31The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 1 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Harvard University Library; letterbook copy: National Archives Mr. Morris has communicated to us the substance of your letters to him down to the 23rd June when you was near setting out for Paris. We hope your reception there has been equal to your expectation and our wishes, indeed we have no reason to doubt it considering the countenance we have met with amongst the French Islands, and...
32The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 2 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Haverford College Library; letterbook copy: National Archives We have this day received from the Honorable Congress of Delegates of the United States of America the important papers that accompany this letter being, These papers speak for themselves and need no Strictures or remarks from us, neither is it our business to make any. You will observe, that in case of the absence or...
33The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Hodge, Jr., 3 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives We Commit to your care sundry dispatches delivered you herewith, and you are immediately to repair onboard the Sloop Independance John Young Commander now waighting for you between this and Rheedy Island. This Sloop will carry you and Said dispatches with the utmost Expedition to the Island of Martinico, where you must apply to Wm. Bingham Esqr. delivering to him all...
34The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 21 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copy: National Archives We send you herewith a copy of what we wrote you the 1st Inst. per the Sloop Independance Capt. Young and hope some of the articles that were to be forwarded to your Island or St. Eustatia by Monsr. Hortalez have arrived. In that case you will apply for, receive and Ship them by these opportunities of our Continental Cruizers, which...
35The Committee of Secret Correspondence to William Bingham, 23 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania; copy: National Archives We have wrote you already by this Conveyance of the Brigantine Andrew Doria to St. Eustatia which we deem safer than the Sachem as she sails faster and is of more Force. Therefore we now enclose you some very Important dispatches for Mr. Dean and request you will forward them by the very first good Conveyance advising us...
36The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Stephen Ceronio, 23 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: National Archives The Inclosed letter was wrote and signed before we had an opportunity to transmit it and having now so good a conveyance as the Brigantine Lexington we transmit the Same to you as an official Letter from the Committee of Secret Correspondence which you’l observe is distinct from the Secret Committee with whom you also Correspond, by this letter you’l find we...
37The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, 23 October 1776: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Haverford College Library; copy: National Archives <Philadelphia, October 23, 1776: We have written you twice today by different ships. This letter goes by the Andrew Doria to St. Eustatius, to be forwarded to William Bingham and by him to you in a French vessel. We enclose two resolutions of Congress. The first replaces Thomas Jefferson as commissioner with Arthur Lee, whom you will...
38The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Arthur Lee, 23 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library; two copies and extract: National Archives By this conveyance we transmit to Silas Deane Esq. a Resolve of the Honble. the continental congress of Delegates from the Thirteen United States of America, whereby you are appointed one of their Commissioners for negotiationg a treaty of alliance, Amity and Commerce with the Court of France, and also for negotiating...
39The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners to France, 24 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; letterbook copies: Library of Congress; National Archives The Congress having Committed to our Charge and Management their Ship of War called the Reprisal, Commanded by Lambert Wickes Esqr. carrying sixteen Six pounders and about one hundred and twenty Men, We have allotted her to carry Doctor Franklin to France and directed Capt. Wickes to proceed for the...
40The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 21[–23] December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society, New York Public Library, University of Virginia Library, British Library; AL (incomplete draft ): American Philosophical Society; three copies: American Philosophical Society, National Archives, Library of Congress This letter was in response to Deane’s of October 1, which was the first word from him in Paris that reached Philadelphia. He complained hotly...
41The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the Amerìcan Commissioners, 30 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; Haverford College Library; LS without postscript: Joseph E. Fields, Joliet, Ill. (1958); AL (draft ): American Philosophical Society; copies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; National Archives (two) The military defeats that had followed consistently on the Battle of Long Island, and had brought the British so near Philadelphia that Congress had fled to...
42To Benjamin Franklin from the Committee of Secret Correspondence, 1 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Library of Congress; University of Pennsylvania Library; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives (four) Congress relying on your wisdom and integrity, and well knowing the great Importance of the Case, have appointed you their Commissioner to negotiate a treaty of friendship and commerce with the Court of Spain. The Idea of Congress on this Subject you will find in the instructions...
43The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 9 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copies: Library of Congress; Yale University Library Captain Hammond having been detained longer than we expected, furnishes us with an opportunity of giving you the information we have since our last received from the Army, thro a Committee of Congress left at Philadelphia; for we have yet had no regular accounts from General Washington. On the 2d....
44The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 14 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; LS : American Philosophical Society, Harvard University Library; copies: Library of Congress, British Library. I have the honor to enclose herein a Copy of two Resolves of Congress passed the 19th and 29th Novr. by which the Secret Committee are directed to import two hundred and twenty Six Brass Canon and Arms and equipage compleat for three thousand...
45The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 2 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; LS : Rutgers University Library ; draft: Harvard University Library; copies: National Archives (two), Library of Congress You will recieve inclosed copies of our letters of the 21st. and 30th. Decemr., and of the Resolves of Congress accompanying them. It concerns us not less than we are sure it will you, that you should have heard so seldom from us, but...
