tions, and become void of themselves when the force is dissolved, and the French ships are withdrawn from under your command. I am sorry for, and ashamed of the divisions on board the Alliance. I hope these commissions will enable you to compose them. I do not know enough of the navy law to judge of the propriety of your giving commissions to lieutenants, and therefore can give no opinion about it. I send you all the warrants I have, will they not serve instead of commissions, till such can be obtained? My best wishes attend you, being ever, Dear, Sir, Your faithful friend, and mosť B. FRANKLIN. Paris, May 22d, 1779. The Hon. JOHN PAUL JONES. I dare say you will be very sorry to hear that the king's dispositions concerning our plan, have been quite altered, and that instead of meeting you, I am now going to take the command of the king's regiment at Jaints. What will be further determined about your squadron is yet uncertain, and the ministers are to consult it with Dr. Franklin. Political and military reasons have occasioned that alteration of things, and I am only to tell you, my good friend, how sorry I feel not to be a witness of your success, abilities, and glory. I hope every thing will be altered for the best, and the more calculated for the common advantage. convinced, Sir, that nothing could please me more than the pleasure of having again something of the kind to undertake with such an officer as Capt. Jones. That occasion I shall ever wish for, and I will, I hope, find before the end of this war. With the sincerest affection and esteem, LAFAYETTE. Be P. S. Whatever part of the world you will be in, I hope will let me often hear from you. you I recognize this as a true copy. LAFAYETTE. City of Washington, February, 1825. Extracts of letters from the secret correspondence of his Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to the court of Versailles. Passy, May 26th, 1779. To the COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. GENTLEMEN, The Marquis de la Fayette, who arrived here on the 11th of February, brought me yours of October 28th, and the new commission, credentials, and instructions, the Congress have honoured me with. I immediately acquainted the minister for foreign affairs with my appointment, and communicated to him, as usual, a copy of my credential letter, on which a day was named for my reception. The end of that part of the instructions, which relates to American seamen taken by the French in English ships, had already been obtained; Capt. Jones having had for some time an order from court, directed to the keepers of the prisoners, requiring them to deliver to him such Americans as should be found in their hands, that they might be at liberty to serve under his command. Most of them have accordingly been delivered to him, if not all. The minister of marine having entertained a high opinion of him from his conduct and bravery in taking the Drake, was desirous of employing him in the command of a particular enterprise; and, to that end, requested us to spare him, which we did, and sent the Ranger home, under the command of his lieutenant. Various accidents have hitherto postponed his equipment, but he now has the command of a 50 gun ship, with some frigates, all under American commission and colours, fitted out at the king's expense, and will sail it is said, about the 1st of June. The Marquis de la Fayette was, with some land troops, to have gone with him; but I now understand the Marquis is not to go, the plan being a little changed. The minister of marine requesting that the Alliance might be added to Com. Jones's little squadron, and offering to give a passage to Mr. Adams in the frigate with the new ambassador, I thought it best to continue her a little longer in Europe, hoping she may, in the projected cruize, by her extraordinary swiftness, be a means of taking prisoners enough to redeem the rest of our countrymen now in the English goals. With this view, as well as to oblige the minister, I ordered her to join Capt. Jones, at L'Orient, and obey his orders, where she now is accordingly. L From M. LE RAY DE CHAUMONT, dated L'Orient, June 10th, 1779. M. de Chaumont presents his respects to Mr. Jones, and informs him that every thing is on board except the powder, which will require only two hours, when he may set sail with a favorable wind. M. de Chaumont informs at the same time Mr. Jones, that he will have papers to sign before his departure, for the sundry articles which the King has furnished to his ship; therefore, M. de C. earnestly entreats Mr. Jones not to neglect it, considering the immense expenses which the vessels in the port have occasioned to the King. M. de Chaumont reminds Mr. Jones, that M. de Sartine has left to him and to M. Landais the choice of two excellent American pilots, to be embarked on board the King's frigate La Sensible. M. de Chaumont thinks it his duty to remind Mr. Jones of a communication he has made to him against M. Amiel, his first