I had the honour of writing you December 12 1778 inclosing a Letter from Messrs. Horneca Fitzeau & Co.1 relative to 13 Bales cases and Barrells marked No. 1 to 13 which are the property of Mr. Simeon Dean and which were delivered to Mr. Schweighauser on a supposition that they belonged to the commissioners as mentioned in my said Letter.2 I have not had the honour of an answer on this Subject.

I now inclose you Mr. Schweighauser's receipt3 for the goods I delivered him the first article of which is the Bales cases &ca. above 377mentioned. I hear that one of these Cases still remains in Mr. Schweighausers possession. I therefore request you to give orders for it to be returned to me and to direct Messrs. Horneca Fitzeau and Co. to replace the others here.

I have also the Honour to inclose you Mr. Schweighausers receipt4 for the magazine and its appartenances. I should long since have forwarded these receipts, but waited for the delivery of the remainder of the Gunstocks. This is now done and the man who furnished them demands his money which I must pay agreeable to my Contract, but Mr. Schweighauser declines giving me a receipt for them, for what reason I can't conceive, but I suppose he has writen to you on the Subject. I beg you will please to give him the necessary Directions that I may pay the man his money and finish the affair.

I delivered from the magazine to Mr. Montieu ships sundry articles agreeable to the inclosed note5 charged at the estimated prices, as that Gentleman chooses to settle the matter with you I have taken it from the account and beg you to settle it with him accordingly.

I have the honour to be with great respect Honourable Gentlemen Your most obedient & most humble Servant.

We had the honor of receiving your Excellency's Letter of the 20th. enclosing M. de Sartine's Answer, relative to the Convoy which we requested of your Excellency, for the Ships now assembled at Nantes.1

We are totally at a loss to understand what Mr. de Sartine writes of four Vessels mentioned by us, as ready to sail and a Convoy having 378sailed with two of them. We never mentioned any thing concerning those four Vessels, nor has the appointment of a Convoy been announced to us, nor to those who have apply'd through us; and consequently they remain in Expectation of an Answer, and of a favorable one, thro' his Majesty's goodness and our application. We therefore apprehend that Mr. de Sartine is under some misinformation upon the Subject.

On the 29th. of December we had the honor of writing to your Excellency that “We had received a Letter signed by many Gentlemen at Nantes and dated the 15th of the Month informing us that most of their Vessels were ready to sail to America, and that others were expected to be ready immediately, so that the Convoy might be ordered as soon as convenience woud permit. That they were desireous of a Convoy quite to America if consistent with his Majesty's Service, or at least to the westward of the Western Islands. That it was of so much importance to our Countrymen to be supply'd with goods of various kinds, and especially with Warlike Stores, and there are so many belonging to the United States and to the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as to Individuals now ready to go, that we cannot avoid interesting ourselves with your Excellency that a sufficient Convoy may be appointed, and that as soon as possible to rendez-vous at Nantes.”2

On the 9th. of this Month your Excellency wrote us, desiring to know at what port the Vessels for which we sollicited a Convoy were collected.

To this we replyed on the 15th.3—“Those Vessels are at Nantes, where they wait for the Convoy, which we hope may be ordered immediately, as a Letter we received yesterday from a large number of Gentlemen at Nantes, informs us that many Vessels with valuable Cargoes have been waiting a considerable time for the Convoy.”

We are since well informed that the Number of Vessels is about fifteen. Your Excellency will perceive by these proceedings, that from the middle of last Month to this Time, the Gentlemen who have apply'd thro' us for a Convoy, and among whom are some as respectable as any in our Country, have been waiting at a considerable Expence, in Expectation of their request being granted. They had so full a Confidence, that such an Application woud be successful, if made, that they for sometime imputed their disappointment to our Neglect.

We therefore beseech your Excellency that as Strong a Convoy as can be spared, either quite thro', or to the westward of the western Islands, may be granted immediately; as we conceive the supplies that are to go are of very great Importance to the United States; and that they will certainly fall into the Enemy's hands, if unprotected.

We have the honor to be, with much Respect, yr. Excellency's Mo. Obt. & Very humble Servts.