1From 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...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 31 [i.e., 1?] August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from The Deane Papers, 1774–90 (5 vols.; New-York Historical Society Collections , XIX-XXIII , New York, 1887–91), V , 192. I received last night the letter you did me the honor of writing to me the 20th. past, and in answer inform you that I never heard anything of the discourses or resentments you mention, either at Versailles or at Paris; that I do not think your personal safety...
3From 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,...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 19 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Mrs. Archibald M. Crossley, Princeton, N.J. (1955) I received the Letter you did me the honour to write to me the 30th. past, and will write to the purpose you desire respecting your Accounts. I hope the Method you propose for settling any disputable points in them will be approved and ordered. I received also your very long political Letter. The Multiplicity of Business on my Hands, on...
5From 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...
6From 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...
7From 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...
8From 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...
9From 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...
10From 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—
11From 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...
12From 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.
13Barbeu-Dubourg: Memorandum for the American Commissioners, [after 21 December 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society M. D. propose a Messieurs F. D. et L. de leur faire des avances soit de draps, soit de fusils (du modele de 1763, controllés et tirés des propres magazins du Roy) pour la valeur de trois cent mille livres tournois, a condition que ces Messieurs lui fourniront en retour des tabacs de Virginie et de Mariland pour pareille somme, bien entendu que les achats...
14From George Washington to Silas Deane, 2 September 1778 (Washington Papers)
I received your favor of the 22d Ulto by Mr Webb. The regard I have for Colo. Webb—and my wish to oblige you, would urge me most strongly to effect his release, if it were practicable; but our circumstances will not admit of it. The only rule of exchange, now existing between the two armies, is equality of rank; and unhappily, we have not a Colonel, a prisoner, in our hands. Indeed, if we had,...
15From George Washington to Silas Deane, 25 July 1778 (Washington Papers)
With very great pleasure I heard of your safe arrival at Philadelphia. with still greater, that you were speedily to re-imbark for France—The reasons which produced the one, or may have induced the other, I have not heard, nor have I a desire to know; sufficient it is to be informed, that you are again called upon for a further exertion (at a foreign Court) of those abilities, and that...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 7 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Blumhaven Library and Gallery, Philadelphia; two copies: Yale University Library I have had a long and very angry Letter from Mr. Lee, about your going without acquainting him with it, in which his Disorder seems to encrease, for he raves not only against you and me, but seems to resent the Court’s sending a Minister to Congress without advising with him. I bear all his Rebukes with...
17Charles-Julien de Longchamp(s) [de la Blutière ?] to the American Commissioners, [March? 1778]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society <[Versailles, March ?, 1778,] in French: In 1774 I was a second lieutenant in Guadeloupe, with no prospect of quick advancement. An Englishman persuaded me and my family that I should go to America, and provided letters of introduction; I went gladly because I had long wanted to learn English and to advance in my profession. On arrival I was well received by...
18Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 31 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copies: Harvard University Library, South Carolina Historical Society, Virginia Historical Society; transcript: National Archives The report I hear of Mr. Deane’s intending soon to leave Paris, obliges me to repeat the request, I long ago and repeatedly made, That we shou’d settle the public accounts relating to the expenditure of the money entrusted to us,...
19Michel Lagoanere & Cie. to Silas Deane, 18 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Nous avons reçu les lettres que vous nous avés fait l’honneur de nous ecrire le 2 Xbre, 20 janvier, 17 et 20 fevrier dernier. M. hodge nous a remis la premiere dans une des siennes de Bilbao ou nous croyons qu’il est encore. Vous verrés Monsieur par la coppie cy-inclus des deux lettres que nous lui avons ecrit au dit lieu qu’aprés vos ordres et ceux qu’il...
20Jonathan Williams, Jr., to the American Commissioners, 14 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am still without any of your Favours which gives me much uneasiness the importance of several of my last being very considerable. I am again informed by Mr. Grand that my Bills remain unapproved which I am sure must be only owing to the hurry of Business, but I beg you to attend to it, as Delay may hurt the Credit of my Paper. I have the honour to be very...
