To Alexander Hamilton from Samuel Ward, 10 November 1798
From Samuel Ward1
New York, November 10, 1798. “… Will you permit me again to remind you of the conversation I had the honour to have with you in June last relative to importing a quantity of Powder—in consequence of which the owners of the ship Harvard orderd & have imported about 26 Tuns from Sweden in said Ship. Mess Mintum & Champlin2 who were equally concerned with me in this adventure have offerd this togather with a further quantity to the secy at War. The total abt 50 tuns. If the U S should want the whole quantity it would be agreeable to me to receive in part of payment three bonds I have lately given at the customs house in Providence due 24 March–June–& september next—for nearly 19.000 dollars.”
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Ward, the son of Samuel Ward, a colonial governor of Rhode Island, was a veteran of the American Revolution and in 1786 was elected a delegate to the Annapolis Convention. Following the war, he moved from Rhode Island to New York, where he established the firm of Samuel Ward and Brother. His mercantile interests were world-wide, and in 1788 he was one of the first Americans to travel to the Far East.
2. William Minturn and John T. Champlin were New York City merchants.