45931To Benjamin Franklin from Patrick Henry, 3 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Captain Lemaire the Gentleman whom you were pleased to recommend to his Excellency General Washington will have the honor to deliver you this. He called here in his Way to the Camp, and fell into Conversation with Mr. Loyaute our Inspector general of Artillery and Military Stores on the Subject of his Department, in which are many capital Deficiencies....
45932To Benjamin Franklin from Courtney Melmoth, [3 March? 1778] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I understand that the Saltpetre man is much indispos’d, and that is probably the Reason why both he and his friend did not keep an Engagement they have so very assiduously sought. The last time I had the honour to see you Sir, Mr. Dean was so good as to appoint me the next Morning at his Lodgings in Paris for an opportunity of conversing on my offer of...
45933To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Wharton, 3 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society By the Bearer Captain All, I have sent you and Mr. Dean the parliamentary Register, The Remembrancer, News Papers &c., And I beg leave to mention to you, (As Captain All desires it, And as I can, with great Truth do it) That his Duty to his Employer has obliged Him to stay much longer here, Than was agreable to Him; But That he has steadily maintained, and...
45934To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Jr., 3 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I recvd. your Favour of the 28th Feb. on my return from Quiberon, after it had been laying some time waiting for me. The one Inclosed had no Direction, I was therefore obliged to break the Seal to know for whom it was intended. I did this because I thought it was for some person about to Depart which would leave no Time to obtain your answer, and because I...
45935The American Commissioners to Conrad-Alexandre Gérard, 4 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library Being desirous of a conference with you on a subject, that appears to us of importance; we shall be glad to meet you here, or at Versailles, as soon as may be convenient to you. We have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, Sir, Your most Obedient and most Humble Servants Notation: 1778. Mars 4. Both...
45936Gérard to the American Commissioners, 4 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Harvard University Library J’ai recu la lettre dont vous m’avés honoré. Comme je ne pourrai prendre que demain les ordres du ministere sur son contenu, je vous prie de trouver bon que je differe ma reponse jusqu’à ce que je les aye reçu. J’ai l’honneur d’etre avec respect et estime Messieurs Votre tres humble et très obeissant serviteur In response to the preceding note. On the morning...
45937Receipt for Thomas Morris’ Trunk, [4 March 1778] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Harvard University Library Received of the honorable William Lee Esqr. a Trunk said to contain all the Books and Papers of the late Thomas Morris Esqr. joint Commercial Agent for the Secret Committee of Congress with the said William Lee, which relates to the Public as well as to his private Concerns. The said Trunk being seal’d with the Seal of William Blake Esqr. of South Carolina and...
45938To Benjamin Franklin from James Hutton, 4 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress I wrote to you yesterday under Mr. Grants [Grand’s] cover without directing your Letter but gave him to understand for whom it was. But this Evening I read again your kind Letter of Feb. 12. in which you say, I can not make Propositions having none committed to me to make, but we can treat, if any are made to us, which however we do not expect . People here have been...
45939To Benjamin Franklin from Andreas Christian Knoepffel, 4 March 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library The present volume contains a number of letters from Frenchmen and other Europeans who want to settle in the United States, and we summarize them here in a single group. The writers are not only would-be emigrants, for a number of those included in our headnote on candidates for military service in America expect to make it their home. The ones...
45940From Benjamin Franklin to Arthur Lee, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
L : Harvard University Library Dr. Franklin presents his Respects to Mr. A. Lee, is sorry he can not do himself the honour of waiting upon [ him ] on Monday next, being pre-engaged. If Tuesday or Wednesday will suit Mr. Lee’s Convenience, Dr. F. will [ be ] happy to accept his Invitation. Addressed: Honble Arthur Lee Esqr. / Chaillot Notation: March 5th. 1778 In WTF ’s hand. He was perhaps...
45941From Benjamin Franklin to Arthur Lee, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : The late Arthur Bloch The interview to which this brief note is a summons was the one that the commissioners had requested the day before, to discuss making the treaty public. Gérard met them on schedule, and opened the conversation by taking Lee to task for misquoting him to Aranda about another matter; Lee put the blame on Deane, who refused to take it. Franklin then recalled them to...
45942William Bingham to the American Commissioners, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Not being favor’d with any of your Dispatches since the Arrival of Doctr. Franklin (except a few Lines under Date of the 7 June) I have become very apprehensive of the Fate of the many Letters that I have from Time to Time done myself the honor of writing, and which have generally been addressed under Cover to Messrs. Delaps at Bordeaux. Your not...
45943Ralph Izard to the American Commissioners, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I intend to set out, as soon as my Gout and the weather will permit me, for the Court to which I have the honour of being appointed by Congress. It will be proper for me to be acquainted with such parts of your proceedings at the Court of France as will be of any assistance to me in fulfilling the objects of my Commission. You will therefore be pleased to...
45944To Benjamin Franklin from La Rochefoucauld, [5 March? 1778] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Le Duc de la Rochefoucauld fait bien des complimens à Monsieur franklyn, en lui envoiant la nouvelle traduction sur laquelle il a bien voulu lui promettre de jetter les yeux; il le prie de vouloir bien la lui renvoier lorsqu’il aura eu la bonté de l’examiner et de la corriger: il le prie aussi de vouloir bien, si par hasard il avoit eu quelques nouvelles,...
45945To Benjamin Franklin from Richard Peters, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have been honored with several Letters by the Hands of sundry Gentlemen coming here with a View to serve our Cause; but from the Numbers of our own Officers and the foreign Gentlemen not being possessed of our language it was impossible for us to find Places or for them to distinguish themselves in our Service. You are conscious of this and therefore ’tis...
