From Benjamin Franklin to ——— Epidorge, 12 August 1781
To ——— Epidorge5
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress
Passy, Aug 12. 1781
Sir,
I received the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 31st of last Month,6 inclosing the Procurations of the Voluntiers. I shall forward them by the first good Opportunity, to Mr. Richard Bache, Merchant at Philadelphia, and shall recommend it earnestly to him, to take the proper Steps for recovering & remitting what may be found due to those poor People.7 I have the honour to be Sir,
M. Epidorge ancien Greffier militaire de la Place de Dunkerque
Notation in Franklin’s hand: Cunningham’s People
5. A retired official who had asked BF’s intercession on behalf of twenty former crewmen from the Revenge who had been captured aboard a prize and imprisoned in England for two years: XXXIV, 367–8, 378–9.
6. Missing.
7. We have no indication BF did so; Congress at any rate does not seem to have taken up the matter. Epidorge wrote BF on Dec. 29, 1781, and April 11, 1782, to remind him of this promise (APS), but we have no record of a response. BF, however, had written the crewmen’s former captain, Gustavus Conyngham, on their behalf: above, June 20. A copy of the present letter may have been what BF enclosed when he wrote to Gérard de Rayneval to whom he wrote on Aug. 13: “Enclosed is a Copy of the Letter you desired. With this I send sundry Letters for Mr. le Compte de Vergennes which are this minute come to hand.” APS.