1To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 31 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Two copies: Library of Congress M. Le Comte de Vergennes étant surchargé de travail, Monsieur, il m’a chargé de vous faire part de la bonne nouvelle que nous venons de recevoir. Un premier Avis qui nous étoit parvenu ce matin, nous avoit annoncé un Combat entre M. Le Comte D’Orvilliers et M. L’Amiral Keppel. Deux couriers qui viennent d’arriver, confirment cette importante nouvelle. Le Combat...
2To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 26 July 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Vous avez écrit à M. le Cte de Vergennes, Monsieur, au sujet d’une lettre que vous avez reçüe le 20. de ce mois, et qui est relative au navire de Dublin les trois amis. Vous mobligerez beaucoup si vous voulez bien me renvoyer cette lettre avec l’enveloppe: j’ai lieu de la croire de M. le Cte. de Vergennes, et c’est par inadvertence qu’elle a eté expédiée...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 10 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress The foregoing are the Articles requested by the States of Maryland & Virginia. If to these could be added Cloth, Linnen, Stockings, Shoes, & Hats for clothing 20.000 Men, and also ten thousand more Fusils, the whole addressed to the Congress, I am certain it would be a very seasonable & necessary Supply, as private...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 12 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I send you here with the best Copy I have of the address I mentioned to you. It was worn in the Carriage, but the Difficiency is supply’d from another. I request you would show it to M. le Comte de Vergennes and remark particularly the Sentiments express’d by the Congress, of the Alliance, and the absolute Unanimity with which the address passed. With great Esteem I...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 31 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I received Yesterday Evening, in good Order the Packet you were so obliging as to send me, & which had been missing. I am sorry you have had any Uneasiness about it. I received also by the Hands of M. De Chaumont the Packet directed to Mr. Adams. With great Esteem, I have the honour to be Sir, Your most obedient &...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 15 March 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I thank you for your Care in sending my Packet which I received. I congratulate you most cordially on the safe return of your good Brother. The American News papers will give you the honourable Sentiments & Testimonies of Public Bodies with regard to him; inclos’d I send you those of my friends and Correspondents which I have extracted from their Private Letters to me...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 22 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. Gerard prie Monsieur franklin de vouloir bien remettre le paquet cijoint pour L’amerique à Mr. le Capitaine Paul Jones qui a bien voulu lui promettre de s’en charger. Il l’assure en même tems de son respect et de son attachement. Jones may have encountered Rayneval during his recent visits to Versailles.
8To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 14 [i.e., 24] June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress M. Le Cte. de Vergennes a remis avant hier, Monsieur, une Lettre pour vous à M. Dumont qui desireroit fort de vous entretenir; S. Ece. vous seroit infiniment obligé si vous vouliez bien lui dire si le dt. Dumont vous a éffectivement vû, et lui confier les Ouvertures qu’il peut vous avoir faites. Mon Exprès a ordre d’attendre votre Reponse. J’ai l’honneur d’etre avec...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 24 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères The Person who calls himself Dumont was with me yesterday Evening, bringing Notes to me from M. de Vergennes & M le Duc de Vauguyon. He said his Business was to solicit a Supply of 4000. Stand of Arms to be landed in the West of England, for the Use of the Petitioners who were become sensible that Petitioning signified nothing, and that...
10To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 30 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Monsieur franklin trouvera ci-joint la lettre originale de M. adams; M. de Rayneval le prie de vouloir bien la luy renvoyer, aussitôt qu’il en aura fait tirer copie. Notation: De Raynval, Versailles le 10. Juin 1780. Presumably the recipient’s copy, now at the AAE , of JA ’s June 22 memorandum to Vergennes, for which see JA to BF , June 29. Among BF ’s...
11To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 4 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress L’avt. [avant] derniere lettre que M. Le Cte. de Vergennes vous a addressée, Monsieur, étoit accompagnée de plusieurs Lettres originales de M. Adams, comme nous en avons besoin, vous m’obligerez beaucoup Si vous voulez bien avoir la Complaisance de Me les renvoyer le plus promptement qu’il sera possible. J’ai l’honneur d’être avec autant de Considération que...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 5 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Herewith you will receive the Letters you write for. But as I purpose to send them, or Copies of them, to the Congress, agreable to the Request of the Count de Vergennes, and have not yet had time to copy them; I suppose you will return them to me. I have the Honour to be &c Above, Aug. 4. On Aug. 7 Gérard de Rayneval wrote BF , enclosing three letters and promising...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, [26 or 27 November 1780] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society J’avois prié Mr. de chaumont, Monsieur, de me renvoyer Le paquet que je lui avois addresse pour Vous ou de vous redemander les deux lettres qu’il renfermoit; mais il ne m’a renvoye que celle qui le concernoit. Je vous prie, Monsieur, de vouloir bien me renvoyer également La Seconde; je Suis obligé de la mettre sous les yeux du Ministre ce matin à 7. heures....
14From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 8 March 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I am honour’d with your Letter of this Day and shall accordingly take Care to be with M. le Comte de Vergennes before 10. o Clock on Saturday next. Be pleased to present my Respects to his Excellency, & belive me to be with perfect Esteem. Sir, Rayneval’s letter is missing. What transpired at the March 10 meeting is described in the notation to BF ’s March 6 letter to...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 11 March 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Library of Congress; copies: Columbia University Library, National Archives (two); presscopy: National Archives; incomplete copy: Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives I have examin’d the list of Supplies wanted in America which I received yesterday from you in order to mark as desired what may be most necessary to...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 5 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress With this I send the Accounts of the Clothing that went in the Marquis de la Fayette; of which there is an Abridgement on a separate Paper. There went also in the same Ship 100 Tons of Saltpetre, about 1500 Barrels of Gunpowder, and the Remainder of 1500 Fusils, Part having been sent in the Ariel. With...
