1Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 13 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society I arrivd here the night before last, and shall proceed tomorrow. Your Dispatches I receivd from Mr. Montandouine, and they will go on board this day with the others, as the Ship is to sail tomorrow. Mr. Williams has purchasd another Ship, I think the Ct. Vergennes, of three hundred tons, which he expects to dispatch in three weeks. The demand we made upon...
2Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 14 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Since my last, I have been informd of an agreement made between Mr. Morris and the Farmers general, by which he stipulates to let them have all the Tobacco which shall arrive in France during the war, on the account of the Congress, at seventy Livres a hundred. The ratification of this bargain they knew on the 30th of last month, which I think was about the...
3Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, [on or after 18 February 1777] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I thank you for your Letter of the 12th. I wish the news may be true. I found a Letter here from London of the 2d. which says, that Ships are actually sent for the ten thousand Germans, which with three thousand british they expect to have very early in America. That they hope for great advantages from dissentions in Pensylvania. That Burgoyne’s destination...
4Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 22 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Connecticut Historical Society I arrivd here this day and shall pursue my journey to-morrow, and as the march is as regular as the Sun, it is agreed that the Voiturier shall place me in Madrid, in 13 days. By Mr. Delap’s account the Imports from America, I mean from the United States, amounted last year to fifty five thousand pounds Sterling. He expects soon to have an exact list of the...
5Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 26 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Morristown National Historical Park I am thus far safe on my journey, which by the spur of six pistoles more I am to finish two days sooner than was at first agreed. Therefore if no accident happens, I shall reach my destination on the 6th. of next month. In the Committee’s Letter of the 23d Ocr. to me, it is said we are to negotiate with other...
6Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 12 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In my return to this place, I receivd the joyful intelligence which I enclose; and in which I congratulat you a thousand and a thousand times. The Congress had removd to Baltimore, and General Putnam was providing for the defence of Philadelphia, before this happy change in the posture of the hostile Army. It is said that the cruelties exercised in the...
7Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 16 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have receivd an answer from the Court, thro the Duke de Grimaldi, to this effect. That the reasons for wishing me not to come to Madrid are insuperable. That the States may depend on the sincere desire of Spain to see their Liberties establishd and to assist them as far as his own situation will permit. For this purpose I had only to direct the House of...
8Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 27 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Three copies: National Archives I reached this three days from Munich and in expectation of hearing from you to Morrow shall not proceed till the 29th. Dresden will be my next Stage. There is a Cold tranquillity here, that bodes us no good. On ne peut pas echauffer la froi deur alle magne [froideur allemande]. From what I learn we need be under no apprehensions from Russia. I hope you will not...
9Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 15 June 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and transcript: National Archives Lee reached Berlin on June 4, and soon discovered that his mission would encounter major obstacles. He announced his arrival to Count Schulenburg, the Prussian Minister, and sent him detailed suggestions about how trade might be established between Prussian and American ports. Out of the correspondence that ensued in the next three weeks the central...
10Arthur Lee to Franklin and Silas Deane, 28 June 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library; copy and transcript: National Archives; extracts with added paragraph: Harvard University Library, National Archives I have not yet receivd a line from you. It is not easy to divine the reason of so long a silence. There is for sale here and deliverable in any port in France, fourteen thousand weight of brass Cannon at 6 Guineas the Quintal, and Six thousand...