To George Washington from Philip Filicchi, 29 October 1793
From Philip Filicchi
Leghorn [Italy] 29 Octr 1793.
Sir,
The Court of Tuscany having taken the greatest notice of the application I made in favor of the American Brig Minerva Captain Joseph Ingraham consign’d to my Commercial House, I have thought that Your Eccellency would be pleased to be acquainted with it.1 I therefore have the Honor to enclose a translation of my Letter to the Governor of Leghorn, and of the Answer of the Prime Minister for Foreign affairs to the representation made by His Eccellency. I remain with the greatest respect Your Eccellency’s Most hble & devoted Servt
(Signed,) Philip Filicchi.
Copy, DNA: RG 59, Consular Despatches, Leghorn. The copy probably was sent via William Seton of New York, to whom Filicchi wrote on this date, in part: “I think that the President of the United States will be pleased to find that the Court of Tuscany has been so solicitous to afford every protection to the American Vessell, tho the United States have nobody here authorized to support the Interest of the People of America—if you think proper you may forward the enclosed to General Washington” (DNA: RG 59, Consular Despatches, Leghorn). Philip Filicchi (Feliechy; d. 1816) was nominated to be consul at Leghorn in 1794, and he served until 1798.
1. The Minerva, owned by Thomas Smith of New York, was captured in November 1793 by an Algerian corsair, and both ship and crew remained captive at Algiers in February 1794 (see Daily Advertiser [New York], 19 March 1794; American Apollo [Boston], 6 Nov. 1794). Joseph Ingraham was redeemed by the U.S. government in 1796, although he remained in Algiers with the consul at that time (United States Chronicle [Providence, R.I.], 17 Nov. 1796).