Item 41: Letter from Chevalier Anne-César de la Luzerne to Unknown [French Language], ca. Spring-Summer 1779
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 41
Dates
- Created: ca. Spring-Summer 1779
Creator
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Letter
Condition Note:
Good; difficult to read
Measurements:
10 ⅜ in. x 7 ⅛ in.
Description:
The following is a letter from Chevalier Anne-César de la Luzerne to unknown with no date. Within the letter, Luzerne gives the recipient directions for how they can pay a bill of 25 thousands French livres/pounds. It appears that the rest of the letter is surrounding the movement of traveling cases or luggage. Luzerne would like to know with whom he should leave the traveling cases so that they will leave for Lorient, France, no later than Sunday or Monday. The traveling cases may first be delivered to someone in Nantes, France, before they arrive at their final destination in Lorient. Luzerne hopes that the recipient doesn’t forget the time or port of his departure. Luzerne closes the letter warmly but apologizes for all of the troubles he has caused the recipient. Luzerne possibly mentions a monastery in this letter. Anne-César de la Luzerne’s brother, César-Guillaume la Luzerne, was a Roman Catholic clergyman. César-Guillaume may have helped Anne-César coordinate the transportation of the belongings. This letter is likely about preparations for Chevalier Anne-César de la Luzerne’s travels aboard the Sensible from Lorient, France, to Boston, United States, with both John Adams and John Quincy Adams in June of 1779. Benjamin Franklin wrote to John Adams in April, 1779, about the latter’s upcoming voyage with Luzerne. Franklin mentioned the moving of Adams’ belongings from one ship to another due to safety concerns. Franklin stated that traveling with “amiable” Luzerne would make up for any inconvenience of moving his belongings. Franklin stated that the ships were in Nantes at the time of writing. In his personal letters, John Adams frequently mentioned his stay in Nantes and discussed the moving of his belongings. In April 1779, John Adams discussed his travels between Nantes and Lorient, France. This letter from Chevalier de la Luzerne to unknown is possibly referencing the movement of John Adams’ belongings and may have even been addressed to John Adams himself. It was likely sent some time between Luzerne’s appointment as the French ambassador in April 1779 and his voyage in June 1779. While the handwriting in later letters from Luzerne appears differently, the handwriting in this document is very similar to the handwriting in this letter from Luzerne to George Washington from 1779. References to numerous letters from Chevalier de la Luzerne can be found in Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia and Histoire de la participation de la France à l'établissement des États-Unis d'Amérique. Correspondance diplomatique et documents.
Location:
Nantes, France; Lorient, France; possibly“Rue d’Huvelin” [unlikely Rue Huvelin, Lebanon; possibly referring to the street of Eugène Huvelin, a clergyman of the time]
Transcription:
Transcription assistance for this manuscript has been provided by Susan Cragin, Stephanie Vaillant, and Mike Shaw.
[first page] Le che[valie]r de la Luzerne Ministre de France aux Etats-Unis, jai[sic] [J’ai] l'honneur de vous addresser [sic] [adresser], monsieur, un billet de 25 mil[le] livres payable comptant a[sic] [à] la caisse de Rue(?) d'Huvelin(?) je vous prie de m’accorder sa reception [sic] [réception]..
