51To George Washington from William Franklin, 22 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am sensible that you must now have so much Employ for your Time & Attention, in the great Business you are engaged in, that you can have very little of either to spare for an Individual. But as the peculiarly distressing Circumstances & Urgency of my Case will admit of no Delay, I have such Confidence in the Generosity & Humanity of your Disposition, that I cannot but flatter myself you will...
52To Benjamin Franklin from William Franklin, 22 July 1784[–6 August 1784] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Ever since the Termination of the unhappy Contest between Great Britain and America, I have been anxious to write to you, and to endeavour to revive that affectionate Intercourse and Connexion which till the Commencement of the late Troubles had been the Pride and Happiness of my Life. Uncertain, however, whether the decided and active Part I took in...
53William Franklin to William Temple Franklin, 16 December 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Dr Jeffries has informd me that he is to set off for Dover early Tomorrow Morning, in order to embark in Blanchard’s Balloon for France. I dare say you will like to be one of the first who gets a Letter across the British Channel by this kind of aerial Conveyance: I have therefore availed myself of the Opportunity, to acknowledge the Receipt of your Letters...
54To Thomas Jefferson from William Franklin, 18 January 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I received, some Time ago, a Letter from my Son, Wm. Temple Franklin, requesting me to make Enquiry after a Box which he had left, when here, with a Mr. Woodmason, to be ship’d for Havre, containing, besides some valuable Books for his Grandfather, a set of Blackstone’s Commentaries for you. After making the most particular Enquiry in my Power, I learnt that the Box had been shipp’d on Board a...