1To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Johnson, 3 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society Expecting that Mr. Joshua Johnson of London has removed to France we have empowered him to apply for a Loan of Cloathing etc. for the Use of this State and have taken the Freedom on the uncertainty of his being there to give the like Power in Case of his Absence to such Person as you may nominate hoping that you will take the Trouble of appointing a proper...
2To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Johnson, 12 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Ridley is about returning to France in prosecution of his private Affairs and impowered to transact some Business for this State your Acquaintance with him in France must have given you favourable Impressions of him— I have known him a long Time and he is one of the very few for the promoting whose Views I would request your Countenance. I am dear Sir...
LS : Library of Congress; University of Pennsylvania Library; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives (four) Congress relying on your wisdom and integrity, and well knowing the great Importance of the Case, have appointed you their Commissioner to negotiate a treaty of friendship and commerce with the Court of Spain. The Idea of Congress on this Subject you will find in the instructions...
4Contract between the Secret Committee and Thomas Mumford for Supplying Gunpowder, 28 November 1775: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Owner anonymous; transcript furnished by courtesy of Dr. Joseph E. Fields, Joliet, Ill. (1957) Less than a month after the creation of the secret committee Silas Deane, one of its members, wrote his friend Thomas Mumford to suggest that he come to Philadelphia to find out what profit could be made under the committee’s aegis. The letter seems to have crossed one from Mumford, who explained...
5Contract between the Secret Committee and John Brown, [before 20 January 1776]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy with DS by Nicholas Brown: John Carter Brown Library <[Before Jan. 20, 1776]: Agreed between John Brown on the one part and members of the committee on the other that a voyage or voyages will be undertaken to procure thirty-six tons of gunpowder (or, failing that, sufficient saltpetre and sulphur to make up the same amount), 1,000 stand of good arms, 1,000 gun locks, twenty tons of lead,...
6The Secret Committee to Richard Harrison and Adrien le Maitre, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society We wrote you the 2d Ultimo by the Sloop Fanny Capt. Wm Britton which we hope will get safe, at that time we directed how you were to dispose of the Net Proceeds of the Cargo Consigned you by said Sloop and probably you may have complyed with those orders before this reaches you, if so its well, but if those orders are not executed and you remain possessed of...
7The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 1 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Harvard University Library; letterbook copy: National Archives Mr. Morris has communicated to us the substance of your letters to him down to the 23rd June when you was near setting out for Paris. We hope your reception there has been equal to your expectation and our wishes, indeed we have no reason to doubt it considering the countenance we have met with amongst the French Islands, and...
8The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Hodge, Jr., 3 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives We Commit to your care sundry dispatches delivered you herewith, and you are immediately to repair onboard the Sloop Independance John Young Commander now waighting for you between this and Rheedy Island. This Sloop will carry you and Said dispatches with the utmost Expedition to the Island of Martinico, where you must apply to Wm. Bingham Esqr. delivering to him all...
9The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 18 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Virginia Library You will receive herewith a Copy of our Letter of Yesterday by the Lexington, with its enclosures. This goes to Boston for a Passage from thence. An armed Vessel belonging to that State will carry the dispatches and will be governed by your directions respecting her Load back, and the Time of her return. Should you have failed in obtaining the Loan, or of...
10Charter Party between the Secret Committee and Joseph Harper and James King, 1 February 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
DS : The Rosenbach Foundation <February 1, 1776: The agreement is between members of the committee and James King and Joseph Harper, Philadelphia merchants and owners of the brigantine Cornelia of approximately 100 tons, Thomas Genn master, to hire her for a voyage to France. She is to sail to a port in South Carolina to be subsequently designated, there to be loaded with rice, indigo, or...
11The Committee of Secret Correspondence to [Arthur Lee], 30 November 1775 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: University of Virginia Library On November 29, 1775, Samuel Chase brought before Congress a proposal to send ambassadors to France. John Adams seconded the motion, and a vehement debate ensued. A number of alternatives were advanced, and one finally gained approval: to appoint a five-member committee of secret correspondence for the purpose of opening communication with friends of...
12Contract between the Secret Committee and John and Nicholas Brown, 6 February 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: John Carter Brown Library <Philadelphia, February 6, 1776: The Browns will procure in Europe 10,000 good blankets at approximately 4 s. 6 d. to 5 s. sterling apiece; 9,200 yards of blue and brown broadcloth for uniforms and 800 yards of different colors for facings, most of the cloth, being for privates, at about 4 s. sterling per yard and the rest, for officers, at 6 s. ; ten tons of...
13The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 21 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copy: National Archives We send you herewith a copy of what we wrote you the 1st Inst. per the Sloop Independance Capt. Young and hope some of the articles that were to be forwarded to your Island or St. Eustatia by Monsr. Hortalez have arrived. In that case you will apply for, receive and Ship them by these opportunities of our Continental Cruizers, which...
14The Committee of Secret Correspondence to John Bradford, 30 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives; typescript of ALS : Yale University Library We take the liberty to enclose herein some dispatches for Messrs. Saml. & J. H. Delap Merchts. in Bourdeaux which youl please to deliver into Capt. Clevelands own hands with a strict charge to take the utmost care of them and follow the orders also enclosed herein directed to him which you will be pleased to deliver and...
15The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 9 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Johns Hopkins University Library; copies: American Philosophical Society, National Archives, Library of Congress, University of Virginia Library This letter is intended to be delivered you by John Paul Jones Esquire an Active and brave Commander in our Navy, who has already performed signal services in Vessels of little Force and in reward for his Zeal, we have directed him to go on board...
