21The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the Amerìcan Commissioners, 30 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; Haverford College Library; LS without postscript: Joseph E. Fields, Joliet, Ill. (1958); AL (draft ): American Philosophical Society; copies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; National Archives (two) The military defeats that had followed consistently on the Battle of Long Island, and had brought the British so near Philadelphia that Congress had fled to...
22The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners to France, 24 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; letterbook copies: Library of Congress; National Archives The Congress having Committed to our Charge and Management their Ship of War called the Reprisal, Commanded by Lambert Wickes Esqr. carrying sixteen Six pounders and about one hundred and twenty Men, We have allotted her to carry Doctor Franklin to France and directed Capt. Wickes to proceed for the...
23The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 21 September[– 1 October 1776] (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library Your several letters of the 4th. 15th. and 26th August to this Committee have been duely received with the several enclosures and the whole have been laid before the Congress. We can therefore communicate that satisfaction which we dare say it must afford you to know that you have so far obtained the approbation of that August Body. It is not necessary that we...
24The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Peter Parker, 10 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives The Brigt. Dispatch of which you are hereby appointed Commander in the Service of the United States of america, being now ready for Sea, You are to proceed immediately onboard said Brigantine for [the] Port of Bourdeaux in France and on your arrival there deliver the dispatches given [?] you herewith to Messrs. Saml. & J.H. Delap Merchts. at that place. You...
25The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Samuel and J. H. Delap, 10 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives You will receive this by the Brigantine Dispatch Capt. Peter Parker and with it some letters for Silas Deane Esqr. which being of Considerable Consequence We beg you will cause them to be sent or delivered to him with the utmost Expedition and we make no doubt he has left his address with you shou’d he have left Bourdeaux. You will find herein an Invoice and...
26The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 2 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Haverford College Library; letterbook copy: National Archives We have this day received from the Honorable Congress of Delegates of the United States of America the important papers that accompany this letter being, These papers speak for themselves and need no Strictures or remarks from us, neither is it our business to make any. You will observe, that in case of the absence or...
27The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 19 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : University of Virginia Library; two copies: National Archives; draft: American Philosophical Society The events of war have not since our last furnished any thing decisive. The enemies Army still remains encamped upon the hills near Brunswick, and still our Troops continue to beat back and destroy their Convoys insomuch that we understand their Horses dye in numbers, and we have reason to...
28The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 9 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copies: Library of Congress; Yale University Library Captain Hammond having been detained longer than we expected, furnishes us with an opportunity of giving you the information we have since our last received from the Army, thro a Committee of Congress left at Philadelphia; for we have yet had no regular accounts from General Washington. On the 2d....
29The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 7 August 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Maine Historical Society; letterbook copy: National Archives The above is a Copy of our last, which went by the Dispatch Captain Parker. The Congress have since taken into consideration the heads of a Treaty to be proposed to France, but as they are not yet concluded upon, we cannot say more of them per this conveyance. You will see by the Newspapers which accompany this, that the...
30The Committee of Secret Correspondence: Instructions to Silas Deane, 2 March 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society; copy: Yale University Library; copy: South Carolina Historical Society These instructions, which were probably drafted by Franklin, are the first to an American agent in a foreign country. They mark an important step toward the assumption of sovereignty, and the committee of secret correspondence seems to have taken that step on its own initiative. The...