To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Lincoln, 21 January 1794
From Benjamin Lincoln
Boston Jany 21 1794
Sir
On the receipt of your letter of the 19th. Ulto1 Not seeing the British Consul2 I wrote him a note3 of which No 1 is a copy—No 2 is a copy of His answer. As you have confined my attention, at present, to the Jane—Lovely lass and Prince William Henry which vessels it is said have not been in this district I cannot take any measures with him to ascertain the damages of the Gray hound & Flora4 of Nova scotia which he mentions in his letter to me untill I shall receive your further directions.
Some time since I sent on a check, in favour of The treasurer of the United States, to receive out of the branch bank in the State of New York a sum of public money I lodge there. As the public have my receipt for the whole sum I received I should be possessed of the treasurers receipt for the amount of the Check as so much returned or be so credited for it may avail me in the settlement of my Acct of cash received and expenditures at the late Indian treaty.5
Secy of the Treasury
LC, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; LC, RG 36, Collector of Customs at Boston, Letter Book, 1790–1797, National Archives; two copies, RG 56, Letters from the Collector at Boston, National Archives.
2. Thomas MacDonough.
3. See enclosure.
5. On August 18, 1793, Lincoln had returned a part of the money issued to him as one of the United States commissioners appointed on March 2, 1793, to meet with the western Indians at Sandusky. Warrant No. 103, drawn on Lincoln in the amount of $12,492.77, was credited to him in the accounts of the treasurer, Samuel Meredith, for the first quarter of 1794 (D, Ledger, 1789–1795, United States Finance Miscellany, Library of Congress; copy, RG 217, Miscellaneous Treasury Accounts, 1790–1894, Account No. 6393, National Archives).