Philadela. 16th Septr. 1778
My dear Brother,
This will be delivered you by the Baron Arand who has served some time in our Army, and who now returns to France, with leave, on account of his health.1 Your two letters of July the 3d. & March 2d. came to my hands two days ago. Where the latter has so long been, I do not know. I shall observe the caution contained in the former, and give Loudon 2 the same. I do not know that we have erred in this way upon any occasions of consequence. I must here repeat my former advice, not to use the book cypher you have hitherto done, unless where you have reason to suppose the Bearer of the letter will deliver it himself. It may be good against his curiosity, but not against that of many others who by Carmichaels treachery have got possession of the key to this mode of corresponding. You were not mistaken in the union you supposed would be formed here between Carmichael & {Deane}.3 They go hand in hand & are closely allied in forming {faction} - Nor have they been unsuccessful in their wicked labors - But I trust, not in a manner to avail them much, or to {injure} you. The {scheme} is not yet completely opened, but before we part with {Deane}, we shall endeavor to get as much truth out, as will save the public from injury. I wish we had all the evidence on your side - But Mr. Stephenson is alone here, 4 and we must call for his evidence to fix Carmichaels charges against {Deane} when the former was at Nantes. The necessity of immediately appointing a {plenipotentiary} for our {ally} has occasioned a vote for the {Doctor},5 and his credentials & instructions will soon be sent. In a few days the other {Courts} will be determined on - {You} and our {brother}6 I think will not be {shaken}, but I assure you that envy, selfishness, and {Deane’s} arts have created a strange spirit among many, and will require on your parts great wisdom and much {caution} in all your {conduct} and {correspondence}. The {Doctor} is as I always thought him, I am not in the least disappointed or informed by any thing {immoral}7 that I hear of him. We do not know he has {written} any thing against {you} but I strongly {suspect} it from the conduct of some Men. However, virtue will prevail over vice in the end if tolerable prudence support the former. The {Doctor} is {old} and must soon be {called} to {account} for his {misdeeds}; therefore {bear} with him, if possible. In order to provide for {Deane} I suppose, it has been proposed to have a {consul} {general} in France, but this I think will never prevail. {One} in each {port} of consequence, and appointed by {Congress} the public good demands, and this will probably be done.
But {Deane’s} pride nor avarice will let him in here. I wish our brother may succeed in either of his missions - I fear he will in neither until these Courts have taken decided parts with regard to their contemplated war. The arrival of Byrons Squadron has given the enemy superiority at Sea over our friends, but we hope it will not long continue so. The Count is at present refitting safely in Boston from his damage in the Storm where he will soon be ready. The English fleet has been off that harbor but are now off Rhode Island. The movements in New York denote an intention soon to abandon that place, I suppose to strengthen Canada, Hallifax & the West Indies. Our accounts are now very good that the enemy lost between 12 & 1500 killed & wounded in the late battle where they were defeated on Rhode Island. I pray you my dear brother not to keep Ludwell8 a moment longer than it is convenient for you. A well grounded knowledge of eloquence, Civil & natural law will fit him for pursuing in Virginia the study of the laws of Engd. & his own Country. Besides, the justice I owe my other children will not allow very great partiality in expence on any one or two. Yet would not withhold what may be necessary for good foundations. But my income is chiefly paper money, and that you know will not reimburse you in Europe or serve my Sons there. Can you contrive the contents of this letter to William, I know not whether to address him at Vienna or Berlin. The Bark you kindly sent me has been of great service to me, but I shall want more next year, therefore pray send me some, if possible, directly to Virginia. I shall be glad of any valuable new publications whether in France or England.
Not being forewarned at the time, and it being so long since Sim. Deane’s arrival that I cannot recollect all the letters you sent me a list of - I did receive several by him, but I do not remember those for Owen or Pringle. I believe the rest came.
I sincerely wish you health, happiness & success. Adieu,
Richard Henry Lee
Lee PapersUniversity of Virginia Archives
Printed in James Curtis Ballagh, The Letters of Richard Henry Lee, Volume 1, 1762 - 1778, pp. 435 - 37. Endorsed "Letter for Dr. Lee Septr. 1778. Returned the Officer leaving it behind. Some of this letter to be written yet."
1 Baron d’Arendt’s 21 August 1778, letter to Richard Henry announcing his plan to return to France is in the Lee Family Papers, University of Virginia Archives. See also JCC, 11:808 - 9.
2 Francis Lightfoot Lee.
3 Words in braces here and below are in cipher in the receiver’s copy. For discussion of the cipher used by the Lees, see Richard Henry Lee to Arthur Lee, 12 May 1778, note 2.
The "union you supposed would be formed here between Carmichael & Deane" was about to become a matter of concern to the Lees, for this day Congress resumed consideration of Silas Deane’s request for clarification of his status and concluded by directing him to attend Congress on the 18th "to answer such questions as the house may propose to him, for the better understanding of the state and progress of public affairs during his mission in France." JCC, 12:908, 920, 927. But before Deane was permitted to appear, debate on his request was apparently reopened the morning of the 18th (Secretary Thomson’s journal entry on this point has been lined out), and subsequently Congress was diverted by a report, submitted by Richard Henry Lee the same afternoon, that William Carmichael had knowledge of instances of Deane’s "misapplication of public monies &c." Thereupon attention shifted to Carmichael’s relations with Deane in France and allegations against Deane made by Arthur Lee growing out of reports he had received from two American merchants in France, John Lloyd of South Carolina and William Stevenson of Maryland. "I am confident in my opinion," Lloyd had reported in a 24 January 1778, letter to Lee, "that Mr. Carmichael is at present positively determined to expose upon his arrival in America, Mr. Deane’s conduct as a Commissioner, in the fullest extent," a view repeated in a 1 February letter to Lee from Stevenson. The circumstances that frustrated the Lees at this time, however, was simply that Carmichael had patched up his relationship with Deane but had had a falling out with Arthur Lee before he had left France and was now reluctant to offer information against the former, although he had once so freely admitted to Lloyd and Stevenson that he was prepared to. The originals of their letters to Arthur Lee are located in the Lee Papers, MH-H; but the fact that copies of these and other related Lloyd and Stevenson letters can be found in the Laurens Papers, ScHi, Lee Papers, University of Virginia Archives, and Peter Force Collection, Library of Congress, suggests that considerable significance was attached to their intelligence and that several delegates obtained access to it.
For the examination of Carmichael before Congress and the steps taken to compel his testimony, see Gouvernor Morris’ Proposed Resolve on William Carmichael, 18 September; and Charles Thomson’s Notes on William Carmichael’s Examination, 28 September 1778. For information on Carmichael, and an extended analysis of Richard Henry Lee’s role in the entire Deane-Arthur Lee affair, see Floyd B. Streeter, "The Diplomatic Career of William Carmichael," Maryland Historical Magazine 8 (June 1913): 120 - 27; and Paul C. Bowers, "Richard Henry Lee and the Continental Congress, 1774 - 1779," (Ph.D. diss., Duke University, 1965), pp. 280 - 341.
4 William Stevenson, whose arrival in America in June had been reported by James Lovell in the Committee for Foreign Affairs’ 20 June 20 1778, letter to Benjamin Franklin.
5 Benjamin Franklin.
6 William Lee.
7 Whether "immoral" or "immoderate" was intended must be conjectured.
8 Richard Henry’s son Ludwell, whose education in France was being supervised by Arthur.