Benjamin Franklin Papers
Documents filtered by: Period="Revolutionary War" AND Correspondent="Franklin, Benjamin" AND Correspondent="Morris, Robert"
sorted by: date (ascending)
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-28-02-0484

From Benjamin Franklin to [Robert Morris], [c. 19 February 1779]

To [Robert Morris]3

Incomplete copy: Library of Congress

[c. February 19, 1779]

of mine, M. de la Freté has some Business of Importance to be transacted for him in America. I have taken the Liberty of naming You to him as a Person in whose Abilities & Integrity he may confide for the transacting of it & I recommend it warmly to your best Attention.4 M. Gerard will communicate to you the Particulars. I am ever, with the sincerest Esteem & Respect &c

P.S. I receiv’d a few Days since a Duplicate of your Packet dated in December 1777. It came by the Way of the West Indies. As perhaps mine in Answer may have miscarried,5 I just mention here that the Contents were, as they ought to be, very satisfactory to me and confirm’d the Opinion I ever had of your Justice & Honor.

N.B. this was sent inclosd. in another Letter to M. d. la6

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

3This fragment begins at the top of a page in a letterbook whose previous page has been cut. (The letter which precedes it, to Joseph Wharton, Jr., of the same date, lacks a conclusion.) Internal evidence points to Morris as the intended recipient: the December, 1777, packet is almost certainly a reference to his letter of Dec. 27, 1777 (XXV, 361–2), apologizing to BF and Deane for suspecting their behavior in the affair of Thomas Morris’ trunk.

4For La Freté’s business see our annotation of his letter of Feb. 18.

5It apparently did, as we find no record of it.

6The remainder is missing, and we have found no letter to Lafreté. On Oct. 22 (APS), however, the Frenchman thanked BF for sending him some “piéces,” and these may have accompanied a letter.

Index Entries