To James Madison from Louis-Marie Turreau, 2 August 1806 (Abstract)
From Louis-Marie Turreau, 2 August 1806 (Abstract)
§ From Louis-Marie Turreau. 2 August 1806, Baltimore. Is obliged once again to call the attention of the federal government to the destination of the ship Indostan, which is going to leave the port of Philadelphia with an armament of 18 or 20 guns to resume its voyage to Saint-Domingue.1 It is impossible that the government’s agents in the various ports of the Union can be ignorant of the arming that is being carried out before their very eyes, and of the real destination of the ships, when this is not a secret from anyone. Besides, those who wish to infringe the laws will not in future escape the watchfulness of the French agents, just as they will undoubtedly not be able to avoid the just punishment which they will have incurred.
RC (DNA: RG 59, NFL, France, vol. 2–3). 1 p.; in French; docketed by Wagner.
1. The Indostan arrived in New York from Haiti on 2 or 3 Aug. 1806 with a cargo of coffee, as did the armed ship Emperor, schooner Venus, and schooner Weazel. The vessels were collectively referred to as “Ogden’s black coffee fleet.” The Indostan was offered for sale at auction in New York the following month (New-York Commercial Advertiser, 4 Aug. and 5 Sept. 1806; Boston Gazette, 11 Aug. 1806). On 6 Aug. 1806 Jacob Wagner wrote to Peter Muhlenberg, collector at Philadelphia, requesting that Muhlenberg give Turreau “a statement of the facts” in the case (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 15).