From John Adams to James Warren, 16 April 1777

To James Warren

April 16. 1777

An unfortunate Vessell has arrived from France. The brave Fellow who commanded her, is blown to Pieces in her. A French Nobleman who came in her, got on Shore and brought the Letters.1

We have Letters from our Commissioners of the Sixth of Feby.2 —much in the Same Strain with the former of Jany. 17. tho not quite so encouraging. They say there is an universal Apprehension that We shall submit. They had not heard of the Turn of Affairs at Trenton. A Letter from London says, “So many Bankruptcies were never known. Two W.I. Houses have failed for one Million two hundred Thousand Pounds.3 Stand firm, say our Friends in England, and nothing can hurt you.” The British Ministry are very angry with France for the Assistance she gives Us and threatens to declare War. A Quarrell between the Ministry and the Court of Spain, about the Mussketo Shore.4—a fresh Quarrell bet. Turks and Russians.5

RC (MHi:Warren-Adams Coll.); docketed: “April 16 1777.”

1. For some details of this episode see JA to AA, 13 April (Adams Family Correspondence description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1963-. description ends , 2:209–210).

2. The Commissioners wrote three letters of this date, two to the Committee of Secret Correspondence and one to the president. One discouraging item was the suspension of the tobacco agreement reached by the Farmers-General with the Commissioners earlier (Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. description begins Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States, Washington, 1889; 6 vols. description ends , 2:261–265; JA to James Warren, 31 March, note 2, above).

3. The Commissioners’ letter says eight hundred thousand not two hundred thousand pounds.

4. See Intelligence from London, 31 Jan. (above).

5. Mentioned by the Commissioners, this quarrel, they felt, made it unlikely that Britain would be able to obtain Russian mercenaries.

Index Entries

You Are Looking At

Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: From John Adams to James Warren, 16 April 1777
Author: Adams, John
Recipient: Warren, James
Date: 16 April 1777

Reference

Cite as: “From John Adams to James Warren, 16 April 1777,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-05-02-0089. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 5, August 1776 – March 1778, ed. Robert J. Taylor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006, p. 154.]

More between these correspondents