1To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 7 November 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library I took the Liberty a few Days since To write You on the subject of certain reports lately propagated to my disadvantage, I hope that the Letter came safe to Your hands, and I have only to add, that I have both before, & since my writing, improved every Opportunity, in my power, To serve the Commerce of Our Country, particularly to have the restraint, on...
2To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 19 October 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library I am informed by Col Wadsworth, and others lately from Paris, that it was currently reported of Me that I was intimate with Genl Arnold, and that a Pamphlet, lately published by Lord Sheffeild, owed to Me most of the Facts and Observations contained in it. I have found by experience that from the Moment a Man becomes unpopular, every report which any...
3To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 20 July 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library I have been very credibly informed that The Count De Vergennes, & others at Versailles have lately expressed, great resentment against Me personally, which gives Me the greatest uneasiness, on Account of my personal Safety at Paris, where I wish To be, To adjust & Settle my Accts., the best foundation, for me to expect Justice from in other respects. I...
4To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 13 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives The Letter which you did me the honor to write to me on the 19th. ultimo, did not come to hand untill last evening— I pray you to accept of my thanks for your attention to Mine of the 30th, of March, and I can but flatter myself that Congress will be induced by your Letters to take decisive measures, on the subject of my acco’ts. As I did not expect an answer to my long...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 30 March 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Barclay who set out on his return to Holland last Monday passed Several Days here in examining my Accompts, & had his powers from Congress authorized him, an end might have been made of my embarrassments, & Complaints on that subject. I gave him duplicates of them, & every explanation which he desired; he promised to remit them to Congress, and to...
6To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 1 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library Soon after my hearing of the Arrival of Mr Barclay in the Character of Vice Consul from Congress I received the inclosed Resolution and Order. I was at the Time setting out for Ostend, or I should have returned immediately to Paris, confident that every Obstacle to a Settlement was at last removed— At Ostend I met Mr Barclay who to my surprize informed...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 22 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am at last determined on sending my Son to an Academy near Brussels, for a short Time, & having an Opportunity for his going in a few Days pray You to give him a Passport, for which he has the honor to wait on You, & to take his leave. I am with The highest respect Dear sir Your most Obedt & Very humle servt Addressed: A Monsieur / Monsieur Franklin /...
8To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 16 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote You a few Days since, inclosing Mr. Montieus Acct., and Duplicates of Mr. Vanderperes Papers, and took the Liberty of desiring that You would inform Me when You sent off Your Dispatches for America. I now take the Liberty of sending You a packet for America and You will oblige Me much by putting it under Your cover, by Mr. Laurens. I should not give...
9To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 11 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send you M. Montieus Acct. inclosed, and at the request of Mr. Vandepere, Duplicates of the Protest in the Affair of the Capture, made by Captn Jones, about which he waited on You, which protests he prays may be forwarded to Congress. I shall be much obliged to You to let Me know nearly what Time, Letters must be ready, in order to go with your next...
10To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library I take the Liberty of inclosing a Letter from Mr Lee, with which I should not Trouble You, were my present Circumstances different, from what they are. At any rate, the poor Man must be releived, & I have already promised his Landlord that his Bill shall be paid. I pray You to return Me the inclosed, after perusing it. Mr Lee had without my direction...
11To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 4 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr Vanderpar a Gentleman from Zeeland prays to have the honor of waiting on You Tomorrow Morning on the subject of a Vessel taken by Capt. Jones and by him sent to America. If Agreeable I shall wait on You with him in the Morning at Breakfast, & doubt not but that You will be well pleased with an Acquaintance with him. Meantime I have the honor to be with...
12To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 23 February 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send You a few Letters which pray may be sent forward by Your express tomorrow Morning if You send, if not, pray to know how soon You will dispatch Your express, for if You put off for a Day, I shall improve the Time to write a Letter or Two more. I have the honor to be with the utmost respect Dr sir Your most Obedt. & Very huml. servt Addressed: His...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 22 February 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The situation of public Affairs you must recollect was such, at the Time when the Revenge Cutter was fitted out at Dunkerque, that every transaction was kept as secret as possible, and covered under other Names, than of those really concerned, by which it is impossible for me, or perhaps for any one, (as Capt. Cunningham is dead) to declare positively on...
14To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 27 January 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arrived here yesterday but so fatigued by the badness of the Road & Weather that I shall rest untill tomorrow to recover sufficiently, to pursue my Journey; You can expect no Information from me, from a Town, in which I am a Stranger, & from which both Politics, and Commerce, appear to have been long since banished, though from what I have seen of it, it...
15To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 29 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arrived at Rochfort Two Days since after Forty Three Days passage from York in Virginia, and came here last Evening to Visit a Friend. The length of Our passage, has prevented my being the Bearer of any News from America, later than what you are already acquainted with, for which Reason I shall take Nantes in my way and pass a few Days there with Mr....
16To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 24 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am now waiting here for a Passage for France and hope to embark in Two or Three Weeks in the Fendant, a Twenty four Gun Ship commanded by the Marquiss De Vaudreuil, by way of Martinico. Your Daughter and Family were in good health, when I left Philadelphia.— We are now alarmed here with Accounts from New York of an Invasion of this, and the other Southern...
