October 15, 1776

A letter from the port of Cape Nicolas Mole, dated September 18, 1776, claimed that there were 10,000 French men in the colony of Saint-Domingue, all “in favor of America.” In Cape Nicholas Mole alone, there were 1,000 French men and 500 enslaved laborers “busily employed in building forts.” From this letter writer’s perspective, French involvement in the war between Great Britain and the United States seemed “inevitable.”

Dunlap’s Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser
Printed by John Dunlap

Extract of a letter from Cape Nichola Mole, dated Sep. 18.

“The French here are to a man in favor of America. There are 10,000 men in this island, 1000 here, who with 500 Negroes are busily employed in building forts, and a French war is inevitable. A French frigate arrived the other day from France with orders to the General to protect all American vessels: A pilot boat belonging to a merchant in Philadelphia was taken the day before yesterday and sent to Jamaica; a French frigate of 36 guns and a Guarda Costa, which last hoisted Continental Colours, were immediately sent after her, with orders to follow her into Port Royal harbour, if they could not overtake her before, and demand her; what will be the consequences time will discover. The French were very much exasperated at her being taken, which was within two leagues of the land.”