John Jay Papers
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To John Jay from Henry Laurens, 5 September 1783

From Henry Laurens

London 5th. Septem 1783.

Dear Sir.

Upon my late arrival at Bath or a few days after, I recieved your Letter of the 8th. July & the day before yesterday just as I was leaving that place I was honored by receipt of another of the 24th Ulto.1 I thank you for both. had Mr. Barclay delivered my dispatch of the 9th. August before your last date, certainly you ^would^ have told me so. I have however some hope a Copy which I sent under Cover to Doctor Franklin the 27th. reached you before you signed the Definitive— I had no anxiety, because it was not essential, to be present at that Ceremony, but should it be composed of the Provisional without alteration I shall rather rejoice at being having been absent.

Doctor Franklin will have informed you of my intended return to France & of the affecting Cause,2 but I shall not begin my Journey till the 10th. Inst. Should you be on your way to this Kingdom I wish we may rencontre. if we miss you will find a Packet directed to you in the hands of Mr. Oswald. No doubt you have seen Mr. Jening’s “Candor of Henry Laurens Esqr?” I think I have demonstrated the propriety of his Title Page & that “Mr. Edmund Jenings” is one of the weakest & wickedest of Men. I am sorry he has wounded the Gentleman he calls his benevolent friend.3

You say Mrs. Jay is recovering slowly. The little Girl is well. whence I infer you have two little Girls & wish you great joy & perfect reestablishment of the good Lady’s health.4 if my Daughter was present I am sure she would most heartily join. Harry does—his Sister is with a Friend a Mile or two from hence.5 I have the honor to be Sir Your Obedient humble Servant

Henry Laurens

His Excellency John Jay Esquire Paris

ALS, NNC (EJ: 7975). Endorsed by JJ: “Recd 10 Septer.”

1Neither letter from JJ has been found. JJ also drafted the letter from the American Peace Commissioners to Laurens of 24 Aug. 1783, above, which replies to Laurens’s letter of 9 Aug.

2As he was about to embark for America, Laurens learned that his brother James was seriously ill in Vigan, France. Henry postponed his departure and visited James there. James died on 25 Jan. 1784. Henry returned to New York on 3 Aug. 1784. See PHL description begins Philip M. Hamer et al., eds., The Papers of Henry Laurens (16 vols.; Columbia, S.C., 1968–2003) description ends , 16: 373n., 337, 344, 483.

3Edmund Jenings (1731–1819), an English-educated Marylander and confidant of John Adams, who spent most of the war years at Brussels and elsewhere on the Continent. Laurens believed Jenings to be the author of a series of letters published in 1782 that were designed to discredit John Adams and sow discord among the American peace commissioners. The resultant pamphlet war failed to settle the mystery of authorship, which has still not been determined. Analysis of the two hands in which the letters were written suggest Jenings was not the author. Laurens had just published his “True State of the Case . . ., a reply to ‘The Candor of Henry Laurens.’ “ For a detailed discussion of this controversy, see PHL description begins Philip M. Hamer et al., eds., The Papers of Henry Laurens (16 vols.; Columbia, S.C., 1968–2003) description ends , 15: 528n., 16: 269, 274, 277–333, 341; and PJA description begins Robert J. Taylor, Gregg L. Lint, et al., eds., Papers of John Adams (16 vols. to date; Cambridge, Mass., 1977–) description ends , 13: 64–65, 14: 207n. For speculation that Jenings was a double agent, ostensibly serving the American cause while working for the British, see James H. Hutson, comp. and ed., Letters from a Distinguished American: Twelve Essays by John Adams on Foreign Policy, 1780 (Washington, D.C., 1978, ix–xx.

4Ann Jay was born on 13 Aug.

5Laurens’s daughter, Martha (1759–1811), and Henry Laurens Jr. (1763–1821), his only surviving son.

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