Two letters by Jacques René Pleuc (or possibly Pleve), officer of the infamous French 18-gun privateer Le Grand Décidé which had been operating out of Bordeaux since 1799 under its captain Duchesne Lasalle for its owner Pierre Leleu. With the capture of the English frigate Liverpool off the coast of Brittany near Brest in 1799, Jacques René was made Capitaine de Prise giving him responsibility for the captured ship. In the first letter, he writes to Auguste-Anne Bergevin (1753-1831) the relevant authority at Bordeaux, complaining that Leleu has still not paid the promised share of the proceeds from the sale of the booty, which was carried out by the brothers Amédée and (Joseph?) Eugène Larrieu in Bordeaux. The second letter is addressed to the Larrieu brothers, still trying to secure payment, referring to the earlier letter and naming the ship and the amount of money (5000 francs), not noted in the first letter.
The first letter somewhat tattered at the head with the loss of parts of 3 or 4 words and both were formerly folded for sending. Both are in good condition. A fascinating primary source providing a window into the logistics and finance of a privateering venture.