To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Nesbitt, 23 December 1783
From Jonathan Nesbitt
AL: American Philosophical Society
Paris Decr: 23d: 1783—
Mr: Nesbitts most respectful Compliments wait on Doctr Franklin & will do himself the honor to dine with him on Thursday next.—1 Mr Nesbitt incloses the Letter of Mr. de Vergennes relative to the 22d Article of the Preliminary Treaty—2
Notation: Nesbit, Decr. 23. 1784.
1. Dec. 25; see John Paul Jones to BF, Dec. 20.
2. The enclosure is missing. Nesbitt had already sent BF a copy of Vergennes’ letter to him of Oct. 20; see his Oct. 27 letter. As a result of his recent trip to Versailles, he may have obtained a copy of the letter Vergennes wrote on Nov. 15 to the underwriters of the Nancy, who had inquired about Article 22. Vergennes informed them that everything beyond the farthest of the Canary Islands was included in the term of two months. Therefore, hostilities were presumed to have ceased at Philadelphia on April 4, not March 4. (Gallwey & Co. sent BF copies of this letter on Jan. 22 and 31, below.)