Papers of John Adams, volume 6

John Bondfield to the Commissioners, 6 June 1778 Bondfield, John First Joint Commission at Paris JA John Bondfield to the Commissioners, 6 June 1778 Bondfield, John First Joint Commission at Paris Adams, John

John Bondfield to the Commissioners

Honorable Sirs Bordeaux 6 June 1778

I am not favord with any of your Commands since the 18th Ultimo. All the advertizements1 containd therein are at Sea and some of them far advancd on their Passage.

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I had the honor to write you the 12. 16. 26 and 30th2 Ultimo per post which I suppose got duely to hand,3 to the last I shall be confirmd next Post as the honor paid to my drafts will be notified me by the Holders.

Since Cap. Tuckers departure from hence I have been obliged to discharge on the Ships Account Sundry debts not brought in before the closing of them. I transmitted and Cash sent him down of which Anext is the detail.4 I expect some other small Accounts will appear that I dont yet know of. I shall discharge what may appear due to the inclosed Account and draw for the same as occation serves.

The affair of the Conspiracy has been examin'd by the proper officers appointed by the Intendant. There dont appear sufficient ground to detain the Parties Accused it is probable tho denied peremptory that conversation had pass'd to the effect laid against them but that any steps taken in consequence cannot be proved, the Intendant paid every attention so attrocious an act Merritted and would most certainly have given every Satisfaction could the Act have been brought home. I have the Honor to be Honble Sirs Your most Obedient Humble Servant

John Bondfield

RC (PPAmP: Franklin Papers); addressed: “The Honble. Benj Franklin Arthur Lee & John Adams Esqrs. Commissioners of Congress at Paris”; docketed: “Mr. Bondfield 6 June 1778. inclosing some remaing Accts. of the Boston.”

No letter to Bondfield of 18 May has been found, but the advertisements were probably copies of the circular letter by JA and Benjamin Franklin reporting that a British fleet had sailed.

Letters for the last three mentioned dates not found.

In the remainder of this sentence Bondfield is apparently saying that he expects to be informed by the next post as to whether the drafts mentioned in his letter of 30 May will be honored by their holders.

That is, Bondfield sent cash to Samuel Tucker and has “anext” a detailed account of the transaction to this letter. This enclosure has not been found.

Sartine to the Commissioners, 6 June 1778 Sartine, Antoine Raymond Jean Gualbert Gabriel de First Joint Commission at Paris JA Sartine to the Commissioners, 6 June 1778 Sartine, Antoine Raymond Jean Gualbert Gabriel de First Joint Commission at Paris Adams, John

Sartine to the Commissioners

Marly, 6 June 1778. printed: JA, Diary and Autobiography , 4:129–130 (JA's English translation); for the French text, see JA, Works , 7:15–16. Sartine here injected himself into the Commissioners' dealings with Bersolle and John Paul Jones. The Minister of Marine called on the Commissioners, “for the conservation of your Credit,” to reconsider their refusal to honor Jones' bill drawn on Bersolle and to pay for the supplies sent to Jones from the royal magazines. Sartine also requested reimbursement for purchasers of goods stolen by Jones' crew 187from one of his prizes, the Lord Chatham, and later recovered. Finally, he recommended that the Commissioners determine whether Jones' imprisonment of Thomas Simpson had been proper.

Adams believed that Sartine's intervention was unwarranted, reflecting the general effort to circumvent the orders of the Commissioners and the congress in order to “throw the American Business and Profits into the hands of the Tools of the Minister and his Understrappers” ( Diary and Autobiography , 4:130).

printed: (JA, Diary and Autobiography , 4:129–130).