William Hodge to the American Commissioners
ALS: University of Virginia Library, South Carolina Historical Society;
copy and transcript: National Archives
<Cadiz, July 10, 1778: I received only yesterday your letter of
April 19. You tell me I am charged with almost 100,000 livres
of public money. I gave Mr. Deane a detailed account of my
receipts and disbursements and the charges of the Dunkirk
merchants; my only charge was the trifling 2½ percent commission,
which did not even cover my expenses. You will find
that a balance is due me, as I was only responsible for a quarter
of the cutter and Mr. Deane for the other quarter; he
doubtless took with him the papers relating to her and the
lugger.
Mr. Lee has informed Congress that he does not know how
I used the large sum of public money I received. Ignoring
expenses and what is due to the crew, he has told all his Spanish
correspondents that Congress and I were jointly concerned
with a privateer, and that they should pay me only half
the prize money and send him the other half.
I shall now account for myself since I arrived in Spain. Mr.
John Ross and I claimed the cutter as our property in consequence
of an order from Mr. Deane, who had as much authority
in public business as yourselves. I am surprised that Dr.
Franklin signed your letter, for I heard him advising Mr.
Deane to do as he did. Mr. Deane ordered Captain Conyngham
to deliver us the cutter and put himself under our
direction, which he did. He and Dr. Franklin avoided expense
and trouble by giving us this vessel. Before my arrival she
spent almost two-thirds of her time in port. Captain Conyngham
did not give me enough to pay the crew’s wages and prize
money, some of the proceeds of the prizes having been
stopped as a result of his taking a French brig and sending her
in to San Sebastian. I paid the officers and men from other
funds, but not enough to satisfy them. I have not received a
dollar more than what covered my expenses and will prove it.
I distributed that money according to Congressional rules: I
have taken receipts from all the men and do not care about
their complaints. I found the ship with only a few officers; the
men were in prison in San Sebastian, Bilbao, and elsewhere
because of the capture of the French brig, and Captain Conyngham
was offering to turn her over to the captain of a New
England privateer in Bilbao.
As to your giving Captain Conyngham his future orders,
you cannot do it without my consent as half-owner. I shall
leave the whole matter to Congress, some of whose members
understand business. We have had a report, I hope unfounded,
that Captain Conyngham has been taken. I had intended to
sail for home in a few days, but shall come to France instead
to justify my conduct to you.
n.b. The prizes Captain Conyngham sent to Spain are
stopped by order of the court, as a result of his taking the
French brig.>
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