JOHN LAURENS was the son of Henry Laurens, whose Correspondence is printed in the first volume of this work. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in the year 1755. At the age of sixteen he accompanied his father to Europe, where he was left to pursue his education, first at Geneva and afterwards at London. He was diligent in his studies, and made rapid attainments in the different branches of knowledge, as well as in the other accomplishments of a scholar and a gentleman. In 1774 he became a student of law in the Temple; but the stirring events that were causing so much excitement on this side of the Atlantic drew his attention strongly to the interests and claims of his native country, and determined him to return and connect his destiny with hers. After a voyage of considerable peril, he arrived in Charleston in 1777, and immediately resolved to join the army.

As the army then abounded with officers, and there was no opening suited to him in their ranks, General Washington took him into his family as a supernumerary aid-de-camp. In this capacity he was at the battles of Germantown and Monmouth. He soon afterwards attached himself to the army on Rhode Island, where he had the command of a small body of light troops, and displayed so much bravery and good conduct that Congress, on the 5th of November, 1778, resolved "that John Laurens, Aid-de-camp to General Washington, be presented with a Continental commission of lieutenant colonel, in testimony of the sense which Congress entertain of his patriotic and spirited services as a volunteer in the American army; and of his brave conduct in several actions, particularly in that of Rhode Island on the 29th of August last; and that General Washington be directed, whenever an opportunity shall offer, to give Lieutenant Colonel Laurens a command agreeable to his rank." The next year he repaired to the southern army, was present at the unsuccessful attack on Savannah, and was among the prisoners at the capitulation of Charleston. He was soon after exchanged and reinstated in the army. On the 28th of September, 1779, he was chosen by Congress Secretary to the Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States to the Court of Versailles; but he did not accept the appointment.

In the year following Congress became so much pressed for the want of means in money and military supplies, that they resolved to send a special Minister to France for the purpose of representing, in a strong and just light, the extreme necessities of the United States, and soliciting new aid from the French Court. It was supposed that a person going directly from the scene of action and suffering,

and with a full knowledge of all the particulars from personal observation, would be more likely to succeed in such an application than the resident Minister Plenipotentiary, who could only speak from his general instructions. As the assistance was chiefly wanted for the relief of the army, it was moreover considered that this messenger should be selected from that body. The choice fell on Colonel Laurens, who, on the 23d of December, 1780, was appointed a special Minister to the Court of Versailles for the above purpose. He was then only twenty-five years old. He sailed from Boston in February, and arrived in Paris on the 19th of March, and immediately applied himself with great assiduity to the objects of his mission. His success, though not to the extent of his wishes or the hopes of Congress, was yet more complete than could reasonably have been expected considering the liberal grants which the French Government had recently made to the solicitations of Dr. Franklin. All that could be effected by zeal, activity, perseverance, and intelligence was accomplished by Colonel Laurens; but so great was his eagerness to do his duty on the occasion, and to render the most essential service to his country, that his forwardness and impatience were somewhat displeasing to the French Ministry, as not altogether consistent with their ideas of the dignity and deference belonging to transactions with Courts. They made allowance, however, for the ardor and inexperience of youth, and seemed not to have been influenced by these objectionable points of manners in their estimation of his noble and generous traits of character, or in their disposition to listen to his requests.

Having compassed the aims of his mission with uncommon despatch, Colonel Laurens left Paris, and reached Philadelphia towards the end of August, having been absent from the country but little more than six months. As soon as he had made a report of his doings to Congress he repaired again to the army in time to be present at the memorable siege of Yorktown. Here he displayed great courage and gallantry in storming and taking a British battery as second in command to Hamilton. After the capitulation he joined the southern army under General Greene, having previously acted as a representative in the Legislature of his native State, which convened at Jacksonborough in January, 1782. While with the army during the following summer he was ill with a fever, from which he had hardly recovered when intelligence came that a party of the British were out on a marauding excursion to Combakee. He went in pursuit of the enemy, and while leading an advanced party he received a mortal wound which terminated his life or the 27th of August, 1782, in the twenty-seventh year of his age. His death was deeply lamented by the army and the nation.

CORRESPONDENCE.

INSTRUCTIONS TO JOHN LAURENS.

Sir,

In Congress, December 23d, 1780.

