George Washington Papers
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From George Washington to Benjamin Franklin, 18 August 1776

To Benjamin Franklin

New York Augt 18th 1776.

Sir,

I have been honourd with your favour of the 16th, and the several Inclosures contained therein, which are now return’d with my thanks for the oppertunity of perusing them1—I also Inclose you a Letter from Lord Howe, sent out (with others) by a Flag in the Afternoon of yesterday.2 with it comes a Letter for Lieutt Barrington, who if not among those who broke their Parole, & went of for Canada, is in York, Pensylvania.3 With very great esteem and respect, I have the honr to be Sir Yr Most Obedt H: Servt

Go: Washington

ALS, PPAmP.

1. Franklin’s letter to GW of 16 Aug. has not been found, and its enclosures have not been identified.

2. Howe’s letter to Franklin of 16 Aug. concerns peace proposals (see Willcox, Franklin Papers description begins William B. Willcox et al., eds. The Papers of Benjamin Franklin. 42 vols. to date. New Haven, 1959–. description ends , 22:565–66).

3. William Barrington, a lieutenant in the 7th Regiment, had been taken prisoner at Chambly on 18 Oct. 1775. He did not join the other British officers who left Lebanon, Pa., in June 1776, and at this time he was confined in jail at Lancaster (see the Lancaster committee of inspection to the Pennsylvania council of safety, 18 July, in Force, American Archives description begins Peter Force, ed. American Archives. 9 vols. Washington, D.C., 1837–53. description ends , 5th ser., 1:411–12, and Barrington to the Lancaster committee, 5 Aug., ibid., 761). The Pennsylvania council of safety on 24 Aug. gave the Lancaster committee of inspection permission to take Barrington’s parole and to “send him to his brother officers at York or Cumberland County” (minutes of the Pennsylvania council of safety, 24 Aug., ibid., 1325).

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    From George Washington to Benjamin Franklin, 18 August 1776
    Author
    Washington, George
    Recipient
    Franklin, Benjamin
    Date
    18 August 1776

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From George Washington to Benjamin Franklin, 18 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0057. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 59–60.]

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