1The 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,...
2The 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...
3The 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...
4The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 7 August 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Maine Historical Society; letterbook copy: National Archives The above is a Copy of our last, which went by the Dispatch Captain Parker. The Congress have since taken into consideration the heads of a Treaty to be proposed to France, but as they are not yet concluded upon, we cannot say more of them per this conveyance. You will see by the Newspapers which accompany this, that the...
5The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 1 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Harvard University Library; letterbook copy: National Archives Mr. Morris has communicated to us the substance of your letters to him down to the 23rd June when you was near setting out for Paris. We hope your reception there has been equal to your expectation and our wishes, indeed we have no reason to doubt it considering the countenance we have met with amongst the French Islands, and...
6The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 2 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Haverford College Library; letterbook copy: National Archives We have this day received from the Honorable Congress of Delegates of the United States of America the important papers that accompany this letter being, These papers speak for themselves and need no Strictures or remarks from us, neither is it our business to make any. You will observe, that in case of the absence or...
Copy: Haverford College Library; copy: National Archives <Philadelphia, October 23, 1776: We have written you twice today by different ships. This letter goes by the Andrew Doria to St. Eustatius, to be forwarded to William Bingham and by him to you in a French vessel. We enclose two resolutions of Congress. The first replaces Thomas Jefferson as commissioner with Arthur Lee, whom you will...
8The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners to France, 24 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; letterbook copies: Library of Congress; National Archives The Congress having Committed to our Charge and Management their Ship of War called the Reprisal, Commanded by Lambert Wickes Esqr. carrying sixteen Six pounders and about one hundred and twenty Men, We have allotted her to carry Doctor Franklin to France and directed Capt. Wickes to proceed for the...
9The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 21[–23] December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society, New York Public Library, University of Virginia Library, British Library; AL (incomplete draft ): American Philosophical Society; three copies: American Philosophical Society, National Archives, Library of Congress This letter was in response to Deane’s of October 1, which was the first word from him in Paris that reached Philadelphia. He complained hotly...
10The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the Amerìcan Commissioners, 30 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; Haverford College Library; LS without postscript: Joseph E. Fields, Joliet, Ill. (1958); AL (draft ): American Philosophical Society; copies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; National Archives (two) The military defeats that had followed consistently on the Battle of Long Island, and had brought the British so near Philadelphia that Congress had fled to...
11The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 9 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copies: Library of Congress; Yale University Library Captain Hammond having been detained longer than we expected, furnishes us with an opportunity of giving you the information we have since our last received from the Army, thro a Committee of Congress left at Philadelphia; for we have yet had no regular accounts from General Washington. On the 2d....
12The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 14 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; LS : American Philosophical Society, Harvard University Library; copies: Library of Congress, British Library. I have the honor to enclose herein a Copy of two Resolves of Congress passed the 19th and 29th Novr. by which the Secret Committee are directed to import two hundred and twenty Six Brass Canon and Arms and equipage compleat for three thousand...
13The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 2 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; LS : Rutgers University Library ; draft: Harvard University Library; copies: National Archives (two), Library of Congress You will recieve inclosed copies of our letters of the 21st. and 30th. Decemr., and of the Resolves of Congress accompanying them. It concerns us not less than we are sure it will you, that you should have heard so seldom from us, but...
14The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 17 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Library; draft: Harvard University Library We have the honor to inclose you a Resolve of Congress that is of great Importance to the public Service, which has suffered considerably the last Fall, and during this Winter, by the insufficient manner in which our Soldiers were clothed. Having found much Delay heretofore in getting Cloth made up, the Congress desire that 40,000...
15The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 18 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Virginia Library You will receive herewith a Copy of our Letter of Yesterday by the Lexington, with its enclosures. This goes to Boston for a Passage from thence. An armed Vessel belonging to that State will carry the dispatches and will be governed by your directions respecting her Load back, and the Time of her return. Should you have failed in obtaining the Loan, or of...
16The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 19 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : University of Virginia Library; two copies: National Archives; draft: American Philosophical Society The events of war have not since our last furnished any thing decisive. The enemies Army still remains encamped upon the hills near Brunswick, and still our Troops continue to beat back and destroy their Convoys insomuch that we understand their Horses dye in numbers, and we have reason to...
17The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 25 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress We are commanded by Congress to transmit Copies of their Resolve of the 13 instant to all the Gentlemen abroad that hold correspondance with any of their Committees. The Necessity of Such a resolution and due attention to it, is fully evinced by the heavy expence america has been put to by many Gentlemen received into their...
