To Benjamin Franklin from ——— de Nanteuville, [c. 8 September 1781]
From ——— de Nanteuville
ALS: American Philosophical Society
[c. September 8, 1781]3
Monsieur
Jay l’honneur de vous prevenire que lameriquin chez qui etoit le jeune negre que vous avez depuis plusieurs jours, chez vous, le faits cherché, et que toutes la marechausé est chargé de lareté, tachez de ne pas le laissez sortire de chez vous que la dite personnes ne soit party pour sans retourné ils doit partire incessamment ils le Seroit mais ils Compt retrouvé son neigre au paravant,4 jay lhonneur destre monsieur votre tres heumble et obeissant serviteur
DE NANTEUVILLE
Addressed: à Monsieur / Monsieur de frankielin / maison de monsieur de / chaumont / à passÿ / pres paris
Notation: De Nantenville
3. The day WTF wrote Capt. Robeson, below, that Montgomery (Montague) had come to live with them. Although Montague had run away before and would again, this is the only time we know of that BF gave refuge to Montague or any other black slave. See WTF’s letter of Sept. 3, above, and XXXIII, 96–7, 121–2, for further background to this story.
4. Robeson had returned to Nantes before WTF wrote him on Sept. 3 about Montague’s arrival.
The writer may be one of those who made “advantageous Offers” to Montague, alluded to by WTF in his Sept. 8 letter.