Dft (DLC: Genet Papers); unsigned; at head of text: “Expe”; above salutation: “Le Cit Genet Ministre &c à Mr. Jefferson &c.”; only the most significant emendations are recorded below. Recorded in SJL as received 19 Nov. 1793. Enclosures: (1) Genet, “Mémoire pour servir d’Instruction au Contre Amiral Sercey Commandant les forces Navales de la République francoise en Amerique,” n.d., recalling his decision, after the French naval forces repulsed from Saint-Domingue had taken refuge in American harbors, not to send them back to France, but instead to use them to carry out the vast political operations confided to him and to recoup the loss of one of France’s most prized possessions; stating that this unexpected arrival of the French fleet, in which intrigues have now been suppressed, the zeal of the crews restored, and order reestablished, combined with the weakness of Spanish forces in the south and of British forces in both north and south, has made the French “les maitres des mers d’amerique”; and communicating a plan of operations in which he directs Sercey to leave the southern expeditions against the brigands of New Providence and the timid Spanish to the Embuscade, the Astrée, the Mouche, and the Expedition, whose repair will be completed in two weeks, and to sail with the first favorable wind in command of a squadron consisting of the Eole, the Jupiter, the Concorde, the Précieuse, the Perdrix, the Cerf, the Important, the Cornelia, and the Columbia, together with a company of dragoons and 300 volunteers from Saint-Domingue, the objectives of which were to attack the British fisheries at Newfoundland, capture St. Pierre and Miquelon, intercept the rich convoys descending the St. Lawrence, assault Halifax, demand that its governor release the St. Pierre and Miquelon pris oners, sound the dispositions of the French Acadians, and diffuse among them French revolutionary propaganda, including the principles of the French constitution, French patriotic songs and pamphlets, and Genet’s own address to the French inhabitants of Canada, Sercey to be assisted in these propaganda activities by Citizen Mezieres, a young Canadian and secretary to Genet, who was to serve as political agent (Dft in same; consisting of 13 pages in Genet’s hand; filed at end of September 1793). (2) Rear Admiral Sercey to Genet, on board the Eole, 16 Oct. 1793, enclosing a copy of the procès-verbal addressed to him by Captain Bompard and the answer of the assembled captains; and stating that, despite his representations, Bompard sailed for France, thereby inspiring the crew of the Eole to demand that Sercey follow his example, and that although he was obliged to yield to force, once in France he would establish Bompard’s guilt in provoking an insurrection so detrimental to the French Republic (Tr in same; in English; conjoined to No. 3; with note at head of text: “Défection de l’Escadre. Yesterday morning the French advice boat the cerf commanded [by] the Citizen Labourdonnaye entered this port and delivered to Citizen Genet, Minister Plenipotentiary of the French Republic, the following dispatches”). (3) Extract of unidentified correspondent to Genet, on board the Eole, 16 Oct. 1793, stating that Bompard alone gave the signal for insurrection; that yesterday Bompard sent to the Eole a procèsverbal signed by himself and some masters of the Jupiter, who, like their comrades on the Embuscade, were aggrieved by Genet’s failure to make them officers; that without prior notice Bompard informed the assembled officers that the Jupiter was badly rigged, that Genet’s intended expedition would only benefit the Americans, that augmenting American power would merely increase American ingratitude, and that they would be unable to sell any prizes they might capture because the English had found ways to have them all restored, wherefore the Jupiter would sail immediately to France to be repaired and then to serve the French Republic; that Sercey communicated the procès-verbal to the captains of the Concorde and the Précieuse, who condemned Bompard and promised to follow Sercey’s orders; that after refusing a request to remain with the fleet Bompard hoisted the flag on the Jupiter’s mainmast to announce his insurrection; that Bompard’s action inspired the hitherto obedient crew of the Eole to demand that Sercey follow Bompard’s example; that Sercey failed to dissuade the crew, who wanted to return to France after an absence of four years; that in the absence of a formal written statement of opposition from the crew Sercey and his officers decided to pursue the intended expedition; that when the crew became aware of Sercey’s decision on the morning of the 16th they drew up a formal opposition forcing Sercey to return to France; and that the writer hopes Americans will attribute the failure of the expedition only to the lassitude of the crews, counterrevolutionary efforts to undermine their morale in Saint-Domingue and America, and the insurrectionary acts of Bompard (Tr in same; in English; subjoined to No. 2).

For a discussion of Genet’s abortive naval operations against Canada, see Ammon, Genet Mission description begins Harry Ammon, The Genet Mission, New York, 1973 description ends , 120–5.