17From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 9 September 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft): Library of Congress I have just received under Cover the inclosed Pacquet. I beg your kind Attention to the Papers I send herewith, relating to Passports. You will see by our latest Gazettes, which I inclose, a better Account of the Affair between the Marquis de la Fayette and Lord Cornwallis than we have hitherto had. Please to...
18To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 10 September 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society J’ai bien des remerciements a vous faire, Monsieur, pour les gazettes que vous avez bien voulu me communiquer: je savois deja par les raports de M. le Chr. de la luzerne, que les fanfaronades de M. Cornwalis etoient faites sur le même moule que celes de l’amiral Rodney. Quant aux papiers relatifs aux passeports, je présume que votre intention est que je les...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 22 September 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress The enclosed Letters have been put into my Hands relative to the Passport, which I sometime since desired, at the Request of M. de Cornie, for the Passage of Linens from Metz thro’ France for America. I find that M. de Malesherbes interests himself in the Affair, I suppose upon the Recommendation of M....
20From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 10 December 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress The enclos’d Letter from Marseilles is written by Mr. Mason, a Gentleman of Virginia, who was warmly recommended to me as a very worthy Man, by the Governor & several other Persons of Note in that Country. He has been advis’d by his Physicians to spend the Winter in the South of France, and he chuses...
21From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 2 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress I now send for M. le Comte de Vergennes, the Letter you were so kind as to advise relating to the Dutch Loan. and I beg you would procure a Note from his Excellency to M. de Fleury, for the Payment of 500,000 £s to M. Grand, where it is immediately wanted, he being already near 300,000 l.t. in Advance for us. With...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 22 March 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Library of Congress With this I have the honour of sending you all the Letters I have received from or written to England on the Subject of Peace. M. de Vergennes should have seen them sooner if I had imagined them of any Importance: for I have never had the least Desire of keeping such Correspondence secret. I was, as you will see,...
23To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 12 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères J’ai mis Sous les yeux de M. le Cte. de Vergennes, M, les differentes letres que M Hartley vous a écrites, ainsi que votre projet de rèponse; ce Ministre a donné une entiére aprobation à la manière dont vous vous exprimez. Je joins ici un postscriptum concernant M. forth; M. le Cte. de Vergennes, qui en a pris lecture, trouve que vous...
24To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, [before 24 October 1782] (Franklin Papers)
Partial AL : Library of Congress … [sous] les yeux de M. le Cte. de Vergennes. Je desirerois fort, Monsieur, davoir un entretien avec vous et M. Jay, et vous m’obligeriez si vous vouliez me recevoir et me donner à diner avec lui jeudy prochain. J’attendrai votre réponse. J’ai l’honneur dêtre avec un On Oct. 24, a Thursday, Jay dined with BF at Passy and was surprised to find Rayneval there....
25From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 4 September 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères With this you will receive the Boxes you desired of Mint Drops. They came by Mr Oswald’s Courier, who arrived this Morning. He has been with me, and tells me he has a Letter from Mr Secry. Townsend, acquainting him, that the King has consented to declare the Independence of America, authorizing him to make it the first Article in the Treaty,...
26From Benjamin Franklin to Gérard de Rayneval, 13 October 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress (two), Massachusetts Historical Society With this you will receive the Copy you desired of Mr Oswald’s Commission. I request your kind Care in forwarding the enclos’d Letter to Spain, by your first Courier. I have the honour to be with sincere Esteem & Attachment Sir Your most obedient and most humble Servant...
27To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 7 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Library of Congress Mr. de Rayneval à l’honneur de prévenir Monsieur franklin, qu’il Se presentera chez-lui demain avant diner pour l’entretenir sur différents objets; il renouvelle en attendant à Monsieur franklin les assûrances de son inviolable attachement. Endorsed: Note M. de Raynevall May 7. 83 Vergennes may have dispatched Gérard de Rayneval to discuss the three draft articles BF...
28From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Mathias Gérard de Rayneval, 22 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Mr Carnes having informed me that my Application is necessary to his obtaining a Personal Safety or Sauf Conduite , in order to afford him the Time necessary to get the Consentment of his distant Creditors, to his obtaining Lettres de Sur-seances for the space of Six Months: I hereby request you would comply with his Request, not doubting but...
29To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval: Two Letters, 23 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) ALS : American Philosophical Society J’ai reçu, Monsieur, la lettre que vous mavez fait l’honneur de mecrire en faveur de Mr. Carnes; je pense que pour procèder en règle, il conviendroit que vous écrivissiez directement à Mr. le Cte. de Vergennes; ce ministre m’a parû disposé à accorder les lettres de Sauf-conduit à votre recommandation. J’ai lhonneur dêtre avec un sincere...
30To Benjamin Franklin from Gérard de Rayneval, 29 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Massachusetts Historical Society, Library of Congress J’ai rendu compte à M. le Cte. de Vergennes, Monsieur, de la difficulté que fait Mr. Hartley de signer à Versailles et ce Ministre m’a chargé de vous mander, que rien ne devoit vous empêcher de signer à Paris mercredy prochain, Jour designé pour la Signature des autres Traités; mais il vous prie d’indiquer à M. Hartley 9. heures du...