301From Benjamin Franklin to Gourlade & Moylan, 21 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and incomplete copy: Library of Congress I receiv’d the Letter you honour’d me with of the 2d Instant. Mr Williams having seen & approved of the Acct. for the Ballance of which, (6942.13.3) you drew on me in favour of Messrs Pothonnier & Co. I have this Day accepted that Bill, and it will be duly paid.— I have also just received Mr Gourlade’s Letter of the 16th. relating to the...
302From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 2 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This is just to acknowledge the Receipt of your kind Letter of Nov. 25. which came to hand last Night, per Capt. Sparks. I had before received those per Capt. Falconer, by whom I shall write fully to you and all my Friends that correspond with me. I am, Thanks to God, as well as ever. My Love to our Children and the Kingbird, as you call him. In haste, I...
303From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 10 December 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society Having represented to Congress the Services rendered to our Prisoners by the Revd Mr Wren, I have the Pleasure of transmitting their Thanks, together with a Diploma from the College at Princetown, which I beg you would forward to him with my Respects. I shall not fail to recommend my Friend for the Consulship, being with unalterable Esteem & Affection...
304From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 3 September 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; duplicate: New York Public Library It is a long time since I have been favoured by a Line from you. I suppose you thought me on my Return to America, and that your Letters would probably not reach me here. But I have been advised by our Friends to stay till the Result of your Congress should arrive. The Coolness, Temper, and Firmness of the American...
305From Benjamin Franklin to Creuzé, 14 February 1784 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society I received the three several Letters you did me the honour of writing to me on the Subject of the Aerostatic Machines, and the means of directing their Motion. The Academy of Sciences having appointed a Committee to consider that Subject, I thought I could not better dispose of your Papers than by communicating them to that learned Body, especially as...
306From Benjamin Franklin to Martha Laurens, 12 January 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I [In] my last I acquainted you with the Steps I had taken for your good Father’s Relief and Discharge. I have the Pleasure of sending you the Transcript of a Passage from an English News-Paper just received, by which it appears that he is at Liberty, on which I most heartily congratulate you. With great Esteem I have the honour to be &c. Above, Dec. 29, 1781. A...
307From Benjamin Franklin to ——— D’Aubenton, 8 March 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress I received the Letters you did me the honour of writing to me the 23d. of January last, and the 24th of February. Knowing nothing of the Affair which is the Subject of the Memoir your Letter enclos’d, I have taken occasion to make Enquiries of such Persons as arrived here from Philadelphia, but hitherto without receiving any Information, except that Mr John...
308From Benjamin Franklin to All Captains and Commanders of Vessels of War, [18 May 1779] (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): American Philosophical Society The Bearer of this, Mr. George F. Norton, a Native of Virginia, and returning thither with his Family, has, during his Residence in England, manifested on all Occasions his Attachment to the Cause of Liberty, and his Compassion towards his Countrymen confin’d in the English Prisons, many of whom he has assisted in their Distresses with a liberal...
309From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 21 June 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Capt. Falkener has just been here to bring me your Letters. I rejoice to hear that you and Sally are well. My dear Love to her. I will write to you and all my Friends per next Packet. Some Things go for you in a Case to Mr. Foxcroft from his Brother. I send you 4 Handkerchiefs, as a little Present, which please to accept. I bought a Piece and keep half of...
310From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 23 September 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Duplicate: Pierpont Morgan Library I enclose three Bills, viz. A second for £50 Sterling, drawn by Thos. Saul on Wm. Baker. A first — £20 — — Mary Steevens—Alexr. Grant. A first — £30 — — Philip Ludwell Wm. Bowden. When paid, please to Credit my Account with them. I am Yours most affectionately P.S. We agree perfectly well with the Governor, but are very angry with the Proprietors and the...
311From Benjamin Franklin to William Hunter, 30 October 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Royal College of Surgeons The partnership between Dr. William Hunter and Polly Hewson’s husband was dissolved, after much recrimination, during the winter of 1771–72. Dr. Hunter had stipulated that the “preparations,” in other words the demonstration material for the anatomy course that they had been giving jointly, should remain his sole property. But in the summer of 1772 the irascible...
312From Benjamin Franklin to Mesny, 20 May 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I will take care of the 100 Copies of M. de la Fay’s excellent Work which you have sent me, and forward them to America by the first good Opportunity, where I am convinc’d they will be very useful. I shall put them into proper Hands for Sale, who will in due time render you an Account. I have the Honour to be very respectfully, Sir, Your most obedient...
313From Benjamin Franklin to John Jay, 15 September 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; press copy of ALS : American Philosophical Society I have just seen in the English Newspapers that you and your Family are safe arrived in New York, which gives me great Pleasure. I send you herewith some of our latest News Papers. Mr Hartley is at length recall’d, having remain’d here Six Months without doing or proposing any thing towards the Commercial Treaty....
314From Benjamin Franklin to Ann Hudson de Lavau, 10 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your Letter dated the first Instant, which I should have answered directly, but had mislaid the enclos’d Letter from your Mother which you desired might be sent you. The Bills mentioned by Mr Beall, came duly to my hands and I have received the Money, Seventy-two Dollars. I imagined you were long since gone to America, am sorry to...
315From Benjamin Franklin to Becker & Saltzmann, 10 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Since Mine of the 1st. of last Month, of which the above is a Copy, I have received the honour of yours of The 23d. of July; and The Packages containing the Sample of a Soldiers uniform mention’d in yours of april 20. is also Since come to hand. I cannot at present give any orders for such cloathing but I am of opinion that if you were to send those uniforms to...
