11The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 7 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
captured a South Carolina ship; Versailles in turn ordered its patrols to give protection on demand. Dull, French Navy, pp. 64–5, 70–1; Stevens,
12Memoir and Supplemental Observations, [before 18 June and before 3 July 1777?] (Franklin Papers)
, 448–69; Dull, French Navy, pp. 83–6.
13The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 12 August 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Dull, French Navy, pp. 77–8; Clark,
14The American Commissioners to Henry Johnson, 28 August 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Dull, French Navy, pp. 78–80.
15William Bingham to the American Commissioners, 28 November 1777[–4 December 1777] (Franklin Papers)
..., despite British objections, sailed from France in October. The departure of the Spanish “galleon” (the treasure fleet) was delayed, thereby eliminating any possibility that Spain would join the Franco-American alliance the following spring. Dull, French Navy, pp. 81, 94–5.
16Conrad-Alexandre Gérard to the American Commissioners, 5 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
, pt. 1 (Philadelphia, 1982), pp. 29–32, and French Navy, pp. 83–101.
17The American Commissioners to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 18 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Spain considered a treaty with the U.S. premature, and declined to take any action until her fleets returned: Dull, French Navy, pp. 100, 102.
18The American Commissioners’ Interview on January 8 with Gérard: Four Documents, 1778 (Franklin Papers)
For the background of this decision see Dull, French Navy, pp. 94–100.
19A Proposed Article for the Treaty of Alliance with France, [on or before 27 January 1778] (Franklin Papers)
...at the same time permit France to invoke its treaty with Austria; if Vienna, as expected, did not comply, Versailles would have cause to remain aloof in the event of an Austro-Prussian war over Bavaria. Dull, French Navy, p. 113.
20Intelligence from Brest, 12 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
, Feb. 1; Dull, French Navy, pp. 96 n, 102 n. had in fact sailed for America on Jan. 6 with Simeon Deane and his dispatches: Dull, French Navy, p. 93 n.