1To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 2 January 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Cadiz, 2 Jan. 1793 . Contrary winds having detained the vessel by which he intends to proceed to Setúbal on his way to Lisbon, he may go by way of Ayamonte. He encloses “a letter of some Consequence” he has just received from Gibraltar and hopes to reach that place this month. RC ( DNA : RG 59, CD ); 1 p.; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Feb. 1793 and so recorded in SJL . FC (disassembled Lb in...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 27 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 24th. I received under Cover from Mr. Pinckney several papers from Philadelphia, dated the first and eleventh of June, to which the most unremitting attention will be shewn. Affairs in Morocco Continue in the State they were in when I last wrote to you, neither of the Brothers having Moved from his Capital, Nor can we yet learn what the intentions of the Basha’s are, though I have...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 27 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
As it is impossible to pass Bills at Gibraltar for the necessary Sum, and as the exportation of it from Cadiz would be attended with an expense of four thousand Dollars; there is no mode left but for me to pass to Lisbon, where I think it may be raised, without a communication of the Business to any person but Mr. Humphreys. If it cannot be done there, I must depend on Mr. Pinckney’s sending...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 19 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Cadiz, 19 Dec. 1792 . Intelligence from Rabat and Tangier confirms the account in his last of the “Revolt in Abda and Duquda.” He hopes soon to be able to inform TJ that Suliman has taken the field and is “Master of the Empire,” but he would not be surprised if some unforeseen event occurred instead. Having been refused asylum in Algiers, Muley Slema fled from thence across the mountains....
5To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 17 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Cadiz, 17 Dec. 1792 . Even though he could wish to hold this letter until the contents can be confirmed, he sends it by way of Gibraltar and Baltimore for want of a vessel sailing from here to America. A vessel which arrived at Gibraltar from Tangier on 13 Dec. brings word from Peter Wyke, the Swedish consul there, that Ischem has had his father-in-law Rachmani executed and that Bashas Ben...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 20 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Cadiz, 20 Nov. 1792. Nothing consequential has happened in Morocco since his last letter, nor is there much chance of anything decisive happening this winter. Mahomet Proty, the customhouse official at Tetuán, the governor, “the Cadi,” and two customhouse clerks recently brought 100,000 dollars in customs duties to Suliman at Fez. Suliman levied a fine of 100,000 dollars on the people of...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 26 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Cadiz, 26 Oct. 1792. Since his letter of 1 Oct. everything has remained tranquil in Morocco. He plans to return to Gibraltar or perhaps San Roque and remain there “probably untill I hear from America, or untill something from Barbary shall remove me.” There being no end in sight to the struggle between the two Emperors, it is wise to consider what he should do if the conflict continues. He...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 1 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 1 Oct. 1792. Having nothing worth communicating from Barbary, he sends copies of his letters of this date to Geronimo and Joseph Chiappe. He wrote to the former at Tangier because Muley Suliman will probably arrive soon in Tetuán, where he will meet the consuls and make inquiries about the United States. It would be unwise to offend Suliman because his three or four galleys at...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 10 September 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 10 Sep. 1792. He continues to write by the same conveyance. Chiappe was surprised by Barclay’s lack of authority to compensate him for services rendered to the United States since Congress approved his appointment about five years ago. In enumerating these services, Chiappe claimed that he had prevented Muley Yezid from preying on American shipping and noted that his brothers had...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 8 September 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 8 Sep. 1792. The unexpected delay of this vessel enables him to convey the following intelligence from Francisco Chiappe, who has just left here after a short visit. The outcome of the succession struggle in Morocco is still in doubt. Both Suliman and Ischem are poor, and Spain, content with the death of Muley Yezid, is disinclined to support either. It would be unwise of the United...
11To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 22 August 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 22 Aug. 1792. He encloses a copy of his 31 July letter, but is no longer confident that by the end of September Suliman or Ischem will be sole sovereign of Morocco. For the last three weeks “our Eyes have been anxiously turned towards Barbary in expectation of the result of a Very Novel experiment which has been made in that Country.” According to accounts received yesterday, some...
12To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 31 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 31 July 1792 . He has received TJ’s letter of 9 Apr. with the newspapers, which latter enabled him to make agreeable communications to others who are highly interested in the prosperity of the United States. He hopes he will shortly be able to settle the business committed to him. The situation in Morocco must change after the celebration of Mahomet’s birth. Since the harvest Muley...
13To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 13 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 13 July 1792. Nothing of consequence has occurred in Morocco since his letter of 13 June. A force of 1,500 soldiers commanded by Abdalmeluk Ben Idris, a branch of the family of the Sharifs, appeared at Tetuán, reportedly to rendezvous with an army supporting the claims of Muley Suliman. Ben Idris pursued a group of mountaineers, who had attacked a caravan, and camped near Tangier,...
14To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 12 June 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 12 June 1792. Since writing to TJ on 19 May he has learned that the report of the capture of a Spanish boat by the Moors was untrue. In Morocco, Muley Ischem is about to march north with a large army commanded by Ben Assar, so that by July or August the civil war will be decided by force of arms or a partition of the Empire. Last month Muley Ischem sent an ambassador to Spain to ask...
15To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 28 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 28 May 1792 . He encloses three papers received yesterday in a 6 Apr. letter from Captain O’Bryen in Algiers. The same letter covered two petitions from the American captives in Algiers, one for the Speaker of the Senate and the other for the Speaker of the House. He also encloses a copy of a letter he wrote this day to William Carmichael.—He corrects the information on Algerine...
