Papers of John Adams, volume 19
th.February 1787.
Since I wrote to you from hence the 6th. of last month1 I have been much aflicted with the Rheumatism in my Loins, which confin’d me to my bed with pains great beyond Description. I am now free of them, and Shall leave this place in a few Days. Upon further reflection, I thought it best not to abandon the Idea of meeting Mr. Lamb, and therefore I wrote to him, at Port Mahon, that I woud go to Valencia and from thence to Barcelona, if he wou’d embark for this last place and meet me there— I inform’d him that my orders from Congress were to make a Settlement with all the people in Europe who are employ’d, or who have been employ’d, in their Service—and that the Ministers at London and Paris wish that I may be able to comply with the desire which he communicated to them of having his account Settled here—and I desir’d him to answer me by one letter address’d for me at Valencia and another at Barcelona. If his buisness or health will not permit him to see me I will probably go to Madrid from Valencia—or perhaps to France from Barcelona— But my movements will in Some measure be govern’d by the necessity I Shall find myself under of going to Coruña.— The Gentlemen, with whom my buisness lyes there, have not by any means comply’d with my request. They acknowledge that there is some property belonging to the Prizes carried in by Captain Cunnyngham, in their hands, but they have applyed it towards the Discharge of expences incurred by the South Carolina frigate, commanded by Commodore Gillon, and with respect to the public effects left by him, little can be known by what they write,— I fear nothing will ever be recover’d of any consequence from these effects or from this Balance—yet having them pointed out as objects to be attended to, I am unwilling to leave anything undone on my part; In the mean time—I Shall communicate to the Secretary of foreign affairs what I have collected on these Subjects, and determine hereafter whether I Shall pass to Coruña or not.2
I receiv’d a letter from Mr. Jefferson Dated the 26th. of December,3 in which he Says he will write to Mr. Adams to join, him in desiring Mr. Lamb to Settle his accounts—a Circumstance that proves very agreeable to me—However willing Mr. Lamb may be to do it without Such a letter. I am Gentlemen with the greatest Respect and Esteem. / Your most obedt. Servant
sBarclay4
The Count D’Espilly &c. Sail’d from this Bay about ten Days ago for Algier.
RC in an unknown hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Their Excellencies, / John Adams & Thomas Jefferson Esqrs:—”
On 6 Jan., Barclay informed the commissioners that he had missed meeting with John Lamb, who was already en route to Minorca. Barclay made a one-day trip to Cartagena, Spain, to petition the Conde d’Expilly, Spanish envoy to Algiers, to extend aid to the American captives held there, but an outbreak of bubonic plague constrained all attempts at travel. Barclay recommended that the commissioners dispatch William Carmichael to resume negotiations with the dey, since there was “No American subject in Spain or France—Mr. Jefferson is out of the Question—So adequate to the Task” (Jefferson, Papers
, 11:21–22).
Barclay also wrote a second letter on 10 Feb. to JA, “Extremely anxious” to hear JA’s views on how he handled negotiations with Morocco (Adams Papers). JA replied on 3 April, below.
Following up on a request made by Robert Morris in 1783, Barclay planned to recover American public goods and military supplies left in La Coruña, Spain, likely by the Rusé, a merchant ship chartered by Col. John Laurens in 1781. In addition, Barclay referred to the controversy over goods seized by Capt. Gustavus Conyngham, of the Continental cutter Revenge, and by Como. Alexander Gillon, of the South Carolina navy (vols. 6:40, 120; 12:index; 18:511; JA, D&A
, 2:447).
An inadvertence; Thomas Jefferson’s letter was of 27 Dec. 1786 (Jefferson, Papers
, 10:637–638).
In Barclay’s hand.
Isaac Stephens, Andrew Montgomery, and Alexander Forsyth
th.1787.
Your three Letters to us, dated London the 29th. September, we received the 7th. Instant,1 and is exceeding Sorry to find by the Tenor of your Letters to us that you can give us no comfortable Hopes or Assurances of speedy Relief.