21Intelligence from Brest and Paris, 6–13 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives We summarize here, according to our practice, the other intelligence reports that fall within the period of this volume. There are only two, both in French and in the hand of the chevalier de Kéralio. The first is from Brest on April 10 with an added letter of the 16th. The report lists 25 French ships of the line that are expected to be ready within ten days; 17 more are...
22Dumas to the American Commissioners, 13 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; AL (incomplete draft): Algemeen Rijksarchief The intelligence reports that make up all but the conclusion of this letter are interesting enough to be printed in full, as a sample of the news that the commissioners received from their principal informant in the Netherlands. He is here supplying every possible tidbit of information because Europe was in...
23John Ross to the American Commissioners, 12 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Harvard University Library I did myself the honour to address you on the 26th. and 28 Ultimo. Being since without the favour of any of Your’s, Permit me to repeat my request of being informed by you Honorable Gentlemen What has been done with those books and papers carryed off from hence by Mr. Wm. Lee. Yesterday I heard, and not before , of a very timely precaution he took on the day of...
24Jonathan Williams, Jr., to the American Commissioners, 7 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Duchesse of Grammont is still waiting your permission to proceed to sea. I have been trying several people to get a Ship to carry out what Goods remain, without success. The Ship at L’orient I mentioned in my last does not turn out to my Satisfaction. M. Gruel has a Ship here which is a good Sailor. I know her to be such because she lately came from...
25William Lee to the American Commissioners, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Autograph copy: Virginia Historical Society; two transcripts: National Archives In conformity to the general instructions of the secret committee that you should be consulted and advised within all important cases relative to their commercial affairs, and Mr. Thos. Morris joint commercial Agent with me being now dead and as I am just on the point of setting out for Germany, I think it...
26Dumas to the American Commissioners, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Algemeen Rijksarchief J’ai reçu l’honneur de la Lettre de Mr. Deane. Comme il dit fort bien, de grands événemens sont à la porte; et ici, comme par toute l’Europe, nous ne sommes pas peu en suspens à cet égard. Je suis charmé, mais nullement surpris, du plaisir que lui fait le personnage avec lequel il a plusieurs fois diné: similes similibus...
27Jacques Rocquette, T.A. Elsevier & Pieter T. Rocquette to the American Commissioners, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS or ALS : American Philosophical Society We begg leave to referr you to our last respects of the 2d. of past month. Since are deprived of your much esteemed Letters, this will be principally to inform you, that there are laÿing at Amsterdam two vessles in Loading for our Colonies, the one for Curacao, and the other for St. Eustatia. The first Shall Shut his bagg for letters the last of this...
28William Bingham to the American Commissioners, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Not being favor’d with any of your Dispatches since the Arrival of Doctr. Franklin (except a few Lines under Date of the 7 June) I have become very apprehensive of the Fate of the many Letters that I have from Time to Time done myself the honor of writing, and which have generally been addressed under Cover to Messrs. Delaps at Bordeaux. Your not...
29Ralph Izard to the American Commissioners, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I intend to set out, as soon as my Gout and the weather will permit me, for the Court to which I have the honour of being appointed by Congress. It will be proper for me to be acquainted with such parts of your proceedings at the Court of France as will be of any assistance to me in fulfilling the objects of my Commission. You will therefore be pleased to...
30Gérard to the American Commissioners, 4 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Harvard University Library J’ai recu la lettre dont vous m’avés honoré. Comme je ne pourrai prendre que demain les ordres du ministere sur son contenu, je vous prie de trouver bon que je differe ma reponse jusqu’à ce que je les aye reçu. J’ai l’honneur d’etre avec respect et estime Messieurs Votre tres humble et très obeissant serviteur In response to the preceding note. On the morning...