I request your Honours Favour in behalf of the Officers and Men, that you would point out some Method to bring the Prizes to sail, which we took on the late Cruize, as we are much in want of Cloathing and other Necessaries which we cannot do without. Many of Us have Wives and Children now suffering in America, the Time for which most of the People engag'd being now almost expired, and no prospect of going Home to relieve their distressed Families, as there was annex'd to their names the following sentence—and while absent from the eastern States which they declare to Capt. Jones that they know nothing of at signing, and of which they think he means to take an advantage; this and many other Deceptions they Charge Capt. Jones with; of which, I think it my Duty to inform you; He promised them half their Wages in France, which he has not done. Mr. Simpson is put in a common Goal for a supposed Breach of Orders who always supported the best of Characters from His Youth up. I humbly beg You would remove Him to some place suitable to a Gentleman of his Rank till there is an Opportunity to send Him home for Trial, which is his earnest desire, that so he may have justice done Him. All the People are dissatisfied with Capt. Jones, which is the sole Cause of the Disorder on board the Ship, which He charges His Officers with, that they have not kept good Order nor Discipline. I never knew of any disorderly Action till they found they were deceived and unfairly dealt with; they are well disciplined and will Load and Fire Cannon as fast as any Men in Europe. The late action is a proof of it, although Capt. Jones gives them no honour, for it is reported about Brest that Capt. Jones said he was oblig'd to drive His Officers and Men to Quarters; which is scandalous to the last degree. I will venture to say that no Officers or Men were ever more willing for engaging than those of the Ranger, or ever behaved better; not a Man or Boy ever flinch'd from his Quarters to my knowledge during the action. Capt. Jones's mode of Government is so far from that of Ours that no American of Spirit can ever serve with cheerfulness under Him. I beg your Honours would remove Me from under his Command Where I can do honour to myself and service to My Country. If this cannot be done must beg leave of your Honours to resign although I had much rather serve my bleeding 177Country.1 I have done every thing in my Power to keep peace and Harmony amongst the People; since we arriv'd here they are determined not to go out from this Port with Capt. Jones unless they are to go to America. We passed by many merchant Ships the last Cruize and left them unmolested; we went to get Honour and not Gain—we might as well have sent ten sail of Vessels into this Port as we did those that have arrived (had they not been retaken). We have been seven Months from America and not two of them at Sea, the most of Our time spent in Cutting our Masts and yards and altering Sails, to little or no purpose. Mr. Bursole has deny'd us all Supplies we can get no Beef but from the Kings Slaughter House and what we get is very Bad; we have three Hundred People to Feed. I hope Your Honours will take it into Consideration and adopt such measures as you shall see fit. I have the honour to be Gentn. your humble Servant

Your letter of the 25th Ultimo I received by Yesterdays post: I frankly ask your pardon for the undue liberty which I took the 16th Ultimo when I ventured to sign a draft upon you for the purpose of supplying the people under my Command with necessary Cloathing &ca.—and I promise you never to be guilty of the like Offence again.

I hope you do not however mean to impute to me a desire to receive “Presents of the public Money”1 —or even to touch a Dollar of it for any private purpose of my own ? On the contrary I need not now assert that I stepped forth at the beginning from 178Nobler motives? My Accounts before I left America testify that I am more than Fifteen hundred pounds in Advance for the Public Service exclusive of any concern with the Ranger. And as for Wages I never received any.

Had I not previously determined to keep the Prisoners here they would have been sent away in the Drake long before now: My embarrassed Situation will in the Eye of Candor Appologize for my not sending you a more early information of the particulars of my Cruise and of the Prizes which I have made.

On my passage from America I took two Brigantines both from Malaga for England. The one Arrived safe at Nantes and being sold by Messrs. Morris and Williams the Captors part thereof was paid to them. The other Arrived at Bourdeaux and was, I understand, sold by Mr. I. H. Delap who, tho' he had my Orders to remit the Captors part immediately into the hands of Mr. Williams of Nantes, yet he still retains it in his own hands.2 On my late Expedition Three prizes were Sunk. The Ship Lord Chatham was sent here to remain under the care of the Intendant, she now remains in the port locked and Nailed up under a Guard; the Ship of War Drake with her Stores on board and the Brigantine Patience in Ballast are with the Ranger at Anchor in the Road. Monsr. de Sartine can inform you that the Sale of the prizes are precluded until he sends further Orders here.3 Had it been otherwise I cannot see how you could suppose that I had created Agents to dispose of the public property and yet if I had done this perhaps my public wants would Justify me.

The Rules whereby Congress hath been pleased to Command me to regulate my Conduct in the Navy authorize me to Issue my Warrant to the Agent &ca. and I humbly conceive that it is his province to furnish you with an Estimate of the Amount of the Expence. If you wish for an Estimate from me, unacquainted as I am with prices, besides the delay, it may be very far from exact.

When you determined to change the Continental Agent I could wish you had sent that information in a Letter to meet me here on my Arrival, as I had advised you of my intention to return to Brest—all disagreeable Altercation might then have been avoided. My Situation is not now mended by your last. The Gentleman you mention being at Nantes and no person appearing in his behalf at Brest.

A space of Sixteen Months is now elapsed since Congress thought of me so as to put under my Command Seven times my present Force, leaving me at full Liberty how and where to apply it—and if I am not now Capable of supporting the Internal Government of a single Sloop of War—I wish that some person more deserving had my place and that I were in America to answer for my Misconduct. I have “well considered”4 and yet shall persist in Justifying the Steps which I have taken and to which you allude.

I am happy in having it in my power to furnish you with the inclosed Resolution of Congress respecting the Capture of the Enemies Ships of War5 agreeable to your desire. And if you are in possession of any Resolution of Congress which will Authorize me to send Lieutenant Simpson—to America &ca. I should be Obliged to you for a Copy of it.

I thank you with all my Heart for your Congratulation which I am extremely sorry that I have not better merited. I have the Honor to be Gentlemen Your very Obliged very Obedient very humble Servant