Decoding Revolutionary Correspondence

November 21, 1782 from Livingston to Franklin

Code/Cipher: WE008
Source: Papers of the Continental Congress, Roll 139, Page 336 (Code appears on Page 338)
Manuscript (Footnote.com)
Electronic Text of Wharton (The Libary of Congress | American Memory)
Searchable Text of Sparks (Google)

In Plaintext

(plaintext lines omitted)

For what end are the show of negociations kept up by England, when peace upon the only terms she can possibly expect to obtain it is far from her heart? Her ministers, like some ministers of the gospel, who are unwilling to quit the pulpit when they have tired out their hearers, expect to keep the people together by calling out at every period, "now, to conclude," while they continue the same dull tale for want of skill to wind it up.
The French army are at Providence at a loss which way to move till they receive further orders from home. All of them seem prepared to embark except the legion which is to remain for the present. The fleet are still at Boston. By accounts from Jamaica we learn that the British have recovered most of their settlements on the bay. ...

(plaintext lines omitted)

Verification Dump

19 <th> '174 <french> 272 <armi[army]> 448 <ar> '642 <at[att]> 72 <pro> 438 <ui[uy]> 210 <den> 55 <C> '642 <at[att]>
140 <A> 436 <lo> ..573 <which> 454 <way> 379 <to[too]> 59 <me> 16 '559 <T> 337 <il[ill]> 327 <they> 73 <R> -
245 <ec[eck,ek]> 545 <ei[ey]> 16 '391 <fu> 73 <R> 19 <th> 325 <er[err]> 151 <ord> 325 <er[err]> .467 <from> 556 <home> 485 <al[all]>
606 <of> 483 <them> 365 <S> '439 508 <pr> 539 <ep> 448 <ar> 80 <ed> 379 <to[too]> 439 189 <bar>
88 <K> 648 <except> 19 <th> '640 <L> 481 <eg[egg]> 196 <io> 119 <N> 573 <which> 143 . [to] 73 <R> 439 113 <ain>
94 <for> 19 <th> '508 <pr> 42 <E> 365 <S> 234 <ent> 19 <th> '99 <F> 640 <L> 42 <E> 352 <et> 448 <ar> '
310 <st> 337 <il[ill]> 642 <at[att]> 166 <bo> 310 <st> 338 <on>