To Benjamin Franklin from John Wheelock, 17 July 1783
From John Wheelock
ALS: American Philosophical Society
St James’ Street No. 40 London 17 July 1783
Sir,
I wrote to your Excellency from the Hague, requesting a letter to Dr Price, & the favor to be informed, whether any thing had appeared in the circle of your acquaintance conducive to the furtherance of the Object of my attention.4 But likely my letter has not reached you, as I have heard nothing since.
I beg, Sir, the honor to be informed whether or no, in your opinion, any thing can be done to effect in any part of His Christian Majestys dominions— A compliance, so soon as you might think it convenient, would be very obliging, as we shall not stay long in this country, unless something should turn up more favorable to success than now appears.5
I am with the greatest respect, Sir, your Excellencys most obedient & very humble servant
Jn Wheelock
Addressed: His Excellency / Benjamin Franklin LLD / Minister plenipotentiary &c / Passey / near Paris
Notation: Wheelock 17 July 1783.
4. The letter is above, June 12.
5. The brothers sailed for America on Oct. 20 aboard the Peace and Plenty, which ran aground off Cape Cod on Jan. 2, 1784. No lives were lost, but Wheelock lost a strongbox containing all his papers and donations for the college: Leon B. Richardson, History of Dartmouth College (2 vols., Hanover, N.H., 1932), I, 207–8; Dick Hoefnagel, “Benjamin Franklin and the Wheelocks,” Dartmouth College Library Bulletin, new ser., XXXI (1990), 24–5.