near your Excellency and the Congress over whom you preside with so much wisdom.

“I pray you to believe that my eagerness, for an establishment, so interesting as the one in question to the security and prosperity of the commerce of the United States in the mediterranean, is as unlimited as the high consideration and distinguished sentiments—with which I am, sir, Your Excellency’s Most affectionate friend & servant” (translation, filed at 25 Feb., and ALS, in French, filed at 1 May, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters). GW replied to Rohan on 18 Feb. 1797 (DNA: RG 59, Credences; see also Timothy Pickering to GW, 19 Feb. 1797, in DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters).

3. Maisonneuve’s previous letters to GW have not been found, but for their subject, see Pickering’s second letter to GW dated 28 Sept. 1795 and notes 3 and 4.