Marquis de Vaudreuil letter to Marquis de Bouille, 1783 February 12 : manuscript copy

Letter from the Marquis de Vaudreuil to the Marquis de Bouille from Porto Cabello. Vaudreuil writes that he has received the packets from the court which were sent by Bouille. His crossing took fifty days and the ships suffered considerably. The Bourgogne was lost when it struck a sand bar. Vaudreuil discusses the state of supplies, provision and his personal effects.

[English translation]

I received, Monsieur le Marquis, by the Lougre the packets from the Court which you sent to me with the letter which you did me the honor of writing me the 5 December. I arrived here day before yesterday after a crossing of 50 days during which the vessels suffered considerably; many which could not surmount the violence of the currents entered Curacao from where they will be able to deliver themsleves here in a few days. We had the misfortune of loosing the vessel Bourgogne, commanded by Mr. de Champmartin. It ran aground during the night on a sand bar 40 leagues from here, I do not know the number of people who were lost in looking to escape to land.

The Spanish Squadron has not yet arrived at its rendezvous.

The Navy victuals which you have are not absolutely necessary to me because I took some merchant ships from the convoy which had put into port at Port Rico, but I would be charmed to promptly recieve the clothes, ropes, and rigging for the masts and spars, etc. of which we are totally lacking. I write to this effect to the Officer commanding the King's vessels which are in Martinique. If he has none there would you like to dispatch the ships to me which are loaded with these effects.

Permit me, Monsieur le Marquis, to request you to render me a service which is personal to me. I have in one of the frigates of the transport ships my living provisions which were sent me by Mr. Bethman of Bordeaux. Would you like to order that they are sent to me by one of the first ships which will come here. I am very obliged to you for the news which you had the goodness to give me of my wife. I had the honor to write you from Boston in order to show you the whole part which I took at that which concerns you, and the really lively pleasure which I felt in learning the justice which the King had rendered you in making you Lieutenant-General.

Ink on paper