1From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 8 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Messrs. delap Merchant at Bordeaux desires your Excellency’s Permission to expedite two american Vessels to the West indies without being obliged to pay the Duties. If this may be granted to them consistent with your established Laws of Commerce, I shall be much obliged to your Excellency to comply with their Request. They are satisfied to pay the Duties, if they do...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 7 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Your Excellency will perceive by the inclosed Extract of a Letter to me, from Messrs. Parsons Alston & Co. of Martinique, that certain Prisoners made by American Vessels, & carried in there were with others taken by French Vessels, sent to France via St. Domingo in order to be exchanged. If the sd. Prisoners are arrived, or when they do arrive, I desire your...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 6 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have the honour of Sending your Excellency inclosed, an extract of a Letter I have lately recd. from London, desiring the release of certain Prisoners therein named, taken by American Privateers, & now confined at St. Omers. Being desirous of repaying as soon as possible the Prisoners I owe, for those I recd. from England some time past, & being promised that if...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 4 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Your Excellency will perceive by the inclosed Passports the Grounds on which they were given. The Person to whom they were granted is apprehensive that they will not be a Sufficient Protection against French armed Vessels, & desires to have like passes from your Excellency, which if there is no impropriety, I beg may be granted to him. With great Respect, I have the...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 2 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress J’ai l’honneur de vous envoyer cy joint la traduction d’une lettre que je viens de recevoir du Capitaine Conklin qui se plaint beaucoup de la Detention de sa Cargaison par l’Amirauté des Sables d’Olones. Votre Excellence a deja eu la bonté de me promettre la main levée de cette Cargaison, mais restant toujours dans la même Situation, je prie V. E. de vouloir bien...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 26 September 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress As soon as I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of Writing to me relative to the Exchange of Capt. John Bell & his Son, I wrote to the Owner of the Black Prince to know if they were not Hostages for the Ransom of their Vessel. I have now received an Answer, that they are not Ransomers, but merely Prisoners, their Brigantine Hopewell having been...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine: Three Letters, 16 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
(I), (II), and (III) copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excellency did me the Honour of writing to me the 14 Instant relating to some foreign Seamen which had been engaged for the Madame of Granville, but are now with Capt. Jones. The Demand of the Owners of that privateer seems to be just; and I shall write by the first Post to Capt. Jones to give them satisfaction either by...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 5 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives de la Marine; copy: Library of Congress Having just received these Letters under Cover to me from New- England, I Send them immediately to your Excellency. Being with great Esteem, and Respect, Sir, Your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble Sert. Endorsed: M d F expédies la réponse a toutes les lettres que j’ai recuës de M de la Touche pour la faire partir par l’ariel...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 2 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress J’ai l’honneur de vous remercier de l’information contenue Dans la lettre que vous avez eu la bonté de m’ecrire hier au sujet des 16. Prisoniers amenés a Morlaix par le Corsaire la Princesse noire, ainsi que de l’offre que votre Excellence a bien volue me faire, de les envoyer en Angleterre par le parlementaire anglois qui est actuellement dans le port— J’accepte...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 10 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I beg your Excellency to accept my thankfull Acknowledgment for your favour to the Captain of the American Union, in permitting him to continue his Cruize. You have made him & his People very happy, and have very much obliged Your Excellency’s obedient and most humble Servant. In response to his of the previous day, above.
11From Benjamin Franklin to Antoine-Raymond-Gualbert-Gabriel de Sartine, 8 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Un Corsaire nommé l’union de l’Amerique, qui a été expedié de Dunkerque avec une Commission du Roi, mais équipé avec des Americains et des Irlandois étant chassé dans le Port de St. Malo a été arrêté par ordre de la Cour, et on dit que l’équipage doit être envoyé à l’Orient pour être mis àbord les vaisseaux du Roy qui sont dans ce port. Voilà, Monseigneur, le rapport...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 27 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society; press copy and incomplete copy: Library of Congress I am very thankful to his Majesty in Behalf of the suffering Owners of the Brigantine Fair play: for his Goodness in ordering to be paid them Fifteen Thousand Livres out of your Treasury. But as that sum is conceived by your Excellency to be a favourable Allowance, in consideration that the Misfortune...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 19 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives de la Marine; incomplete copy: Library of Congress J’ay receu La lettre que Vostre Excellence m’a fait L’honneur de m’ecrire Le 17 de ce mois, Sur unne lettre qu’elle a Reçue du Lieutenant general de L’amirauté de Vannes et de L’orient, qui L’informe que J’ay ecrit au dit Lieutenant general pour que le Vaisseau le Serapis Soit vendu par devant Les Juges de Cette amirauté. J’ay...
14From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 30 May 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives de la Marine; copy: Library of Congress I am under the greatest Uneasiness to find, that great Part of the Cloathing sent to Brest to be shipt for America, was left behind, and that the Alliance alone has not sufficient Room, to receive it with the Arms and Gunpowder, which the King has been so good as to order for us, and which are all so much wanted in the American Armies. A...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 23 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives de la Marine, copy: Library of Congress I thank your Excellency for expediting the Orders relative to the Sale of the Serapis. I suppose similar Orders are gone to Dunkerque for the Sale of the Countess of Scarborough. If not I beg you would be pleased to send them by the Bearer; as the Daily heavy Charge that must arise on a Delay of Dispatching the Alliance, makes me anxious to...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 22 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The Bearer waits upon your Excellency for the order you were so good as to promise on thursday last, for the sale of the Prizes taken by the squadron under Commodore Jones. He waits here for that order only and the ship must be detained at a great expence till it can be executed. With the greatest Respect I am your Excellency’s, most obedient and most humble servant....
17From Benjamin Franklin to Antoine-Raymond-Gualbert-Gabriel de Sartine, 20 March 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives de la Marine; copy: Library of Congress In compliance with your Excellency’s Opinion, express’d in the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me on the 14th. of October last, that I should send for Capt. Landais to Paris, to give an account of his Conduct respecting the late Engagement with the Serapis, where in it had appear’d to your Excellency, “that if the Frigate...
18From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 13 February 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Enclosed is the Order Your Excellency required of me in the Letter you yesterday did me the honour of writing to me, relating to the English Prisoners brought into L’Orient by the Black Prince, & other american Privateers. I beg leave to mention to your Excelly. that there are still remaining in the English Prisons 410 Americans, some of whom have languish’d there...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 23 January 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I beg leave to introduce Mr. Alexander by this Line to your Excellency, and to request that you would favour him with a few minutes Audience. With the greatest Respect, I am, your Excellency’s m. o. and m. &. Undoubtedly Alexander John Alexander, who had asked BF to deliver memoirs to Sartine and Vergennes; see his letter of Dec. 14, above.
20From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine: Two Letters, 22 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) copy: Library of Congress They have written to me from England, that they propose to Send two Cartel Vessels with American Prisoners to Morlaix, one from Portsmouth, the other from Plymouth, in order to clear both Prisons at once. For this purpose they desire another Passport; which if your Excellency has no Objection to it, I Should be glad to send by the first Opportunity. I am,...
21From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 21 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I return herewith the Letters of Mr. de la Villehelis and de la Dame de st. Maurice which your Excellency did me the honour of communicating to me the 15th. Instant. I begin to have a bad Opinion of this Mr. Lock he has written me a Letter, in which he pretends to be an American, but it is so written as to make me suspect the Contrary. I knew nothing of the Damsel Des...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 6 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have immediately given, and send inclos’d, the Order to Capt. Jones, which your Excellency has done me the Honour to demand of me. I have received a Letter from Mr Dargent, Deputy of Trade for the Province of Picardy, enclosing a Memorial, which I beg leave to submit to your Excelly’s. Consideration. With the greatist Respect I am. Y. Excelly: m. o. & m. h. S. We...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 28 November 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I return your Excellency many thanks for your favour in granting Liberty to Capt. Stevenson, and to the six americans who were taken up at Cudant . There is another American Captain named John Lock, now a Prisoner at Nantes who as I understand was taken in an English Whaling Vessel. Since his being in france he has contracted an acquaintance with a Melle. des Bois,...
24From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 17 November 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress A friend of mine in England, who has been servicable to me in negociating the Exchange of American Prisoners requests that I would endeavour to obtain the Release of one of his friends now a Prisoner in france. The Person is thus described John Stephenson of hull Master and Owner of the ship Sally; taken on the first of July, by a Lugger Privateer of Bretagne, named...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 22 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The Enclos’d Papers containing much information of the State of the garrison at St. John’s in Newfound land, and of the fortifications there. The Loss of Military Stores by the late great Fire &c &c. I thought it my Duty to communicate them to your Excellency as they may be of use if perhaps an attempt against that Place Should be intended. They were taken in one of...
26From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine: Two Letters, 19 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) Copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 14th. Inst. relating to the Claim of françois Vermeille to be payd Wages and prize money due to him from Capt. Cunyngham, Commander of the Revenge Privateer. I find on Enquiry that the Said Vermeille and several other french Sailors who Said they had belonged to that Vessel,...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 29 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have received the Proceedings of the admiralty at Brest concerning the young Dominique Prize, and eight Ransoms made by the Black Prince Privateer which your Excellency did me the honour of Sending to me the 27th. Instant. With the greatest Respect I am, Your Excellency’s most
28From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 28 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library; copy: Library of Congress As our Prisoners now exchanging are chiefly at Portsmouth and Plymouth and the Distance between those Places & Nantes is double of that between them and Morlaix, and a great Part of the Voyage to Nantes, being in the Bay of Biscay, which will be very inconvenient to the Cartel Ship and other Poor Passengers, in the Winter Season, I am...
29From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 18 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have examined the Papers which your Excellency did me the honour to Send me the 11th. of last Month relative to the Prizes and Ransoms taken by the american Privateer the Black Prince, and am of Opinion that the Same are good being taken from the Enemies of the United States. I therefore pray your Excellency to give such Directions relating thereto, to the admiralty...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 7 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Agreable to the Letter your Excelly. did me the honour to write me of the 5th. Instant I Sent the orders desired to Capt. Jones, under Cover to Mr. Dumas who will take Care to deliver them. I have to thank your Excellency for your favour to Capt. foligny, in giving him a Lieutenancy. I flatter myself that he will do honour to your Appointment. Please to accept my...