emy were in earnest about killing the prisoners. His men, too, began to be impor tunate for the recovery of their fellow-soldiers. A third flag came, the men grew more clamorous, and Arnold, now almost raving with rage and compassion, was obliged to consent to the exchange and six days suspension of hostilities, Foster declaring he had not boats to deliver them in less time. However, he did deliver them so much sooner as that before the six days were expired, himself and party had fled out of all reach. Arnold then retired to Montreal. You have long before this heard of Gen. Thompson's defeat. The truth of that matter has never appeared till lately. You will see it in the public papers. No men on earth ever behaved better than ours did. The enemy behaved dastardly. Col. Allen (who was in the engagement) assured me this day, that such was the situation of our men, half way up to the thighs in mud for several hours, that five hundred men of spirit must have taken the whole; yet the enemy were repulsed several times, and our people had time to extricate themselves and come off. It is believed the enemy suffered considerably. The above account of Arnold's affair you may rely on, as I was one of a committee appointed to inquire into the whole of that matter, and have it from those who were in the whole transaction, and were taken prisoners. My sincere affections to Mrs. Eppes, and adicu, FRANCIS EPPES, Esq. TH. JEFFERSON. PHILADELPHIA, July 23, 1776. DEAR SIR: We have nothing new here now but from the southward. The successes there I hope will prove valuable here, by giving new spirit to our people. The ill successes in Canada had depressed the minds of many; when we shall hear the last of them I know not; everybody had supposed Crown Point would be a certain stand for them, but they have retreated from that to Ticonderoga, against everything which in my eye wears the shape of reason. When I wrote you last, we were deceived in General Washington's numbers. By a return which came to hand a day or two after, he then had but 15,000 effective men. His reinforcements have come in pretty well since. The flying camp in the Jerseys under General Mercer begins to form, but not as fast as exigencies require. The Congress have, therefore, been obliged to send for two of our battalions from Virginia. I hope that country is perfectly safe now; and if it is, it seemed hardly right that she should not contribute a man to an army of 40,000, and an army too on which was to depend the decision of all our rights. Lord Howe's fleet has not yet arrived. The first division sailed five days before he did, but report says it was scattered by a storm. This seems probable, as Lord Howe had a long passage. The two other divisions were not sailed when he came away. I do not expect his army will be here and fit for action till the middle or last of August; in the meantime, if Mercer's camp could be formed with the expedition it merits, it might be possible to attack the present force from the Jersey side of Staten Island, and get rid of that beforehand; the militia go in freely, considering they leave their harvest to rot in the field. I have received no letter this week, which lays me under great anxiety. I shall leave this place about the 11th of next month. Give my love to Mrs. Eppes, and tell her that when both you and Patty fail to write to me, I think I shall not be unreasonable in insisting she shall. I am, dear sir, Yours affectionately, TO FRANCIS EPPES, Esq. TH. JEFFERSON.. PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 9th, 1776. DEAR SIR AS Col. Harrison was about to have some things packed, I set out upon the execution of your glass commission, and was surprised to find that the whole glass stores of the city could not make out anything like what you desired. I therefore did what I thought would be best, imagining you wanted the number you mentioned at any event, and that not being able to get them of that form, you would take them of any other. I therefore got 4 pint cans, 10s.; 2 quart do. 8s.; and 6 half-pint tumblers, 6s., all of double flint. So that there still remains in my hands £4 16s., Pennsylva currey. Your teckle is not yet come. It seems the man who had promised to sell it to the gentleman I employed to get it, now raises some difficulties either to get off others which he calls the set, or to enhance the price. However, the gentleman still expects it, and I am after him every day for it. Our galleys at New York have had a smart engagement with the men-of-war which went up the river; it is believed the enemy suffered a good deal. The galleys are much injured, though we lost but two men. The commander writes us word he retired, that he might go and give them another drubbing, which in plain English meant, I suppose, that he was obliged to retire. Gen. Washington commends the behavior of the men much. They lay pretty close to the enemy, and two of the galleys were exposed to the broadside of their ships almost the whole time. The damage done them