Your Favors of the 2 d . 8 th : & 10 June have been rec d . & Copies transmitted to the Committee. The Subject of them certainly Merits their Attention, and I hope your Advice will be litterally complied with. As I have not now the Honor of a Seat in Congress, having been called to an office which will confine me in this State, any Information I can give You will be far less satisfactory than...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 7 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Blumhaven Library and Gallery, Philadelphia; two copies: Yale University Library I have had a long and very angry Letter from Mr. Lee, about your going without acquainting him with it, in which his Disorder seems to encrease, for he raves not only against you and me, but seems to resent the Court’s sending a Minister to Congress without advising with him. I bear all his Rebukes with...
3From Benjamin Franklin to [Silas Deane], 9 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Franklin is here forwarding word of a most unwelcome development. Wickes’s cruise had raised a storm in Whitehall, and on July 8 Stormont protested in strong terms to Maurepas and Vergennes. The Ministers met that evening, according to Wentworth, and the following evening Maurepas and Sartine discussed with considerable heat what should be said to the...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 20 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society Finding myself too much fatigu’d to proceed to Paris this Evening, and not knowing whether you have receiv’d my Letter wherein I requested you to provide me a Lodging , I have concluded to remain here to-night. If you are in Paris, I hope to hear from you to-morrow Morning before I set out, which will hardly be till about Noon. With the sincerest Esteem, I...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 3 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society I have just received the inclos’d from St. Malo, which I send for your Consideration, and as Capt. Wickes will want Credit there, perhaps it may be well to accept the Offers of these Gentlemen. I shall be satisfy’d perfectly with what you may think proper to do on the Occasion. I am, with great Esteem, Your most obedient humble Servt. Endorsed: Dr. Franklin...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 10 June [i.e., 11 July?] 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society M. Chaumont advises to equip Capt. Wickes at St. Malo, where he can be furnish’d with Cannon, Cordage, Sailcloth, Salt, Anchors, and other things proper to carry to America; and may go directly from thence without the double Risque of a Coasting Voyage to take in such things at another Port. He has obtain’d a Letter of Recommendation to M. Beaugeard, a...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 31 [i.e., 1?] August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from The Deane Papers, 1774–90 (5 vols.; New-York Historical Society Collections , XIX-XXIII , New York, 1887–91), V , 192. I received last night the letter you did me the honor of writing to me the 20th. past, and in answer inform you that I never heard anything of the discourses or resentments you mention, either at Versailles or at Paris; that I do not think your personal safety...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 19 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Mrs. Archibald M. Crossley, Princeton, N.J. (1955) I received the Letter you did me the honour to write to me the 30th. past, and will write to the purpose you desire respecting your Accounts. I hope the Method you propose for settling any disputable points in them will be approved and ordered. I received also your very long political Letter. The Multiplicity of Business on my Hands, on...
9Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 2 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and transcript: National Archives; copy: University of Virginia Library Mr. A. Lee presents his compliments to Messrs. Franklin and Deane, and begs to know whether tomorrow at 11 oClock will be agreeable for them to consult on what he proposed relative to their being acknowledged. The proposal to obtain French recognition of the commissioners, made in his letter of Feb. 26: above, XXV ,...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 27 August 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I am much oblig’d by your Favour of the 13th Inst. Mr. Goddard, Riding Surveyor to the Gen. Post Office is gone to the Southward, for Settling the new Post-Offices all along to Georgia. Mr. Bache, the Comptroller, is to set out next Week Northward on the same Business, who will take with him Directions from me to establish all the Officers in your...
11From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 7 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society On December 4, after writing the letters from Auray printed above, Franklin and his grandsons set out for Nantes, and reached Vannes late that evening. The journey, as Franklin described it, was not relaxing. “The carriage was a miserable one, with tired horses, the evening dark, scarce a traveller but ourselves on the road; and to make it more comfortable...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Silas Deane, 4 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Translation: Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères When Franklin wrote this letter he was, as far as we know, ignorant of Deane’s activities since leaving Bordeaux the previous June. Those activities were multifarious, as might be expected of a man who was the agent for a consortium of American merchants under contract with the secret committee as well as the representative of the...
13Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, [21 December 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. Lee’s Compliments. Mr. Girard appeared much surprizd at the doubt about the frigate, as he had sent the necessary Dispatches to Passi yesterday which made it plain that no alteration had taken place respecting the frigate at Bordeaux. He thinks Mr. Beaumarchais shoud be desird to bring in his Account, and that we shoud send it to Count V. who will...
14Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 15 June 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and transcript: National Archives Lee reached Berlin on June 4, and soon discovered that his mission would encounter major obstacles. He announced his arrival to Count Schulenburg, the Prussian Minister, and sent him detailed suggestions about how trade might be established between Prussian and American ports. Out of the correspondence that ensued in the next three weeks the central...
15Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 10 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: National Archives; incomplete copies: National Archives, Harvard University Library When the conversation turned to day on giving Mr. Williams credit for 200,000 l.t. more on our Banker, as we were just parting there was not time to consider the subject so maturely as the largeness of the demand seems to me to require. But I presume it cannot be either proper or warrantable in us...
16Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 28 June 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library; copy and transcript: National Archives; extracts with added paragraph: Harvard University Library, National Archives I have not yet receivd a line from you. It is not easy to divine the reason of so long a silence. There is for sale here and deliverable in any port in France, fourteen thousand weight of brass Cannon at 6 Guineas the Quintal, and Six thousand...
17The 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...
18The 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,...
19Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 1 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I enclose you a note of the price of Arms in the King of Prussia’s Manufactory, sent me by the Baron Schulenburg; with information that the Director had orders to let us have whatever we orderd. He says they will come cheaper if we do not want them so highly finishd as the King requires them. Shoud you think it proper that any of them shoud be sent to...
20Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 13 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. A. Lee’s Compliments to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Deane. He receivd a Letter yesterday from Bilboa informing him, that the ten thousand Blankets for which Mr. Lee had remitted money from the spanish fund were ready to be shipt together with a very great quantity of Sail and tent cloth, Anchors, Cables, Cordage and Dreggs but that they must either purchase...
21Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 28 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Harvard University Library; two copies: University of Virginia Library I must submit my opinion to your judgment as to the propriety of postponing the proposition I mentiond. I am so convincd of the necessity and of its being our indispensible duty to send the Treaties in french, which is stipulated to be the text, that I will employ every moment of...
22La Rochefoucauld to Franklin and Silas Deane, [26 January? 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Le Duc de la Rochefoucauld has the honour to send to Dr. franklyn and to Mr. Deane this letter which he has received few minutes after the two Gentlemen have been out of his house, and to make to them his sincere compliments on the departure of the Amphitrite: he begs them be so good to send back to him the letter after reading it. Our dating rests on one...
23Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane with Their Reply, [30 October 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AL : University of Virginia Library Mr. Lee presents his Compliments to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Dean. He has been prevented from waiting upon them this morning as he intended, but will do it this Evening having a Letter to communicate. The Bearer Mr. Floyd will wait to carry Dispatches, if the Gentlemen think it necessary; if not he is sollicitous to go off this Evening, and wants an advance of 7...
24Phillipp Jacques Kamm to Franklin and Silas Deane, 12 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have had the honour to received a letter for you from Georg michel Bishoff in Sonnenberg. I took the first opportunity of the post to Send it to you. I wish have a better occassion to assure you of my care and you would well be persuaded that I am not in wrong, If I call me Gentleman Your humble and most obedient Servant Addressed: A Messieurs / Messieurs...
25Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 27 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Three copies: National Archives I reached this three days from Munich and in expectation of hearing from you to Morrow shall not proceed till the 29th. Dresden will be my next Stage. There is a Cold tranquillity here, that bodes us no good. On ne peut pas echauffer la froi deur alle magne [froideur allemande]. From what I learn we need be under no apprehensions from Russia. I hope you will not...
26Francis Mackay to Franklin and Silas Deane, 28 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I would be glad to have the pleasure of meeting you or one of you incognito, therefore be so good as to appoint an hour, and where, that I may have the opportunty of acquainting you of things which would not be proper for me to commit to Papers. I am Gentlemen Your most obedient and most humble Servant You will find my name in the Court Callender Quebec...
27Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 14 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: University of Virginia Library I receivd yesterday the above Note, which I do not well understand. Is it intended, as the Note imports, to send away the public Dispatches without any consultation upon them, or about the person, (with whose name I have not been favord,) to whom they are to be confided? I have the honor to be, with great esteem...
28Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 13 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society I arrivd here the night before last, and shall proceed tomorrow. Your Dispatches I receivd from Mr. Montandouine, and they will go on board this day with the others, as the Ship is to sail tomorrow. Mr. Williams has purchasd another Ship, I think the Ct. Vergennes, of three hundred tons, which he expects to dispatch in three weeks. The demand we made upon...
29Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 15 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy without the postscript: University of Virginia Library The Answer with which you honord me, this day, to my Letter of yesterday, in which I desird to know whether the public Dispatches were to be sent away without any consultation on their Contents, informs me “that you are and were ready to consult with me, whenever I please upon any circumstance...
30The Duc de La Rochefoucauld to Franklin and Silas Deane, 20 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This is the first communication from a man who, with his mother, soon became part of Franklin’s circle, and who corresponded with him intermittently for the rest of the Doctor’s life. Franklin had met the mother, the duchesse d’Enville, on one of his earlier visits to Paris, and the son at a dinner in London in 1769; but the connection seems to have been...