To George Washington from Edmund Randolph, 25 May 1795
From Edmund Randolph
Department of State May 25. 1795.
Sir
The damage, done to the Ship William of Glasgow, while she was detained by the French Republic, by order of the Executive of the United States, has been estimated at fifteen hundred and eighty dollars.1 Mr Fauchet being about to be informed, that this has been the case, and my letter to Colo. Monroe2 going to the same point, I beg leave to request a warrent on the contingent fund to that amount.3 I have the honor to be sir with the highest respect yr mo. ob. serv.
Edm: Randolph
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.
1. The privateer Citoyen Genet captured the British ship William as a prize on 3 May 1793 and took it to Philadelphia. The British owners sued for restitution in the district court of Pennsylvania, but the case continued until 1794 (see Randolph to GW, 22 June 1794, and n.1; Memorandum from Edmund Randolph, 17 May 1793; and Cabinet Opinion, 12 July 1793, and n.3 to that document).
2. In his letter of 1 June to James Monroe, U.S. minister to France, Randolph noted: “We restored the Ship William of Glasgow, and the damages during her detention have been assured to the Agent of the Captors” (DNA: RG 59, Diplomatic and Consular Instructions, 1791–1801).
3. GW directed Oliver Wolcott, Jr., on this date to pay the amount to Randolph (LB, DLC:GW).