1The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 23 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We beg Leave to acquaint your Excellency, that we are appointed and fully impowered by the Congress of the United States of America, to propose and negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the said States. The just and generous Treatment their Trading Ships have received, by a free Admission into the Ports of this Kingdom,...
2The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 26 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
We had last Evening the Honour of your Excellencys Letter of the twenty fourth of this Month, in Answer to ours of the twenty Eighth ultimo relative to the Liberty for Americains to pass through this Kingdom with their Effects, in their Way home, Duty free, inclosing Copy of a Letter from Mr. Necker to your Excellency, upon the same subject. We shall take the Liberty to pursue the Rules...
3The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 29 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have been favoured with a Letter signed by many Gentlemen of Nantes and dated the fifteenth of this Month, informing us that most of their Vessels were ready to sail to America, and that others were expected to be ready immediately, so that the Convoy need not wait at all, but might be ordered as soon as Convenience will permit. These Gentlemen are very desirous of a Convoy through the...
4The American Commissioners to [the Comte de Vergennes], 4 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We have the Honour to acquaint your Excellency that we have just receiv’d an Express from Boston, in 30 Days, with Advice of the total Reduction of the Force under General Burgoyne, himself and his whole Army having surrendered themselves Prisoners. General Gates was about to send Reinforcements to Gen. Washington, who was near Philadelphia...
5The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 7 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Harvard University Library The Commissioners from the United States of America desire to represent to his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, that they have received Intelligence of a Vessel belonging to the States having been taken by the Culloden, an English Ship of War, close on the Coast of France; and that the same...
6The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 12 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
The Alliance between this Kingdom, and the United States of America, is an Event of such Magnitude in their History, that We conceive it would be highly pleasing to our Constituents, to have the Picture of their his Majesty their illustrious Friend and Ally, to be kept in some Public Place where the Congress sits. We would carefully avoid every Thing which would be disagreable to the King and...
7The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 1 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have received, the Letter which your Excellency, did Us the Honour, to write to us, on the twenty seventh of the last Month: together with a Copy of a Letter from the Ministre of the Marine to your Excellency, of the twenty first of the Same Month. Convinced of the Propriety of those Ecclaircisements, which his Excellency demands, We had recourse to our Instructions from Congress, and...
8The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 29 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour to inform your Excellency that we are ready to execute and exchange the Declarations, concerning the Omission of the eleventh and twelfth Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, and to request your Excellency to appoint a Day to wait on your Excellency for that Purpose. We have the Honour to be with the most respectful Consideration Your Excellency’s most obedient and most...
9Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee to Vergennes, 10 April 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour to acquaint your Excellency, that Mr. Adams, appointed by the Congress to replace Mr. Deane in the Commission here, is safely arrived, and purposes to wait upon you as soon as recovered a little from the Fatigue of his Voyage. The Ship in which he came is a Frigate of 30 Guns, belonging to the Congress. In her Passage she took a large Ship from London to New York, with a...
10II. The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 9 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Some late Proceedings of the Enemy, have induced us, to submit a few Observations to your Excellency’s superior Lights and Judgement. His Britannic Majesty’s Commissioners, in their Manifesto of the 3d of October, have denounced “a Change in the whole Nature and future Conduct of the War,” they have declared “that the Policy as well as Benevolence of Great Britain, have thus far checked the...