To James Madison from John Gavino, 7 August 1804 (Abstract)
§ From John Gavino
7 August 1804, Gibraltar. No. 156. “Since I had the honour of adressing you under 3d: Inst: I have not been favourd with any of your Commands.
“I Yesterday received a Letter from Coll. Lear of algeir1 wherein he inclosed me abstracts from Commodor Pribles Letter to him 19t: June, & Mr: Davies—Charge of the Consulate at Tunis 22d: June.2 I herewith inclose Copy of said abstracts for your information, In my above last inclosed Copy of one from Consul Simpson, under 2d: Instant, I have a further letter from said Gentleman accompanying one for Comodor Barron which will be deliverd on arrival, he tells me it would be proper just now that the Squadron shewed themselves on the Emperour of Morroccos Coast.”
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, CD, Gibraltar, vol. 2). RC 1 p.; docketed by Wagner as received 25 Sept. For enclosures, see nn.
1. Gavino enclosed an extract of Tobias Lear’s letter to him of 19 July 1804 (2 pp.; docketed by Wagner) reporting the activities of a man who called himself a marabout, who had captured fifty-four French fishermen and, rumor had it, had attacked the city of Constantine with thirty thousand men. The dey of Algiers had sent two armed schooners to capture him “or at least to prevent him from Capturing Vessells.”
2. Gavino enclosed extracts of Edward Preble to Lear, 19 June 1804 (4 pp.), reporting the failure of Richard O’Brien’s peace overtures, Preble’s preparations for an attack on Tripoli, and Russian intervention on behalf of the imprisoned Americans at Tripoli and commenting on U.S. relations with Tunis; and George Davis to Lear, 22 June 1804 (2 pp.), assuring Lear that the complaints of the bey of Tunis gave Davis “no uneasiness” and that “no difficulty shall arise ⟨w⟩hich I will not be perfectly prepared to meet.” Davis went on to state that a continuance of peace between the regency and the U.S. depended on the presence of the U.S. Navy in and around Tunis.