1The Commissioners to Gabriel de Sartine, 17 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have received the Letter which your Excellency did Us the Honour to write to Us, on the 14 of this Month, and in answer to the Proposal Enquiry, contained in it, We beg Leave to acquaint your Excellency that there is not now in France, nor to our Knowledge, in Europe, any Frigate or other Vessell of War, belonging to the United States. If there was, We should not hesitate to order her,...
2The Commissioners to Sartine, 18 August 1778 (Adams Papers)
We embrace this first opportunity to answer the Letter, which your Excellency did Us the Honour to address to Us, the Sixteenth of this Month. We have examined, with Some Attention the Alterations which your Excellency has made in the second and fourteenth Articles of the projected Regulations and are of opinion, that they will remove the Difficulties We apprehendd from the first Draught. We...
3The Commissioners to Gabriel de Sartine, 5 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour of your Excellencys Letter of the 5th. of this Month, but as the Memoire, of the French surgion, which your Excellency proposed to transmit to Us, was, by some Accident omitted to be inclosed in your Letter, We are ignorant of his Case, and consequently unable to inform your Excellency whether it is in our Power to afford him any Relief. If your Excellency, will have the...
4The Commissioners to Gabriel de Sartine, 27 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have received the Letter which your Excellency did Us the Honour to write to Us on the 21 instant, relative to the Isabella, retaken from a Guernsey Privateer, by Captain McNeil in the General Mifflin. As it is extreamly probable that the Compte D’Estaing has retaken several American Vessells from the English, We shall no dout Soon have Intelligence, what has been done in those Cases. We...
5The Commissioners to Gabriel de Sartine, 12 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
Last Night, We had a Letter from Nantes a Copy of which we have the honour to inclose to your Excellency. The Subject of it appears to us, of great Importance to the United States, as well as to the Individuals, Frenchmen and Americans, who are interested in the Vessels destined to America, to a considerable Number of Gentlemen and others who are going Passengers in this Fleet, and ultimately...
6The Commissioners to Sartine, 16 July 1778 (Adams Papers)
Passy, 16 July 1778. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:164 . The Commissioners told Sartine that the congress and the authorities in Massachusetts would be notified of his request, but that the presence of British warships on the Newfoundland and Halifax stations might make assistance to...
7The Commissioners to Sartine, 14 May 1778 (Adams Papers)
printed: JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:99–100 . The Commissioners requested that they be given permission to confine on French soil the prisoners taken by American vessels in order to permit their exchange for American prisoners held in England, a question of particular urgency because of John...
8The Commissioners to Gabriel de Sartine, 17 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have this Morning the Honour of your Excellencys Letter of the Sixteenth, relative to the french Brigantine the Isabella retaken, by the American Privateer the General Mifflin, from a Guernsey Privateer, after having been Eighty Hours in his Hands. We have the Honour to agree perfectly, with your Excellency, in your Sentiments of the Justice and Policy of the Principle of Reciprocity...
9The Commissioners to Sartine, 3 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
Passy, 3 June 1778. printed: JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:125–126 . Protesting duties charged on goods purchased for the Boston at Bordeaux, listed in an accompanying account, on the grounds that as a ship of war it was not liable for them, the Commissioners desired Sartine to take corrective...
10From John Adams to Gabriel de Sartine, 16 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received the two Letters which your Excellency did me the Honour to write me, on the fifth and on the twelfth of this Month. I do not mean to give your Excellency the Trouble of answering, these Letters of mine, which contain Extracts of Letters from abroad, or simple News. This would be giving your Excellency too much trouble and taking up too much Time. Indeed, I think it will very...