Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 19

To Wilhem & Jan Willink

From the Board of Treasury
To John Adams from Thomas Barclay, 3 April 1787 Barclay, Thomas Adams, John
From Thomas Barclay
Dear Sir Barcelona 3d. April 1787—

Inclosed is a letter for M. Jay Covering Copies of sundry letters to M. Lamb and of one to M. Carmichael,1 If you will take the Trouble of perusing them, You will see My situation and intentions as Clearly as I Do my self, and I shall, unless I am prevented by some unforeseen accident, have the pleasure of taking Your Commands in person for America, Early I hope in July, I will be obliged to stop a short time at Bordeaux, where I made a Purchase of Arms and Ammunition for the State of Virginia, another at L’Orient, and a third with my Family, from whence, (St. Germains) I shall proceed to England on my way to America—2 I shall Communicate my Veiws to you when I see you, not in the least Doubting Your aid in Carrying them into Execution if you approve of them, as I think you will Do—and if the Proposition which I mean to make to Congress Do’s not prove acceptable, my Intention is to Remain in America—

I have received my account Current from Lynch & Bellew of Cadiz, and am obliged of this Date to value on You in their favor at Ten days sight for Three Hundred and Twenty five pounds Sterling, which 35 please to Honor and apply to the Debit of the United States, assuring yourself that I shall Settle the whole account with You to your satisfaction I Cou’d not put these Gentlemen off untill a Sale of the articles at L’Orient &c, be made, They have not Charged any Commission for their Trouble, and no Expence on the money which I took up in Barbary arises, and the actual Duty and Charges of Replacing it. The news here is that the Neapolitan Ambassador has obtained a Truice for three months from Algiers, and that the Count d’Expilly has Returned to Spain, after having Done something highly offensive to the Dey and Regency there—3 I am with Very great Esteem / Dear Sir / Your most Obed. / Humble servant,

Thos Barclay

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency, Jno. Adams Esqr. London”; endorsed by AA2: “Mr Barclay / 3d April 1787”; and by AA: “Mr Barcelay 3 April / 1787.”

 1.

Barclay enclosed copies of his letters to John Lamb of 1, 24 Feb. and 24, 26, and 28 March, along with a letter of 28 March to William Carmichael, and his letter of 29 March to John Jay. In the letter to Jay, Barclay described his futile attempt to arrange a meeting with Lamb to settle his accounts and described plans to travel to Bordeaux before returning to America. For Carmichael’s 25 March letter to JA, see note 3.

 2.

Working with Thomas Jefferson, Barclay had purchased arms, ammunition, and gunpowder for Virginia. En route to Paris from Spain and Algiers, Barclay paused to retrieve the purchase but was instead seized in Bordeaux. He was imprisoned for an old debt to the firm of V. & P. French & Nephew. WSS attempted to intervene in obtaining his release (from Richard Swanwick, 17 May, Adams Papers; from WSS, 19 May, below). Jefferson, however, did not receive the firm’s original 1 March 1786 plea to “save the honor of a Consul of the united States” until 9 Sept. 1787. By then, Jefferson reported, a freed Barclay had departed for America (Jefferson, Papers , 9:308–310; 11:673; 12:114).

 3.

Carmichael, in a 25 March letter to JA (Adams Papers), reported that Mohammad ibn Uthman, dey of Algiers, alleged that the Conde d’Expilly had embezzled presents and cash earmarked for the dey, his ministers, and the redemption of Spanish captives in Algiers. In the wake of the accusations, the Conde d’Expilly departed for Spain in early March, and his post was not filled until consul general Manuel de Asprer arrived in 1792 ( Repertorium , 3:428).