16To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 17 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 17 May 1792 . Since his last letter advices from Tangier and Mogadore of 13 and 23 Apr. indicate things continue quiet. Nothing of moment is expected to occur in Morocco till the fast of Ramadan is over. Then the succession struggle will be settled by battle or by division of the country. As soon as he was proclaimed Emperor in Tangier and Tetuan Solimon reduced customs duties by...
17To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 10 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 10 May 1792 . He has received TJ’s 9 [Dec. 1791] letter but not the enclosed newspapers. He has been here five months and guesses the disturbances in Morocco will subside in July “either by a decisive engagement, or an agreement to divide the Empire into the kingdoms of Fez and Morocco.” As soon as either of these occurs he will present himself to the new Emperor and seek to renew...
18To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 7 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 7 May 1792 . He sends this letter and those of 31 Mch. and 10 and 15 Apr. by a vessel bound for New York.—There is no foundation to the report that Muley Hussein was proclaimed Emperor in the province of Rif. Muley Slema renewed his request for a loan from the consuls in Tangier and hinted that in the event of noncompliance he would resort to naval warfare and expel them from the...
19To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 15 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 15 Apr. 1792. The vessel headed for Boston with his 31 Mch. and 10 Apr. letters is still here.—Muley Hussein, mistakenly referred to as Muley Ousine in his 16 Mch. letter, has been proclaimed Emperor in the province of Rife according to letters from Tangier, but his prospects are not considered promising. Muley Slema remains in the sanctuary at Wazan and Muley Suliman at Mequinez,...
20To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 10 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 10 Apr. 1792. This will accompany his 31 Mch. letter. Muley Ischem is the only pretender to the throne who is active in the kingdom of Morocco. He is opposed by an army commanded by his father-in-law, Rachmani, one of whose daughters was also the wife of his father. Some months ago the Bashas Benasser, Benlarosi, and Rachmani conspired to rid Morocco of the vice-ridden late emperor....
21To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 31 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 31 Mch. 1792 . He offers the following account of developments in Morocco so that TJ can decide whether he should go there or remain here. Muley Slema left the sanctuary near Tetuan on 10 Mch. and went to another one at Wazan where he met a great number of Talbs who support him because of his personal morality. The Talbs have proposed that a convention of deputies from the various...
22To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 16 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 16 Mch. 1792 . Since his letter of 1 Mch. he has received further news from Tangier and Tetuan. Muley Yezid is dead, but Muley Ischem still lives. He doubts reports by supporters of Muley Slema that Muley Ischem is wounded and unwilling to contest the pretensions of Muley Slema because “it will be very strange if a Prince supported by three powerful Bashas, a Numerous Army, and well...
23To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 1 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 1 Mch. 1792 . He has learned of important developments in Morocco since his letters of 23 and 24 Feb.—Muley Yezid eluded Ben Assar’s army and arrived at the city of Morocco on 2 Feb. Four days later he captured and pillaged the city. The “devoted Jews” were given up to plunder, friends and enemies alike suffered at the hands of his army, and even Francis Chiappe’s property was...
24To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 24 February 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 24 Feb. 1792 . He wrote to TJ yesterday. A vessel just arrived from Tangier brings nothing that might clarify the situation in Morocco.—If the expedition from Cadiz mentioned in one of the enclosed letters has actually sailed, it must be headed south because none of its vessels has appeared in the Bay of Algazires.—Spain has strictly forbidden all communication between this garrison...
25To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 23 February 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 23 Feb. 1792. For the last three weeks news from Morocco has been various and contradictory. Reports of the dispersal of the army of Muley Ischem and the triumph of Muley Yezid have been succeeded by reports that Muley Ischem has trapped Muley Yezid’s army. The only certain news is that Muley Slema has passed safely from the sanctuary at Tetuan to the sanctuary at Mequinez, though...
26To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 30 January 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar 30 Jan. 1792 . The vessel by which he wrote on the 16th is still detained by unfavorable weather. The Emperor has reportedly crossed the Morbeya on his way to Morocco. So opposite are the opinions of those best acquainted with Barbary that some think when the Emperor arrives Ben Assar’s army will disperse and the people may flock to him, others that he will be defeated.—Spanish...
27To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 16 January 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 16 Jan. 1792 . Muley Ischem was again proclaimed Emperor in the city of Morocco on 5 Dec. 1791 and he has also been proclaimed head of Ben Assar’s army of 30,000 men, part of which is stationed by the sea coast to protect the landing of supplies from Spain. Muley Yezid, who was at Rabat with 10,000 regular troops to whom he had distributed money, announced that he would begin a...
28To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 31 December 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 31 Dec. 1791 . He encloses copies of his letters of 18 and 26 Dec.—His letters to the Basha of Tangier and Francis Chiappe were designed to inform them that he would not arrive in Morocco until it became safe to do so. The sons of L’Abbas have taken the field to avenge their father’s death. Muley Yezid’s prospects look gloomy. He is as attached to the English as Muley Slema is to...
29To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 31 December 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 31 Dec. 1791 . He encloses three letters from the American prisoners at Algiers received by [James] Simpson, the Russian consul here, who has established a correspondence with them. These letters reveal two facts of importance. “One is that Mr. Lamb in the Name of the United States made an absolute agreement for the Ransom of these people, the other that liberty has been offered to...
30To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Barclay, 26 December 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Gibraltar, 26 Dec. 1791 . The Emperor of Morocco has no ships at sea, Spanish cruisers having blockaded Salice and Larach. Internal dissensions and inadequate supplies of naval stores from Spain have made it impossible for him to carry out his boast that he would equip twenty sail from Larach.—The Spanish court is very hostile to Morocco. A Spanish cruiser has seized a ship from Amsterdam...