James Madison Papers

To James Madison from John Gavino, 25 October 1804 (Abstract)

§ From John Gavino

25 October 1804, “South Gibraltar.” No. 5. “I had this honor of adressing you the 13t: Inst: No. 4 [not found] to which referr.

“I now hand you agreeable to Richd: oBrion Esqr: request Copy of his Letters to me down to 14t: Ulto:1 to wch: & the incloseds from him & Consul Baker2 please be referrd. Here we have nothing new, the Essex & 2 Moorish Cruisers were at Lisbon the 28t. Ulto. The 3d. Cruiser has returnd to Salle with a Prusian ship & Brig wch: she Capturd going from Lisbon for Amsterdam & Antroup [Antwerp] the Captives are made to Work.

“The Disorder Continues its Ravages m⟨uc⟩h the same, I have further lost my Brother and a Servant in Town.”

RC and enclosures, two copies (DNA: RG 59, CD, Gibraltar, vol. 2). First RC 1 p.; marked “(Copy)”; cover marked, “favd. by W. Jarvis Esq 21 D”; docketed by Wagner. For enclosures, see n. 1.

1The enclosures (4 pp.) are copies of Richard O’Brien to Gavino, 5, 12, and 14 Sept. 1804, written from Malta (printed in Knox, Naval Documents, Barbary Wars description begins Dudley W. Knox, ed., Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers (6 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1939–44). description ends , 4:516–17), describing the several American attacks on Tripoli and the explosion of the Intrepid. In the copy of the enclosures marked “Duplicate Copy,” O’Brien’s 5 Sept. letter has a postscript that in the other copy is appended to O’Brien’s 12 Sept. letter and that reads: “The Expected frigat⟨es⟩ joind with the present force wil⟨l⟩ do it, or Drive the Bashaw & Divan out of Tripoli.” For Edward Preble’s 18 Sept. 1804 report to Robert Smith of the actions against Tripoli, see Knox, Naval Documents, Barbary Wars description begins Dudley W. Knox, ed., Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers (6 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1939–44). description ends , 4:293–308.

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