To John Hancock, President of Congress. DEAR SIR, Paris, January 20, 1777. THE bearer, captain Balm, is strongly recommended to me as a very able officer of horse, and capable of being extremely useful to us in forming a body of men for that service. As he has otherwise an excellent character, I take the liberty of recommending him to my friends as a stranger of merit worthy of their civilities, and to the congress as an officer, who if employed, may greatly serve a cause which he has sincerely at heart. With great respect, &c. B. FRANKLIN. To General G. Washington. Paris, June 13, 1777. SIR, THE bearer M. le Conte Kotkouski, a Polish officer, is recommended to me by several persons of worth here, as a man of experience in military affairs, and of tried bravery, he has lost his family and estate in Poland, by fighting there in the cause of liberty; and wishes by engaging in the same cause to find a new country and new friends in America ; count Pulaski, who was a general of the confederates in Poland, and who is gone to join you, is esteemed one of the greatest officers in Europe. He can give you the chàracter of this M. Kotkouski, who served under him as lieutenant colonel. It is with regret that I give letters of introduction to foreign officers, fearing you may be troubled with more than you can provide for, or employ to their and your own satisfaction. When particular cases seem to have a claim to such letters, I hope you will excuse my taking the liberty:-I give no expectations to those who apply for them, I promise nothing, I acquaint them that their being placed, when they arrive, is a great uncertainty, and that the voyage being long, expensive, and hazardous, I counsel them not to undertake it. This honest gentle man's zeal is not to be discouraged by such means, he determines to go and serve as a volunteer, if he cannot be employed immediately as an officer: but I wish and hope your excellency may find a better situation for him, and that he will be an useful officer. He has the advantage of understanding English, and will soon speak it intelligibly. He also speaks German and some other European languages, and the Latin. With the truest esteem and respect, I have the honor to be, &c. B. FRANKLIN. To the same. Paris, June 13, 1777. SIR, THE person who will have the honor of delivering this to your excellency, is Monsieur le baron de Frey, who is well recommended to me as an officer of experience and merit, with a request that I would give him a letter of introduction. I have acquainted him that you are rather overstocked with officers, and that his obtaining employment in your army is an uncertainty, but his zeal for the American cause is too great for any discouragements. I can lay before him, and he goes over at his own expense, to take his chance, which is a mark of attachment that merits our regard. He will shew your excellency the commissions and proofs of his military service hitherto, and I beg leave to recommend him to your notice. SIR, With the sincerest esteem and respect, &c. B. FRANKLIN. To Richard Peters, Esq.* Passy, near Paris, September 12, 1777. THE bearer Monsieur Gerard is recommended to me by M. Dubourg, a gentleman of distinction here, and a * Mr. Peters now judge Peters, was secretary to the board of war. hearty friend to our cause. I enclose his letter that you may see the favorable manner in which he speaks of Mr. Gerard. I thereupon take the liberty of recommending the young gentleman to your civilities and advice, as he will be quite a stranger there, and to request that you would put him in the way of serving as a volunteer in our armies. I am, Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN. TRANSLATION. M. Dubourg to Dr. Franklin. MY DEAR SIR, Paris, September 8, 1777. I SHOULD be much obliged to you if you would be so good as to give a letter of recommendation to some one of the chiefs of your army, in favor of a young man full of courage, and also of distinguished talents, who is at Bourdeaux, ready to embark for America, where he proposes to settle himself in Pennsylvania, after having served in quality of volunteer, or otherwise, during the war. His name is Gerard. He carries with him a little adventure, sufficient for supporting him some years, and afterwards, if it is there customary, his father will make over to him his portion. I interest myself particularly in his favor, because he is the brother-in-law of one of our honestest commissaries. I have the honor to wish you a good day, and to reiterate the assurances of my inviolable attachment. DUBOURG. SIR, James Lovell, Esq. Paris, December 21, 1777. I SEE in a vote of congress, shewn me by captain Franval, that Mr. Deane is disowned in some of his agreements B with officers. I who am upon the spot, and know the infinite difficulty of resisting the powerful solicitations here of great men, who, if disobliged, might have it in their power to obstruct the supplies he was then obtaining, do not wonder, that being then a stranger to the people, and unacquainted with the language, he was at first prevailed on to make some such agreements, when all were recommended, as they always are, as officiers experementés, braves comme leurs epeés, pleins de courage, de talents, et de zele pour notre cause, &c. in short, mere Cæsars, each of whom would be an invaluable acquisition to America. You can have no conception how we are still besieged and worried on this head, our time cut to pieces by personal applications, besides those contained in dozens of letters by every post, which are so generally refused, that scarce one in an hundred obtain from us a simple recommendation to civilities. I hope, therefore, that favourable allowance will be made to my worthy colleague, on account of his situation. at the time, as he has long since corrected that mistake, and daily approves himself, to my certain knowlege, an able, faithful, active, and extremely useful servant of the public. A testimony I think it my duty to take this occasion of giving to his merit unasked, as, considering my great age, I may probably not live to give it personally in congress, and I perceive he has enemies. You will see the general news in the papers. In particular, I can only say at present that our affairs go well here, and that I am, with much respect, Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN. SIR, Heury Laurens, Esq. President of Congress. Passy near Paris, March 13, 1778. MY colleague Mr. Deane being recalled by congress, and no reasons given that have yet appeared here, it is apprehended to be the effect of some misrepresentations from an enemy or two at Paris or Nantes. I have no doubt that he will be able clearly to justify himself; but having lived with him now fifteen months, the greatest part of the time in the same house, and being a constant witness of his public conduct, I cannot omit giving this testimony, though unasked, in his behalf, that I esteem him a faithful, active, and able minister, who, to my knowledge, has done in va rious ways, great and important services to his country, whose interests I wish may always, by every one in the em ploy, be as much and as effectually promoted. With my dutiful respects to the congress, I have the honor to be, Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN, James Lovell, Esq. SIR, Passy, July 22, 1778. I received your favor of May 15, and was glad to find that mine of December 21, had come to hand. Mr. Deane's brother writes that it was not signed, which was an accidental omission. Mr. Deane himself is I hope with you long before this time, and I doubt not but every prejudice against him is removed. It was not alone upon the proceedings of congress I formed my opinion that such prejudices existed. I am glad to understand that opinion was groundless, and that he is like to come back with honor, in the commission to Holland, where matters are already so ripe for his operations, that he cannot fail (with his abilities) of being useful. You mention former letters of the committee, by which we might have seen the apprehensions of the resentment of foreign officers, &c. Those letters never came to hand, and we on our part are amazed to hear that the committee had had no line from us for near a year, during which we had written I believe five or six long and particu lar letters, and had made it a rule to send triplicates of each, and to replace those that we happened to hear were lost, so that of some there were five copies sent; and as I hear that |