From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 23 November 1781
To John Adams
LS:7 Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress
Passy, Nov. 23. 1781.
Sir,
I congratulate your Excellency on the late great Event.8
I received yours of the 12th. I wrote my Mind fully on the Subject of the Goods in mine to you by Mr. Fox,9 which I suppose must have come to your hands soon after that Date. Gillon wrote to me that Mr. Searle & Jackson were gone to France.1 As it is so long since, and they are not arrived, I suppose it may be true that they are gone to America. I expect the Consul, Mr. Barclay, here in a few Days. If you think his assistance relating to that Matter may be of Use, I will propose his Proceeding to Holland. I can only repeat that if I have any Authority over those Goods, I transfer it all to you.
With great Respect, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Excellency’s most obedient & most humble Servant
B Franklin
His Exy. J. Adams Esq.
7. In L’Air de Lamotte’s hand except for the portion of the complimentary close after “Excellency’s,” which is in BF’s hand.
8. See WTF to JA, Nov. 22.
9. Above, Nov. 7.
1. BF seems to have misremembered Gillon’s letter, which said that Searle was going to France, but that Jackson was going to Bilbao: XXXV, 590. Searle soon arrived in Paris (see his letter of Nov. 28) but Jackson sailed to the United States (see our annotation of JA’s letter of Nov. 19).