16The Committee of Secret Correspondence: a Report to Congress, [on or before 14 February 1776] (Franklin Papers)
AD : National Archives The invasion of Canada, authorized by Congress in June, 1775, had begun in August under Major General Philip Schuyler. Because of his ill health the command almost immediately devolved upon his subordinate, Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who by November had captured the forts at Chambly and St. Johns and the city of Montreal. Governor Carleton escaped to Quebec...
17The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 23 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania; copy: National Archives We have wrote you already by this Conveyance of the Brigantine Andrew Doria to St. Eustatia which we deem safer than the Sachem as she sails faster and is of more Force. Therefore we now enclose you some very Important dispatches for Mr. Dean and request you will forward them by the very first good Conveyance advising us...
18Contract between the Secret Committee and Silas Deane and Others, 19 February 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: South Carolina Historical Society; copy: Connecticut Historical Society We normally summarize contracts of the secret committee signed by Franklin, but this one is important enough to be printed in full because it was the initial reason for Deane’s going to France. Soon after he lost his seat in Congress in October, 1775, and thereby his membership in the secret committee, he began to...
19The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 23 October 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Haverford College Library; copy: National Archives <Philadelphia, October 23, 1776: We have written you twice today by different ships. This letter goes by the Andrew Doria to St. Eustatius, to be forwarded to William Bingham and by him to you in a French vessel. We enclose two resolutions of Congress. The first replaces Thomas Jefferson as commissioner with Arthur Lee, whom you will...
20The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the Amerìcan Commissioners, 30 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; Haverford College Library; LS without postscript: Joseph E. Fields, Joliet, Ill. (1958); AL (draft ): American Philosophical Society; copies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; National Archives (two) The military defeats that had followed consistently on the Battle of Long Island, and had brought the British so near Philadelphia that Congress had fled to...
21The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners to France, 24 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; letterbook copies: Library of Congress; National Archives The Congress having Committed to our Charge and Management their Ship of War called the Reprisal, Commanded by Lambert Wickes Esqr. carrying sixteen Six pounders and about one hundred and twenty Men, We have allotted her to carry Doctor Franklin to France and directed Capt. Wickes to proceed for the...
22The Committee of Secret Correspondence: Certificate for Silas Deane, [2 March 1776] (Franklin Papers)
DS : Connecticut Historical Society; DS : Library of Congress; copy: South Carolina Historical Society; copy: Yale University Library We the underwritten, being the Committee of Congress for secret Correspondence, do hereby certify whom it may concern, that the Bearer, the Honourable Silas Deane Esquire, one of the Delegates from the Colony of Connecticut, is appointed by us to go into France,...
23The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 21 September[– 1 October 1776] (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library Your several letters of the 4th. 15th. and 26th August to this Committee have been duely received with the several enclosures and the whole have been laid before the Congress. We can therefore communicate that satisfaction which we dare say it must afford you to know that you have so far obtained the approbation of that August Body. It is not necessary that we...
24The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Peter Parker, 10 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives The Brigt. Dispatch of which you are hereby appointed Commander in the Service of the United States of america, being now ready for Sea, You are to proceed immediately onboard said Brigantine for [the] Port of Bourdeaux in France and on your arrival there deliver the dispatches given [?] you herewith to Messrs. Saml. & J.H. Delap Merchts. at that place. You...
25The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Samuel and J. H. Delap, 10 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives You will receive this by the Brigantine Dispatch Capt. Peter Parker and with it some letters for Silas Deane Esqr. which being of Considerable Consequence We beg you will cause them to be sent or delivered to him with the utmost Expedition and we make no doubt he has left his address with you shou’d he have left Bourdeaux. You will find herein an Invoice and...
26Contract between the Secret Committee and Oswell Eve and George Losch, 11 January 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Text printed in Samuel Hazard, et al. , eds., Pennsylvania Archives (1st series; 12 vols., Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 1852–56), IV , 696. <January 11, 1776: It is agreed between the undersigned members of the committee and Oswell Eve and George Losch, of Philadelphia County, that Eve and Losch will manufacture all the saltpetre delivered to them by the committee during the next year into...
27The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Richard Harrison and Adrien le Maitre, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society In Consequence of the Annexed letter of order from the Secret Committee of Congress We desire you to Account with Wm. Bingham Esqr. the bearer hereof for the Amount of the Cargo mentioned therein and either pay him the whole or any part of the Money or do with it what he may desire for the Public Service of this Continent. We are sirs Your humble servants...
28The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society We deliver you herewith two Letters from the secret Committee of Congress, one directed to Messr. Adrian Le Maitre and Mr. Richard Harrison at Martinico, whereby they are directed to pay the Net Proceeds of a Cargo of Provisions Consign’d them per the Sloop Fanny Capt. Britton to our Order and We have endorsed on said Letter that the Payment is to be made to...
29The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Richard Harrison, 3 June 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania In Consequence of the annexed letter of order from the Secret Committee of Congress We desire You to Account with Wm Bingham Esquire the bearer hereof for the Amount of the Cargo mentioned therein and either pay him the whole or any part of that Money or do with it what he may desire which will oblige Sir Your humble servants Addressed: To / Mr. Richd...
30The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 1 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; LS : New York Public Library; LS : Harvard University Library Having received advice that our Agent Monsr. Hortalez is dispatching Sundry Articles wanted for the Service of the United States of America to Martinico recommended to the care of his Excellency the General or the Governor and Intendant there, to be by them delivered to whoever Shall be properly...