1381The American Commissioners to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 18 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; attested copy: National Archives; copy: Harvard University Library; copy and transcript: National Archives Since our last of Nov. 30, a Copy of which is herewith sent you, we received your Dispatches of Oct. 6. from York Town. They came to us by a Packet from Boston, which brought the great News of Burgoynes Defeat and Surrender, News that apparently occasion’d as much...
1382Franklin and Silas Deane to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 16 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : South Carolina Historical Society This will be delivered to you by Mr. Carmichael to whom we have committed our dispatches for Congress, and who becoming Acquainted with Mr. Deane soon after his arrival at Paris, travelled to Berlin through Holland and Hambourgh at the desire and Appointment of Mr. Deane and on his Journey rendered very Considerable Services to the United States by...
1383The American Commissioners to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 25 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives; two copies: British Library Agreeable to what we mentioned in ours of March 14 and April the 9th (a third Copy of which we send herewith) Mr. Lee tarry’d here some Weeks after his Return from Spain. No News arriving (tho’ we received Letters from you) of any Commissioner being actually appointed for Prussia, and the Necessity of a good Understanding with that...
1384The American Commissioners to the Committee of Commerce, 29 July 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives <Passy, July 29, 1778: We have received your letter of May 28 by Captain Reed [Read]. We rejoice at the arrival of even 49 hogsheads of tobacco, but wish for more. As we are under contract with the farmers general to furnish 5,000 hogsheads, for which we have already received a million livres, we have consigned this...
1385From Benjamin Franklin to the Committee of Commerce, 21 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received the honour of yours dated the 21st. of july containing an Extract of Mr. Pollocks Letter to you, in which he mentions his Drafts on Mr. Delap for 10,897. Dollars and his Expectation that in case of any difficulty I will See those Bills paid. I Should certainly do every thing in my power to support the credit of the States and of every Person acting under...
1386Report of Thomas Story to the Committee of Secret Correspondence and the Committee’s Memorandum upon It, [1 October … (Franklin Papers)
DS and copy: National Archives “On my leaving London Arthur Lee Esqr. requested me to inform the Committee of Correspondence, that he had several conferences with the French Embassador who had communicated the same to the French Court, that in consequence thereof the Duke De Vergennes had sent a gentleman to Mr. Lee, [who informed] him that the French Court could not think of entering into a...
1387The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 8 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives Since Our last We have received the inclosed Intelligence from London, which we take the earliest Opportunity of forwarding, in hopes it may be received with Our other Letters by Nantes. A Vessel from So: Carolina, loaded by that state, which sailed the 20th December, is arrived at L’Orient with Rice and Indigo. As We were particular in Our last which was sent...
1388Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 16 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives I received your orders and Instructions by Mr. Bingham, the 14th Inst. but the Shallop with the provisions did not Arrive till this day. We have now got all the provision on board both from the Wasp and Shallop. You may depend on my best endeavours in your Service to prosecute this Voyage with the Most expedition and Advantage in my power. My People, all to two are in...
1389From Benjamin Franklin to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 8[–10] December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives After a short but rough Passage of 30 Days we anchor’d in Quiberon Bay, the Wind not suiting to enter the Loire. Capt. Wicks did every thing in his Power to make the Voyage comfortable to me; and I was much pleas’d with what I saw of his Conduct as an Officer, when on suppos’d Occasions we made Preparation for Engagement, the good Order and Readiness with which...
1390From Benjamin Franklin to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 4 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives I arrived here about two Weeks since, where I found Mr. Deane. Mr. Lee has since join’d us from London. We have had an Audience of the Minister, Count de Vergennes, and were respectfully receiv’d. We left for his Consideration a Sketch of the propos’d Treaty. We are to wait upon him tomorrow with a strong Memorial requesting the Aids mentioned in our...
1391The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 6 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS and copy: National Archives; copy: Harvard University Library Since our last, a Copy of which is enclosed Mr. Hodge is arrived here from Martinique, and has brought safely the Papers he was charged with. He had a long Passage and was near being starved. We are about to employ him in a Service, pointed out by you, at Dunkirk or Flushing. He has delivered us three sets of the Papers we...
1392The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 17[–22] January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS and two copies: National Archives; copy: South Carolina Historical Society We joined each other at this place on the 22d. of December and on the 28th. had an Audience of his Excellency the Count De Vergennes, one of his most Christian Majesty’s principal Secretarys of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs. We laid before him our Commission with the Articles of the proposed Treaty of...
1393Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 30 April[– 9 May 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AL and copy: National Archives; letterbook draft: Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague. J’ai reçu le 6e de ce mois à La Haie, des mains de Mr. Tho. Storey, les dépêches dont vous l’aviez chargé pour moi en date du 9e Xbr. 1775. Je suis touché, pénétré jusqu’au fond du coeur, de l’honneur que me fait et de la confiance que me témoigne le Committé nommé par le Congrès général pour la Correspondance...
1394The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 4 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: National Archives We send you herewith the Draught of a Frigate, by a very ingenious Officer in this service, which appears to Us peculiarly suitable for Our purpose, and We are in hopes of being able to ship Cordage and Sail Cloth, and Anchors &c. sufficient for Five or Six such Frigates, by the Time you can have them built. Though deprived of any intelligence from you since the...
1395The American Commissioners to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 12 March[–9 April 1777] (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; L : British Library; copy: National Archives It is now more than 4 Months since Mr. Franklin’s Departure from Philadelphia, and not a Line from thence written since that time has hitherto reached either of your Commissioners in Europe. We have had no Information of what passes in America but thro’ England, and the Advices are for the most part such only as the Ministry...
