American Colonies during the Revolutionary War. 61 



lowing winter and spring and tliat France would take possession of 

 them "on the first rupture," 



He also- stated that the Bermudians had sent a petition to the 

 English government declaring the necessity of getting provisions 

 from America, and saying that if not permitted to do so, they must 

 ask the protection of the Congress,* 



In consequence of Mr, Deane's letters and other information, 

 Congress immediatel}' ordered two " fast-sailing vessels " to be 

 loaded with provisions and sent to Bermuda, June, 1776. The officers 

 were instructed to ascertain " the disposition of the people," and 

 also whether two armed vessels could be purchased and fitted out 

 there, (See above, p, 51.) Their report does not appear to have been 

 recorded, f Doubtless it Avas deemed impracticable to take the 

 islands at that time, for the Americans then had no war vessels of 

 any importance and could not have held the islands against the 

 English fleet, even with the assistance of the French fleet. 



But plans for the capture of Bermuda were not entirely abandoned 

 until long afterwards, for references are repeatedly' made to it in the 

 official letters pi-eserved in the archives, both in Europe and America. 

 In the letters of Mi-, Hopkins (Brigadier in the French Service) to 

 Compte de Vergennes, Sept, 9 and Sept, 14, 1776, he mentions the 

 capture of Bermuda as a part of his plans J 



In the Treaties of Commerce .and Alliance between France and 

 America, signed Feb, 6, 1778, it was stipulated that all the West 

 Indies, if conquered, should belong to France, but that Bermuda 

 should be added to the United States, 



In the letters of Marquis de Lafayette to Compte de Vergennes, 

 July 3, and July 18, 1779, and in other letters, he mentions the 

 capture of Bermuda for the Americans as a part of his plans. 

 Lafayette contemplated a visit to Bermuda, personally, to organize 

 a liberty part}^, as stated in a letter to Compte de Vergennes, Feb. 

 2, 1780. He said, "Nous pouvous en passant toucher a la Bermuda 

 et y etablir le parti de la liberte." 



* See also New Eng. Historical and Geological Eeg., vol. 1, No. 4, Oct., 1896, 

 p. 441. 



\ All such matters were at that time referred to a Secret Committee of Marine 

 and Commerce, and very little is on record as to its doings. 



X See Stevens, Benj. Franklin (editor). Facsimiles of manuscripts in European 

 Archives relating to America, 17T3-1778, Nov., 1889-Fel3., 1898, folio. See 

 Abstracts in G. Watson Cole, Bermuda in Periodical Literature, Bulletin of 

 Bibliography, iii, Nos. 8, 9, Jan. -Feb.. 1904, of these and several other letters 

 regai'ding the capture of Bermuda by the French. 