46The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 17 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Library; draft: Harvard University Library We have the honor to inclose you a Resolve of Congress that is of great Importance to the public Service, which has suffered considerably the last Fall, and during this Winter, by the insufficient manner in which our Soldiers were clothed. Having found much Delay heretofore in getting Cloth made up, the Congress desire that 40,000...
47The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 18 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Virginia Library You will receive herewith a Copy of our Letter of Yesterday by the Lexington, with its enclosures. This goes to Boston for a Passage from thence. An armed Vessel belonging to that State will carry the dispatches and will be governed by your directions respecting her Load back, and the Time of her return. Should you have failed in obtaining the Loan, or of...
48The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 19 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : University of Virginia Library; two copies: National Archives; draft: American Philosophical Society The events of war have not since our last furnished any thing decisive. The enemies Army still remains encamped upon the hills near Brunswick, and still our Troops continue to beat back and destroy their Convoys insomuch that we understand their Horses dye in numbers, and we have reason to...
49The Committee of Secret Correspondence to the American Commissioners, 25 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress We are commanded by Congress to transmit Copies of their Resolve of the 13 instant to all the Gentlemen abroad that hold correspondance with any of their Committees. The Necessity of Such a resolution and due attention to it, is fully evinced by the heavy expence america has been put to by many Gentlemen received into their...
50The Secret Committee to the American Commissioners, 9 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Johns Hopkins University Library; copies: American Philosophical Society, National Archives, Library of Congress, University of Virginia Library This letter is intended to be delivered you by John Paul Jones Esquire an Active and brave Commander in our Navy, who has already performed signal services in Vessels of little Force and in reward for his Zeal, we have directed him to go on board...
51John Jay to the American Commissioners, 5 January 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania Your favors of the 2d. 8th: and 10 June last have been recd. and Copies transmitted to the Committee. The subject of them certainly merits their Attention, and I hope your Advice will be litterally complied with. As I have not now the Honor of a Seat in Congress, having been called to an office which will confine me in this State, any Information I can...
52To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 3 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Three LS : American Philosophical Society; copies: National Archives, Library of Congress I have the Honor of transmitting to you the enclosed Copy of an Act of Congress of the 23rd. Ulto: Being ignorant of the Gentlemen mentioned in it, and all Information respecting them having been received by Congress prior to my Arrival, I applied to the Secretary for the necessary Intelligence— He this...
53To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 9 June 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Two LS : American Philosophical Society, Historical Society of Pennsylvania I enclose you an act of Congress of the 8th. of this Instant June, directing that Bills should be drawn upon you to the amount of three hundred and sixty thousand Livres Tournois for the purpose of importing Military Stores. I have accordingly drawn four setts, payable to the Honble: Henry Laurens, Francis Lewis, James...
54To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, [18] June 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society (two), Historical Society of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Library, Harvard University Library, His Excellency M. Jacques Delarue Caron de Beaumarchais (1976); copy: Library of Congress I enclose you Acts of Congress of the 5th. and 18th. Instant respecting Bills of Exchange for two Million four hundred thousand Livres Tournois Principal and four...
55To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay: Proposed Letter, [on or before 2 August 1779] (Franklin Papers)
L (draft): National Archives The Burning of Suffolk in Virginia Fairfield East Haven Green’s Farms & Norwalk in Connecticut together with the Ravages committed in Georgia & South Carolina form a cruel Commentary upon the Proclamation of the british Commissioners. This Proclamation was defended in their Parliament as meaning no more than that in future the War was to be carried on agt. America...
56To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 26 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Columbia University Library I have had the Pleasure of recg. your favor of the 2d. June last. The act of Congress respecting Col Diricks alluded to in it; mentioned no public Business comd. to his Care, but in Compliance with his Request supported by Govr. Trumbul simply recommended him to your notice— As this will be delivered to you by Monsr. Gerard It will be unnecessary to...
57To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 27 December 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Having on the 7th. of November last lost our Masts off the Banks of Newfound Land and been obliged to come to this Place to refit, I am constrained to draw upon you for Part of the Salary due to me as Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America to his Catholic Majesty, agreable to the Intention of Congress expressed in their Resolution of the 15th. of...
58To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 26 January 1780 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Columbia University Library; copies: Columbia University Library, Library of Congress You have doubtless been amused this month or two past with various Conjectures about the Fate of the Confederacy. She left Chester (on the Delaware) the 18 Octr. bound for France, was dismasted and split her Rudder the 7 Novr off the Banks of Newfoundland. On the 23d following, the officers of the...
59To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 3 March 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Library of Congress, Columbia University Library On this Day I gave the House of Messrs. Jaques, Louis And Laurt. Le Couteullx of this Place, a Set of Bills on you for two Thousand five hundred and Sixty four Livres Eighteen Sols and ten Donrs. [deniers] payable ninety Days after the Date. I am Dear Sir with great Regard & Esteem your most Obedient Servant For this firm’s prior...
60To Benjamin Franklin from John Jay, 14 April 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress On the 26th. Jany. last at Cadiz, I did myself the Honor of wrinting to your Excellency a Letter, by M. Gerard, enclosing one for the honorable Arthur Lee Esqe. and Copies of others I had written to the spanish and french ministers, and among other things informing you, that several Letters or rather large Pacquets directed to you were in my Possession, with which I...