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To Jean de Neufville & Fils
Docno: PJA13d069
Recipient: Neufville, Jean de, & Fils (business)
Date: 1782-06-06
[dateline] The Hague June 6. 1782
[salute] Gentn.
I have Just received your favour of yesterday. You desire me to Send you, two Letters from Dr Franklin. I have no Remembrance of your ever leaving with me, more than one, which is the Drs Letter to you of the 4. Sept. 1781. This original Letter, I return you, herein inclosed. I have no other. I have indeed a Copy, which you gave me
{p. 98}
of the Drs Letter to you of 26 Octr. 1780.1 The original I never had. If this Copy will be of any Service to you, I send it inclosed. These are all the Letters or Copies of Letters from Dr Franklin to you which I have, or ever had to my knowledge.
You Say, “you shall be glad as Soon as may be, to have the objections to our Accounts, which I shall be pleased to make.” I am wholly at a Loss for your meaning in this, as I know nothing of your Accounts.
There is the Article of Money advanced to American Prisoners indeed in my private acct. that I cant comprehend. The Money to Talbot I never ordered, and indeed his Rect is on Account of his owners. And I had advanced him, the same sum another Way. The five Guineas to Ed. Savil and others I dont remember ordering, and I had Sent them, money more than once another Way.2 This however, I will pay, but the Article charged is 234. f. 11s. which is more than all the Receipts amount to.
[salute] I have the Honour to be &c
1. For Franklin's letter of 4 Sept. 1781 to de Neufville & Fils, see Franklin, Papers
, 35:437–438; the letter by which it was sent to JA has not been found. The letter copied actually was dated 26 Nov. (same, 36:117) and was enclosed with the de Neufvilles' letter of 5 Dec. (vol. 12:112–115). For the de Neufvilles' interest in retrieving these letters, see their letter of 5 June 1782, and note 3, above.
2. Silas Talbot and Edward Savil were American prisoners of war in Britain to whom JA had provided financial assistance. For the reconciled account, see the de Neufvilles' letter of 14 June, below.
From Edmund Jenings
Docno: PJA13d070
Recipient: JA
Date: 1782-06-06
[dateline] Brussels June 6th. 1782
[salute] Sir
I recievd yesterday your Excellencys Letter of the 1st Instant. I am sorry to hear that your Excellency is sick in Body your Heart is am sure not so, I see that is sound by all your Actions.
I sent your Excellency a Receipt from one of our unfortunate Countryman in prison; If I remember right Mr Sawrey wrote on it, recommending to your Charity 7 of those, who were releivd in March last: Their Names are Lewis Glover Jer: Bass Samuel Curtis Ths Vinton, Gregory and Samuel Clark and W. Horton.1 I wait your Excellencys order thereon.
My Friend B2 informed me about a week or ten Days Ago that He had had an Anonymous Letter sent Him to Caution Mr Lawrens against Your Excellency. I wrote immediately to Him to transmit it to me, He has sent the Copy thereof to Mr Lawrens. He tells me it
{p. 99}
came by the foreign Mail—I shall enquire whether He can discover from what Country. The wretches are at their Dirty work—perhaps Mr Ridley may know the Hand. La Voici.3
I sent in the Course of last week, four Letters for Mr Lawrens under Cover to your Excellency, I have another for Him from London, which I shall keep until further orders.
I am Happy to hear that Mr Dana and his Companion have an opportunity of seeing respectable Company. However I like not the Court at present.
A Courier from England for France past through ostend 8 days ago.
Allair, who was put into the bastill sometime ago, makes frequent visits in Holland.4 He ought to be watchd. I am well assured that He has a Pension from the English King, paid by his Minister here.
I am with the greatest Consideration, Sir Your Excellencys, Most Obedient Humble Servant,
[signed] Edm: Jenings
RC
and enclosure
Adams Papers
; enclosure endorsed: “Receiv'd May 17: 1782 by the foreign Mail EB.”
1. The seven prisoners listed here were of special interest to JA because all were the sons of his Braintree neighbors. For JA's previous correspondence with Jenings regarding their relief, see vol. 12:249–250, 371–372, 382–383.
3. Here it is. For this and other anonymous letters that Henry Laurens came to believe were the work of Edmund Jenings, see Monitor to JA, 20 May, note 1, above. JA received this letter and its enclosure on 7 June, for when he went to Amsterdam on the 8th he followed Jenings' advice and showed the enclosure to Matthew Ridley. Ridley includes a summary of the anonymous letter in his journal (MHi) but gives no indication that he recognized the handwriting. JA also apparently was unable to identify the handwriting, but for his opinion regarding the letter's source, see his reply to Jenings of 7 June, below.
Cite web page as: Founding Families: Digital Editions of the Papers of the Winthrops and the Adamses, ed.C. James Taylor. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2007.
http://www.masshist.org/ff/
http://www.masshist.org/ff/