To Thomas Jefferson from Jean Baptiste de Gouvion, 13 May 1788
From Jean Baptiste de Gouvion
Paris may the 13th. 1788
Sir
I was told that you have some prospect that the interests due by the united states to the Foreign officers shall be pay’d at the end of July next; give me leave to represent to your Excellency that captain Castaign who is a native from Martinico is upon the point of returning there, he has been near four years solliciting in this country for employment without success. His means are exhausted. You would oblige him greatly if you would give him an order upon M. Grand to be pay’d of the three years interest due to him, it is but a trifle, and it shall be of a great help to him; if you can comply with our request we shall keep you the utmost secret to save you from being troubled by any other sollicitor. I am respectfully Sir your most obedient servant
Gouvion
RC (DLC); endorsed. TJ evidently did not reply directly to Gouvion (there is no record of a reply in SJL Index), but he did write at once to Castaing; see letter following, which, being cast in general terms, was applicable to all of the French officers to whom arrearages of interest were due, and of which TJ may well have made one or more press copies for transmittal to Gouvion and others.