17To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This will be handed to you by Mons. Colomb, who came out to America with the Marquiss de la Fayette, & has served with Reputation in the Army of the United States, and now returns to Visit his Country, and Freinds, I take therefore the Liberty to introduce him to your Acquaintence and to refer you to him for Information of the State of Our Army, and its...
18To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 7 February 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library Count Montford will do himself the honor of waiting on You with this Letter, & It is with Pleasure I embrace the Opportunity to recommend him to Your Notice, as one who has served, and acquired good Reputation in Our Army. He has served immediately under Count Polaski and has rose from a Voluntier to the rank of Major, when his private Affairs, obliging...
19The American Commissioners’ Interview on January 8 with Gérard: Four Documents, 1778 (Franklin Papers)
This meeting, in Deane’s quarters in Paris at six in the evening of January 8, was the commissioners’ reward for all the frustrations of the previous year. Vergennes had announced to them on December 12 that France was ready to negotiate, but three weeks of silence followed while the court attempted to secure Spanish participation. Then, when Madrid made clear that it had no intention of...
20To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 21 October 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society During the first half of September Deane was optimistic that congressional approval of his conduct as commissioner would permit his quick return to Europe. Between September 19 and October 15, however, that optimism was undermined. On those two dates Henry Laurens presented to Congress letters he had received from Ralph Izard criticizing the conduct of...
21To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This is the first letter informing Franklin of his election as minister plenipotentiary to the court of France; the official notification was not sent for another six weeks. The dissolution of the American commission was not the result of its internal dissensions and inefficiency, but rather of the dictates of diplomatic protocol. This demanded that the...
22To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 2 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote You by Capt. Cummins who sailed a few Days since, and I have been so particular to Docr. Bancroft who will communicate my Letter to You that I have very little to add. Genl. Sullivan by Accts. of the 25th Ulto. was endeavoring to make good his Retreat from Rhode Island, which it is thought he will hardly effect without some Loss. The Country and...
23The American Commissioners to Gustavus Conyngham, [before 19 April 1778] (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress The interest which the public has in the vessel you command makes us regard her as a continental Ship of war. Mr. Hodge and Mr. Ross have therefore no right to direct or controul you. Neither had Mr. Deane alone any right to dispose of the vessel; nor of the produce of the prizes you made, as Monsr. Lagonere informs us he has done. You will give us an account...
24To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 8 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I find that I shall have little Time to spare and can therefore only inform You That We arrived here the 6th. without Accident: Our Freind the Day after and that We hope to go forward in two or three days. The grateful Sense which I retain of the many Civilities shewn Me by Our Freinds at Paris and at Passy, makes me regret my having been obliged to set out...
25The American Commissioners to Jonathan Williams, Jr., 16 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society The quantity of Stores you have on hand and the difficulty you find in shipping them induces us to accept of Mr. Monthieus proposal of taking his Goods out of the Mercury and loading intirely with the Stores of the public. Mr. Montieu has made that offer taking the same rate of Freight for the whole as was agreed for the quantity actually loaded already. We...
26The American Commissioners to Ralph Izard, 10 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society As soon as the Commissioners to this Court shall have completed any Treaties here and it is in their Power to communicate them, you may depend on their Readiness to comply with your Request. And whenever you shall think proper to appoint a Meeting for the purpose of conferring with them on the other Points mention’d in the Letter you honour’d them...
27The American Commissioners to Conrad-Alexandre Gérard, 4 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library Being desirous of a conference with you on a subject, that appears to us of importance; we shall be glad to meet you here, or at Versailles, as soon as may be convenient to you. We have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, Sir, Your most Obedient and most Humble Servants Notation: 1778. Mars 4. Both...
28Franklin and Silas Deane to Arthur Lee, 3 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
L : Harvard University Library Messrs: Franklin and Deane, will be ready to confer with Mr. Lee, tomorrow at 11. OClock precisely. Enclosed are the Dispatches which came by Mr. Austin, but not having as yet received Duplicates, beg they may be returned, when copied, or done with. Addressed: Honble Arthur Lee Esqr / Chaillot. Endorsed: March 3d 1778 In WTF ’s hand. At the meeting, which took...
29Franklin and Silas Deane to the Duc de La Rochefoucauld, 3 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
L : Bibliothèque municipale, Mantes Messrs: Franklin and Deane, present their respectful Compliments to the Duc de la Rochefoucauld, and shall be happy in the honour of his Company, tomorrow at Breakfast. 8. O Clock will not be the least inconvenient. In WTF ’s hand. The Duke was by now an old friend of BF .
30Franklin and Silas Deane to Arthur Lee, 1 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
L : Harvard University Library Messrs. Franklin and Deane present their Compliments to Mr. Arthur Lee, it not being likely that the Dispatches can be ready at 12. O Clock beg Mr. Lee, would change the time of his coming to half past 5. at which time there is no doubt but that every thing will be ready. Mr. Franklin juniors respectful Compliments to Mr. A. Lee and reminds him of his Engagement...