To Benjamin Franklin from Elias Boudinot, 9 September 1783
From Elias Boudinot
AL (draft):1 Princeton University Library; copy: National Archives
Philada. 9. Sept. 1783
Sir
Being by Accident at this City and an Opportunity offering, I do myself the Honor of enclosing a duplicate of the Ratification of the Treaty with Sweden, the original of which I transmitted some time since,2 but not having the Copy of the Letter attending it by me, I am prevented from sending duplicate of it, unless this Opportunity is risqued.
I am happy to enclose you some Resolutions of the Assembly of P. [Pennsylvania] by which you will see that all the difficulties that arose on Acct of the Mutiny have happily subsided, without producing the least ill Consequences.3
The Soldiers were very penitent & two of the Serjeants are now under Sentence of Death but I believe will be pardoned by Congress on Acct of the Means used by Capt Carberry & Lieut Sullivan to induce these poor wretches to behave as they did under Expectations of great personal Advantages—4 I hope these two Officers will meet with proper detestation by all good Men—
The Honble Benjamin Franklin, Minister &c. Paris
1. The dateline and esquire line were added by the secretary who made the letterbook copy (National Archives).
2. On Aug. 15.
3. Three resolutions of Aug. 29 encouraging the Continental Congress to return to Philadelphia: JCC, XXV, 530–1. Congress, however, remained in Princeton until early November and then moved to Annapolis: Morris Papers, VIII, 662–8.
4. Sergeants John Morrison and Christian Nagle, who had been condemned to death, and four soldiers, who had been sentenced to be flogged, were pardoned by Congress on Sept. 13: Morris Papers, VIII, 226, 235n; JCC, XXV, 565–6. For Carbery and Sullivan, who fled to England, see Boudinot’s July 15 letter and Laurens’ Aug. 9 letter.