316From Benjamin Franklin to Chaumont, 19 May 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library; incomplete copy: Library of Congress I am sorry and very much ashamed of the Quarrel on Board the Alliance: But I beg you would not form an Opinion of the Americans in general from this Accident. Where a Number of Men of whatever Nation are together with little or nothing to do they are apt to be mutinous and quarrelsome. I hope when they are fully employ’d they...
317From Benjamin Franklin to Genet, 29 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress I receiv’d safely the Letters you return’d to me, and am much pleas’d with the Use which I see you have made of them. I wish to receive from London regularly the London Evening Post, and the London Chronicle. If this can be done by your means, without giving you too much Trouble, I shall be much oblig’d to you, and will thankfully repay the Expence. By the Desire of...
318From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 13 August 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I am glad the electrical Observations please you. I leave them in your hands another Week. Our Workmen have undertaken the Electrical Apparatus, and I believe will do it extreamly well: It being a new Job they cannot say exactly what their Work will come to, but they will charge reasonably when done, and they find what Time it has taken. I suppose the whole...
319From Benjamin Franklin to John Fothergill, 19 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin (2 vols., London, 1817), I , 64–5. My dear old friend, Dr. Fothergill, may assure Lady H. of my respects, and of any service in my power to render her, or her affairs in America. I believe matters in Georgia cannot much longer continue in their present situation, but will return to that state in which they...
320From Benjamin Franklin to Bedtinger, 2 January 1785 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of LS , American Philosophical Society J’ai reçu, Monsieur, la Lettre que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de m’ecrire pour solliciter la Place de Vice Consul des E.U. de l’Amerique au Havre, pour le sr. Dupuis.— Il m’auroit èté infiniment agréable de remplir vos Vues à cet égard s’il avoit dependu de Moi; mais Je n’y puis rien. M. Barclay notre Consul Général est seul autorisé a faire...
321From Benjamin Franklin to James Searle, 13 September 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Miss Lillian S. Wilson, Scarsdale, N.Y. (1955) I received the Letters and Pacquets you were so good as to send me by Mr Dana on Monday, and I thank you for your Care of them. I sent my Grandson the same Afternoon to congratulate you on your Arrival, and to request the Honour of your Company at Dinner this Day. But he did not meet with you. I was out all Day yesterday at Versailles, and...
322From Benjamin Franklin to William Gordon, 18 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received but the other day your favour of feby. 4. It has been round by the West Indies. The Letter it inclos’d for Mr. Parker is forwarded. I forwarded to you lately a Letter from your friend Mr. Samuel Taber in Holland. Your mistaking his name and calling him Jonathan occasioned one of your Letters to wander and be opened before it got to his hands. I suppose you...
323From Benjamin Franklin to William Lee, 21 October 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copies: University of Virginia Library, Virginia Historical Society (two) I receiv’d the Letter you did me the Honor of writing to me the 7th. instt., inclosing a copy of an order of Congress with a copy of a Letter to you from Mr. Secretary Livingston, & informing me, that you had in consequence drawn on me for £46196..19 [ i.e. , 46,196 l.t. 19 s ] payle. to your order the 12th. April next....
324To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 30 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
This is to request that you will accept no more Bills with an Expectation of my Paying them, till you have farther Advice from me: For I find that Mr. Laurens, who went away without informing me what he had done, has made so full a Disposition of the Six Millions granted at my Request before his Arrival, that unless the Specie he sent to Holland is stopt there, I shall not be in a Condition to...
325From Benjamin Franklin to Palteau de Veimerange, 20 September 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter you did me the Honour of Writing to me the 17th Instant, together with a State of the Effects & Merchandizes which you are collecting at Brest in order to be sent to America. As we have no Agent at Brest, and I have the fullest Confidence in a principal Commissary employed under your Orders, I think it best to continue the...
326From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 9 March 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I received your kind Letter of Dec. 30. and rejoice to find you were well. I may possibly have the greater Pleasure of seeing you before the Year is out[?]. I have desired Cousin Williams to give you the Money he may recover from Hall. I would only mention to you, that when I was in Boston in 1754[?], Brother John then living, an old Man whose Name I...
327From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Leveux, 1 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have been uneasy that your Acct. of Disbursements for the Prisoners has been so long unpaid. As the whole Business here is now devolv’d on one Person, our Correspondence for the future may be more prompt & regular; and I should be glad to clear the past transactions immediately by paying off your Debt. Be pleas’d therefore to draw on me for the Amount, & your Bill...
328From Benjamin Franklin to the Comtesse d’Houdetot, 21 September 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress It has been a great Mortification to me that I have not been able this last Summer to pay my Respects to my Respectable and dear Friend at Sanois. The Journey has been often talk’d of among us at Madam Helvetius’s, but some obstruction or other has always interfer’d and occasion’d it to be delay’d: I have from time to time enquired concerning your Welfare, and had the...
329From Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 22 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society Dr Franklin presents Compliments to Mr. Adams, and requests that all the Public Papers may be sent him by the Bearer. Dr. Franklin will undertake to keep them in order; and will at any time chearfully look for and furnish Mr Adams with any Paper he may have occasion for. Mr Adams on receit of this put all the Public Papers, then in his Possession, into the...
330From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Buchan, 17 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; press copy of ALS : Library of Congress; copy: Massachusetts Historical Society I received the Letter your Lordship did me the honour of writing to me the 18th past, and am oblig’d by your kind Congratulations on the Return of Peace, which I hope will be lasting. With regard to the Terms on which Lands may be acquired in America, & the Manner of beginning new...