1The American Commissioners to Lord North, 12 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Evening Post , January 24–27, 1778 From motives of duty, and an earnest desire of mitigating the calamities of war, we proposed, near a year since, to the King of Great Britain’s Ambassador here, an Exchange of prisoners in Europe. The answer we received must have been made known to your Lordship, and the world will judge of its decency. It would have been honourable for...
2Dumas to the American Commissioners, 12 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Algemeen Rijksarchief, The Hague Les grandes joies sont muettes, ainsi que les grandes douleurs. Je vous félicite de tout mon coeur; et Dieu benisse l’Am. unie. En reponse à la Lettre de Mr. A. Lee du 4e. je n’ai rien eu de plus pressé que d’envoyer sur le champ aux gazettiers, tant françois que holl[andois], copie fidèle et exacte, sans changer, ajouter, ni retrancher un seul mot,...
3To Benjamin Franklin from “Amicus,” 12 December 1777: résumé (Franklin Papers)
D : Yale University Library <Pennsylvania Coffee House, London, December 12, 1777: I have recently seen a paper supposedly written to facilitate American borrowing. It would do credit to any author; its case for the inevitable growth of America will convince every intelligent reader. Great Britain has achieved pre-eminence during the past eighty years for two reasons, the growth of her...
4General Orders, 12 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
A careful subaltern from each brigade is to repair this day to the last encampment of the army, to collect and take care of the sick and conduct them to Reading—These officers are to apply to the regimental Surgeons for information where to find the sick of their brigades—Every motive of duty and humanity requires the most exact attention to this order—Drs Draper and Campbell, at Mr West’s...
5To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 12 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of writing to you the 8th Inst. by Messenger Barry. Your Excellency will find under this cover an important act of Congress calculated for availing your Excellency’s Troops & for depriving those of the Enemy, of the benefit of provisions adjacent to Philadelphia. I beg leave to refer your Excellency to the paper and that you will be pleased to excuse brevity as I am confined...
6To George Washington from Fielding Lewis, 12 December 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Fielding Lewis, 12 Dec. 1777. A two-page ALS with a three-line docket by GW was offered for sale in two nineteenth-century dealer’s catalogs, both of which printed excerpts from the letter. The first excerpt reads: “ as the Enemy have got up their Ships to Philadelphia and it may be necessary to Keep the army near that place to prevent Gen. Howe ravaging the Country ” (...
7To George Washington from William Shippen, Jr., 12 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
In consequence of your Excellencys direction which I received to day from Dr Cochran I have given orders to have the sick removed from Trenton—& will immediately direct the removal of those at Princeton, if you think tis absolutely necessary, altho they are now very comfortably situated & it will be fatal to many of them to move. If it can be allowed, I should wish two or three weeks...
8From George Washington to William Shippen, Jr., 12 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
In answer to your Favor of to day, I cannot think Princeton under the present situation of affairs by any means a proper place for the sick. Should they remain there they would be liable to be taken. At the same time, I do not wish you to precipitate their removal in such a manner as to endanger them. In respect to the Hospitals at Easton & Bethelem, I also am of Opinion, that they should be...