18The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 9 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Johns Hopkins University Library; copies: American Philosophical Society, National Archives, Library of Congress, University of Virginia Library This letter is intended to be delivered you by John Paul Jones Esquire an Active and brave Commander in our Navy, who has already performed signal services in Vessels of little Force and in reward for his Zeal, we have directed him to go on board...
19John Jay to the American Commissioners, 5 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania Your favors of the 2d. 8th: and 10 June last have been recd. and Copies transmitted to the Committee. The subject of them certainly merits their Attention, and I hope your Advice will be litterally complied with. As I have not now the Honor of a Seat in Congress, having been called to an office which will confine me in this State, any Information I can...
Your Favors of the 2 d . 8 th : & 10 June have been rec d . & Copies transmitted to the Committee. The Subject of them certainly Merits their Attention, and I hope your Advice will be litterally complied with. As I have not now the Honor of a Seat in Congress, having been called to an office which will confine me in this State, any Information I can give You will be far less satisfactory than...
21From John Jay to Silas Deane, 2 October 1780 (Jay Papers)
Since mine to you written at ^ from ^ S t . Ildefonso & enclosed to Doct r Franklin, I have had the pleasure of reciev g yours of the 4 and 13 th . of Sept r . a few Days ago.
22From John Jay to Silas Deane, 26 October 1780 (Jay Papers)
At Length your first Letter contrary to my Expectations, has arrived been deliverd to me ^ arrived ^ , and my Attentions to the object of it shall not be wanting— I have also rec d . your Favor of the 18 th : Sept r . since which more of my Letters than one have I hope reached you, this being the fourth— I have read considered and reconsidered the Facts & reflections you communicate, & am...
23From John Jay to Silas Deane, 27 October 1780 (Jay Papers)
Your Favor of the 9 th . Inst has come to my Hands, hav g as usual been inspected— spain want[s] mississippi — true they are participatin in it ^ sat verbum ^ — Whenever you write to me do it in full Expectation that your Letter will be opened before I recieve ^ get ^ it, this being the Case with almost all I recieve—
24From John Jay to Silas Deane, 1 November 1780 (Jay Papers)
I have just rec d . your Letter of the 16 Oct r .— How happens it that you do not yet know me ? Time and opportunity have not been wanting— I suspect You sometimes see double — If my Regard for my Friends be measured by the Length of the Letters I write them, I confess they have often Reason to complain, especially as a constant Attention to Matters of public Concern, leaves me little Leisure...
25From John Jay to Silas Deane, 10 March 1781 (Jay Papers)
I had Yesterday the Pleasure of rec g yours of the 23 d Ult o . Much Time has elapsed since the Date of my last Letter advising you of the arrival of the Papers about which you enquire. It is true that I have in the Interim rec d . several long and acceptable Letters from you, and that I have not replied to any of them. I do not wonder that you thought my Silence very singular; I should have...
26From John Jay to Silas Deane, 28 March 1781 (Jay Papers)
My last to you was of the 10 Inst. and I concluded it with a Promise of a Continuation, which I now set down to perform. The more I enquire and hear about your Contract, the more I become convinced that it will never be ratified. The Prices affixed to the several Articles are thought exorbitant, and I am well persuaded that the Conduct of those Affairs will be referred to the Person I before...
27From John Jay to Silas Deane, 16 June 1781 (Jay Papers)
Your Letter of the 8 Ap. is particular on a Subject, on which I confess I wished to be minutely informed. I approve of your having conveyed to the Minister what you concieved to be a true State of our Affairs. On such Occasions Policy, as well as Candor, forbids Deception. How far it was necessary or proper to mention the same Things in public Conversations, is less clear, & if that was the...
28From John Jay to Silas Deane, 5 December 1781 (Jay Papers)
Your favor of the 26 Sept. did not reach me until the 29 ulto, altho’ you mention that it was to have been dispatched in a packet of Doctor Franklin’s the subsequent Saturday. From your long silence I suspected that you had not yet returned from the journey mentioned in your former letter. I am glad to find that I was mistaken, and that you still continue mindful of your friend. It gives me...
29From John Jay to Silas Deane, 22 February 1783 (Jay Papers)
Your letter of the 10th inst. was delivered to me a few days ago. The reason to which you ascribe my not having answered the other you wrote me was the true one, viz. that it was unnecessary. The time has been, when my writing to you would not have depended on such a circumstance, for you are not mistaken in supposing that I was once your friend. I really was, and should still have been so,...
30From John Jay to Silas Deane, 23 February 1784 (Jay Papers)
Your letter of 21 st , January was delivered to me this morning. It is painful to say disagreeable things to any person, and especially to those with whom one has lived in habits of friendship; but candor on this occasion forbids reserve. You was of the number of those who possessed my esteem, and to whom I was attached. To me personally you have never given offense; but, on the contrary, I am...