proves they were in a warm situation. Madison (of the college) and one Johnson, of Augusta, were coming passengers in the New York packet; they were attacked by one of our armed vessels, and nothing but the intervention of night prevented the packet being taken. She is arrived at New York, and they permitted to come home. In a letter by them, we have intelligence that the French ministry is changed, the pacific men turned out, and those who are for war, with the Duke de Choiseul at their head, are taken in. We have also the king's speech on the prorogation of parliament, declaring he will see it out with us to the bitter end. The South Carolina army with Clinton Sr., arrived at Staten Island last week, one of their transports, with 5 companies of Highlanders, having first fallen into General Lee's hands. They now make Lord Howe 12,000 strong. With this force he is preparing to attack. He is embarking his cannon; has launched 8 galleys, and formed his men-of-war into line of battle. From these circumstances, it is believed the attack of New York will be within three or four days. They expect with the utmost confidence to carry it, as they consider our army but as a rude undisciplined rabble. I hope they will find it a Bunker's Hill rabble. Notwithstanding these appearances of attack, there are some who believe, and with appearance of reason, that these measures are taken by the enemy to secure themselves and not to attack us. A little time will shew. General Arnold (a fine sailor) has undertaken to command our fleet on the lakes. The enemy are fortifying Oswego, and I believe our army there, when recovered from their sickness, will find they have lost a good campaign, though they have had no battle of moment. My love to Mrs. Eppes. I hope my letter by last post got there time enough to stay Patty with her awhile longer. Adieu. FRANCIS EPPES, Esq., At the Forest, By favor of Col. Harrison. TH. JEFFERSON. APPENDIX NO. IV.-VOL. I. p. 232. Bradshaw's Supposititious Epitaph. Mr. Trist's Memoranda proceed as follows: "The epitaph on Bradshaw, written on a narrow slip of thin paper, was a fine specimen. This has gone to France, through Gen. La Fayette, for M. De Lyon, a young friend of his who accompanied him on his triumphal visit to our country, and was with him at Monticello. De Lyon (who afterwards did his part in the 'three days') having expressed an earnest desire to possess a piece of Mr. J.'s MS., I had promised to make his wish known at some suitable moment. But, having postponed doing so until too late, and being struck with the appropriateness of this epitaph as a present for a pupil of La Fayette (and, through him, to the mind of 'Young France'), I asked and obtained Mr. Randolph's consent to its receiving that destination. ""Tis evident, that the motto which we find on one of Mr. J.'s seals was taken from this epitaph, which, as we see from the note appended thereto, was supposed to be one of Dr. Franklin's spirit-stirring inspirations." 1776. "The following inscription was made out, three years ago, on the cannon, near which the ashes of President Bradshaw were lodged, on the top of a high hill near Martha Bay, in Jamaica, to avoid the rage against the Regicides exhibited at the Restoration: Stranger! Ere thou pass, contemplate this cannon, nor regardless be told the Dust of JOHN BRADSHAW: Who, nobly superior to all selfish regards, of Heroes and Patriots Tyrant of England, To a public and exemplary death: The most glorious example Of unshaken virtue, love of freedom, and impartial justice, Oh Reader! Pass not on, till thou hast blest his memory, And never-never forget, That REBELLION TO TYRANTS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD. "From many circumstances, there is reason to believe there does not exist any such inscription as the above, and that it was written by Dr. Franklin, in whose hands it was first seen. [This note was evidently a remark by Mr. J. himself.]" APPENDIX NO. V.-VOL. I., p. 388. Two Letters from Mr. Jefferson to Francis Eppes, in 1783. PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14, 1788. DEAR SIR: You will hardly expect to receive a letter from me at this place, and of so late a date. Yet I have apprehensions of being here ten days or a fortnight longer, for though ready myself, some time since, the vessel in which I go is not ready. Yesterday's post brought no mail from Virginia. I was not disappointed in this, as I was pretty certain that under expectation of my being gone you did not write. I had entertained some hope of meeting a letter from you on my first arrival here, but suppose the same idea of its not coming in time prevented it, so that at present I have no hope of hearing again, while on this side water, from yourself and family and those dear little ones I have left with you. We have heard nothing since my last from which the length of my absence may be conjectured. The last authentic advices were of the 14th of October, but the affair of Gibraltar happened just then, and the