1To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 22 July 1775 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress I take the opportunity of writing a line to you by Capt. Read, tho. I have not any thing now to say. We seem rather on this side the water to be expecters of news and events; more especially as to the proceedings and proposals from the Congress. As to my own opinion and wishes, they continue the same. I can only wish generally for peace, and for such measures on...
2To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 31 July 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am very glad to collect by a Phrase in the letter from the Congress to the Canadians, that they think once more of imploring the Attention of their Sovereign. I can give you no information of the State of the Ministry, I should be one of the last to be informed of their counsels. The great fear that I entertain, is, least they should make things desperate...
3To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 14 November 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office; copy: Clements Library Hartley’s cast of mind was similar to that of the peace negotiators with whom Franklin dealt during his last months in England. All of them regarded reconciliation as a problem to be analyzed, ordered, and reduced to rational terms from which a rational solution might emerge. Barclay and Fothergill pinned their hopes on negotiating by...
4To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 14 November 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office I send you a copy of the petition from the County of Berks for lenient measures with America, which my Brother and I have signed with about a thousand others. Some time ago the ministerial agents began to move for vindictive addresses, and got many from boroughs, several of them by surprize and management, as I have been informed by public newspapers. All these...
5To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 23 November 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office Some American friends have desired to have an account drawn out of Mr. Hartleys proposition for terms of accommodation, drawn up with a view to send it to some of their friends in America for their opinion, therefore an account of the plan of those motions which are to be actually moved in the house next week has been drawn up from part of the letter which was sent...
6To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 24 February 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress It is so long since I have had the pleasure of hearing from you that I fear the administration has but too effectually stopt the Channel of Communication between this Country and its colonies. I have allways dreaded this event as fatal and final to the prospect of national reconciliation. When in any contention the parties...
7To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 8 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress It is so many months since I have heard from you that I fear the Communication between the two Countries is but too effectually Stopt. I have writ to you from time to time letters which perhaps you have never received. My object is the same with yours viz. the restoration of peace. The Stoppage of communication between the two countries seems to have had the...
8To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley], 2 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We have striven, to the utmost of our limited powers, for reconciliation between Great Britain and America. If that is become impossible, let us, at least, not relax our endeavours to obtain peace . Upon what ground wou’d it be possible to establish peace? By your letter to Lord Howe, which has been lately published here, as well as from all other accounts,...
9To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 25 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress I thank you for your very friendly and prudent consideration of my situation in this Country with respect to correspondencies on the subject of the unfortunate differences between the Country and America. Free communications on this subject are by Law interdicted which I think to be one of the greatest misfortunes of the present times. If those who are lovers of...
10To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 3 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The enclosed letters will explain themselves. Mr. Wren is a very worthy man (I believe a dissenting Minister) at Portmouth who has devoted his attention in the most charitable manner towards the relief of the prisoners at Forton. When Mr. Thornton went to Forton I advanced him £50 according to your desire. If you approve the Continuance of his plan I can easily...
11To Benjamin Franklin from [David Hartley?], 13 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress This document is baffling. Other transcripts of Hartley’s letters, in the same hand and the same repository, have attributions to him; this one has not. But attributing it to any one else seems out of the question. The opinions expressed, when intelligible, are certainly Hartley’s; and who except him would have made the reference to Thornton? The difficulty is...
12To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 18 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; transcript: Library of Congress Hartley, writing the day after Lord North revealed the government’s conciliatory plan, was more euphoric than that plan warranted. It had been in preparation since early December, precipitated first by the news of Saratoga and then by increasingly strong intimations of a forthcoming Franco-American alliance....
13To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 20 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: British Library One word by this mail. With respect to Ld. Ns. plan of peace much of course will be debated of the sincerity or insincerity, whether it be practicable or admissible, &c. &c. to all which I say that the great object with me is a cessation of arms. I admire much the spirit of your sentiments to Ld. Howe. Trade and revenue and supremacy...
14To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 24 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress Yours of Feb 12 received. I have called at Mr. Hutton’s door, but he was not at home, I shall deliver the letters to morrow. We are to have a very long day in the house today, so that I cannot enter into any matter at present. Suspend for a few hours, or days. Times seem to be mending. Let us take all possible chance of reconciliation. While there is life there...
15To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 3 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress Dont let us despair now. There seems I hope to be a disposition on all sides to Peace. The Conciliatory bill as it is called passed the H of Commons yesterday. The Sentiments of Ld. North towards peace have been declared by the bill itself and by the method and principles which he avowed when he brought it in. Ld. George...
