Box 1

Scope and Contents Sercey details the difficulties he is having in finding a ship properly equipped to escort the one carrying supplies to Fort Dauphin according to Galbaud's orders; they all lack either personnel or good repair. He recommends returning to the original plan of having Gracieuse go to Fort Dauphin and then to Port Depaix; if they are unable to conscript a crew for her he can give some of his crew but then he is concerned that he will be unable to fulfill his mission. A PS adds that they have...

Scope and Contents

A petition from the captains and officers of the merchant ships in Cap Français harbor, requesting help from Sercey. They have aboard their vessels the inhabitants of the Cap who have fled the fire and destruction of the city. The ships lack adequate supplies for the refugees and their crew. They wish to set sail for New England before continuing on to Europe, but they are unable to escape and they fear for their lives. Forty signatures follow the petition.

Scope and Contents Sercey composes a report to Jean Dalbarade (1743-1819, Minister of the Navy and Colonies 1793-1795) detailing the events before, during, and after the battle at Cap Français on 20-23 June 1793. Sercey aims to exonerate himself for the delay in leaving the harbor despite growing danger and diminishing supplies, and for the disastrous state of the ships once they did leave. Instead he stresses throughout that the civil commissioners of the city (Léger Félicité Sonthonax (1763-1818) and Étienne...

Scope and Contents

Partial draft of a letter from Sercey to the commission describing his report of the burning and evacuation of Cap Français held in Folder 3, and draft notes for the same report.