negotiation was in such a state that what had passed between the negotiators was at that time under submission to the British court for their approbation or disavowal. How far this would be influenced by their good fortune at Gibraltar is the question which the next advices must certainly solve. Since I came here there has been sold the Westover copy of Catesby's History of Carolina. It was held near a twelvemonth at twelve guineas, and at last sold for ten. This seems to fix what should be given for Mr. Bolling's copy, if you can induce him to let me have it, which I am very anxious for. Perhaps it would be a temptation to offer that the ten guineas should be paid to Mr. Ross's agent at Nantes, where he could lay them out and send the articles to Mr. Bolling. His draft shall be paid on sight in Paris. Perhaps you had better effect this by making the proposition to Mrs. Bolling. Of this your knowledge of the family will enable you to judge. Be so good as to present me most affectionately to Mrs. Eppes, Mr. and Mrs. Skipwith, and the two families, and believe me to be, with very great sincerity, dear sir, Your friend and servant, TH. JEFFERSON. PHILADELPHIA, March 4, 1788. DEAR SIR: In my last, from Baltimore, I informed you that my voyage to Euope was at least suspended till further intelligence should be received. I returned to this place about four or five days ago, that I might be on the spot to act as shall be ultimately concluded by Congress. Though nothing since has come to us, we consider the event of peace as certain and speedy. The hearing nothing is a proof of this. The French minister, the British at New York, and Congress, are equally uninformed. This would not have been the case had the conferences for peace broken off, as has been pretended, or had they become languid. The packets and dispatch vessels are detained, doubtless, on a daily expectation of sending something more definitive than the signing of preliminaries. Capt. Barney is lying at L'Orient with the Washington, a dispatch vessel of Congress, ready to bring the advices from our plenipotentiaries. From these circumstances, you will judge that I expect every hour to receive permission to return home. I shall be here but a very few days after this shall be received, and expect to be myself the bearer of the first intelligence to you. There is nothing new here. I hope by the next post to receive a letter from you, though after near three months' absence without having ever heard a word of my dear little ones, I shall receive your letter with fear and trembling, lest any accident should have happened. This dread, I hope, will be removed. Patsy is well. I hope Mrs. Eppes has recovered better health. If my prayers would be a medicine, she should have them with more fervor than they were ever offered for myself. Present my love to her and the little ones, and whenever you have an opportunity, be so good as to let Mr. and Mrs. Skipwith know that I remember them with affection. I am, dear sir, FRANCIS EPPES, Esq., Eppington, (near Richmond.) Your sincere friend, TH. JEFFERSON. APPENDIX NO. VI.-VOL. I., p. 400. Synopsis of Jefferson's Draft of Instructions for our Foreign Ministers, in 1784. 1. EACH party to have the right to carry and sell its own merchandise in its own bottoms in the ports of the other, and from thence to purchase and carry the merchandise of the other, paying, in both cases, only such duties as are paid by the most favored nation. 2. The United States to be allowed direct intercourse on the same conditions with the American possessions (or certain free ports in them) of European nations; or each to carry their own merchandise in their own bottoms to the other. 3. In all such treaties, the United States to be considered as one nation, upon the principles of the federal compact. 4. That "it be proposed, but not indispensably required," that in case of war, merchants of one country residing in the other, have nine months to collect their debts, and the privilege of carrying off their entire effects: that all unarmed fishermen, cultivators of the earth, artisans or manufacturers, peaceably following their employments, shall not be molested by the armed force of the enemy, and all things necessarily taken from them, paid for: that merchants and traders be allowed to pass freely that all privateering be abolished. 5. That merchandise hitherto denominated contraband be no longer subject to confiscation, but that it be liable to be detained by the captor, on paying for such detention, or appropriated by him, on his paying its current value at its place of destination. If other nations will not consent to discontinue confiscation, to obtain its limitation to articles actually contraband, and a stipulation that when these are delivered up, vessels shall be allowed to proceed with the rest of their cargoes. 6. That where either of the contracting parties are at war with a third power, all goods not contraband, belonging to the subjects of such third power, and shipped in |