11To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, [5 May 1777] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society An express is going to Nantes at twelve o Clock this Day. I pray to see you previous, to determine on what sum shall be paid Capt. Bell, who is about to leave Nantes, and go into the service of the Gentlemen who are sending to him express. And he will be uneasy to have it determined upon. I am Sir your most Obedient and Very Humble Servant Addressed: To /...
12To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 18 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Inclosed are Letters which I received last Evening. The Letter from Mons: Coulau speaks of two, but there was only one, the other was a bundle of Newspapers, as referred to by Mr. Morriss in his Letter of the 28th. They are of much older date than those already received therefore not worth sending to You. The post goes again for Bordeaux on Tuesday. It is I...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, [2 June? 1777] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send inclosed all the Papers that came To hand, also a Letter from Mr. Bingham by which I find the Cargo from Havre in the Ship in which Davis went passanger was arrived at Martinico and I hope by this the whole is safely Landed on the Continent. I am ever Dear Sir most respectfully Your very Humble Servant On June 7 the commissioners, in a letter now...
14To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 8 June 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Inclosed I send you what Papers, and Intelligence came this day per post. The Letters from Hambourgh cost Us 19 Livres postage. We must answer these people, or be ruined with their Expence. I enclose a Letter for Mr. Bingham which if it meets Your approbation, please to return it, and I will forward the Duplicates by different Means. The Letter to Mr. Jay...
15To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 2 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have the pleasure of informing You by the inclosed Lettr. that Capt. Wicks is safe, also of sending You the English papers. Letters Received by Dr. Bancroft bring nothing New, the word of the Day in London is, Howe is not ordered for Philadelphia but to join Genls. Carleton and Bourgoyne; tant mieux pour Nous . I have the honor to be most respectfully Sir...
16To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 7 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Gentleman from Portugal proposes being here this Morning at Ten o Clocke, he calld Yesterday supposing it was the Time you Appointed. I could wish you to see him. If you, and son are not engaged, pray your Company at dinner. I am most respectfully Sir, Your most Obedient and Very Humble Servant Addressed: A Monsieur / Monsieur Franklin / a / Passy See...
17To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 9 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I shall write this Day, to Mr. Holker, and therefore ask You to sign and return to me the within Bill. The Post goes at Twelve o Clock for Rouan, and at Two for Nantes, and perhaps it may be proper to write Mr. Williams on the subject of his last. I am most respectfully Sir Your most Obedient and very Humble Servant Addressed: To / The honorle. / Benja...
18To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Inclosed is a Letter from Mr. Lee which I received last Evening, and should have sent it you this Morning but your Son informed me of your being in Town and that I should have the pleasure of seeing you; I send it for Your reflection, untill We meet this Evening. It was the first Intelligence I had of Mr. Lee’s misfortune but Mr. Grand tells Me that Mons....
19To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 22 July 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send you per Mr. Grand, the Letters I have received this Day; I have giv’n him the Letter for Mr. Vergennes which We yesterday agreed to and signed. I have also sent You a true Copy of the Orders giv’n on Our behalf To Capt. Cunningham, which submit to Your Judgment whither it be proper to transmit it to the Count De Vergennes, with Two or Three Lines...
20To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 23 October 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I go to Town this Evening to a Rendezvous with Messrs. Chaumont and Holker. The latter will be very much obliged to You for the Letters You promised him, he wishes to set out tomorrow morning. Docr. Bancroft is returned. Inclosed is a Letter from Thornton and with this I leave You the Papers, and am Dear Sir Your most Obedient, and Very humble Servant...
21To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 16 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have seen Sir Geo. Grand who was Yesterday at Versailles, and this morning with Mons. De Sartine; I find it impossible for me to go out this Afternoon, as I must be engaged every moment in Business. I must pray you to excuse me to Marechal Maillebois. He put into my hands a Memoire of one Millin de la Brosse, which I forgot to shew you, but I sent a...
22To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 19 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AL : University of Pennsylvania Library I this instant received the inclosed, and as I do not fully Understand the meaning of it I judged it Necessary to go immediately and see Mr. Gerard. I will be back by about Eight o’Clock. I think that it is designed that Our Letter should be sent by the Minister’s Messenger, it is perhaps the most proper. If so it must be Compleated this Evening, as well...
23To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 8 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. Deane’s Compliments to Docr. Franklin and prays him to be at his house Rue Royale at Six this Evening where he will meet the Gentleman Mr. Deane went this Morning to Visit on an Affair of the greatest Consequence. Addressed: To / The Honle. Benj Franklin Esq In a similar invitation to Arthur Lee, Deane explained that the meeting was at Gérard’s request:...
24To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 8 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I find that I shall have little Time to spare and can therefore only inform You That We arrived here the 6th. without Accident: Our Freind the Day after and that We hope to go forward in two or three days. The grateful Sense which I retain of the many Civilities shewn Me by Our Freinds at Paris and at Passy, makes me regret my having been obliged to set out...
