Letter from Joseph Warren to Benjamin Franklin
4/26/1775
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This is a letter from Joseph Warren to Colony Agent Benjamin Franklin.
This and other documents about the battles at Lexington and Concord are included in the Massachusetts State Papers from 1775 - 1787, in the Papers of the Continental Congress.
This and other documents about the battles at Lexington and Concord are included in the Massachusetts State Papers from 1775 - 1787, in the Papers of the Continental Congress.
Transcript
In Provincial Congress Watertown, April 26th 1775 9Sir
From the entire Confidence we Repose in your faithfulness & abilities we consider it the happiness of this Colony that the important trust of Agency for it in this day of unequaled Distress is devolved on your hands, and we doubt not your attachment to the cause of the liberties of mankind will make every Possible Exertion in our behalf A Pleasure to you-- altho' our circumstances will compell us Often to Interrupt your repose by Matters that will surely give you Pain. A Singular instance hereof is the Occasion of the present letter the Contents of this Packet will be our Apology for Troubling you with it from these you will see how & by whom we are at last Plunged into the horrors of a most unnatural war. Our enemies we are told have dispatched to G Britain a falacious account of the Tragedy they have began to Prevent the operation of which to the Publick injury we have engaged the vessel that conveys this to you as a Packit in the service of this Colony and we Request your assistance in Supplying Capt Derby who command her with such necessaries as he Shall Want on the credit of your Constituents in Massachusetts Bay. But we most ardently wish that the several papers herewith inclosed may be immediately printed and disperced thro' every Town in England and especially communicated to the Lord Mayor, Alderman, & Common Council of the city of London that they may take such Order thereon as they may think Proper And we are confident your fidelity will make such improvement of them as Shall convince all who are not determined to be in everlasting blindness that it the united efforts of both Englands that must save either But that whatever price our Bretheren in the one may be pleased to put on their constitutional liberties we are authorized to assure you that the inhabitants of the other
with
10
with the greatest unanimity are inflexibly resolved to sell theirs only at the price of their lives.
Sign'd by order of the Provincial Congress To the Hon ble Benjamin Franklin, Esq At London Jos Warren Pres't P TA true copy from the original minutesSaml Freeman Secr'y P T
Copy of Letter from the Congress of Mass
Benj Franklin Esq. dated 26 April 1775
read before Congress May 11.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention.
National Archives Identifier: 6882947
Full Citation: Letter from Joseph Warren to Colony Agent Benjamin Franklin; 4/26/1775; Massachusetts State Papers; Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774 - 1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, Record Group 360; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-joseph-warren-benjamin-franklin, May 31, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
