1To Benjamin Franklin from B. Giraudeau, 20 December 1777: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <La Rochelle, December 20, 1777, in French: Our merchants’ desire to expand their commerce in conjunction with yours is resulting in shipments to New England from all our ports. I want to send my ship, the François of 350 tons, Jean de La Fontaine master, to Virginia or Maryland, but have no connections in that part of New England. He would have a warm...
2To Benjamin Franklin from [La Rochefoucauld], [20 December? 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Au moment où j’allois hier, Monsieur, envoier l’Extrait que j’avois fait de vos nouvelles, j’ai reçu le No. XXXIII . des Affaires d’Angleterre et d’Amérique qui contient tous ces détails; en conséquence je me suis borné à y envoier la lettre de M. Washington; vous trouverez ci jointes vos deux lettres Angloises à l’une desquelles il manque une feuille que...
3To Benjamin Franklin from Johann Wilhelm Abraham Jaeger, 20 December 1777: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Frankfurt-on-Main, December 20, 1777, in French: I have a powder mill with twenty-six mixers, and am planning a new one on the model of an oil mill with perpendicular stone mixers, as in the enclosure. Ordinary stone may produce explosions; I experimented with marble and found that it apparently did not. A foreign powder-maker whom I met told me that it is...
4To Benjamin Franklin from George Walton, 20 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Having but lately returned from Congress, where I have been ever since you left America, and Captain Dunn and Mr. Curlis being about to depart from this State to France, I do myself the honor and pleasure of congratulating you upon the great and signal successes of our arms this campaign. The two defeats of General Bourgyne’s whole army, and the subsequent...
5Thomas Thompson to the American Commissioners, 20 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society This Letter is design’d for the particular purpose of giving my Opinion respecting the Ship Duras which Mr. Berard wrote to you about when I was in Paris. She is a large old East India Ship in want of very considerable repairs, which I think would be very expensive and after all be an old Ship, not very fit for our use in her present position; If she was cut...
6Gérard to the American Commissioners, 20 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Connecticut Historical Society; AL : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères J’ai recu la lettre que vous m’avés fait l’honneur de m’ecrire avec celle qui y etoit jointe et dont je suis chargé de vous remercier. Voici le paquet dont les deux passagers voudront bien se charger. Il est adressé au Commissaire ordonateur de la marine. On ne lui mande pas leurs noms, et celui de Deane...
7Jonathan Williams, Jr., to the American Commissioners, 20 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In expectation of hearing from you I have only at present to inform you that I am just returned from Painbeuf, and have had the pleasure of seeing as fine a Ship as any of her size in any Navy. I am in expectation of seeing Capt. Nicholson soon and if our obstacles are removed I shall soon finish the Expedition; the Ship is all rigged, Guns mounted and...