31The American Commissioners to Jonathan Williams, Jr., [c. 20 August 1777] (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): Library of Congress The Prize of Capt. Wickes, which we ordered into your Hands, we desire you will deliver up to the Disposal of Mr. Lee; and are Your humble Servants Notation: Letter to Mr Williams This is also in BF ’s hand and was clearly intended to accompany the preceding letter; like it, we assume, it was not sent.
32The American Commissioners to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, 28 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS and transcript: National Archives; incomplete copy: Massachusetts Archives; copy: Harvard University Library Our Dispatches of Decr. 18. which would have acquainted you with the State of our Affairs here, and our Expectations of a speedy Conclusion of the Treaties with this Court, are unfortunately returned; the French Man of War which went on purpose to carry them, having met with some...
33The American Commissioners to Rocquette, Elsevier and Rocquette, 30 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society Your Favors of the 1st and 4th Inst. are before us and woud sooner have been replied to, but we were in hopes to have recd. the Samples of Indigo referr’d to in yours of the 1st. They are not arrived. We are not however the less sensible of your Kindness and for the Intelligence given us of the Qualities of Indigo, and at the same time of the price of...
34The American Commissioners and the Farmers General: Contract for Tobacco, [24 March 1777] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress; copy: National Archives In the light of the previous negotiations, this is a remarkable document for the commissioners to have signed. It passed over in silence two main points on which they had been seeking concessions: insurance and transportation; by agreeing to deliver the tobacco in France they tacitly assumed the risks of the sea and responsibility for shipment...
35The American Commissioners to Conrad-Alexandre Gérard, 4 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library Being desirous of a conference with you on a subject, that appears to us of importance; we shall be glad to meet you here, or at Versailles, as soon as may be convenient to you. We have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, Sir, Your most Obedient and most Humble Servants Notation: 1778. Mars 4. Both...
36The American Commissioners to Gourlade, Bérard frères, & Monplaisir, 12 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society Mr. Beaumarchais shewed us your Letter of the 7th Inst. by which we find that you had not so much Confidence in the Commissioners as to deliver the Cargo of the Amphitrite to their Order untill your Disbursements on the two Frigates should be paid you. On our part tho’ we were greatly surprised at the Amount of those Disbursements as well as the prices of...
37The American Commissioners to Baron Schulenburg, 19 April 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives; two copies: Harvard University Library We received the letter which you did us the honour to write to us of the 15th Ultimo and should earlier have replied particularly thereto, but from the daily expectation we had of recieving orders from Congress of the United States on this important subject. We have their commands to inform his Prussian Majesty’s Ambassador here,...
38The American Commissioners to the Baron de Rullecourt, 10 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: University of Virginia Library This letter of appointment is the only dated record of one of the most bizarre schemes to which the commissioners ever lent themselves. A considerable amount of material about the plan is extant among Franklin’s papers in the American Philosophical Society: two letters from the Baron to the commissioners, a proposed agreement between him and Franklin, and a...
39The American Commissioners: Memorandum for Vergennes, 1 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AD : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères In the several Memoires which Mr: Deane had the honor of presenting previous to the arrival of his Colleagues, the history of the dispute between the United States of America and Great Brittain was brought down to the Time of presenting the Memoires, the situation and resources of the United States justly stated; and Conjectures as to the...
40The American Commissioners to the Marques de Ponte do Lima, [before 16 July 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress; copies: Library of Congress, British Library The Congress of the United States of America have seen with Concern in the Public Newspapers an Edict of the late King of Portugal dated at the Palace of Ajuda: the 4th of July 1776 wherein the said States are spoken of in Terms of Contumely, and all Ships belonging to their People then in the Ports of Portugal are...