To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Jr., 23 February 1779
From Jonathan Williams, Jr.
ALS: American Philosophical Society; copy: Yale University Library
Nantes Feb. 23. 1779.
Dear & hond Sir
I have recved your Favour of the 10th Inst.1 & set down to answer your Questions about M Mercier in the order you have written them.—
| No. 1. | There is realy a Bala due to him on the accot he gave in to me which I should have paid him if he had returned to his Duty. The Law may perhaps intitle him to it now but I don’t think he deserves it— £316.2 | |
| No. 2 |  |
All these Expences that ought to have been paid have been long since settled. If M Mercier has paid them again it is own Fault.— |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | I don’t understand this, having had nothing to [do?] in sending one of these men to Boston as I can remember.—3 |
As to my Letters of 5 Feb & Augt 27.4 I don’t think them any honorable Testimonies for Mercier & wonder he should produce them— I am in haste most respectfully Hond Sir Your dutifull & affec Kinsman
Jona Williams J
The Hon. Dr. Franklin.
Notation: Jona Williams Nantes 23 fr. 1779.
1. Missing; see Mercier’s letter, published above, before Feb. 10.
2. The seven points JW answers here correspond to the seven items listed in Mercier’s account through August 10, 1778: see the annotation of Mercier’s letter.
3. Mercier claimed to have paid 18 l.t. to a certain “Pinçon” for travel to Boston.
4. An extract of the Feb. 5 letter was enclosed with Mercier’s letter, before Feb. 10. The Aug. 27 letter may have been a revised form of JW’s early August draft of an answer to Mercier, discussed in our headnote to Mercier’s letter.