1The American Commissioners to [Gérard], 20 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères The Persons going out with the dispatches are Mr. Simeon Deane and Mr. Anthony Knap both of New England. They will set out this Evening for Bordeaux, and will follow Your Orders, which You shall send; inclosed You have a Letter of Credit for the Captn. of Your Ship. We have the honor to be with the utmost respect Sir Your most Obedient and...
2Gérard 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...
3The American Commissioners to Simeon Deane, [20 December 1777] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: University of Pennsylvania Library You will receive herewith a Packet for Monsr. L Moyne Commissaire &c. at Bourdeaux, and also a Packet for the Committee of Congress for Foreign affairs. You are directed to go for Bourdeaux without loss of Time and on your arrival within one Post of the City that you send forward your Servant to Mons. Le Moyne informing him that you have a Packet for...
4The American Commissioners to the Massachusetts Council, 20 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AL : University of Pennsylvania Library We are much obliged by your Favour of the 24th. October which brought us the first Intelligence of the Defeat and Surrender of Bourgoyne’s Army, which gave great Joy not only to us but to this whole friendly Nation. In return we can only tell you at present, that our Affairs hear wear the most promising Appearance, and that we have little Doubt of seeing...
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...
6Jonathan 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...
7To 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...
8To 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...
9To 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...
10To 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...