To Benjamin Franklin from Nathaniel Falconer, 18 July 1783
From Nathaniel Falconer
ALS: American Philosophical Society
London July the 18. 1783
My Dear Frend
The time Draws near for my Leaveing this place I Expect whe Shall be at Graves End about the Second of august9 I find Capt Barney is arived in France and hope he has Brought Dispatchs for you Mr Bingham I understand has wrote you1 the Gazet I Sent you hope Got sauef to hand Mr Silas Dean is hear2 he paid me a viset and I find from him Self that he wrote Some part of the phamlet I Sent you but he Says he Did not write the Conclusion in Short from his being So much with arnold and Lord Shefeld I Cannot Esteem Mr Dean as before3 Docter Bancroft is also hear and appling to Go to phila4 with I Shall be obliged to you for your opinion of thees two Gentelmen for Sir there is but few men beside your Self that I Dont Suspect of Desines agains our Countrey Mr Strahan I have not Seen to Shew him the paper you was So kind as to inclose5 but he is Expected in Town Every Day when I hope to See him yesterday I Dined with your old Friend Mr Sergent he Disierd if I wrote to Remember him kindley to you my Dear Sir I beg you will Give an accot of publick matters as far as you thing you Can Trust me for it will be Thought Strange by maney of our friends the other Side if I Can Give no account of matters in France My Best Compliments to Mr W T Franklin and Mr Hartley if Still with you. I am my Dear Sir your Sincer friend and Hb Sr
Nath Falconer
Addressed: Docter Franklin / at / the Court of France / parris
Notation: Falconet July 18 1783.
9. Gravesend is downriver from London. Falconer’s ship, the Olive Branch, did not reach Philadelphia until November: Pa. Gaz., Nov. 12 and Nov. 19.
1. If so, Bingham’s letter is no longer extant.
2. He arrived in London at the end of March; see our annotation of Deane to BF, July 20.
3. For Sheffield’s pamphlet arguing against liberal trade relations with the United States see Falconer to BF, June 7. On Oct. 19, after having heard that rumors about his collaborating with Sheffield were circulating in Paris, Deane wrote to BF denying any participation in the pamphlet and claiming only limited contact with Benedict Arnold: Deane Papers, V, 212–15.
4. Bancroft wrote to WTF on July 11 that he had not yet found a conveyance to Philadelphia. Capt. Falconer’s ship was the first scheduled to leave, but Falconer might not be able to accommodate him: APS. Bancroft sailed on Aug. 13 aboard the Commerce, Capt. Truxton: Morris, Jay: Peace, p. 572. The ship arrived on Sept. 24: Pa. Evening Post, Sept. 25, 1783.
5. In his letter of June 18.