211From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Harrison, 30 October 1779 (Jefferson Papers)
In pursuance of a resolution of the last session of General Assembly the Executive proceeded to form a Contract with Messrs. Penet Windel & co. for the establishment of a manufactory of fire arms and foundery of ordnance on James river and for extending navigation through it’s falls. The several preliminary papers which passed between them are now transmitted to the General Assembly, that they...
212From George Washington to Benjamin Harrison, 18 January 1784 (Washington Papers)
I have just had the pleasure to receive your letter of the 8th—for the friendly & affectionate terms in which you have welcomed my return to this Country & to private life; & for the favourable light in which you are pleased to consider, & express your sense of my past services, you have my warmest & most grateful acknowledgments. That the prospect before us is, as you justly observe, fair,...
213Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 24 January 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (University of North Carolina Library: Southern Historical Collection). The letter was written by Edmund Randolph. It is docketed: “Lre from our Delegates in Congress Janry 24. 1782. Reced Febry 7th:” The minister plenipotentiary of France communicated to us this afternoon the inclosed extract from a letter of Count de Vergennes. We are happy to find, that the supplies, which your...
214From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Harrison, 11 November 1783 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Excellency’s letter of the 25th. Ult. on the determination of Congress as to their future residence has been duly received. You would doubtless soon after have heard of their subsequent determination on the same subject. As all this had taken place before my arrival I can give you an account only from the information of others. Congress, it seems, thought it best to generalize their first...
215Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, [26] July 1783 (Madison Papers)
Printed copy ( Burnett, Letters Edmund C. Burnett, ed., Letters of Members of the Continental Congress (8 vols.; Washington, 1921–36). , VII, 238–39). In or shortly before 1934, Stan. V. Henkels of Philadelphia had possession of the original of this letter ( ibid ., VII, 238, n. 1). For the date of 27 July as printed in Burnett, Letters Edmund C. Burnett, ed., Letters of Members of the...
216Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 1 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). In JM’s hand, except for the signatures of Joseph Jones and Arthur Lee. Addressed by JM to “His Excelly. Govr. Harrison.” Docketed, “Lr frm Virga Delegates Oct. 1. 82.” Your Excellency’s favor of the 20th. of Sepr. was recd. yesterday. Whatever curiosity or wonder might be excited by the letter in the post office addressed to you from Sr. G. Carlton with an...
217From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Harrison, 3 March 1784 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Hardy’s illness and Colo. Mercer’s absence deranged the order in which the office of corresponding member was to pass; so that Mr. Lee exercised it for January, Colo. Monroe for Feb. and Mr. Hardy takes it for the present month. I mention this that my own correspondence as an individual may not at any time be mistaken as having passed the sanction of the delegation. On receiving the act of...
218Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 24 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). In the hand of John Francis Mercer, except for the signatures of the other delegates. Cover addressed by Mercer to “His Excellency Benjamin Harrison Esqr. Governor of Virginia.” Mercer signed his name on the lower left, and wrote “(On public Service)” on the upper right portion of the cover. The letter was carried to Richmond by a special courier. The cover is...
219Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 24 June 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). In the hand of John Francis Mercer, except for JM’s signature. Cover franked by Mercer and addressed to “His Excelly. Benja. Harrison Esqr Governor of Virginia.” Cover docketed, “Virginia Delegates June 24th 1783 Letter in Cypher.” Words italicized were written in the official cipher. Filed with the recipient’s copy is a decipherment of the dispatch, docketed,...
220Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 28 May 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Theodorick Bland except for JM’s signature. Docketed, “Letter from Virga Delegates recd June 6 1782.” The words written by Bland in the official cipher are italicized below. Accompanying the letter are three pages upon which the cipher was decoded by Archibald Blair, clerk of the Council of State. The state of News as it respects the action of the French...
221Report of Thomas Story to the Committee of Secret Correspondence and the Committee’s Memorandum upon It, [1 October … (Franklin Papers)
DS and copy: National Archives “On my leaving London Arthur Lee Esqr. requested me to inform the Committee of Correspondence, that he had several conferences with the French Embassador who had communicated the same to the French Court, that in consequence thereof the Duke De Vergennes had sent a gentleman to Mr. Lee, [who informed] him that the French Court could not think of entering into a...
222Statement of Arms and Men in Service, [29 January 1781] (Jefferson Papers)
1. How many arms have we in the state fit for service, bayonets &c. Muskets in good repair Muskets out of repair Beyonets fitted Cartouch boxes In the magazines 68. 2273
223The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 8 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives Since Our last We have received the inclosed Intelligence from London, which we take the earliest Opportunity of forwarding, in hopes it may be received with Our other Letters by Nantes. A Vessel from So: Carolina, loaded by that state, which sailed the 20th December, is arrived at L’Orient with Rice and Indigo. As We were particular in Our last which was sent...
224Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 16 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives I received your orders and Instructions by Mr. Bingham, the 14th Inst. but the Shallop with the provisions did not Arrive till this day. We have now got all the provision on board both from the Wasp and Shallop. You may depend on my best endeavours in your Service to prosecute this Voyage with the Most expedition and Advantage in my power. My People, all to two are in...
