50851From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 10 December 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society Having represented to Congress the Services rendered to our Prisoners by the Revd Mr Wren, I have the Pleasure of transmitting their Thanks, together with a Diploma from the College at Princetown, which I beg you would forward to him with my Respects. I shall not fail to recommend my Friend for the Consulship, being with unalterable Esteem & Affection...
50852From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson: Two Letters, 19 November 1781 (Franklin Papers)
(I) Copies: William L. Clements Library, Library of Congress; (II) AL (draft): Library of Congress; copies: William L. Clements Library, Public Record Office; incomplete copy: Library of Congress Of the Credit I have lately ordered, thro’ Mr. Grand, of £400.. 15.. 0. sterling, I request you would hold 100£ at the Disposition of Mr. Laurens Prisoner in the Tower, & that you would acquaint Mr....
50853From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 14 February 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have this Moment received your favour of Jany. 28. I had written to you the 20th. of the same Month, and enclosed a second passport for Morlaix. I hope to hear of its being come to hand, tho’ it was not when you wrote. I have written also lately to Mr. Hartly and Mr. Digges on the subject of our Prisoners.— I shall give Orders this Day for the sending away in the...
50854From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 9 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Privately owned Your Favour of the 25th past, is but just come to hand. I think with you, that the making you pay 23£ for our Passport is a shameful Imposition. Your Secretaries had 200 of us; in exchange for as many of theirs indeed; but we had no Occasion for a quarter of the Number; and those that were wanted we gave away gratis. There is no bounds to the Avidity of Officers in old...
50855From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 11 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received your favours of the 10th. and 28th. of march. The Method you propose of managing the Money for the Prisoners is perfectly agreable to me. You desired in your last that I would explain how it happen’d that no Prisoners went back in the last Cartel. I did not till this Day well understand it myself; or I should have answer’d sooner. When our Little Squadron...
50856From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 8 July 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I received your Favour of the past, and immediately gave Orders to Mr Grand to remit you One hundred and ten Pounds Sterling for the farther Relief of the Prisoners. I beg you would repeat my grateful Acknowledgments to your Friends at Portsmouth & Plymouth, for the unwearied Care & Pains they have taken in this troublesome tho’ charitable Work, and...
50857From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 25 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and incomplete copy: Library of Congress I received your Favour of the 12th inclosing the Letters you mention which prove the Villainy of Digges. I have received two other Letters from him since that of which you have a Copy. I inclose Copies of these also. You will see in the last that he has the Impudence to pretend being mightily injured by my Protesting of his last Bill, and...
50858From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 30 January 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Draft and copy: Library of Congress I recd your Favour of the 9th. Inst. I am convinc’d of the Reasonableness of your Remarks, and leave the Disposition of the Money entirely to your Discretion. As I had formerly written to Mr Digges on the same Subject, and on the Stoppage of our Correspondence wrote to you, I wish it may be convenient to you to see him, so as that you may not be both doing...
50859From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 1 April 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress I received your respected Favour of the 20th past, & am shock’d exceedingly at the Account you give me of Digges. He that robbs the Rich even of a single Guinea, is a Villain, but what is he who can break his sacred Trust by robbing a poor Man and a Prisoner of Eighteen Pence given charitably for his Relief, and repeat that Crime as often as there are Weeks in a...
50860From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 31 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress; copies: Library of Congress, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan I have ordered another Sum into your hands for the Prisoners, and will keep you constantly supply’d so as that you may furnish them with a Shilling each per Week from the middle of November to the Middle of March. I hear nothing from Digges. Do you know what is become of him? I am...
50861From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 20 January 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I am much obliged by your kind Letter, informing me of the good Disposition of the Commissioners for the Sick and wounded. I believe they would do in all things what is humane, just and honorable, but I have not so good an Opinion of the Lords of the Admiralty, from whom Mr. Hartley had never been able to obtain a Yes or a No on the plain Question whether the written...
50862From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 19 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Incomplete copy: Library of Congress I received your several favours of March 28. and may 12. I thank you for the Justice you did me at the sick and hurt Office, in the assurances you gave that it was not my Intention to deceive, nor my fault that an equal Number of Prisoners did not return with the Cartel. On my consenting to give up the 500 Prisoners we carried into Holland, I had the...
50863From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 18 December 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received your Favour of the 4th. with the Account of the Expenditure of the 100£ in supplying the Wants of the Prisoners, which is very satisfactory. I beg you to accept my thankful Acknowledgements of your kindness to & Care of those unfortunate People, & let my Blessings be mix’d with theirs. By next Post I shall send you 150£ more, requesting you will continue...
50864From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson: Extract and Note, [14 January 1783] (Franklin Papers)
(I) Press copy of copy: American Philosophical Society; (II) press copy of AL : American Philosophical Society It was in the Beginning of October that you inform’d me, the Prisoners would be immediately sent over hither to be exchang’d. There were then in the French Ports several American Vessels in which I could have sent them. I fear that I shall now be obliged to send a Vessel with them,...
50865From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 17 July 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress In my last of the 8th Inst. I mention’d my ordering a Remittance to be made to you of 110£ Sterling, which I hope you have receiv’d. I am oblig’d to you for your Goodwill in the Hint you gave me by yours of the 8 May, concerning Money of Digges’s in the Hands of Bouffé & Co. here. The Attaching of it would have been an easy Way of recovering what He has...
