To Benjamin Franklin from Henry Coder (Coderc), 1 September 1780
From Henry Coder (Coderc)
LS:4 American Philosophical Society
à Pezenas le 1er. septembre 1780
Monsieur Le Docteur,
Quinse jours aprés Etre arrivé dans ma chaumiere des blessures Se Sont réouvértes, et aprés Six Mois de Souffrances je Meurs pénétré des bontés dont vous avés d’aigné m’honorér.5 Je vous Supplie S’y l’occasion S’en presente de les repandre Sur Ma famille, je vous reponds d’avance quils En Sont dignes, et je Meurs content dans l’espérance que vous aurés Egard à Ma derniere demande.
Je Suis avec Veneration Monsieur Le Docteur Votre trés humble et trés obeïssant Serviteur.
CODERC
4. In the hand of his mother, who writes on Sept. 7, below.
5. Coder announced his departure for Pézenas (in Languedoc) in an undated note written around six and a half months before this letter, about mid-February. He intends to sell his patrimoine in Pézenas and to purchase merchandise needed in America, where he plans to settle with his brother (XXVII, 406–7n), “qui Est aussi determiné que moi a Sacrifier Sa vie Et Sa fortune pour La Defense de votre Cause Et de vivre Et mourir avec des hommes Vertueux Et Libres.” He warns that BF’s former suppliers were countering charges of defective supplies by saying they were paid with worthless bills. If BF still needs supplies from France he should turn to the provinces, Languedoc in particular, where he will find high quality but reasonably priced goods. Had Coder received further orders after the initial one for 1,300 uniforms, he would have obtained supplies from towns all over the kingdom reputed to have the best cloth, equipment, and arms. Hist. Soc. of Pa. For Coder’s role in the early search for supplies and his order of uniforms see XXIII, 362–5; XXIV, 366–7; XXV, 62n, 71–2.