Papers of John Adams, volume 11
1781-08-12
Since my last of the 6th. Instant there have been several Arrivals in France from America. I have Letters from Philda. of the 20th. June, tho' none from Congress. The Advices are, that General Green has taken all the Enemy's Out Posts in So. Carolina and Georgia, and that their Possession in those Provinces is reduc'd to Charlestown and Savannah. In North Carolina they also have Wilmington. Their Great Force is now under Cornwallis in Virginia, where they are ravaging and burning as usual, M. de la Fayette not being in force to repress them: But Genl. Wayne was on his March to reinforce him, and had passed Annapolis.
I have received the Letter from your Excellency inclosing a List of the Bills you have lately accepted.1 I think you did right in accepting 448them, and hope they are the last that the Congress will draw, 'till they know you have Funds to pay them.
I have the honour to be, with Respect, Sir, Your Excellency's Most obedient and most humble Servant
To Benjamin Franklin, 1 Aug., above.
1781-08-12
Could I have supposed that Your Excellency would have returned to Amsterdam before the Ship sailed, I should certainly have done myself the honor and agreeable satisfaction of waiting upon you before I left this Country—but this pleasure is denied me—and I am scarce allowed time by Mr. Thaxter's immediate departure to bid Your Excellency farewell in this abrupt manner1—but I lean with confidence upon a hope that your candor will consider it as the imposition of necessity, not the result of inclination—for, if I may be permitted the expression, my regard and esteem for your private worth and personal character, is not exceeded by my respect for the deserving representative of my Country—I beg that your Excellency will be persuaded of my most perfect attachment—that you would at all times honor me with a proof of that confidence in laying your commands upon me in America, which I will gratefully and chearfully execute—and would you admit my correspondence, I will seize every occasion to communicate whatever transaction may occur in the military line worthy your attention.
I most sincerely wish you every happiness, which in an absence from your family and Country you can enjoy—to which I likewise wish you an early, happy, and honorable return—with every good wish—I am, most respectfully, and sincerely, Your Excellency's obliged and obedt. Servant.
John Thaxter presumably brought CA on board the frigate to be entrusted to Jackson's care for the voyage to America.
1781-08-15
Your Letter of May 14. with your Account inclosed I received: I 449 image have also received your Letter of August the 6th., with the Account inclosed in that.1
I will endeavour to explain, myself, as well as I can upon the Several Things mentioned in them.
In the first Account you have given me Credit for 24000 and charged me with 2/7 of it upon my order to Credit Mr. Dana. This Amounts to the Same Thing as if you had credited me with 5/7 of the 24000 and charged me with nothing credited to Mr. Dana. So that I have no Objection to this matter.
The Article of the 22 of January of 2658:16:10, which Mr. Dana desired you to pay me—it is no more than this. Mr. Dana desired me to lend him that sum, when he was here, and going to Paris, to bear his Expences, which I did, by giving him an order of the House of Fizeaux & Grand, when he arrived at Paris he desired you to pay me. So that this Article stands right in your Account. There has been no other Connection between Mr. Dana and me, in Money Matters.
Inclosed is an Account currant, which, I pray you to examine and, finish, if you please as soon as convenient by adding, what you have paid or may pay Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams's Account I presume is right. The Wine, I left you will allow me, just what you please for.
I must further beg you to pay Mr. Chavagne, Thirty One Livres four Sous for, a Box of Newspapers he sent me and charge it to my Account.2
JA is acknowledging Henry Grand's letters 14 May and 6 Aug., both above.
Presumably De Chavannes de La Giraudiere, who wrote to JA on 25 July (Adams Papers) to bemoan the fact that when he called at the Hôtel de Valois JA had already departed and to note that he was sending some newspapers and books. He wrote again on 23 Sept. that he had not yet been paid and was in need of funds because of the illness of his son (Adams Papers). La Giraudiere wrote once again on 20 Oct. and there confessed that he had presented duplicate “mandats,” or orders for payment, to Grand and that both had been paid. He regretted his actions, which were due only to his desperate situation, and awaited JA's judgment on the matter (Adams Papers).