1To George Washington from Robert Morris, 23–24 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to receive your obliging favour of Yesterday by Colo. Moylan, the Contents give a most mellancholly aspect to our affairs and I wish to Heaven it may be in our power to retrieve them, it is useless at this period to examine into the causes of our present unhappy situation, unless that examination wou’d be productive of a cure for the evils that surround us, in fact those causes...
2The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 23 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We beg Leave to acquaint your Excellency, that we are appointed and fully impowered by the Congress of the United States of America, to propose and negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the said States. The just and generous Treatment their Trading Ships have received, by a free Admission into the Ports of this Kingdom,...
3From Benjamin Franklin to [Dumas], 23 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from The Port Folio , III (1803), 294. I have only time to say that I am arrived here well, and happy to learn, by your favour of the 17th, that you are so. I enclose a letter to you from the committee, and I shall write to you more fully in a few days. With great esteem, I am ever yours, affectionately, BF mislaid this note and enclosed it with his below, Jan. 28. The letter from...
4To Benjamin Franklin from Jean-Daniel Schweighauser, [23 December 1776] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society J’espere que vous aurez eu un heureux voyage jusques à Paris, et je l’apprendrai avec la plus grande satisfaction. Je regrette infiniment de n’avoir pu avoir celle de vous rendre plus souvent mes devoirs icy. Maintenant j’ai l’honneur de vous écrire la presente pour vous faire part de l’arrivée icy du Navire La fanny Cap. Tokely chargé pour compte des Etats...
5From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 23 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I shall not object to yr going to Philadelphia on Acct of your Health, but wish it would have permitted you to have gone to Bristol rather, in order to have conducted matters there in cooperation with what I hinted to you as having in view here. I fear their may be some little uneasiness about Command there, as some of the Continental Colonels have gone down with the Brigade that Marchd last....
6To George Washington from John Hancock, 23 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honour to acknowledge the Receipt of your several Favours of the 12th 13th and 15th inst. in the Order of their respective Dates, and to inform you that they were duely laid before Congress. As Genl Lee by the Fortune of War, has become a Prisoner in the Hands of our Enemies, the Congress are anxious to afford him all the Relief in their Power during his Confinement. They have...
7From George Washington to Colonel Joseph Reed, 23 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
The bearer is sent down to know whether your plan was attempted last Night—and if not, to inform you that Christmas day at Night, one hour before day is the time fixed upon for our Attempt on Trenton. For heaven’s sake keep this to yourself, as the discovery of it may prove fatal to us, our numbers, sorry I am to say, being less than I had any conception of—but necessity, dire necessity...
8To George Washington from Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 23 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am honoured with your favour of the 12th Instant, It gives me great Satisfaction to find that the Plan we have adopted for Supplying the new Army with necessaries meets with your approbation. I fully agree with you in Sentiment as to the Importance of having a Sufficient regular force in the Spring—am Informed the Inlistments for that purpose in the Corpse under General Spencer is in danger...
9To George Washington from Maj. Gen. Artemas Ward, 23 December 1776 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Maj. Gen. Artemas Ward, 23 Dec. 1776. GW wrote Ward on 20 Feb. 1777 : “I acknowledge the receipt of yr two favours of the 23d Decr & 17th January.”
10Draft of an Address of the Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York to Their Constituents, 23 December … (Jay Papers)
An Address of the Represen Convention of the State of New York to their Constituents At this most important Period, when the ^ the ^ Freedom & Happiness or ^ the ^ Slavery & misery, are to be of the present & future Generations of Americans is to be determined on a solemn appeal to the great &