130831To Benjamin Franklin from Dumas, 20 July 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Comme je n’ai pas gardé copie des Lettres que j’ai eu l’honneur de vous écrire en Avril & May, je n’en sais plus ni le nombre ni la date. Celles dont vous m’avez favorisé cette année sont du 18 Janv. 14 Mars, 7 Avril & 4 May. J’ai du vous paroître, Monsieur, bien négligent en comparaison d’autrefois. Je ne l’ai pourtant pas été, malgré ma santé, qui n’a pas...
130832To Benjamin Franklin from William Hodgson, 20 July 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I recd yours of the 8th Current in Answer to mine of the 29 June. I wrote you a prior Letter on the 8 May which you do not acknowledge pray let me know if it came to hand— As yet I have not heard from Mr Grand— Upon receipt of yours I immediately waited upon the Board of Sick & Hurt who informed me they had just dispatched an order to Edinburg for the...
130833[Diary entry: 20 July 1781] (Washington Papers)
20th. Count de Rochambeau having called upon me, in the name of Count de Barras, for a definitive plan of Campaign, that he might communicate it to the Count de Grasse —I could not but acknowledge, that the uncertainties under which we labour—the few Men who have joined (either as recruits for the Continental Battns. or Militia) & the ignorance in which I am kept by some of the States on whom...
130834General Orders, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
For the day Tomorrow Brigadier General Glover Lieutenant Colonel Badlam For Picquet Major Clift Inspector Captain Robinson For the Working Party Major Woodbridge The Regimental Surgeons are desired to be punctual in sending the Returns of the Sick of their respective regiments to the flying Hospital every saturday morning. Untill further orders the Drum and Fife Majors of the several Corps in...
130835From George Washington to James Clinton, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favor of the 12th I imagine before this reaches you, the first detachment of Boats will have been sent down. Should they not, you will be pleased to have the Light Company of Cortlands compleated and sent down with them. Should the Boats have come away, you will consider whether you can spare the light Company and have a sufficient number of Men left to bring down the...
130836To George Washington from James Clinton, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency’s Letter of the 14th inst. I have been honor’d with. I should have been happy that Money had arrived in Time to have prevented the late Murmur in the Regiment as every Circumstance of the kind is ulitmately distructive of military Discipline. I have not received the least Intelligence of the Movements either of General Starks, or the Militia from the Eastward; nor do I know...
130837To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
This letter is not By Any Means directed to the Commander in chief, But to My Most Intimate and Confidential friend—I will lay Before you My Circumstances and My wishes—Certain I am You will do whatever You Can for me that is Consistent with Your public duty. When I went to the Southward You know I Had Some private objections—But I Became Sensible of the Necessity there was for the detachement...
130838To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
No Accounts from the North ward, No Letter from Head Quarters—I am utterly a Stranger to Every thing that passes out of Virginia—and Virginian Operations Being for the Present in a State of languor, I Have More time to think of My Solitude. in a Word, My dear General, I am Home Sick and if I Can’t go to Head Quarters wish at least to Hear from there. I am Anxious to know Your opinion...
130839To George Washington from William Livingston, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Favour of the 13th instant, & shall acquaint the horsemen with your Excellency’s Sentiments concerning their offer. Respecting the progress that is made under our late Law for filling up our continental Battalions, I not able to give your Excellency any information, as no returns of the Levies are made to me; but I have reason to believe from the Enquiries I...
130840From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have been favour’d with yours of last evening; and cou’d wish that the present situation of the River might be improv’d to every advantage. Whatever Boats you think necessary may be order’d to Dobb’s ferry; but particular care must be taken, in the tra n sportation of Stores across the opposite Country, that they come in small convey’s, and no deposits made either at the ferry or on the...
130841To George Washington from John Pierce, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honor to en close an account of several advances made by me to the Army without particular Warrants from your Excellency—some of which were by General Orders for discharged Men, others to alleviate the real wants of officers, and many have arose for the Sale of Ticketts of the last Class of the United States Lottery, all which if the Army had been regularly paid, I should have...
130842To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellencys Letter of the 10th instant, and am very sorry that the Situation of Affairs and the State of the Army will not permit my being employed in that part of it under your Excellencys immediate Command. I shall therefore prepare for a southern March; but there is no probability that it can take Place very soon, as there will be much difficulty and delay in equipping...
130843Excerpt of Alexander Small’s Memorandum on Ventilation, [before 20 July 1781] (Franklin Papers)
MS and copy: Library of Congress In volume 23 we published the first section of Alexander Small’s memorandum on ventilation, setting forth what he understood were Franklin’s views on the subject. He had written that portion in 1777, while stationed on Minorca. By 1781 Small had expanded the paper considerably, adding what were primarily observations of his own, bolstered by quotations from...
130844To Benjamin Franklin from Le Roy, [before 20 July 1781] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Soit fait ainsi qu’il est requis is my Dear Doctor and Old french saying to declare that orders will be punctually and Quikly obeyed so will be what your desire as to this Translation I shall add it by way of a Postscript. It seems by what M. Small says of our hospitals at Lyons That the air be there very pure and sweet. Nevertheless by notices that have...
130845Le Roy’s Remarks on Alexander Small’s Memorandum on Ventilation: Three Extracts, [before 20 July 1781] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society In preparation for submitting Alexander Small’s memorandum on ventilation to the Société royale de médecine, Franklin turned to Le Roy for help with the translation. The present document is the only extant evidence of their dialogue, which concerned not only points of language, but also matters of substance. Consisting of eight manuscript pages, many of...
130846Thursday 19th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning we set away from Hannau at 4 o’clock A.M. and arriv’d at Hunfeld (which is distant 75 Miles,) at about 8 o’clock P.M. The roads this day were for the most part mountainous but in some places there was a very good made road. The mountains in general, which we have pass’d over this day are pretty well cultivated.
130847From John Adams to the Comte de Vergennes, 19 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
In my Letter, Sir, of the Eighteenth, I had the Honour to mention Some Things which lay upon my Mind: but am Still apprehensive that in a former Letter, I have not conveyed my full meaning to your Excellency. In my Letter of the Sixteenth, I Submitted to your Excellencys Opinion and Advice, whether an American Minister, could appear at the Congress at Vienna, without having his Character...
130848To John Adams from Edmund Jenings, 19 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I think your Excellency will not be Surprized to find that I am stil at Amsterdam. Mr. Dana is so well Accompanied on his Route, that it was quite Unnecessary any one Else should attend him; and the Difficulties daily arising in the Dispatch of the South Carolina take from me any certainty of leaving this Place yet awhile. Tis true we are told that she will go on such a day and such a day. But...
130849The Continentalist No. II, [19 July 1781] (Hamilton Papers)
In a single state, where the sovereign power is exercised by delegation, whether it be a limitted monarchy or a republic, the danger most commonly is, that the sovereign will become too powerful for his constituents; in fœderal governments, where different states are represented in a general council, the danger is on the other side—that the members will be an overmatch for the common head, or...
130850To Benjamin Franklin from Robert Morris, 19 July 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Copies: University of Pennsylvania Library, Library of Congress The foregoing are Duplicates of my Letters of the several Dates there mentioned, by Major Franks who has sailed for Cadiz. I now enclose to you Duplicate Copies of the Letters and Resolutions referred to in mine of the thirteenth.— I do not write to Colo. Laurens, because I know not whether he is still in France, and because I am...
130851[Diary entry: 19 July 1781] (Washington Papers)
19th. The Enemys Shipping run down the river, and left the Navigation of it above once more free for us. In passing our Battery at Dobbs’s where were 2 Eighteen & 2 twelve pounders and two Howitzers, they recd. considerable damage; especially the Savage Sloop of War which was frequently hulled, and once set on fire; occasioning several of her people, and one of our own (taken in Dobbes Sloop,...
130852General Orders, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
For the day Tomorrow Major General Parsons Lieutenant Colonel Newhal For picquet Major Gibbs Inspector Captain Smith The Guards are to be furnished with the countersigns at Retreat beating and no person suffered to pass into or out of camp after that time without giving it; or otherwise satisfying the officer of the guard they are stopped by. The Brigade Quarter masters are to be particularly...
130853From George Washington to François-Jean de Beauvoir, marquis de Chastellux, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
You have taken a most effectual method of obliging me to accept your Cask of Claret—as I find, by your ingenious manner of stating the case, that I shall, by a refusal, bring my patriotism into question, and incur a suspicion of want of attachment to the French Nation, and of regard to you wch of all things I wish to avoid I will not enter into a discussion of the point of divinity, as I...
130854To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
Questions by Genl Rochambeau The Count de Barras in his Letter of the 13th instt and Mr De Choisy in his Letter of the 15th, demand both of them, Mr D. Choisy by the Desire of Mr D. Barras, what is to be the definitive Plan of operations that His Excellcy General Washington has fixed on, that they may make it known to the Count de Grasse on his arrival in these Seas, & so enable him to concur...
130855To George Washington from William Heath, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I arrived here yesterday after noon, shall proceed to the army the moment I can pack up my papers Baggage &c. and the Quarter Master can furnish me with waggons to receive and transport them. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect your Excellencys most Obedt Servt MHi : Heath Papers.
130856To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
General Knox has called on me to-day respecting a provision of horses for the light artillery. I have authorized Colo. Hughes to purchase one hundred for that service only , & promised payment by the first of November. He writes me encouragingly that many may be so procured. The essential service to which they are to be applied will, I trust, facilitate a grant of money to enable me to fulfil...
130857To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I just now received an answer from Mr De Choisy to my Letter of the 11th instant. I have already sent to your Excellency one from Mr De Barras. he seems to have resolved not to go out of the harbour, till his jonction with the grand fleet, But in his Last Letter and in that of Mr De Choisy I received to day, he asks that your Excellency would send him a definitive plan of your operations that...
130858To George Washington from Richard Varick, 19 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honor of informing Your Excellency that I arrived at this Place on Saturday the 7th after having been kept some Days in Suspense at New Windsor, by the Quarter Masters not furnishing a Craft to transport my Charge hither occasioned by the then Embarkation of the Artillery & Stores. By numbering and digesting into Classes the Corpus of Letters & Orders in 1775 & 1776. I found that...
130859Wednesday 18th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This afternoon at about 4 o’clock we set of f from Francfort upon the Meyn for Hannau where we arrived at about 7 o’clock. It is about 12 English Miles distant from Francfort. The road for the most part is Sandy, the soil poor; about two Miles from Hannau is a Chateau belonging to the prince of Hannau. About this City are several very large fields of the same corn, we saw some days ago, but...
130860To John Adams from the Comte de Vergennes, 18 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
J’ai reçû, Monsieur, la lettre que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de m’écrire le 13. de ce mois. C’est par une Suite de la confiance que je mêts dans vos lumières et dans votre Zèle pour votre Patrie, que je vous ai confié les propositions des deux Cours Impériales, et que je vous ai prié d’y faire les observations dont vous les jugeriez susceptibles. Les choses ne sont pas encore assez avancées...