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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1781
The Board of Admiralty, pursuant to the order of Congress of June 8, 1780, and directions afterwards given respecting public cloathing and military stores, delivered in a report, accompanied with a number of papers, which was read.
Pursuant to the Resolution of Congress of June the 8th. 1780, and that of October 25th. in the same year the Board of Admiralty beg leave to Report,
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That as soon as they received the direction of Congress of the 25th. of October they sought for the reasons of the Cloaths and military stores not being exported from France of such persons as had been in France, and had arrived here previous to that direction, and also from such others as afterwards came hither from that Kingdom, who it was thought were capable of furnishing any information on that subject, and from time to time reported the result of their inquiry, until the arrival of Capt. Jones. On his arrival the Board resumed that business, and in order to become acquainted with his conduct during his absence and to investigate the causes of the cloathing and military stores not being exported they thought proper to prepare and lay before him a number of Questions relative to these points, and to require his answer to them in writing, beginning with his departure from New Hampshire in theRanger, the 1st. Day of November 1777, and ending with his departure from France. In pursuance of this plan a number of questions were drachm up and presented. At the time they were presented to him, the Board conceiving that in the restrained mode of question and answer, he might not be able to communicate his sentiments so fully as he and they could wish, they desired him to subjoin to his answers all such matters as he should think would throw light on their inquiry.
The Questions (and answers) with a great number of letters handed by him to the Board, accompany this Report; such of the letters as appeared to relate more immediately to his answers are referred to in the margin thereof; the rest are arranged in Files, according to their number and dates, and some of them which regard particular subjects and transactions are in separate parcels, with labels, denoting their contents; These letters are put up in four bundles, the first marked A from No. 1 to 10, the second marked B from 11 to 20, the third marked C from 21 to 30, and the fourth marked D from 31 to 42 inclusive, a list of the packages and letters in each bundle is thereunto annexed.
The Board have read all those letters with as much attention as numberless applications and the urgency of Congress for a Report would allow, and upon the whole are fully satisfied that the cloathing and military stores procured in consequence of the application of the Honorable Congress to his most Christian Majesty not coming out in season, hath not been owing in any measure to a want of the closest attention to that business, either in the Minister Plenipotentiary of these States, or to Captain Jones, who have on the contrary made every application and used every effort, to accomplish that purpose, but that it was owing to Captain Landais' taking the Command of
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theAlliance, contrary to the express orders of Doctor Franklin, and proceeding with her to America.
It was the intention of Captain Jones to have bro't out a large quantity of stores in theAriel, which he had borrowed of Government for that purpose, under the convoy of theAlliance, which also could have taken in a considerable quantity; but this plan was frustrated by the malconduct of Landais as before mentioned, for which, and other malconduct he was on the 6th. Day of Jany. 1781. sentenced by a court martial to be broke, and rendered incapable of serving in the American Navy for the future.
His conduct previous to his reassuming the Command of theAlliance and during the cruize or expedition to the North Seas, was not brought before the court martial, because Captain Jones, who had exhibited charges against him, to the Admiralty Board was not present to support them, and to institute a prosecution against him, after a dismission from the service, hath been thought improper.
After this short digression, the Board proceed to report that the plan for bringing out the cloathing &c. being frustrated in manner aforesaid, Captain Jones endeavoured to obtain from the minister of the marine of France an additional Vessel for that purpose, and this failing applied for a larger Ship than theAriel, requesting several Gentlemen of distinguished character, to back his application, but neither the one or the other could be effected. Things being in this situation he sailed from France with the articles of stores and dispatches mentioned in his answers. Unable to inform the Board with certainty what persons purchased the cloathing &c and who were charged with the shipping of it, he referred them for information to Mr. Saml. Wharton, to whom the Board have written on this subject. Their letter marked A. with his answer marked B accompany this report.
From Mr. Wharton's answer, and other corroborating letters and information, it appears that no money was furnished by the Court of France to the Minister Plenipotentiary of these States, or his Banker to enable him to procure cloathing.
That the French Court gave a Commission for that purpose to its own agent Monsieur Le Ray de Chaumont, and he either received the money, or was authorized to draw upon the Treasury of France for payment thereof. That Mr. Jonathan Williams of Nantes was employed by him to buy it. That at L'Orient Messrs. Gourlade & Moylan are Monsieur Chaumont's agents for shipping the cloathing and military stores, and that they as well as Mr Williams act wholly by orders from him.
