Next morning the committee went to Chester to meet M. Gerard, who received them on board the frigate. In going on board they were saluted with fifteen guns. They then went on shore and waited on him to Philadelphia, and conducted him to General Arnold's head quarters, where a dinner was provided for him and his suit, and a number of the members of Congress. Before dinner he waited on the President.
On Tuesday he delivered to the President sundry papers to be laid before Congress,[23] desiring to know in what capacity Congress were willing to receive him; whether as Minister Plenipotentiary or resident, intimating, that in whatever quality he was received, it would be expected, that the Commissioners from the States at the Court of France should be vested with the same.
[23] Letters from the King, and notes of M. Gerard.
His Excellency, the Count d'Estaing, Vice-Admiral of France, commander of the squadron of the King, being desirous to procure for the armed vessels, whether public or private, of the United States, the means of availing themselves of the operations of this squadron, in order to take prizes from the common enemy, the undersigned has the honor to inform Congress, that all their armed vessels will enjoy the most extended protection of the squadron of his Most Christian Majesty, and that the prizes which they may be able to take will belong entirely to them. He leaves it to the wisdom of Congress to fix upon the means of deriving from this arrangement, the advantage of which it is susceptible. The American vessels, which shall apply to his Excellency the Vice-Admiral, will receive the signals which will be necessary; and the undersigned will successively communicate them to Congress, that information of them may be given to those who shall sail from the ports. He relies on the prudence of Congress in relation to the measures necessary to ensure success in this matter.
The squadron which the King, my master, has sent, in order to act in concert with the United States, against the common enemy, having taken some prisoners during its passage, the keeping of whom on board of the vessels would be embarrassing and even dangerous, the undersigned requests the Congress of the said United States to have the goodness to cause these prisoners, as well as those whom the King's squadron shall be able to take in the course of its operations, to be received, to cause provision to be made for their safe keeping and subsistence, in the same manner as that which it makes use of for its own prisoners, and to hold them at the disposal of the King, and subject to the orders of his Excellency, the Count d'Estaing, Vice-Admiral of France, and commander of his Majesty's squadron.