Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 6

Arthur Lee and John Adams to Sartine

From Edmé Jacques Genet
To the President of the Congress, 14 August 1778 JA President of Congress Laurens, Henry To the President of the Congress, 14 August 1778 Adams, John President of Congress Laurens, Henry
To the President of the Congress
Sir Passi Aug. 14. 1778

I have the Honour to inclose to Congress a few of the public Papers, which contain all the News that is passing. As it is uncertain by what Vessell the Gentleman will go who takes this, the Conveyance is too precarious, to send any Thing which ought not to be known to the Enemy.

We are waiting with an impatient Anxiety, to hear from America, the last Accounts from thence having been brought by Captain Ayers and Barns from Boston neither of them later than the 3 or 4 July. We have no Advice of the Compte D'Estaings Fleet Since he passed the straights on the 16 May. I have the Honour to be &c.1

LbC (Adams Papers).

1.

This may be JA's letter that was “laid before Congress by the Committee for Foreign Affairs and read” on 7 Dec. ( JCC , 12:1198). JA had also written to the president of the congress on 12 Aug. That letter, printed in the Independent Chronicle for 19 Nov., reported the capture of four valuable prizes by French men-of-war at Toulon and enclosed newspapers and a letter from Spain.