From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 14 March 1782
To the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston)
Madrid 14 March 1782
Dr Sir
Count Montfort will be the Bearer of this Letter—1 He was formerly Majr. of Count Pulaski’s Legion, & on leaving America, resigned that Commission. He has the passed many months here, and is now setting out for Cadiz with Design to sail in the first Vessel from thence to Philadelphia— He expresses a strong Desire to be employed in our Country, and to which from the Consistency of his Conversations on that Subject I believe him well attached. But I have nevertheless avoided giving him ^any^ Encouragement to expect it, nor but on the contrary have reminded him of the Number of Officers not in Service who have the same ^views &^ wishes. He has communicated to me a Plan of Education which he will doubtless Lay before you— There are Things in it worth attention, tho I suspect the Time for such Institutions is not yet arrived.
The Minister still delays giving me a positive answer I think that america will not have ^any^ important if any aids from Spain.
The minister delays; a positive I think that America will will not have from Spain aids of Importance if any—2
This is our private Cypher. Majr. Franks is with me & I sha will be the Bearer of long and particular Dispatches. With Sincere Esteem & Regard I am Dr Sir Your most obt Servt
The Honble R. R. Livingston Esqr
Dft, NNC (EJ: 7927). Endorsed: “ . . . publick”. Encoded using the YESCA cipher (WE033). See “John Jay’s Use of Codes and Ciphers” (editorial note) on pp. 10–11. Decoded by the editors.
1. Julius, Count de Montfort, of France, began as a first lieutenant of Hartley’s Continental Regiment, became a brevet lieutenant-colonel on 21 Mar. 1777, and was taken prisoner at the battle of Paoli in September 1777. He became a major in the First Cavalry Pulaski Legion on 18 Apr. 1778 and resigned on 23 Jan. 1779. Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution, April, 1775, to December, 1783, rev. ed. (Washington, D.C., 1914).
2. JJ here began to rework the previous passage into the YESCA cipher, reordering the words in the process. On Spain’s refusal to provide aid, see JJ to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, 28 Apr. 1782, below.