From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, [c. 26 August 1778]
To John Adams7
ALS: Massachusetts Historical Society
[c. August 26, 1778]
Sir
If you write to this Mr. Barnes, please to acquaint him that the Reason he had no Answer from me to his Letter8 was because he did not send word where he lodged. I agree to the 5 Guineas.
BF.
To Mr. Adams
7. Written on the back of Thomas Barnes’s letter to JA of Aug. 25, which had been sent care of “Monsieur Franquelen a passis.”
8. That letter, now missing, was written on Aug. 24 and requested 5 guineas. Having heard nothing, Barnes repeated his story the following day to JA: he had escaped from Forton prison, been given assistance, but doctors’ bills had claimed half of it. He had perhaps been presumptuous in writing directly to “a gentleman of [Franklin’s] qualety.” Taylor, Adams Papers, VI, 394–5. JA, who gave him the 5 guineas on Aug. 26, evidently explained BF’s silence; Barnes begged the Doctor to forgive his carelessness, in his reply to JA of Aug. 27: ibid., 400–1. See also Leveux to BF, Aug. 10.