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Captain Jones was asked by the Board after he had given in his answers to their questions, whether he heard any thing respecting the hiring of a ship to bring out the cloating &c. after his return in theAriel to L'Orient. His answer was "after my return I heard of Mr Chaumont's hiring a ship called theMarquis de La Fayette for that purpose. I do not know when she would come out; she was at Bourdeaux when I sailed."
A quantity of public cloathing purchased by Mr. John Ross, and not part of that procured in consequence of the application made by the Honorable Congress to his Most Christian Majesty, was with some private property shipped by him on board the BrigantineLuke, which sailed under convoy of theAriel, and was forced back to France by the same storm, in which she was dismasted. This Brigantine sailed the second time about the last of October without convoy and wastaken. TheAriel sailed the 18th. of December after waiting ten or twelve days for the dispatches. How it came to pass that the public property was thus hazarded and lost when by detaining the Brigantine about a month she might have been convoyed by theAriel, we leave to Mr. Moylan the owner of said Brigantine to explain. It is not our business to criminate. It is our duty to Report facts. Captain Jones hath declared to the Board, that neither Gourlade or Moylan ever spake to him respecting theLuke's sailing under convoy of theAriel after her return to L'Orient.
With regard to the conduct of Captain Jones, the Board beg leave to report, that the views of the Marine Committee in sending Capt. Jones and his views in going in theRanger to France were, that he might take the command of theIndian a Ship that was building in Amsterdam on a new construction under a contract made by the Commissioners of these States at Paris and with her in concert with theRanger, annoy the trade and coasts of Great Britain. When he arrived at Nantes, the Commissioners sent for him to Paris; after remaining there some time he was informed, that they had assigned their property in the ShipIndian to the King of France.
Captain Jones returned to Nantes; plans and undertakes a secret expedition in theRanger. His designs and success appear at large in his answer to the 2d. Question. He leaves theRanger at the instance of the Court of France, to take the command of theIndian. He is disappointed and takes the command of theBon Homme Richard, the property of the King, and of a squadron at the expence of the Crown of France under the Commission and flag of the United States of America. TheAlliance was made part of the said squadron, and put under orders by Dr. Franklin. This Squadron was at
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first committed to his discretion, and he had a variety of objects in view. His first, second, and last objects are pointed out in his answer to the 12th question. The orders which he received in Europe will best explain the objects of the Court of France, and of the American Minister at that Court.
His success in the expedition with the squadron from L'Orient round the West of Ireland, North of Scotland, and East of England to the Texel appeared in a particular account thereof transmitted by Captain Jones to the President of Congress, and is one of the papers herewith presented.
That ever since Captain Jones first became an officer in the Navy of these States, he hath shown an unremitted attention in planning and executing enterprizes calculated to promote the essential interest of our glorious cause. That in Europe, although in his expedition through the Irish Channel in theRanger he did not fully accomplish his purpose yet he made the Enemy feel, that it is in the power of a small squadron under a brave and enterprizing Commander to retaliate the conflagration of our defenceless Towns, and took theDrake, a Ship in number of Guns and Men superior to theRanger which she was sent ont to capture. That by his reputation and address, he obtained the Command of a Squadron under the Flag and Laws of these States, at the expence of our generous allies, and therewith captured theSerapis, andScarborough, spreading universal alarm through the Island of Great Britain, and its dependencies. That in his expedition with that squadron, he made a number of prisoners sufficient to redeem all our fellow citizens in British Dungeons, and established a Cartel for their exchange.
That he hath made the Flag of America respectable among the Flags of other nations. That returning from Europe he brought with him the esteem of the greatest and best friends of America, and hath received from the illustrious Monarch of France, that reward of war-like virtue which his subjects obtain by a long series of faithful services or uncommon merit.
The Board are of opinion that the conduct of Capt: John Paul Jones merits particular attention, and some distinguishing mark of approbation from the United States in Congress assembled.
Signed by order of the Board
Fra: Lewis.
Admiralty Board
March 28th 1781.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 37, folio 363.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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