4211Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston) to the American Peace Commissioners, 25 March 1783 (Jay Papers)
I am now to acknowledge the favor of your joint Letter by the Washington together with a copy of the preliminary articles— Both were laid before Congress— The articles have met with their warmest approbation & have been generally recd ^ seen ^ by the people in the most favourable point of view— The steadyness manifested in not treating without an express acknowledgment of y r . independance...
4212Antoine Court de Gébelin to the American Philosophical Society: Extract, 15 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Extracted from ALS : American Philosophical Society Le 6. de ce mois, notre Societé litteraire connue sous le nom de Musée de Paris a donnè une brillante fete pour la paix: le Dr Franklin l’honora de sa presence: il y avoit l’élite des Academies, des Ambassadeurs, de Paris: 400. Dames plus brillantes les unes que les autres: les lectures en vers & en prose commencerent un peu après 5 heur. Le...
4213The American Commissioners to American Prisoners in England, [19] September 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: National Maritime Museum, Public Record Office, National Archives (two); transcript: Library of Congress <Passy, September [19], 1778: We have not written you for a long time but have been engaged in negotiating a cartel of exchange, and have assurances from England that an exchange will take place. The government of this kingdom has provided a...
Altho We have not written to you directly, for some time You may be assured, We have not been unmindfull of your Interests, your Comfort or your Liberty. We have been engaged, a long time, in negociating a Cartell of Exchange. This Work We found attended with many Difficulties, but at last have obtained Assurances from England that an Exchange shall take Place. We have also obtained from the...
4215The American Commissioners to Americans Taken on Board of English Frigates, 15 October 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; two copies: National Archives We have received a Letter from Mr. Robert Harrison of the 7 Octr. and another from John Lemon, Edward Driver and John Nichols, of the 12, all Prisoners in Dinant Castle, all professing to be Americans who have been first compelled into the Service of their Enemies, and then taken Prisoners by the French. You are not...
4216Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to American State Officials, 18 May 1778 (Adams Papers)
Paris, 18 May 1778. printed: JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:102 ; ordered printed by the congress as a broadside (illustration facing p. 99 ). This letter was signed by Adams and Franklin because, according to Arthur Lee in his Letterbook ( PCC , No. 102, IV, f. 7), “this Intelligence was sent...
4217The American Commissioners to Peter Amiel, 23 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Virginia Library The foregoing is a true Copy of original Instructions from Congress to Commanders of private Ships or Vessels of War, having Commissions or Letters of Marque and Reprisal, which you are strictly enjoyned and required to observe. See the note on Arthur Lee to BF above, April 2. Amiel was now lodging in Passy, and was slated to command a privateer owned by a...
4218From George Washington to Captain Ephraim Anderson, 15 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
You are directed to proceed from hence to Pluckemin and enquire of Colo. McDaniel by what authority he lately went to Staten Island with a Flag. I am told he produced the Copy of a permit, the original of which he said he obtained from me. As I never granted any such to him it must be a forgery When I was at Colo. Mehelm’s I granted a liberty to send a Flag to an old Gentleman of the Name of...
4219From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Griffin, James Southall, and Robert Anderson, 30 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
I am sorry to be obliged to give you so much Trouble with the Horses lately impressed for operating against Portsmouth. That plan being now discontinued we have thought that (Economy and Respect to the rights of our Citizens required a restitution of all the Horses to their Owners. But as they may have fallen off or been injured we wish that the whole should be valued by you as they were when...
4220From Thomas Jefferson to the Rev. James Madison and Robert Andrews, 31 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
The principles on which the Boundary between Pensylvania and this State is to be run having been fixed it is now proposed by President Reid that Commissioners proceed to execute the work from the Termination of Masons and Dixons Line to the Completion of the five Degrees of Longitude and thence on a meridian to the Ohio. We propose that the extent of the five Degrees of longitude shall be...