1Contract between the Secret Committee and Thomas Mumford for Supplying Gunpowder, 28 November 1775: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Owner anonymous; transcript furnished by courtesy of Dr. Joseph E. Fields, Joliet, Ill. (1957) Less than a month after the creation of the secret committee Silas Deane, one of its members, wrote his friend Thomas Mumford to suggest that he come to Philadelphia to find out what profit could be made under the committee’s aegis. The letter seems to have crossed one from Mumford, who explained...
2The Committee of Secret Correspondence to [Arthur Lee], 30 November 1775 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: University of Virginia Library On November 29, 1775, Samuel Chase brought before Congress a proposal to send ambassadors to France. John Adams seconded the motion, and a vehement debate ensued. A number of alternatives were advanced, and one finally gained approval: to appoint a five-member committee of secret correspondence for the purpose of opening communication with friends of...
3The Committee of Secret Correspondence to [Arthur Lee], 12 December 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Maine Historical Society By this Conveyance we have the Pleasure of transmitting to you sundry printed Papers, that such of them as you think proper may be immediately published in England. We have written on the Subject of American Affairs to Monsieur C. G. F. Dumas, who resides at the Hague. We recommend it to you to correspond with him, and to send through his Hands any Letters to us...
4Memorandum Concerning the Snow Dickinson, [January 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society On December 26, 1775, the secret committee contracted with Bayard & Jackson of Philadelphia to spend $15,000 on flour and other produce to be exchanged at Nantes for gunpowder, arms, and cloth. The firm had had earlier dealings with Montaudoüins frère of Nantes, to whom it entrusted the new transaction. The ship selected was the Dickinson or Dickenson ,...
5Contract between the Secret Committee and John Brown, [before 20 January 1776]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy with DS by Nicholas Brown: John Carter Brown Library <[Before Jan. 20, 1776]: Agreed between John Brown on the one part and members of the committee on the other that a voyage or voyages will be undertaken to procure thirty-six tons of gunpowder (or, failing that, sufficient saltpetre and sulphur to make up the same amount), 1,000 stand of good arms, 1,000 gun locks, twenty tons of lead,...
6Export License from the Secret Committee, 9 January 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
DS : University of Pennsylvania Library <Philadelphia, January 9, 1776, to the New Hampshire committee of inspection: The secret committee, as empowered by the Congress, authorizes John Langdon of New Hampshire to export to the amount of $10,000 the produce of the colonies, in their service and according to the Continental Association; horned cattle, sheep, hogs, and poultry are excepted....
7Contract between the Secret Committee and Oswell Eve and George Losch, 11 January 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Text printed in Samuel Hazard, et al. , eds., Pennsylvania Archives (1st series; 12 vols., Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 1852–56), IV , 696. <January 11, 1776: It is agreed between the undersigned members of the committee and Oswell Eve and George Losch, of Philadelphia County, that Eve and Losch will manufacture all the saltpetre delivered to them by the committee during the next year into...
8The Committee of Secret Correspondence: a Report to Congress, [on or before 14 February 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AD : National Archives The invasion of Canada, authorized by Congress in June, 1775, had begun in August under Major General Philip Schuyler. Because of his ill health the command almost immediately devolved upon his subordinate, Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who by November had captured the forts at Chambly and St. Johns and the city of Montreal. Governor Carleton escaped to Quebec...
9Charter Party between the Secret Committee and Joseph Harper and James King, 1 February 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
DS : The Rosenbach Foundation <February 1, 1776: The agreement is between members of the committee and James King and Joseph Harper, Philadelphia merchants and owners of the brigantine Cornelia of approximately 100 tons, Thomas Genn master, to hire her for a voyage to France. She is to sail to a port in South Carolina to be subsequently designated, there to be loaded with rice, indigo, or...