lieutenant, from which it appears that, in case Mr. Jones should be so unfortunate as to be killed in battle, it would be improper to leave the command of the King's ship to M. Amiel, who does not seem to deserve so much confidence, by his conduct when commanding the ship the Ranger. M. de Chaumont, in addition to the preceding observations, suggests that Mr. Jones's crew, being for the most part composed of Englishmen, which M. Amiel had recruited in the prisons, cannot be kept in subjection but by the corps of French volunteers which is on board the Bon homme Richard, and that it would be desirable these volunteers should be commanded by officers of their own nation, well skilled in the art of war, and provided with sufficient recommendations to justify the choice which will be made of them. M. de Chaumont has the honor, &c. L'Orient, June 14th, 1779. Mr. JONES, Commander of the SIR, The situation of the officers who have accepted commissions from Congress to join the armament of the ship Bon homme Richard, which you command, may be in contradiction with the interests of their own ships; this induces me to request you to enter into an engagement with me, that you shall not require from the said vessels any services but such as will be conformable with the orders which those officers shall have, and that in no case you shall require any changes to be made in the formation of their crews, which, as well the vessels themselves, as their armaments, shall be entirely at the disposition of the commandants of the said vessels, who shall be answerable to those who have armed them. I also beg you to agree, that all the prizes which shall be made, be addressed to such consignees as I shall point out, for the preservation of the interests of all the concerned. I have the honor, &c. LE RAY DE CHAUMONT, Passy, June 30th, 1779. Mr. JONES, Commander of the SIR, And I have the honor of wishing you much success in your new cruize. Should you make any prizes, and take them to Bergen, in Norway, I beg you to send them to the French Consul, if there be one; if there be none, then to the principal French Agent, to account to me for the same. such as you send to Ostend or Dunkirk, you will consign to M. Cailliez, senior, merchant, at Dunkirk, who will account for them to me; and you may rest assured, that the interests of all those who may have a share in such prizes will be attended to in a proper manner. I have the honor, &c. Honorable Captain JONES. DEAR SIR, LE RAY DE CHAUMONT. Passy, June 30th, 1779. Being arrived at Groaix, you are to make the best of your way with the vessels under your command to the West of Ireland, and establish your cruize on the Orcades, the Cape of Derneus, and the Dogger Bank, in order to take the ene my's property in those seas. The prizes you may make send to Dunkirk, Ostend, or Bergen, in Norway, according to your proximity to either N of those ports. Address them to the persons M. de Chaumont shall indicate to you. About the 15th of August, when you will have sufficiently cruized in these seas, you are to make route for the Texel, where you will meet my further orders. If by any personal accident you should be rendered unable to execute these instructions, the officer of your squadron next in rank is to endeavour to put them in execution. With best wishes for your prosperity, I am ever, Dear Sir, Your affectionate friend and humble servant, On board the Bon homme Richard, at anchor, His Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. HONORED AND DEAR SIR, On the 19th ult., the American squadron under my command, consisting of the Bon homme Richard 42 guns, Alliance 36 guns, Pallas 30 guns, Cerf 18 guns, and the Vensailed from hence with a convoy of mergeance 12 guns, chant ships and transports with troops, &c. bound to the different ports and garrisons between this place and Bourdeaux. On the evening of the following day, I had the satisfaction to see the latter part of the convoy safe within the entrance of the river of Bourdeaux, the rest having been safely escorted into the entrance of Nantz, Rochefort, &c. But at the preceding midnight, while lying-to off Isle of Vew, the Bon homme Richard and Alliance got foul of one another, and carried away the head and cut-water, sprit-sail yard, and jibboom of the former, with the mizen-mast of the latter; fortunately, however, neither received damage in the hull. In the evening of the 21st, I sent the Cerf to reconnoitre two sail, and Capt. Varage was so ardent in the pursuit, that he had lost sight of the squadron next morning; and I am now told, that he had a warm engagement with one of them, a sloop of 14 guns, which he took, but was obliged to abandon, on the approach of another enemy of superior force. The action lasted an hour and a half; several men were killed and wounded on board the Cerf. That cutter is now fitting at L'Orient. On the 22d we had a rencontre with three ships of war. They were to windward, and bore down in a line abreast |