11From Benjamin Franklin to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 4 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives I arrived here about two Weeks since, where I found Mr. Deane. Mr. Lee has since join’d us from London. We have had an Audience of the Minister, Count de Vergennes, and were respectfully receiv’d. We left for his Consideration a Sketch of the propos’d Treaty. We are to wait upon him tomorrow with a strong Memorial requesting the Aids mentioned in our...
12The 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...
13The 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...
14The 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...
15The 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...
16The 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...
17The 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...
18From George Washington to Benjamin Harrison, 19 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
If I did not misunderstand what you, or some other Member of Congress said to me respecting the appointment of the Marquis de, le, Fiatte, he has misceived the design of his appointment, or Congress did not understand the extent of his views, for certain it is, If I understand him , that he does not conceive his Commission is merely honorary; but given with a view to command a division of this...
19From George Washington to Benjamin Harrison, 5 October 1777 (Washington Papers)
[Pennypacker’s Mill, Pa.] 5 October 1777 . “A letter which accompanies this to congress will give an account of an unsuccessful attack upon the enemy in German town yesterday about day break—my extreme fatigue & hurry, and indeed want of knowledge of the causes which produced some great & capital disappointments do not allow me to be particular at this time. Things appeared in a very favorable...
20From George Washington to Benjamin Harrison, 14 October 1778 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Benjamin Harrison, c.14 Oct. 1778. In an undated letter to GW, probably written sometime in November, Harrison wrote: “your favor by Mr Custis came to hand about three weeks after date” (see GW to Harrison, 18–30 Dec. 1778 , source note). On his return trip home to Virginia, Custis carried GW’s letter to Patrick Henry of 14 Oct. (see the source note to that document), and...