To Benjamin Franklin from Henry Johnson, 17 August 1782
From Henry Johnson9
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Bordeaux Augt: 17t: 1782
May it please your Excellency
The Incld: Bills belong to an Industrious Black man who is with me. Shall esteem it a favour if your Excellency would Endorse or rather accept those Bills & send them to me.— In my last to your Excellency1 I forgot to mention to you that I took on board the Amazon Prize four Preists, Subjects of the King of Sardinia,2 who were going as Missionaries to Quebeck. I let them go here. They are still in this Town. I do not Know whether we cannot hold them as British Subjects and Exchange them for four Americans. Your Excellency can best judge of that matter.
I am with much Respect—Your Excellencys Most Obedt: & Most Humble Servant
Henry Johnson
Addressed: A Son Excellence / A Son Excellence Benja: Franklin Ecuyer / Ministre Plenipotentiare pour les / Treize Etats Unies. a la Cour de / Versailles. a Son Hotel / a Passy—
Notations in different hands: Henry Johnson 17. Aout 1782. / Ansd 24 Augt 823
9. Johnson (XXIII, 338n) now commanded the privateer frigate Flora, recently arrived from St. Domingue: XXXVI, 240; John A. McManemin, Captains of the Continental Navy (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., 1981), p. 212.
1. Missing. Johnson anchored at Bordeaux shortly before Aug. 5, when JW wrote to congratulate him on his arrival (Yale University Library).
2. Victor Amadeus III (1726–1796): Larousse.
3. The answer is missing.