10Contract between the Secret Committee and John and Nicholas Brown, 6 February 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: John Carter Brown Library <Philadelphia, February 6, 1776: The Browns will procure in Europe 10,000 good blankets at approximately 4 s. 6 d. to 5 s. sterling apiece; 9,200 yards of blue and brown broadcloth for uniforms and 800 yards of different colors for facings, most of the cloth, being for privates, at about 4 s. sterling per yard and the rest, for officers, at 6 s. ; ten tons of...
11Charter Party between the Secret Committee and Joseph Hewes, 14 February 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy (microfilm): University of North Carolina Library, Chapel Hill <February 14, 1776: The agreement is between members of the committee and Joseph Hewes of North Carolina, merchant, one of the owners of the brigantine Fanny of approximately 150 tons, now in the York River, to hire her for a voyage to Europe. She will be in good condition and well provisioned and manned. The owners will pay...
12Contract between the Secret Committee and Silas Deane and Others, 19 February 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: South Carolina Historical Society; copy: Connecticut Historical Society We normally summarize contracts of the secret committee signed by Franklin, but this one is important enough to be printed in full because it was the initial reason for Deane’s going to France. Soon after he lost his seat in Congress in October, 1775, and thereby his membership in the secret committee, he began to...
13The Committee of Secret Correspondence: Certificate for Silas Deane, [2 March 1776] (Franklin Papers)
DS : Connecticut Historical Society; DS : Library of Congress; copy: South Carolina Historical Society; copy: Yale University Library We the underwritten, being the Committee of Congress for secret Correspondence, do hereby certify whom it may concern, that the Bearer, the Honourable Silas Deane Esquire, one of the Delegates from the Colony of Connecticut, is appointed by us to go into France,...
14The Committee of Secret Correspondence: Instructions to Silas Deane, 2 March 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society; copy: Yale University Library; copy: South Carolina Historical Society These instructions, which were probably drafted by Franklin, are the first to an American agent in a foreign country. They mark an important step toward the assumption of sovereignty, and the committee of secret correspondence seems to have taken that step on its own initiative. The...
15Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 30 April[– 9 May 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AL and copy: National Archives; letterbook draft: Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague. J’ai reçu le 6e de ce mois à La Haie, des mains de Mr. Tho. Storey, les dépêches dont vous l’aviez chargé pour moi en date du 9e Xbr. 1775. Je suis touché, pénétré jusqu’au fond du coeur, de l’honneur que me fait et de la confiance que me témoigne le Committé nommé par le Congrès général pour la Correspondance...
16Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 14 May[–6 June 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AL and copy: National Archives; letterbook draft: Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague Après vous avoir donné ci-joint copie ou extrait de ce qu’il y avoit de plus essentiel dans ma premiere dépeche que je nommerai A pour la briéveté, je commence celle-ci, que je nomme B, en forme de Journal. Ayez la bonté, conséquemment, lorsque vous m’écrirez, de me marquer que vous avez reçu, ou non, la Dépeche...
17The Committee of Secret Correspondence: Instructions to William Bingham, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania These instructions were composed on the day that Congress authorized the secret committee to export to the West Indies enough goods to pay for the 10,000 muskets described in the second paragraph. Bingham’s mission to the Caribbean was similar to Deane’s earlier one to Europe in that both went in a dual role. Each was the agent of the committee of secret...
18The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society We deliver you herewith two Letters from the secret Committee of Congress, one directed to Messr. Adrian Le Maitre and Mr. Richard Harrison at Martinico, whereby they are directed to pay the Net Proceeds of a Cargo of Provisions Consign’d them per the Sloop Fanny Capt. Britton to our Order and We have endorsed on said Letter that the Payment is to be made to...
19The Secret Committee to Richard Harrison and Adrien le Maitre, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society We wrote you the 2d Ultimo by the Sloop Fanny Capt. Wm Britton which we hope will get safe, at that time we directed how you were to dispose of the Net Proceeds of the Cargo Consigned you by said Sloop and probably you may have complyed with those orders before this reaches you, if so its well, but if those orders are not executed and you remain possessed of...
