To Benjamin Franklin from the Comte de Benyowzky, 23 November 1781
From the Comte de Benyowzky6
AL: American Philosophical Society
fait a Paris le 23 Novembre./ [1781]
Le Comte de Benyowzki presentant ses hommages a Son Excellence, lá prie de vouloir bien lui accordér un moment d’audience particuliere, il attendra a cet effet, Les ordres de Votre Excellence, pour sçavoir le jour, et l’heure de Sa commodité.
Son tres humble, et tres obeissant Serviteur
Maurice Comte DE Benyowzky7
6. This is his first extant letter since Sept. 25, 1777. Since then Benyowzky had secured from the French army, with Sartine’s support, the rank of brigadier with a pension, as well as permission to serve in the Austrian army. This he did for several months before his brief service with Pulaski at Savannah in 1779. Unable to obtain a commission in the American army, he returned to Austria and in late 1780 was granted permission by Joseph II to pursue a commercial venture. Lack of funds, however, hampered his efforts and by late 1781 he was back in France. Denied a position in the French army, Benyowzky was turning now to America. DBF; JCC, XV, 1020–1, 1407; Prosper Cultru, Un Empereur de Madagascar au XVIIIe siècle. Benyowszky (Paris, 1906), pp. 168–72.
7. An indecipherable word beginning with “G” appears beneath his signature both here and in his letter of Dec. 9, below.