This collection consists of 13 letters and copies of letters that Alexandre Maurice Blanc de Lanautte, Comte d'Hauterive, wrote in 1809 concerning the deterioration in Anglo-American relations, as well as a list of officials involved in Franco-American relations around the turn of the 19th century.
Hauterive addressed 10 letters to Jean-Baptiste Nompère de Champagny, the French minister of foreign relations, reporting discoveries and insights from his correspondence with John Armstrong, Jr., the United States minister to France. Hauterive also discussed issues in British politics, such as the Embargo Act of 1807 and Great Britain's diplomatic relationship with the United States, which he thought was strained. He further elaborated on those issues he believed would lead the countries into armed conflict. Hauterive also commented on the Jefferson administration and its role in international affairs. The remaining 3 letters consist of Hauterive's outgoing correspondence with other diplomatic and official personnel.
A printed chart of French military personnel lists their positions, terms of service, and the amount of money paid to them. Ten officers are listed, followed by a drum major, a drum master sergeant, 8 musicians, and 4 laborers.
Alexandre Maurice Blanc de Lanautte, Comte d'Hauterive, was born in Aspres-les-Corps (Haute-Alpes), France, on April 14, 1754. Following his education in Grenoble, he accompanied Comte de Coiseul-Goufier on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1784. Hauterive lost his fortune during the French Revolution and moved to the United States, where he served as French consul in 1792. Though he later returned to France, he maintained an interest in international affairs, and in 1798 he was appointed head of the division of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1805, he became the counselor of the states. Hauterive died in Paris on July 27, 1830.
Jean-Baptiste Nompère de Champagny was born in Roanne, France, on August 4, 1756, and was imprisoned during the French Revolution because of his noble lineage. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte appointed him to the Council of State, and in 1801 he became the ambassador to Vienna. He served as minister of foreign relations between 1807 and 1811 and continued to work for the French government after his resignation. He died in Paris on July 3, 1834.
John Armstrong, Jr., was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on November 25, 1758, and attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) before enlisting in the Continental Army. He later became Pennsylvania's secretary of state and served as a delegate to the Continental Congress (1787-1788) and United States Senator (1800-1802; 1803-1804). He served as minister to France between 1804 and 1810, minister to Spain in 1806, and brigadier general during the War of 1812. Armstrong died in New York on April 1, 1843.