45946To Benjamin Franklin from [Benjamin Vaughan], 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I beg to recommend the bearer to your best patronage, friendship, and advice. I shall say nothing more of him, than that to warm benevolence and good parts, there have been joined a virtuous education and public principles. In these times and upon the plan on which he goes, his success is fundamentally important to his family. Particulars he will explain;...
45947To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Vaughan, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This will be delivered to You by my son John, who goes (via Paris) in order to be an inmate in the House of Messrs. Barton & Co. at Bourdoux; to perfect himself in the Language, acquire experience in Business, and form connections, preparatory to his setling in North America, so soon as our unhappy disputes are at an end; as I am more and more determined to...
45948To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Jr., 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have recvd. your obliging Favour of the 28 Inst. and am much rejoiced at Mr. Chaumonts success; I hope he will retain a Dedomagement for his Trouble and Kindness. If this Money is to be paid in America how am I to be reimbursed my Expences and paid Commissions? But I suppose the 50,000 Livres will be paid here; I beg Sir you will obtain this for me, for a...
45949William Lee to the American Commissioners, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Autograph copy: Virginia Historical Society; two transcripts: National Archives In conformity to the general instructions of the secret committee that you should be consulted and advised within all important cases relative to their commercial affairs, and Mr. Thos. Morris joint commercial Agent with me being now dead and as I am just on the point of setting out for Germany, I think it...
45950To Benjamin Franklin from William Lee, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; autograph copy: Virginia Historical Society I send you the keys of the Trunk containing the late Mr. Thos. Morris’s papers, which were forgot the other day. Please acknowledge the receipt that I may know they are safe. I wish very much to have an answer tonight, if it is convenient, to my Letter to the Commissioners relative to the Commercial Agents, as I...
45951From Benjamin Franklin to William Lee, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): American Philosophical Society; copy: Harvard University Library; two transcripts: National Archives I return the Keys by the Person that brings them from you. I had rather your Brother should keep them while he stays in France. Your proposition about appointing Agents in the Ports shall be laid before the Commissioners when they meet. In the meantime I can only say, that as to my...
45952From Benjamin Franklin to Michel-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I am sorry I could not be at home to receive you yesterday. To-morrow morning at 9 O Clock, you may certainly find me. I name that Hour as a Time when I am least likely to be interrupted, and hoping to have the Pleasure of your Company at Breakfast. I have the honour to be, very respectfully, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant Addressed: A Monsr / Monsieur...
45953Dumas to the American Commissioners, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Algemeen Rijksarchief J’ai reçu l’honneur de la Lettre de Mr. Deane. Comme il dit fort bien, de grands événemens sont à la porte; et ici, comme par toute l’Europe, nous ne sommes pas peu en suspens à cet égard. Je suis charmé, mais nullement surpris, du plaisir que lui fait le personnage avec lequel il a plusieurs fois diné: similes similibus...
45954Jacques Rocquette, T.A. Elsevier & Pieter T. Rocquette to the American Commissioners, 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
LS or ALS : American Philosophical Society We begg leave to referr you to our last respects of the 2d. of past month. Since are deprived of your much esteemed Letters, this will be principally to inform you, that there are laÿing at Amsterdam two vessles in Loading for our Colonies, the one for Curacao, and the other for St. Eustatia. The first Shall Shut his bagg for letters the last of this...
45955To Benjamin Franklin from [Jan Ingenhousz], 6 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I recieved your kind lettre at Brussels with several papers contained in it, which all gave me a great satisfaction and did serve verry purposely to the end, which I intended to make of the contents. I thank you most hardily for them. I am allready 5 weaks here, and would have wrote a long while to you, if I had been able to fulfill your commissions. I...
45956Intelligence from Brest and Paris, 6–13 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
D : National Archives We summarize here, according to our practice, the other intelligence reports that fall within the period of this volume. There are only two, both in French and in the hand of the chevalier de Kéralio. The first is from Brest on April 10 with an added letter of the 16th. The report lists 25 French ships of the line that are expected to be ready within ten days; 17 more are...
45957Jonathan Williams, Jr., to the American Commissioners, 7 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Duchesse of Grammont is still waiting your permission to proceed to sea. I have been trying several people to get a Ship to carry out what Goods remain, without success. The Ship at L’orient I mentioned in my last does not turn out to my Satisfaction. M. Gruel has a Ship here which is a good Sailor. I know her to be such because she lately came from...
45958To Benjamin Franklin from Madame Brillon, 7 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Vous avés bien voulu hiér mon cher frére, me chargér de votre convérsion: tout directeur, tout ministre, arrange en général les affaires, pour sa gloire et pour son proffit: prenant la charge, j’en prends l’éspoir; ainsi mon chér frére, vous trouvérés bon que selon l’ordre accoutumé, me méslant de vos affaires, j’arrange les miénnes: je ne serai pas trop...
45959To Benjamin Franklin from G. Ganseford, 7 March 1778: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Bordeaux, March 7, 1778, in French: The shippers of this town, what with the difficulty in disposing nowadays of leaf tobacco, may well forbid their captains to buy any in your colonies. I have 33 bushels brought by my ship from Cap François. In conformity with the edict of 1721 I have registered the tobacco with the farmers and applied for permission to...
45960To Benjamin Franklin from Emmanuel-Pierre de La Plaigne, [7 March 1778] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library J’ai l’honneur de présenter à Votre Excellence Messieurs L’armand et de Guaÿ Capitaines d’artillerie qui vont à Paris terminer leurs affaires pour passer ensuite au service des Etats de la Georgie. Comme par ma mission, Monseigneur, j’étais chargé d’améner avec moi plusieurs officiers d’artillerie experimentés, j’ai enfin déterminé ces deux Messieurs à...