1Intelligence from Toulon and Other Places, 3 August 1778 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives According to practice we summarize here the nine other intelligence reports which fall within the period of our volume. All were written in French; the final two are in an unknown hand, while the first seven (and the one we print) are in the hand of the chevalier de Kéralio, the military inspector who was the general source of the reports. (I) Brest, August 10, 1778: M....
2Intelligence from Brest, 12 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives This is the first in a long series of intelligence reports to Franklin or the commission. Most were forwarded to Congress and are now in the National Archives; the few that are not there are copies, the originals of which were either forwarded and subsequently lost or for some reason not sent. We handle all these reports in the same way as letters from commission-seekers....
3Intelligence from Havana and Other Places, 13 November 1778 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives As in past volumes, we print one example of the intelligence reports Franklin received and summarize the remainder. Sent to Franklin by his friend the chevalier de Kéralio, a military inspector with extensive contacts in French ports, the reports for the period covered by this volume increase markedly in both number (fifty-nine in all) and geographical range. Only eight...
4Intelligence from Brest and Paris, 6–13 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives We summarize here, according to our practice, the other intelligence reports that fall within the period of this volume. There are only two, both in French and in the hand of the chevalier de Kéralio. The first is from Brest on April 10 with an added letter of the 16th. The report lists 25 French ships of the line that are expected to be ready within ten days; 17 more are...
5Intelligence from Amsterdam and Other Places, 1 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives The man who seems to have coordinated Franklin’s receipt of maritime intelligence, the chevalier de Kéralio, was kept busy during the four months of this volume. Franklin received from him more than one hundred items of port news, generally arranged in chronological order by an unknown copyist; eventually Franklin forwarded this material to Congress. The flow of...
6Intelligence from Bilbao and Other Places, 3 July 1779 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives During the months covered by the present volume there was a considerable decline in the volume of intelligence collected by the chevalier de Kéralio and given to Franklin for eventual forwarding to Congress. Kéralio was absent from Paris for much of the period and made arrangements to provide such information during his absence, but from late August until the end of...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Kéralio, 7 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Plaignés notre bonne Douairiere, mon respectable ami; elle part demain et n’a pu vous aller demander votre bénédiction; elle me charge de vous peindre tout le regret qu’elle a de vous quitter; mais comment y parvenir? Il est trop profond; il faudroit sentir comme elle pour le rendre: recevés de sa part les embrassements de L’amitié la plus tendre, et...
8To Benjamin Franklin from Kéralio, 27 April 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Je me mets à vos pieds pour vous remercier de L’honneur que vous m’avés fait Hier et je n’ai point d’expressions pour vous dire combien j’en suis flatté. Une heure plus tard vous eussiés trouvé notre bonne et respectable amie qui vous embrasse, qui vous fait mille amitiés. Elle aura L’honneur d’aller diner chés vous Vendredi prochain, et L’Excellent...
9To Benjamin Franklin from the Chevalier de Kéralio, 10 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Je pars demain, Monsieur, pour aller voir celles de nos écoles militaires de province qui n’ont pas été inspectées L’année derniere. Ce sera un voyage de Deux mois. Pendant mon absence j’ai pourvu à ce que vous ayés Les nouvelles que je pourrai recevoir. C’est mon frere qui vous Les fera parvenir. S’il n’y a point d’indiscrétion, je supplie Mr. votre fils...
10To Benjamin Franklin from Kéralio, 8 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Messieurs des Deux-ponts, Monsieur, m’écrivent du 2e. et me chargent de vous parler de leur bien tendre vénération et de Leur reconnoissance. Vous devés avoir reçu une Lettre de L’ainé: ils avoient Leurs ordres pour s’embarquer le 4e, et le 8e tout devoit être prêt à mettre à la voile. Ils passent L’un et L’autre à Bord du vaisseau L’éveillé de 64 Canons....