25To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 2 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote You by Capt. Cummins who sailed a few Days since, and I have been so particular to Docr. Bancroft who will communicate my Letter to You that I have very little to add. Genl. Sullivan by Accts. of the 25th Ulto. was endeavoring to make good his Retreat from Rhode Island, which it is thought he will hardly effect without some Loss. The Country and...
26To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 September 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This is the first letter informing Franklin of his election as minister plenipotentiary to the court of France; the official notification was not sent for another six weeks. The dissolution of the American commission was not the result of its internal dissensions and inefficiency, but rather of the dictates of diplomatic protocol. This demanded that the...
27To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 21 October 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society During the first half of September Deane was optimistic that congressional approval of his conduct as commissioner would permit his quick return to Europe. Between September 19 and October 15, however, that optimism was undermined. On those two dates Henry Laurens presented to Congress letters he had received from Ralph Izard criticizing the conduct of...
28To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 7 February 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library Count Montford will do himself the honor of waiting on You with this Letter, & It is with Pleasure I embrace the Opportunity to recommend him to Your Notice, as one who has served, and acquired good Reputation in Our Army. He has served immediately under Count Polaski and has rose from a Voluntier to the rank of Major, when his private Affairs, obliging...
29To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This will be handed to you by Mons. Colomb, who came out to America with the Marquiss de la Fayette, & has served with Reputation in the Army of the United States, and now returns to Visit his Country, and Freinds, I take therefore the Liberty to introduce him to your Acquaintence and to refer you to him for Information of the State of Our Army, and its...
30To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 24 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am now waiting here for a Passage for France and hope to embark in Two or Three Weeks in the Fendant, a Twenty four Gun Ship commanded by the Marquiss De Vaudreuil, by way of Martinico. Your Daughter and Family were in good health, when I left Philadelphia.— We are now alarmed here with Accounts from New York of an Invasion of this, and the other Southern...
31To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 29 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arrived at Rochfort Two Days since after Forty Three Days passage from York in Virginia, and came here last Evening to Visit a Friend. The length of Our passage, has prevented my being the Bearer of any News from America, later than what you are already acquainted with, for which Reason I shall take Nantes in my way and pass a few Days there with Mr....
32To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 27 January 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arrived here yesterday but so fatigued by the badness of the Road & Weather that I shall rest untill tomorrow to recover sufficiently, to pursue my Journey; You can expect no Information from me, from a Town, in which I am a Stranger, & from which both Politics, and Commerce, appear to have been long since banished, though from what I have seen of it, it...
33To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 22 February 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The situation of public Affairs you must recollect was such, at the Time when the Revenge Cutter was fitted out at Dunkerque, that every transaction was kept as secret as possible, and covered under other Names, than of those really concerned, by which it is impossible for me, or perhaps for any one, (as Capt. Cunningham is dead) to declare positively on...
34To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 23 February 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send You a few Letters which pray may be sent forward by Your express tomorrow Morning if You send, if not, pray to know how soon You will dispatch Your express, for if You put off for a Day, I shall improve the Time to write a Letter or Two more. I have the honor to be with the utmost respect Dr sir Your most Obedt. & Very huml. servt Addressed: His...
35To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 4 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr Vanderpar a Gentleman from Zeeland prays to have the honor of waiting on You Tomorrow Morning on the subject of a Vessel taken by Capt. Jones and by him sent to America. If Agreeable I shall wait on You with him in the Morning at Breakfast, & doubt not but that You will be well pleased with an Acquaintance with him. Meantime I have the honor to be with...
36To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 15 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library I take the Liberty of inclosing a Letter from Mr Lee, with which I should not Trouble You, were my present Circumstances different, from what they are. At any rate, the poor Man must be releived, & I have already promised his Landlord that his Bill shall be paid. I pray You to return Me the inclosed, after perusing it. Mr Lee had without my direction...
37To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 11 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send you M. Montieus Acct. inclosed, and at the request of Mr. Vandepere, Duplicates of the Protest in the Affair of the Capture, made by Captn Jones, about which he waited on You, which protests he prays may be forwarded to Congress. I shall be much obliged to You to let Me know nearly what Time, Letters must be ready, in order to go with your next...
38To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 16 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote You a few Days since, inclosing Mr. Montieus Acct., and Duplicates of Mr. Vanderperes Papers, and took the Liberty of desiring that You would inform Me when You sent off Your Dispatches for America. I now take the Liberty of sending You a packet for America and You will oblige Me much by putting it under Your cover, by Mr. Laurens. I should not give...
39To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 22 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am at last determined on sending my Son to an Academy near Brussels, for a short Time, & having an Opportunity for his going in a few Days pray You to give him a Passport, for which he has the honor to wait on You, & to take his leave. I am with The highest respect Dear sir Your most Obedt & Very humle servt Addressed: A Monsieur / Monsieur Franklin /...
40To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Deane, 1 February 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library Soon after my hearing of the Arrival of Mr Barclay in the Character of Vice Consul from Congress I received the inclosed Resolution and Order. I was at the Time setting out for Ostend, or I should have returned immediately to Paris, confident that every Obstacle to a Settlement was at last removed— At Ostend I met Mr Barclay who to my surprize informed...