Respecting the erroneous Report you suppose we might have heard of what Mr: Lamb said to the Dey, and that it is not likely that he made any Promises to the Dey, we shall mention to you what Mr. Lamb used to tell us, when he used to return from the Dey’s Palace after having his different Audiences.
Extract from our Journals in Algiers.2
Saturday the 25th: of March arrived a Brig from Barcelona with John Lamb, Esquire, and Mr: Randall, Commissioners from the United States of America to treat with Lord Prince Mahomet Bashaw Dey of the warlike City and Kingdom of Algiers. At 11 A.M. the Captain Port went on board the Brig and returned on Shore to the Mickelhadge or third Great Man, informing him there was two Americans on board the Brig, & came to redeem their People. Immediately the Dey was informed, and at one P.M. they were admitted to land. Mr: Lamb’s Message to the Dey was to admit him to the Honor of kissing his Hand on the Terms of Peace. The Dey answered that he would not—but if he came to redeem his People he would give him &c. Audience. On the 29th: Mr: Randall left Algiers on board a spanish Brig of War bound to Alicant. On the first of April Mr: Lamb was introduced to the Dey by the French Consul and attended by Mr: Wolfe.—3 Mr: Lamb asked the Dey his Price for the Americans the Dey said he would see about it of the Marine Officers. On the 3d. of April Mr: Lamb had his 2d. Audience. The Dey asked Mr: Lamb what he would give— Mr: Lamb offered ten thousand Dollars. The Dey said his Price was fifty thousand Dollars. Mr: Lamb said the Price was great, but would see about it or consider. On the 5th: Mr: Lamb had his 3d: Audience.— The Dey would not lower his Price, but said he wanted us in the Marine. Mr: Lamb offered to take us at thirty thousand Dollars. The Dey turned Angry and said he had Bread and Olives enough for us. On the 7th: Mr: Lamb had his fourth Audience. The Dey would not lower his Price but seventeen-hundred Dollars. Mr. Lamb said the Price was great— he would see what he could do in four Months Time. The Dey sent his Druggerman4 to Mr: Lamb after he returned to the French Consul’s and asked Mr: Lamb if he was content with the Bargain— Mr: Lamb said the Price was great, but he must be content. Ever since it is considered in Algiers that Mr: Lamb made a regular Bargain with the Dey. Often since Sidy Ally,5 the Dey’s Lord of his Bedchamber, has told a young Lad one of our Crew. That the American Embassador had agreed to take us at the Dey’s Price. The Lad is one of the Dey’s Chief Attendants: And the other Day the Mickelhadge or third great Man to the Dey asked my Carpenter which6 is a Servant or Slave to the Mickelhadge where was the American Embassador saying he had promised to come or return in four Months.
Sir, we would not wish to be understood that we write so urgent
14
on Mr: Lamb’s Contracts with the Dey to facilitate our Redemption, but it is to give you a true Representation of Mr: Lamb’s Proceedings for the Good and Honor of our Country— As we are fearful that if another American Embassador came here it would be a very great Detriment to his Proceedings, and should not be much surprised if the Dey told him that he had made one Bargain already with the Americans, which they did not keep or fulfil.
As Mr: Jefferson wrote us that Mr: Lamb was to make no Bargain respecting our Redemption without our Consent7 when Mr: Lamb told us of the Dey’s Price we begged of him to make no further Proposition on our Account, as it was not in his Power to redeem us, but he went on his own Way & did as I mention so that you see the considering Part of the Bargain was always on Mr: Lamb— When the Dey mentioned so great a Price, why was he not decisive and said it was entirely out of his Power to give any such Price; better to say so than to make Promises that he was not empowered to do—not to deceive the Dey and dishonor his Country.