50866From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 13 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Incomplete copy: Sheffield Central Library On looking over the Letters you have favored me with, I see several particulars, that have been hitherto unanswered, thro the Multiplicity of Affairs which devour my Time & distract my attention; You hinted your Willingness to come over hither, in case the Journey cou’d be made usefull to the publick; I did not at that Time see any Probability of it—...
50867From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 7 January 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received your Favour of the 21st. past, in which you acquaint me that the Money is almost expended. I have therefore this Day ordered 150 £ more into your hands thro’ Mr. Grand. I send you also enclosed a little Bill of Ten Guineas, for which I advanced the Money to a Mr. Wyld, who was recommended to me as an honest Man, by Mr. Clegg, on whom it is drawn. You will...
50868From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 26 February 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have just received your favour of the 11th. Instant. I am much oblig’d by your immediate Application to The Board of sick and hurt after the Receipt of mine of Jan. 20th. and Very glad to hear that another Cartel is soon to sail from Plymouth with 100 Americans. The English Prisoners to exchange for them, will be ready at morlaix.— And I am authoriz’d to repeat what...
50869From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 25 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have received your Favour of the 11th. Instant. I have only time by this Oportunity to enclose and send you the Receipts of the Capt. of the Cartel, for some English Prisoners I have lately releas’d. There were a Number sent before, of which I can not find at present the Receipt. I shall continue sending as they may arrive, in order to settle my particular Account...
50870From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 9 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received your favour of the 20th. Past, containing the account of Prisonners as it stands between the Board & me. I do hereby agree that Capt. Scott of the Golden Eagle Privateer, taken by Capt. Harrabin of the General Pickering, and carried into Bilbao, and allowed to go to England on his Parole, be considered exchanged by one of the 119 Americans Landed at...
50871From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 27 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Public Record Office You mention that Administration have at your request given Directions to the Navy agents at the several Ports of Embarkation to supply the Prisoners with Slops to the Value of 20 s. each.— Please to inform me whether this is the Goodness of Government, or whether you have engaged to pay it? I have been so incessantly occupied, as not to be able to write by those...
50872From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 8 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I received your Favour of the 20th past. That of the 8th of May came regularly to hand. I thought I had before acknowledged it. At least I wrote a Letter which answer’d a part of it, that related to Bouffé & fils, acquainting you that they were broke. Digges has not appeared here. I am sorry for Mr Day’s Loss by him. Is there no way of getting at him...
50873From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 26 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Public Record Office Your two Favours of the 9th Instant came to my hands but a few days since. I had written so fully to you by the preceeding Post, sending at the same time the Passports and Powers you had demanded, which I hope will be sufficient, that I find little left to answer. I am much pleas’d with the memorial you presented respecting the Prisoners, and thank you heartily for...
50874From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 15 December 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : William L. Clements Library; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress It being long since I have had the Pleasure of hearing from you, & understanding that a Packet Boat has been lost; I fear some of my late Letters may have miscarried, and therefore send the above Copies. With great Regard, I am, Dear Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant Hodgson’s last extant letter, written...
50875From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 31 March 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: William L. Clements Library It is long since I have been able to afford myself the pleasure of writing to you; but I have had that of receiving several Letters from you, and I sent you in consequence a credit for 300 £ which I hope you received. I am sorry that you had been obliged to advance: The trouble you so kindly take is sufficient. I just hear from Ireland, that there are 200 of...
50876From John Adams to P. Hodinpyl, 7 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 30th. of March, and am much obliged to You for your kind Congratulations on the flattering prospect of public affairs. The formation of commercial and political Connections between our Countries is ushered in with so much solemnity, it is accompanied by such elaborate discussions of the Prosperity of the Measure, and triumphs at last in such an Unanimity, as will...
50877From John Adams to John Hodshon, 13 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
I called the day before Yesterday at your House, but had not the good Fortune to find you at home. My Business was to pay you my Respects, and to present you my Sincere Thanks for your Kindness and Politeness to me, in assisting my Removal from Amsterdam to the Hague, and to pay you the Expence of it. But not finding you at home and being obliged to return to the Hague, I do myself the Honour...
50878From George Washington to Alida Livingston Hansen Hoffman, 25 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
It gives me sincere pain to inform you that I cannot comply with the request contained in your letter of this date. In consenting to Mrs Ogdens coming out in the first instance, the feelings of humanity, & not my powers were consulted—the latter were exceeded—I was prompted to the measure from the peculiar situation in which you were represented to be, at the time. This I thought might justify...
50879James Madison to David Hoffman, 13 June 1832 (Madison Papers)
J. Madison with his respects to Mr. Hoffman thanks him for the copy of his lecture lately delivered in the University of Maryland. In the decrepit & feeble state of the health of J. M. he has not been able to bestow on some parts of the lecture the degree of attention which they merit. He can safely pronounce it to be a happy example in which erudite disquisition is presented in language not...
50880From James Madison to David Hoffman, 18 December 1823 (Madison Papers)
J. Madison presents his respects to Mr. Hoffman with thanks for the Copy of his learned & persuasive lecture addressed to the Students of law. Draft ( DLC ). David Hoffman, A Lecture, Introductory to a Course of Lectures Now Delivering in the University of Maryland (Baltimore, 1823; Shoemaker Richard H. Shoemaker, comp., A Checklist of American Imprints for 1820–1829 (11 vols.; New York,...