The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane
Copy: Haverford College Library; copy: National Archives
<Philadelphia, October 23, 1776: We have written you twice today
by different ships. This letter goes by the Andrew Doria to St.
Eustatius, to be forwarded to William Bingham and by him to
you in a French vessel. We enclose two resolutions of Congress.
The first replaces Thomas Jefferson as commissioner with Arthur
Lee, whom you will immediately ask to join you; then give him
the resolution and the enclosed letter. The other resolution instructs
you to hire or buy eight ships of the line; if you are successful,
we hope that France and Spain will send a large fleet to
convoy these ships, and order its commander to make for the first
safe port, preferably Philadelphia, and put himself totally under
the direction of Congress. Signed by Franklin, Robert Morris,
Richard Henry Lee, William Hooper, and John Witherspoon.>
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