1From Benjamin Franklin to Jean-Charles-Pierre Lenoir, 29 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress One of the Persons you had Notice of from Caen named Smith, has just now been with me. He Says, the other Watt, has been and continues ill, Since their arrival at Paris which is the reason of their not coming to me sooner. They have no Letters for me. But he Show’d me one for the Marquis de la fayette; & he desired a Pass from me to go to Havre in order to deliver it....
2From Benjamin Franklin to Jean-Charles-Pierre Lenoir, 22 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress This letter was written in response to a plea from Capt. William Robeson of the South Carolina navy, now in Paris, regarding a runaway slave. Robeson had purchased this “little Negro Boy” from Lieut. Peter Amiel. The young man had disappeared on May 31, the eve of Robeson’s intended departure for Lorient. Robeson was forced to delay his journey by several days, during...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Lenoir, 19 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress In October last, there came to me a Person who call’d himself Thierry de Lavau, a Frenchman, representing that he had lived some Years in America, had married there & acquired a small Fortune, & had left Virginia with his Wife to come to France, but that the Vessel foundered at Sea, that the People were saved by another Ship in Company, but that he lost...