If we are not to be redeemed until the Dey let us go as cheap as others, we think we never shall be redeemed, for those People do what they have a Mind to let the Slaves go for what they will or not let them go on any Terms. We confess it would be setting a bad Example to pay so great a Sum for a few and other unfortunate Captives would feel the ill Effects of it. It is the Duty of our Country to redeem us on the best Terms they can. Our unfortunate Crews are employed on the most laborious Work. We are not Prisoners of War— we are Slaves—the Consideration of which will induce our Country to consider our lamentable Misfortune, hoping they will adopt some effectual Plan of extricating us from Slavery and not suffer a Remnant of their Countrymen to die in Slavery in this barbarous Country. We hope Mr: Lamb has not told us one Story and wrote the Ministers in Europe another but from the Tenor of your Letters we believe he has misrepresented his Proceedings in Algiers to you.
Redeeming the Slaves is one Thing and making the Peace is another, two different Bargains. Witness the Spaniards— we cannot see that redeeming us would be any Detriment to the making a Peace or that we shall be got for less—
If Mr: Lamb in having four Audiences with the Dey could not prevail on him to lower his Price—what will induce the Dey to it on the Terms of Peace or Conclusion of Treaties? Forty or fifty thousand Dollars can be no great Object to so great and rich a Prince as the Dey of Algiers to induce him to a Treaty with the United States.
Permit us to observe to you, & our Country—That it has been the Custom from Time immemorial for all Nations to redeem their People on the best Terms they could.
The Spaniards and other Nations used to redeem every three Years until they were led away with an erroneous Opinion that the Sums paid for the Redemption used to enable the Algerines and the other Barbary States to continue their Depredations of Piracy. Time, which reveals all Things, has shewn the Spaniards, & other Nations, how erroneous their Judgment was. No Nation in the World can fit an equal Number of Cruisers half so cheap as the Algerines can.
Mr: Lamb declared to us that he did not bring any Money to redeem us, and even told us that if the Dey would let us go at ten thousand Dollars, he could not redeem us. The six thousand Dollars he had, was for Presents to pave the Way towards a Peace, in Case he brought them on a Truce. Why was Mr: Lamb so anxious with his Propositions to the Dey when he declared to us that he had no Money appropriated towards our Use?
We hope you will consider our lamentable Misfortune and not extinguish entirely our Hopes of being once more in the Land of Liberty.
Your most obedient and very hble: Servants
Zacch
s:Coffin. Isaac Stephens.
And
w:Montgomery. Mate
Alexander Forsyth. Mate
Tr (PCC, No. 104, VI, f. 314–320); notation: “From the american Captives / at Algiers to the Honble: John / Adams, Esquire.” JA enclosed the RC, not found, with his letter of 8 May to John Jay, below.
On 29 Sept. 1786, JA wrote separate letters to the Algerian captives Richard O’Bryen, Isaac Stephens, and Capt. Zaccheus (Zacharias) Coffin of Nantucket, Mass. He indicated that the dey of Algiers’ high ransom demands prohibited the American sailors’ “speedy Redemption,” adding that “it would be cruelty to our Country, & to all future prisoners to submit to such exorbitant Exactions as no other Nation pays, and therefore I think that Congress will not agree to such terms, nor any other, before a peace is agreed on” (vol. 18:467–469; LbC, APM Reel 113).
A notation in the left margin, marked in reference to this point, states: “Extracts from their Journals.”
Based on his [ca. Jan. 1788] “Memoranda Concerning Algiers,” Thomas Jefferson thought highly of “old, sensible, honest” John Wolfe (Wolf or Woulf), an Irish merchant who lived in Algiers with his family. Wolfe was variously proposed to serve as British or Spanish consul in Algiers but never did (vol. 18:305; Jefferson, Papers
, 12:549–551).
Dragoman, or Arabic interpreter and guide (
OED
).
A notation written above this is “Sidi Ali.”
A notation written above this is “who.”
O’Bryen referred to a line from Jefferson’s 4 Nov. 1785 letter regarding John Lamb: “Mr. Lamb is instructed to make no bargain without your approbation and that of the other prisoners each for himself” (Jefferson, Papers
, 9:17).