16To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 29 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin . . . (4to ed.; 3 vols., London, 1817–18), II , 249. I will take care of all your commissions. This moment a second packet of infinite value is received, which I shall cherish as a mark of affection from you. I opened the letter by mistake which came with it, and soon saw it was not for me. I...
17To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 15 May 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and transcript: Library of Congress I send you the Heads of Negotiation which have occurred to me as the most probable foundations for Peace. What the opinions or Plans of other persons may be I do not know but the enclosed are the principles which I would recommend if my recommendation might have any weight. That America should be declared independent. That Great Britain and America shall...
18To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 29 May 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress Yours received this moment of the 25th instant by Mr. Parker. I will apply for the exchange of the prisoners without delay and will press the point as much as I can which in truth I have done many times since I saw you but official departments move slowly here. A promise of 5 Months is yet unperformed. The inclosed letters came to me but yesterday tho they are...
19To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 5 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I hope we shall at length get forward with the Exchange of the poor prisoners which has been for so many months in negotiation. I am authorized by the administration and the board of admiralty to make the following proposition, That you should send to me the number and rank of the prisoners which you have on your side to...
20To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 16 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Yours of June 5 per favour of Mr. Strange received relating to the exchange of prisoners In answer to which I send you a copy of a letter of mine to you of June the 5th which I transcribe least by any accident it should have miscarried. I am authorized by the administration and the board of admiralty to make the following proposition, That you should send...
21To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 10 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress Prisoner exchange was the focus of correspondence between Hartley and Franklin during the summer of 1778, and a major goal of Franklin’s activity. He systematically collected names of British captives from American sea captains to meet the terms of the Admiralty, and negotiated with the French for an appropriate port and...
22To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 14 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and incomplete copy: American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I have the following answers to make to you from the board of Admiralty, in relation to yours of the 16th of June. The prisoners to be exchanged from hence will be taken From Forton and Plymouth in proportion to their numbers in each place, and to consist of those who have been the longest in confinement....
23To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 11 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): M.D.A.F.H.H. Hartley Russell (1955) on deposit in the Berkshire County Record Office; transcript: Library of Congress I writ to you as long ago as the 14th of last month to tell you that the administration here had given their consent to the exchange of prisoners at Calais and that they would agree to give any ship on your part a free passport from Brest to Calais upon your sending...
24To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 14 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I writ to you as long ago as the 14th of the last month to tell you that the administration here had given their consent to the exchange of prisoners at Calais, and that they would agree to give any ship on your part a free passport from Brest to Calais, upon your sending me a similar assurance that any British ship going to Calais for the purpose of the...
25To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley: Two Letters, [4 October 1778] (Franklin Papers)
(I) ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress (II) ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I thank you for yours of Sept. 3d inclosing those beautiful lines from Dante to the late Mistress of his affections, of which I feel the whole force. In return I send you another most pathetic Sonnet. I have told you before that my heart is always...
26To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 9 October 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; incomplete copy: Library of Congress; transcript: Library of Congress You have a copy of my Letter to the board of Admiralty of the 15th of July last. I writ again upon the same subject on the 27th ultimo, saying that as you had so strongly expressed your desire to me to concur in every measure which might in any degree alleviate the miseries of war, I was...
27To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 10 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I recd two days ago notice at the Admiralty that the last terms wch I transmitted from you were accepted and agreed to, and that his Majesty had consented. I was likewise told that I might expect in a few days to receive special notice of the place and time of the exchange. As soon as I receive any such notice I will not...
28To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 18 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I hope the Exchange will now meet with no longer delay. I have been referred to a personal Conference and Consultation with the board of Commissioners of Sick and Hurt, wch is the Executive board for the Exchange. I there saw all the instructions from the admiralty to them, together with the Kings consent to the Exchange...
29To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley: Two Letters, 23 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I have communicated yours of Janry 1st. 1779 to the Board of Sick and Hurt and have received the following answer— We are taking measures for the immediate sending to France the number of Americans first proposed to be exchanged and we shall be much obliged by your continuing to impart to us such farther...
30To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley, 2 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress Yours of 22d of february received. I have been as much discontented with the delay respecting the Exchange of prisoners as you can have been, and before the receipt of yours, I had made an heavy complaint and remonstrance upon the Subject. I have now the Satisfaction to tell you, that the first Cartel ship has actually left...