20The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Richard Harrison and Adrien le Maitre, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society In Consequence of the Annexed letter of order from the Secret Committee of Congress We desire you to Account with Wm. Bingham Esqr. the bearer hereof for the Amount of the Cargo mentioned therein and either pay him the whole or any part of the Money or do with it what he may desire for the Public Service of this Continent. We are sirs Your humble servants...
21The Secret Committee to Richard Harrison, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania We have already wrote you of this date by the Sloop Peggy Capt. Patton and directed how you shou’d apply the Net proceeds of that Cargo unless you received other Orders from us. But shou’d you receive this letter in time it will be delivered you by a Young Gentleman who will be Authorized by another Committee of Congress to receive and dispose of the Net...
22The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Richard Harrison, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania In Consequence of the annexed letter of order from the Secret Committee of Congress We desire You to Account with Wm Bingham Esquire the bearer hereof for the Amount of the Cargo mentioned therein and either pay him the whole or any part of that Money or do with it what he may desire which will oblige Sir Your humble servants Addressed: To / Mr. Richd...
23Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 16 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives I received your orders and Instructions by Mr. Bingham, the 14th Inst. but the Shallop with the provisions did not Arrive till this day. We have now got all the provision on board both from the Wasp and Shallop. You may depend on my best endeavours in your Service to prosecute this Voyage with the Most expedition and Advantage in my power. My People, all to two are in...
24Silas Deane to Robert Morris and the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 23 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : (duplicate): Library of Congress This letter, in form to Morris but in fact to the committee, is the only one from Deane that Franklin surely saw before his departure for France; it was therefore part of his small stock of information about what would face him in Europe. The letter deals only with the preliminaries of Deane’s mission, because he reached France long after he had hoped to....
25The Committee of Secret Correspondence to [Silas Deane], 8 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from The North American and United States Gazette (Philadelphia), October 12, 1855. With this you will receive the Declaration of the Congress for a final separation from Great Britain. It was the universal demand of the people, justly exasperated by the obstinate perseverance of the Crown in its tyrannical and destructive measures, and the Congress were very unanimous in complying...
26The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Samuel and J. H. Delap, 10 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives You will receive this by the Brigantine Dispatch Capt. Peter Parker and with it some letters for Silas Deane Esqr. which being of Considerable Consequence We beg you will cause them to be sent or delivered to him with the utmost Expedition and we make no doubt he has left his address with you shou’d he have left Bourdeaux. You will find herein an Invoice and...
27The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Peter Parker, 10 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives The Brigt. Dispatch of which you are hereby appointed Commander in the Service of the United States of america, being now ready for Sea, You are to proceed immediately onboard said Brigantine for [the] Port of Bourdeaux in France and on your arrival there deliver the dispatches given [?] you herewith to Messrs. Saml. & J.H. Delap Merchts. at that place. You...
28Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 11 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives This will inform you of my proceedings since I left Cape May the 3d Instant. We left that place in Company with 13 Merchant Men, who I think all got Safe off, as we did not loose Sight of them till they got a good distance from the Land. We Saw no Ships of War at all on the Coast. We this Day fell in with Captain Mackay, in the Ship Friendship from Granada bound to...
29Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 13 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives This will inform of a Small Addition to our good fortune in the Prize Way. We this day took Capt. Muckelno in the Schooner Peter of Liverpool from St. Vincent bound to Liverpool in Brittain, Loaded with: Rum: Sugar Coffee Cocoa and Cotton. We also took Capt. Mackey in the Ship Friendship from Granada, bound to London, which I have wrote you of before, and Now Send a...
30The Committee of Secret Correspondence to John Bradford, 30 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives; typescript of ALS : Yale University Library We take the liberty to enclose herein some dispatches for Messrs. Saml. & J. H. Delap Merchts. in Bourdeaux which youl please to deliver into Capt. Clevelands own hands with a strict charge to take the utmost care of them and follow the orders also enclosed herein directed to him which you will be pleased to deliver and...