You will herewith receive a commission appointing you our Minister at the Court of Versailles; in pursuing the objects of which, you will conform to the following instructions:

Upon your arrival you will communicate fully to our Minister Plenipotentiary at that Court the business on which you are sent, and avail yourself of his information and influence for obtaining the aids mentioned in the estimate delivered to you. Instructions to him for that purpose are herewith transmitted, which you will deliver immediately on your arrival. You will convey to his Most Christian Majesty the grateful sense Congress have of the noble and generous part he has taken with regard to the United States, and use every possible means to impress him with the urgent and critical state of our affairs at present, which induced the appointment of a special Minister to solicit his effectual aid.

You will, in particular, give him full information of the present state of our military affairs, and the measures taken for providing a respectable force for the ensuing campaign. It will be proper, at the same time, to point out the causes which rendered the last campaign unsuccessful.

You are to use every effort in your power to enforce the necessity of maintaining a naval superiority in the American seas. You will assure his Most Christian Majesty on our part, that, if he will please to communicate to us his intentions respecting the next campaign in America, we will use every effort in our power for an effectual VOL. V.-10

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coöperation. You are to give his Majesty the most positive and pointed assurances of our determination to prosecute the war for the great purposes of the alliance, agreeable to our engagements.

Should his Majesty grant the aids requested, and send to our assistance a naval force, you will take advantage of that conveyance for forwarding the articles furnished. If no naval armament should be ordered to America, you will endeavor to obtain some vessels of force to transport the said articles, or take advantage of some convoy to America, which may render the transportation less hazardous. You will call upon William Palfrey, our Consul in that kingdom, for such assistance as you may stand in need of for forwarding any supplies which you may obtain. You are authorised to draw upon our Minister Plenipotentiary for such sums as you may from time to time stand in need of, giving him early notice thereof, that he may aid you from funds procured on our account, without doing injury to our other concerns. You may also draw upon any other funds which you may know to have been procured for us in Europe.

You will, on your arrival at the Court of Versailles, present the letter to his Most Christian Majesty which you will herewith receive. Previous to your departure from the United States, you are to confer with the Commander-in-Chief of the American army, the Minister Plenipotentiary of France, the Commanders-in-Chief of his Most Christian Majesty's fleet and army at Rhode Island, the Marquis de la Fayette, if it should not retard your voyage, upon the subject of your commission, and avail yourself of every information you may obtain from them respectively. You will embrace every opportunity of informing us of the success of your negociations, and receive and obey such instructions as you may from time to time receive from Congress.

When the purpose of your mission shall be as fully effected as you may deem practicable, you are to return, and report your success to Congress without delay, unless you shall previously receive other orders.*

We pray God to further you with His goodness in the several objects hereby recommended, and that He will have you in His holy keeping. SAMUEL HUNTINGTON, President.

* For additional instructions to Dr. Franklin respecting Colonel Laurens's mission, see Franklin's Correspondence, Vol. II, p. 134.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO JOHN LAURENS.

In Congress, December 27th, 1780.

Sir, With respect to the loan, we foresee that the sum which we asked will be greatly inadequate to our wants. We wish, however, to depend as much as possible on our internal exertions. In this negociation, the state of our finances require that you should endeavor to procure as long a respite after the war for the payment of the principal as may be in your power. You may agree for an interest not exceeding the terms allowed or given on national security in Europe, endeavoring to suspend the discharge of the interest for two or three years, if possible.

You are hereby empowered to pledge the faith of the United States, by executing such securities or obligations for the payment of the money as you may think proper, and also that the interest shall not be reduced, nor the principal paid, during the term for which the same shall have been borrowed, without the consent of the lenders or their representatives.

You are to stipulate for the payment of both principal and interest in specie.

The loan must prove ineffective unless the specie is actually remitted. Experience has shown that the negociation of bills is attended with insupportable loss and disadvantage. His Most Christian Majesty, we are persuaded, will see in the strongest light the necessity of despatching an effective naval armament to the American seas. This is a measure of such vast moment, that your utmost address will be employed to give it success. By such a conveyance, the specie may be remitted in different ships-of-war with a prospect of safety.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON, President.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Philadelphia, January 3d, 1781.

Sir,

Although my instructions relative to the objects of my mission do not explicitly direct what conduct I am to observe in case the aids