1To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 14 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 14 Nov. 1785 . Asquith has heard nothing from TJ since his letter of 12 Oct., but he encloses a letter from Picrel informing him that the case is to be settled at Paris. Diot says he has written TJ of this and thinks, since the arrangements were made in Brest, that Desbordes could give Asquith more information than he. At the advice of the judge of the admiralty, Asquith this...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 28 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 28 Nov. 1785 . They have now been in prison for fourteen weeks “and yet have no appearance of our releasement without you have got it finished at Paris.” Asquith heard from Desbordes, Frères that they had written to TJ advising him to try to have the case settled by the French ministry. “As they [the Farmers-General] could find no flaw against us for smugling they now pretend...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 5 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 5 Dec. 1785 . Acknowledges TJ’s “kind and most exceptionable Letter.” He is relieved to know TJ has received the necessary papers and finds only two errors in TJ’s statement of his case: “1st. The Register which was taken out by Capt. Charles Harrison (when I was sick) unknown to me for 21 Tons (as he inform’d me, to save port charges), but he did not own any part of her. 2nd....
4To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 14 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We have just received our Sentence and Condemnation from Brest by the Hands of the Farmers Officers, which one of the Coppys I have sent inclosed and I cannot understand any thing of it. We are all now allmost distracted by their unjust Sentence and implore your protection, as we have your best assurances for it and intirely rely on you for your assistance as we are innocent of the Crime we...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 2 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 2 Jan. 1786. Has been daily expecting to hear from TJ since his letter of 23 Nov.; fears that the letters have been detained. Knowing that he and his companions are innocent of any crime, suspects they are being starved to force them to escape. They are being tortured in mind and body; have no fire; and the snow falls on them through the roof when they lie down. He is certain...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 16 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 16 Jan. 1786 . Has written four letters to TJ and, receiving no reply, fears they have been intercepted. Has been in prison five months; he and his companions are suffering from the cold weather, “often very wet by the rain and snow coming through the roof,” and distracted by fears for the welfare of their families; implores TJ to rescue them and hopes “the Justice of this...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 20 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 20 Feb. 1786 . Acknowledges TJ’s letter of 13 Jan.; but not having received a discharge, again begs for assistance; his “Pœple and self are almost all laid up by sickness occasioned by the colds and Damps of this place,” and are dejected “by the Constant insults of the pœple here”; they have been told that the Farmers General have so much influence in the courts that they can...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 20 March 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
May it Please your Excellency, Sir I received your Letter of the 5th. Inst. and am sorry to find that things should turn out so unfavorable as I am entirely innocent of the Crime laid to my Charge and which I have suffered for but as I find it is useless to go any further with it I must thro Nessessity submit to their Sentence sooner than life any longer in Prison and give up all Claims to the...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 21 April 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Expecting of your arrival from England, have taken the Liberty of writing to you, as we have not any likeness of our being at Liberty. Having wrote to you, the Letter of my submission, 20th. March, I wrote also to Mr. Short 10th. Ultm. but have not received any Answers; the Captain General came here the 4th. Inst., to demand, if we intended to pay him all the Expences, that they had been at...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 1 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon,1 May 1786 . Is writing again because he has had no letters from TJ, Short, or Desbordes, Frères. There is still no prospect of their being released and he now realizes that the farmers-general wanted his “submission” in order to “get the Vessel, and Cargo, into their hands; and afterwards to keep us confin’d” on other pretexts; believes the farmers are afraid to set the...
11To Thomas Jefferson from Lister Asquith, 15 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
St. Pol de Léon, 15 May 1786 . Not having heard from TJ or Short writes again concerning the unhappy situation of himself and his companions; suspects that the farmers-general are afraid to set them at liberty because they know the case will be presented to Congress, who will not tolerate such treatment; gives an account of an English vessel that was captured and condemned for smuggling salt...