To Benjamin Franklin from Dumas, 21 September 1779
From Dumas
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Sept. 21st. 1779
Dear & honoured Sir
I have received the same day, being the 18th., first your favour of the 10th. Inst. by Mr. Ross, & then that of the 7th. Inst. by the g. Factor, who was at Amsterdam, from whence he has sent it me.5
I am to see our friend this Evening, & to set out to morrow morning very early, for the place where the person, to whom you write, is expected, & there to stay till he arrives.6 This is the best & shortest manner to deliver him your Letter & former instructions, without loosing time, & to prevent all inconveniencies. For nobody know’s me there, & nobody shall know what I expect there.
I should be glad (as well as our Friend), to receive as soon as possible our sketch of the future Treaty with yr. Excies. remarks on it.7
Proper care Shall be taken of the circular Letters of Mrs. Bache & Shee, at the first oportunity, & then Mr. F—— shall know the names of the houses.8
I am with the most respectfull attachment Dear & honoured Sir, your most obedient & most humble Servant
Dumas
Be pleased Sir, to acquaint Mr. De Cht. [Chaumont] with where I am going to morrow.
Passy, His Exc. B. Franklin
Notation: Du Mas 21. 7bre. 1779.
5. The letter of the 7th is above. We have not found the letter brought by John Ross and have learned little about the Nantes merchant’s trip to the Netherlands. We do know he was at a Paris hotel on Sept. 1, from where he wrote a brief note to WTF (APS), and that he was still in the Netherlands on Oct. 11; Dumas, then at The Hague, told Jean de Neufville that he hoped to see him again (National Archives).
6. I.e., Dumas was preparing to leave for the Texel to meet John Paul Jones. His friend was Pensionary van Berckel.
7. Presumably the American-Dutch commercial treaty on which Dumas was working: XXIX, 100–1n, 195n.
8. RB had first enclosed circular letters about his new business firm with his April 7 letter: XXIX, 273. BF sent copies to Dumas via WTF: Dumas to BF, below, Oct. 2.