1396Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric Dumas to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 14 May[–6 June 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AL and copy: National Archives; letterbook draft: Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague Après vous avoir donné ci-joint copie ou extrait de ce qu’il y avoit de plus essentiel dans ma premiere dépeche que je nommerai A pour la briéveté, je commence celle-ci, que je nomme B, en forme de Journal. Ayez la bonté, conséquemment, lorsque vous m’écrirez, de me marquer que vous avez reçu, ou non, la Dépeche...
1397Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 11 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives This will inform you of my proceedings since I left Cape May the 3d Instant. We left that place in Company with 13 Merchant Men, who I think all got Safe off, as we did not loose Sight of them till they got a good distance from the Land. We Saw no Ships of War at all on the Coast. We this Day fell in with Captain Mackay, in the Ship Friendship from Granada bound to...
1398Lambert Wickes to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 13 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives This will inform of a Small Addition to our good fortune in the Prize Way. We this day took Capt. Muckelno in the Schooner Peter of Liverpool from St. Vincent bound to Liverpool in Brittain, Loaded with: Rum: Sugar Coffee Cocoa and Cotton. We also took Capt. Mackey in the Ship Friendship from Granada, bound to London, which I have wrote you of before, and Now Send a...
1399The American Commissioners to [the Committee of Secret Correspondence], 28 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library We wrote to you pretty fully on the State of Affairs here, in ours of the 12th of March and 19th of this Month, since which there has been little Alteration. There is yet no Certainty of a sudden Declaration of War, but the Preparations go on vigorously both here and in Spain, the Armies of france drawing towards the Sea Coasts, and those of Spain to the...
1400Silas Deane to Robert Morris and the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 23 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : (duplicate): Library of Congress This letter, in form to Morris but in fact to the committee, is the only one from Deane that Franklin surely saw before his departure for France; it was therefore part of his small stock of information about what would face him in Europe. The letter deals only with the preliminaries of Deane’s mission, because he reached France long after he had hoped to....
1401From Benjamin Franklin to the Committees of Trenton, Brunswick, and New York, 13 February 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Williams College Library The Bearer John Grace has the Care of a Ton of Gunpowder sent by the Congress to the Committee of Safety at New York. If he should need any Advice or Assistance on the Way you will be so good on his Application to afford it to him. I am, Gentlemen, in Behalf of the Committee here, with much Respect Your most obedient humble Servant Endorsed in different hands: A...
1402From Benjamin Franklin to Condorcet, 12 October 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library I send you enclos’d the Letter you desire. But as I am apprehensive that the young Gentleman may have flattered himself with Expectations that are never likely to be answered in that Country, I wish he would consider it well before he undertakes such a Voyage. If he will take the Trouble of calling on me, perhaps I may afford him some useful Lights on the Subject....
1403From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Conkling, 21 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Immediately upon the Receipt of yours acquainting me with your Misfortune, and the Vessel & Cargo was in Possession of the Admiralty, I apply’d to the Minister of the Marine, & laid before him the Papers you enclos’d to me with your Letter requesting that the said Vessel & Cargo might be delivered to the Consignees. Inclos’d I send you the answer. I have just received...
1404From Benjamin Franklin to the Prince de Conti, 4 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Je joins ici Le Passeport que votre Altesse serenissime ma demandé pour Le Sr. Riotto dans La Lettre qu’ill ma fait l’honneur de mécrire Le du mois dernier. J’ai l’honneur d’etre avec Le plus profond Respect, Monseigneur de votre altesse Serenissime Le tres h. & t. o. S. Louis-François-Joseph de Bourbon, comte de la Marche and prince de Conti, a leading French...
1405From Benjamin Franklin to the Continental Congress, 9 July 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library From the Knowledge I have of Mr Young, by his Conduct while in my Family, writing in the Secretary’s Office, and waiting the Arrival of Mr. Lawrens then expected here; I esteem him a Person of Virtue and Merit, and I recommend him and his Account to the Consideration of Congress, not thinking myself authorised to discharge it without their Order; tho’ to assist him...
1406From Benjamin Franklin to the Comtesse Conway, 25 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I find, Ma chere fille, that you and I have been very unlucky in our Endeavours to oblige Mr. Mullens: for on the Contrary we have grievously offended him. I understood he had been taken Prisoner and stript by the English, and had not wherewith to pay the Expence of his Journey to his Regiment. I sent him an Order on my Banker for ten Guineas. He returns me the Order,...
1407From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Conway, 25 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter you were so kind as to bring me from our Friend M. Peters. I congratulate you on your safe Return to your amiable Family. It would have given me great Pleasure, if the Service in America had been made so agreeable to you as to induce you and yours to settle there. With much Esteem I am, Sir &c. See Conway’s letter of March 22.
1408From Benjamin Franklin to Gustavus Conyngham, 16 February 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I wrote a Letter to meet you at Dunkirk supposing you might have gone there. This Letter was sent back to me. The Uncertainty of your Stay at the Texel after I heard of your being gone thither prevented my writing to you while there. Inclos’d I send you a Letter from your good Wife. I will inquire for your old Commission, and endeavour to get it back for you. I had...
1409From Benjamin Franklin to Gustavus Conyngham, 6 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I am to acknowledge the Receipt of two Letters from you, since you were at Nantes. In the first you desired a Copy of your Original Commission. I have caused [ a ] Search to be made, but can find no Trace of it, as at the Time it was given to you, the Commissioners were not yet in the Way of keeping Minutes of their Proceedings: and it is but a few Days since I have...
1410The American Commissioners to Gustavus Conyngham, [before 19 April 1778] (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress The interest which the public has in the vessel you command makes us regard her as a continental Ship of war. Mr. Hodge and Mr. Ross have therefore no right to direct or controul you. Neither had Mr. Deane alone any right to dispose of the vessel; nor of the produce of the prizes you made, as Monsr. Lagonere informs us he has done. You will give us an account...