To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Puchelberg, 17 August 1782
From ——— Puchelberg4
ALS: University of Pennsylvania Library
Versailles 17. Aout 1782.
Monsieur,
Il y a près d’un mois que Mrs. schweighauser & dobrée de Nantes m’ont prevenû, que le Congrés ayant pleinement approuvé les fournitures faites par ma maison à l’Orient pour la fregate l’Alliance, Capt. Landais a chargé Votre Excellence de me payer cet objet conformément au Compte des fournitures que j’en ai remis.5
C’est pourquoi Et comme je me trouve actuellement à Versailles, j’ai l’honneur de prier Votre Excellence, de vouloir bien me faire Savoir l’heure de Sa Commodité, pour être finalement payé d’un Compte qui m’a causé bien des peines.
Comme, au reste, l’equipage de la dite fregate l’Alliance ne discontinue pas à me tourmenter pour la rentrée des fonds de leurs parts des prises Et dont j’ai la procuration en main;6 je Suplie également Votre Excellence, de me marquer, Si le partage de ces parts de prises aura lieu ou non? Dans ce dernier cas je Serai bien aise d’en prevenir le monde, afin que l’on me laisse tranquille.
J’ai l’honneur d’Etre avec bien du Respect Monsieur, de Votre Excellence le très humble Et très obeissant Serviteur
Puchelberg
Notation: Puchelberg 17e Aôut 1782.
4. The Lorient merchant whose firm, Puchelberg & Cie., was involved in outfitting the Alliance in June, 1780: XXXIII, 56.
5. See the letters from Schweighauser & Dobrée, June 8 and July 20: XXXVII, 450–1, 657–8. In the latter, the firm asked for BF’s intervention since Joshua Johnson, whom Congress had appointed to settle the claim, refused to do so. Contrary to Puchelberg’s statement here, the matter at this point was far from settled. BF evidently turned the commission over to Thomas Barclay when he arrived at the end of August: XXXVII, 215n; Barclay to BF, Dec. 16, 1783 (AAE).
The dispute grew increasingly complicated and would occupy BF for years. In the summer of 1783, he summarized the early stage as follows: “Capt. Landais taking Possession of the ship [Alliance] surreptitiously in the Absence of Capt. Jones, apply’d to one Puchelberg, a Commis of Mr Schweighauser, for some Provisions, who not only without Orders either from me or Mr Schweighauser, but contrary to express Orders from both, furnished the same, pretending that Landais demanded them in the Name and on Account of the Navy Board of Boston. Payment was afterwards demanded of me, which I refus’d. … It was also demanded of his Employer Schweighauser, who it seems refus’d also …”: BF’s Note on Barclay’s letter of July 28, 1783 (AAE).
6. In June, 1780, Puchelberg & Cie. had notified BF that they were authorized by the crew to receive and disburse the prize money, and BF had urged the firm to contact Chaumont, who was in charge of the matter: XXXII, 618–19; XXXIII, 18–19.