Je vous prie aussi, monsieur, de vouloir bien me mander chez qui je dois faire deposer [sic] [déposer] mes differentes [sic] [différentes] caisses pour qu'elles partent au plutard dimanche ou lundi pour L’Orient, je lesaddresserai [sic] [adresserai] a[sic] [à] une de moutorier [sic] [moutier](?) a [sic] [à] Nantes, vous voudres[sic] [voudrez] bien en faire changer l'addresse [sic] [l’adresse], et y rappleer [sic] [rappeler](?) le borse [sic] [bourse] de votre correspondant
[second page] a[sic] [à] L’Orient quelques-unes de ces caisses sont deja[sic] [déjà] faites, et je pourrais les faire transporter demain matin, je me flate [sic] [flatte] que le reste y sera déposé dans le courant de la semaine, vous voyez que je ne perds pas de temps. Comme mes gens metteront [sic] [mettront] les addresses[sic] [adresses] pour Nantes et qu’apres[sic] [qu'après] cela il perderont [sic] [perdront] absolument de vue toutes ces caisses, jespere[sic] [j’espere] que tou [sic] [tu] ne tobblouera[sic] [t’oubliera] ni l’epoque[sic] [l'époque] juste de mon depart [sic] [départ], ni le port d'où je ou[sic] [où] je m’embarquerai. Mil [sic] [mille] pardons des peines que je vous donne Je vous prie d’etre[sic] [d'être] persuade[sic] [persuadé] de ma [third page] reconnaissance et des sentiments dattachement[sic] [d'attachement] avec lesquels je suis, monsieur, votre tres[sic] [très] humble et tres[sic] [très] obeissant[sic] [obéissant] serviteur Le che[valier] de la Luzerne [signature]
Translation: [first page] The Chevalier de la Luzerne Minister of France to the United States I had the honor of sending you, Sir, a bill for 25 thousand livres [French pounds] payable at the register on Huvelin’s Street. I ask you to please hasten its delivery. I also beg you, Sir, to please also be willing to direct me to whom I should leave my different cases, so they can leave for Lorient late Sunday or Monday. I will send them to a Monastery(?) in Nantes, you will want to change the address, and to remember the bill of your correspondent
[second page] in Lorient some of the cases have already been sent, and I can have them all transported tomorrow morning, I flatter myself that the rest will be sent there during the week. You see that I don’t waste time, as my men will put the addresses for Nantes and after that, they will absolutely lose sight of all of these cases, I hope that you won’t forget the correct time of my departure, nor the port where I will embark. A thousand apologies for the troubles that I have caused you. I ask that you please be assured of my
[third page] gratitude and of my affectionate attachments with which I am, Sir, your very humble and most obedient servant. Le Chevalier de la Luzerne [Signature]
[first page] Le che[valie]r de la Luzerne Ministre de France aux Etats-Unis, jai[sic] [J’ai] l'honneur de vous addresser [sic] [adresser], monsieur, un billet de 25 mil[le] livres payable comptant a[sic] [à] la caisse de Rue(?) d'Huvelin(?) je vous prie de m’accorder sa reception [sic] [réception]..
Je vous prie aussi, monsieur, de vouloir bien me mander chez qui je dois faire deposer [sic] [déposer] mes differentes [sic] [différentes] caisses pour qu'elles partent au plutard dimanche ou lundi pour L’Orient, je lesaddresserai [sic] [adresserai] a[sic] [à] une de moutorier [sic] [moutier](?) a [sic] [à] Nantes, vous voudres[sic] [voudrez] bien en faire changer l'addresse [sic] [l’adresse], et y rappleer [sic] [rappeler](?) le borse [sic] [bourse] de votre correspondant
[second page] a[sic] [à] L’Orient quelques-unes de ces caisses sont deja[sic] [déjà] faites, et je pourrais les faire transporter demain matin, je me flate [sic] [flatte] que le reste y sera déposé dans le courant de la semaine, vous voyez que je ne perds pas de temps. Comme mes gens metteront [sic] [mettront] les addresses[sic] [adresses] pour Nantes et qu’apres[sic] [qu'après] cela il perderont [sic] [perdront] absolument de vue toutes ces caisses, jespere[sic] [j’espere] que tou [sic] [tu] ne tobblouera[sic] [t’oubliera] ni l’epoque[sic] [l'époque] juste de mon depart [sic] [départ], ni le port d'où je ou[sic] [où] je m’embarquerai. Mil [sic] [mille] pardons des peines que je vous donne Je vous prie d’etre[sic] [d'être] persuade[sic] [persuadé] de ma [third page] reconnaissance et des sentiments dattachement[sic] [d'attachement] avec lesquels je suis, monsieur, votre tres[sic] [très] humble et tres[sic] [très] obeissant[sic] [obéissant] serviteur Le che[valier] de la Luzerne [signature]
Translation: [first page] The Chevalier de la Luzerne Minister of France to the United States I had the honor of sending you, Sir, a bill for 25 thousand livres [French pounds] payable at the register on Huvelin’s Street. I ask you to please hasten its delivery. I also beg you, Sir, to please also be willing to direct me to whom I should leave my different cases, so they can leave for Lorient late Sunday or Monday. I will send them to a Monastery(?) in Nantes, you will want to change the address, and to remember the bill of your correspondent
[second page] in Lorient some of the cases have already been sent, and I can have them all transported tomorrow morning, I flatter myself that the rest will be sent there during the week. You see that I don’t waste time, as my men will put the addresses for Nantes and after that, they will absolutely lose sight of all of these cases, I hope that you won’t forget the correct time of my departure, nor the port where I will embark. A thousand apologies for the troubles that I have caused you. I ask that you please be assured of my
[third page] gratitude and of my affectionate attachments with which I am, Sir, your very humble and most obedient servant. Le Chevalier de la Luzerne [Signature]
Creator
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
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570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
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84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu