Benjamin Franklin Papers

To Benjamin Franklin from John Anderson, 8 November 1777: résumé

From John Anderson7

ALS: American Philosophical Society

<St. Malo, November 8, 1777: When I left Paris with M. de Purney’s agreement it seemed satisfactory, but it is not honored here. They refuse me the money to get ready for sea,8 and their falling short of their promise frees me to leave their service and enter the American, as I wanted to do when in Paris. Would you tell me whether M. Desegray here will advance me enough to get to Nantes, or to buy clothes so that I can sail in the French ships? I left a trunk of clothes six weeks ago for M. de Purney to forward, and now think he will not give himself the trouble.>

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

7. Presumably the seaman of that name who had been committed to Forton Prison the previous June and had subsequently escaped; Deane had given him money in September: Kaminkow, Mariners, p. 5; Deane Papers, V, 304. Anderson apparently left St. Malo soon after making this appeal; see Hammond to BF below, Dec. 6.

8. His companion met with the same treatment; see the letter just cited. Deane called the firm de Parney, and castigated it for imposing on him: Deane Papers, II, 170–1.

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    Source Project
    Franklin Papers
    Title
    To Benjamin Franklin from John Anderson, 8 November 1777: résumé
    Author
    Anderson, John
    Recipient
    Franklin, Benjamin
    Date
    8 November 1777

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To Benjamin Franklin from John Anderson, 8 November 1777: résumé,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-25-02-0097. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 25, October 1, 1777, through February 28, 1778, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986, p. 146.]