Papers of John Adams, volume 21
By special request of my Brother at Alicante I have the
Honour of communicating to your Excellency in his name of the demise of the
Dey of Algeirs on the 12th of July, and that the Minister Ali Hassan Who Was
Always Mr Montgomerys friend is now Dey and that S’or
Soliman an Algerun Nobleman Who paid him a Visit at Alicante is promoted in
consequance1
from these circumstances Mr
Montgomery has no doubt that Something might be don at this Critical period
towards a peace if proper measures were adopted by Congress
Interim I have the Honour to remn, / Sir / Your Excellencys / Obt
Humbl Servt
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “To His Excelly John Adams
Esqr / Vice President.”
Mohammad ibn Uthman, dey of Algiers, died on 12 July.
His successor was Sidi Hassan the Turk, later known as Ali Hassan
Bashaw, who ruled until his death in 1798. In the view of Montgomery’s
brother, Robert, an Irish-born merchant based in the region, Hassan was
a former chief admiral and treasurer who “showed partiality for the
United States” and paid for the medical treatment of the American
captives held in Algiers. The new dey was aided by advisor and diplomat
Suliman Benchellon, “a Moore of some Learning and Knowledge of European
Languages and manners” (vol. 20:93,
463–464; H. G. Barnby, The Prisoners of Algiers: An Account of the
Forgotten American-Algerian War 1785–1797, London, 1966, p. 95;
Jefferson, Papers
, 20:678–679; Washington, Papers, Presidential Series
,
16:676).