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University of Michigan William L. Clements Library

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Revolutionary War letter and document extracts, 1781-[1856] (majority within 1781-1782)

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Summary

Creator:
Anonymous
Abstract:
This volume contains excerpts from correspondence, reports, and treatises concerning the relationships between the United States, Great Britain, France, and Spain during the Revolutionary War era. Two of the five excerpts originated from letters written by Silas Deane, an American agent in France; the other three narrate Benjamin Franklin's dealings with the French court, report on the British Army's finances, and analyze available options for amphibious military action. A later owner added brief biographical notes on the key Americans referenced within the volume.
Extent:
1 volume
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Meg Hixon, February 2012

Background

Scope and Content:

This volume (117 pages) contains excerpts from correspondence, reports, and treatises concerning the relationships between the United States, Great Britain, France, and Spain during the Revolutionary War era. The first two segments (pp. 1-8 and pp. 9-33) are extracts of "intercepted letters" from Silas Deane to Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons (May 14, 1781) and Robert Morris (June 10, 1781) concerning diplomatic relations between the United States and the three major Continental powers (England, France, and Spain). Deane concentrated on the possible motives of France in assisting the American rebellion, noted the historical animosity between France and Great Britain, and shared his suspicion that France merely wished to see Great Britain's power diminished. He also questioned Spain's supposed neutrality and urged Parsons and Morris to consider reconciliation with Britain. The second letter focuses heavily on economic arguments, while the first primarily considers international politics and power relations.

The next excerpt is a third-person account of "Doctor Franklin's representations to the Court of France" (pp. 34-37), which recounts the American response to a recent French proposal. The summarized response cites the United States government's continuing desire to achieve full independence from Great Britain and its reluctance to accept the presence of large international military forces on its soil. Franklin also discussed French loans to the United States and reported his responses as the wishes of the United States Congress. The fourth, and lengthiest, excerpt, entitled "Extracts from the seventh report of the Commissioners of Public Accounts" (pp. 38-82), reflects the finances of British forces in North America from January 1, 1776-December 31, 1781. The report, issued on June 18, 1782, and later published, discusses funding for "extraordinary services of the Army" and notes specific amounts of money owed and supplies used during the Revolution.

The final essay, entitled "On Conjunct Expeditions" (pp. 83-114), discusses Great Britain's naval strength and posits a possible strategy for amphibious warfare combining infantry and naval forces. The treatise mentions several previous battles and examples and considers the drawbacks and benefits of these tactics. The essays are followed by brief biographies of Silas Deane, Samuel Holden Parsons, Robert Morris, and Benjamin Franklin, adapted from A Universal Biographical Dictionary, Hartford. S. Andrews & Son, 1856 (pp. 115-117).

Biographical / Historical:

Silas Deane was born in Groton, Connecticut, on December 24, 1837. His father, Silas Dean, served in the colonial assembly, and the younger Silas later appended a final e to the family name. He graduated from Yale College in 1758 and relocated to Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he taught school and studied law; his six younger siblings joined him there after the deaths of their parents in the early 1760s. After the death of his first wife, Mehitable Nott Webb (d. 1767), Deane married Elizabeth Saltonsall Ebbets. He began practicing law in 1763 and served in the Connecticut General Assembly in 1768 and from 1772-1775. He became secretary of the Connecticut Committee of Correspondence in 1774 and was a member of the First Continental Congress. He lived in France from 1776 to 1778 and worked as an official agent for the newly formed United States, later collaborating (and feuding) with fellow American representatives Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee. Deane returned to Philadephia in 1778 but later went back to Europe, where he lived in Paris and Ghent. In 1781 his reputation in the United States, already poor, was further tarnished by the appearance of several "intercepted" letters suggesting that he favored reconciliation with Great Britain. Deane intended to return to North America in the fall of 1789 but died on September 23, 1789, shortly after boarding a ship bound for the United States.

Acquisition Information:
1972. M-1592 .
Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

Revolutionary War Letter and Document Extracts, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan