Ternant, John

Autograph letter signed ("John Ternant"), 4 pages (13 1/8 x 8 in.; 332 x 204 mm), Charleston, South Carolina, 23 March 1780, to General Benjamin Lincoln, "Commander in Chief of the Confederal Forces in the Southern Department;" formerly folded, somewhat browned, a few tiny holes from ink corrosion, two small edge tears touching one word of the address. Green cloth clamshell box.

folded, somewhat browned, a few tiny holes from ink corrosion, two small edge tears touching one word of the address.
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An operation against Georgia and East Florida with Cuba's help.

Jean-Baptiste Ternant (1751-1816), a native of France, came to America with Baron von Steuben, and was appointed lieutenant colonel and inspector of troops in South Carolina and Georgia in September 1778. He was sent in early 1780 on a special mission to Cuba to meet with Diego Joseph Navarro, captain general of Havana, to try to enlist the aid of Spain in a naval operation for the relief of Charleston.

The present letter is his fine and lengthy report to his commander Major General Lincoln on the obstacles in getting Cuba to act without Spain's authorization, and the meagre result: "I arrived in Havana on the 21st of feb[ruar]y last, & having obtained an audience on the 22d, I delivered my credentials, exposed minutely the subjects of my mission, & communicated the resolve of Congress, & letters of his Ex[cellenc]y the President, upon which, it was founded. But to my great disappointment, I found the Governor totally unapprised either of that resolve of Congress, or the Determination of the Court of Spain, & application of the Minister plenipotentiary of France, which had occasioned it  ... Such was the great difficulty which obstructed my negotiation in its rise, & which could not be removed but by new orders & positive instructions from the court of Spain ... finding it utterly impossible to treat of any operation in conjunction, or to procure an immediate assistance to Carolina, I tried to obtain it indirectly, by the means of persuasion &c. ..."

In conference with the Governor and the commander of the Navy, he described the situation in the Carolinas and Georgia, " ... the eminent danger that threatened Charlestown, the great inconveniences that might result to Spain as well as the confederacy from the taking of that important place ... I proposed to alter the Destination of the naval & land forces then ready to sail for Louisiana, from that country to East Florida, in order that operating nigher to us, we might make a more powerful diversion in favor of both armies ... The gentlemen expressed their approbation of that plan, & inclination to carry it into execution ..." but were obstructed by the orders of the Court and the dearth of naval forces then in Havana.  An expedition of six ships, two small armed vessels and 22 transports sailed on the 8 March bound for Mobile ... where Brig[adie]r Genl. Galvez was to collect all the forces from the Mississippi & march afterwards against Pensacola ..." After preparing a general plan by which Spain could aid South Carolina, he left it with his host and returned to that State: "If I have not met with that success, I so earnestly wished for, ... it was not for want of the necessary pains & exertions, & be persuaded of my inviolable attachment to the interest of the confederacy."