225Silas Deane to Robert Morris and the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 23 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : (duplicate): Library of Congress This letter, in form to Morris but in fact to the committee, is the only one from Deane that Franklin surely saw before his departure for France; it was therefore part of his small stock of information about what would face him in Europe. The letter deals only with the preliminaries of Deane’s mission, because he reached France long after he had hoped to....
226The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 6 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS and copy: National Archives; copy: Harvard University Library Since our last, a Copy of which is enclosed Mr. Hodge is arrived here from Martinique, and has brought safely the Papers he was charged with. He had a long Passage and was near being starved. We are about to employ him in a Service, pointed out by you, at Dunkirk or Flushing. He has delivered us three sets of the Papers we...
227II. Petition of Mace Freeland to the Governor and Council, 15 February 1782 (Jefferson Papers)
To his Excellency Benjamin Harrison esq. Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the honourable the Council of state the Petition of Mace Freeland of the county of Buckingham humbly sheweth That James Freeland your petitioner’s father being seised and possessed of a considerable estate in lands slaves and personalties, and having issue James Freeland your petitioner’s elder brother by one...
228Returns of Virginia Land and Naval Forces, [4 November 1779] (Jefferson Papers)
[Text reproduced in illustration section following p. 254.] [1] [2] [3] [4] MS ( DLC ); entirely in TJ’s hand. Principally compiled in Oct. 1779 at the request of the House of Delegates, these memoranda are drafts of the returns actually sent in a letter to Speaker Harrison on 4 Nov., q.v. , but contain additions made after receipt of Washington’s letter to TJ of 26 Dec. 1779 , q.v.; and other...
229The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 17[–22] January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS and two copies: National Archives; copy: South Carolina Historical Society We joined each other at this place on the 22d. of December and on the 28th. had an Audience of his Excellency the Count De Vergennes, one of his most Christian Majesty’s principal Secretarys of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs. We laid before him our Commission with the Articles of the proposed Treaty of...
230Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 30 April[– 9 May 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AL and copy: National Archives; letterbook draft: Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague. J’ai reçu le 6e de ce mois à La Haie, des mains de Mr. Tho. Storey, les dépêches dont vous l’aviez chargé pour moi en date du 9e Xbr. 1775. Je suis touché, pénétré jusqu’au fond du coeur, de l’honneur que me fait et de la confiance que me témoigne le Committé nommé par le Congrès général pour la Correspondance...
231The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 4 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives We send you herewith the Draught of a Frigate, by a very ingenious Officer in this service, which appears to Us peculiarly suitable for Our purpose, and We are in hopes of being able to ship Cordage and Sail Cloth, and Anchors &c. sufficient for Five or Six such Frigates, by the Time you can have them built. Though deprived of any intelligence from you since the...
232The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 12 March[–9 April 1777] (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; L : British Library; copy: National Archives It is now more than 4 Months since Mr. Franklin’s Departure from Philadelphia, and not a Line from thence written since that time has hitherto reached either of your Commissioners in Europe. We have had no Information of what passes in America but thro’ England, and the Advices are for the most part such only as the Ministry...
233Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 14 May[–6 June 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AL and copy: National Archives; letterbook draft: Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague Après vous avoir donné ci-joint copie ou extrait de ce qu’il y avoit de plus essentiel dans ma premiere dépeche que je nommerai A pour la briéveté, je commence celle-ci, que je nomme B, en forme de Journal. Ayez la bonté, conséquemment, lorsque vous m’écrirez, de me marquer que vous avez reçu, ou non, la Dépeche...
234From James Madison to the Governor of Virginia, [20 May 1783] (Madison Papers)
… Notwithstanding the numerous arrivals from Europe, we receive no other information than what passes through the public prints. Sir G. Carlton in answer to a letter from General Washington on the subject of the provisional Treaty repeats the same sentiments regarding the Negroes, which he advanced in the Conference at Orange Town; entering a Caution however against their being considered as a...
235Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 11 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives This will inform you of my proceedings since I left Cape May the 3d Instant. We left that place in Company with 13 Merchant Men, who I think all got Safe off, as we did not loose Sight of them till they got a good distance from the Land. We Saw no Ships of War at all on the Coast. We this Day fell in with Captain Mackay, in the Ship Friendship from Granada bound to...
236Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 13 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives This will inform of a Small Addition to our good fortune in the Prize Way. We this day took Capt. Muckelno in the Schooner Peter of Liverpool from St. Vincent bound to Liverpool in Brittain, Loaded with: Rum: Sugar Coffee Cocoa and Cotton. We also took Capt. Mackey in the Ship Friendship from Granada, bound to London, which I have wrote you of before, and Now Send a...
237The American Commissioners to [the Committee of Secret Correspondence], 28 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library We wrote to you pretty fully on the State of Affairs here, in ours of the 12th of March and 19th of this Month, since which there has been little Alteration. There is yet no Certainty of a sudden Declaration of War, but the Preparations go on vigorously both here and in Spain, the Armies of france drawing towards the Sea Coasts, and those of Spain to the...