To Benjamin Franklin from Cuming & Macarty, [before 12 October 1782]
From Cuming & Macarty
ALS:8 American Philosophical Society
[before October 12, 1782]
Sir
Permit us to request your Excelleny to Transmitt us the Necessary Order’s, for the Sale of the Two Prizes, mention’d in the Papers herewith Inclose’d—9
We are very Respectfully your Excellency’s Most Obedient and Very Humble Servts.
Cuming & Macarty
Notation: Cuming & Maccarty
8. Probably in William Macarty’s hand.
9. These were doubtless the Luxford and Will, two of the three prizes captured by the privateers St. James, Washington, and Queen of France and brought into Lorient; see the annotation of Jonathan Nesbitt to BF, Sept. 23. BF signed condemnation certificates for both prizes on Oct. 12: the Luxford, Capt. William Payne, en route from Bristol to Newfoundland, was taken on Sept. 10; the Will, Capt. Abraham Buttermer, en route from Cork to Charleston, was taken on Aug. 27. Archives départementales de Morbihan.
An undated memorandum by BF, listing this basic information about the two ships and evaluating each as a “Good Prize” consigned to Cuming & McCarty, is at the University of Pa. Library. WTF filled out the forms.
Jonathan Nesbitt sent papers relative to the third prize, the Lyon, on Oct. 7 (above).